I hear a rumour it’s London Fashion Week. Not that I would ever frequent the front row alongside Victoria Beckham and the Hollywood elite but I do like to look good on occasion.
Speaking of occasions, I have a great friend who is getting married in a month. Everyone thinks it’s all about the dress and yes of course it is but us boys want to look good too. Evidently my taste in clothes can’t be too far from fashionable as my friend asked me to help him choose a wedding suit. After a quick journey down the M40 to John Lewis we decided to hit the dreaded Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush. I was actually really impressed by the facilities there, especially regarding the real time parking info that showed me where and how many disabled spaces there were. Anyway that’s by the by. We were here to shop, and shop we did, all eight hours of it.
It’s an interesting experience to be looking at someone else’s body and judging how it looks in different suits. When I buy clothes I tend to focus on key areas. Basically waist up.
I can’t wear ‘good bum’ jeans as I and no one else can see it so why bother? Trousers become a matter of colour and texture. Also as someone who is always seated, I come with a perma belly and clothes are rarely cut with sitting down in mind as most people both stand and sit.
So my considerations often drift to how do I get something that is the right length or size to compensate for my seated frame? This is especially true for suits.
A normal suit is cut to hang around thigh level on a standing man – not such an easy look to pull off in a wheelchair. A suit with a jacket cut to my seated height would look crazy and be very expensive as it would have to be handmade. When I wear a suit, which is pretty rare, I have to blag it. It does look good if I am static; I let the jacket hang loose over my wheels and over the back of my chair – poncho style.
Buttoning it is not an option unless I had a super-sized suit which would make me look tank-esque – a look I’d rather avoid.
The biggest issue is moving around a venue. I have to tuck the suit jacket behind my back and the seat back to avoid getting it caught in my wheels.
This inevitably creases the jacket and from that moment on I go from crisp and smart to looking a bit dishevelled and mucky.
Luckily I don’t have to wear a suit often as it costs a small fortune in dry cleaning. One outing and it is trashed.
That said I love the feeling of being in a suit and if definitely looks good when you have a muscular upper body to showcase in a well-cut suit. Fingers crossed the groom won’t be the only suited guy catching people’s eye at the wedding.
- Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel