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Buying a suit.
FightTest
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Registered User regular
So I've made it a long ways in life without having to own a suit, but my sister is getting married next month and I suppose I should probably pretend I'm a man and not a man-child. As such I plan on getting a suit.
Given that I only see myself wearing it.. once I don't plan on spending more than $500 on it. I live in CT and I've seen commercials in the past for Men's Wearhouse and while looking them up I've seen people recommend Jos A. Bank over them. I've also heard people suggest stores like Macy's, but then I have to worry about finding an outside tailor which would probably be even more $$$. As of now my plan is to hit JAB first and if I don't find my shit there I'll look elsewhere.
So I guess my questions are as follows:
1.) If anyone has any other suggestions for the eastern CT/RI/southern MA area store-wise (that would be in my price range).
2.) What I should bring/wear? Should I rock dress shoes and a shirt/tie? Yes, right? Carry them in?
3.) Should I go in with my self-measured internet-instructed size or will they measure me there?
4.) If you've bought from these above-mentioned stores how did it go?
Given that I only see myself wearing it.. once I don't plan on spending more than $500 on it. I live in CT and I've seen commercials in the past for Men's Wearhouse and while looking them up I've seen people recommend Jos A. Bank over them. I've also heard people suggest stores like Macy's, but then I have to worry about finding an outside tailor which would probably be even more $$$. As of now my plan is to hit JAB first and if I don't find my shit there I'll look elsewhere.
So I guess my questions are as follows:
1.) If anyone has any other suggestions for the eastern CT/RI/southern MA area store-wise (that would be in my price range).
2.) What I should bring/wear? Should I rock dress shoes and a shirt/tie? Yes, right? Carry them in?
3.) Should I go in with my self-measured internet-instructed size or will they measure me there?
4.) If you've bought from these above-mentioned stores how did it go?
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You don't need to bring a tie or dress shoes, JAB sells both, and as such will let you wear them when trying on a suit. I'd bring your own socks though, unless you happen to need to buy socks anyways.
They should also measure you.
Same deal with the shirt. If you plan on buying a dress shirt there then just wear a plain t-shirt.
They'll measure you.
I bought a Men's Warehouse suit for my wedding. Basically I knew I wanted a black suit, no pinstripes single breasted. The guy I had was awesome... told him what I wanted and my budget, he measured me, found me a suit, and bam it looked great. Was out of there in 15 minutes.
Basically, I'd know what you want going in as far as color and basic style, it will make things go a lot quicker.
What are you thinking color wise?
By this, do you mean a Tailor takes unsewn strips of cloth and crafts the suit to your measurements? I would expect more than a $200 price increase(at least, $200 over Men's Wearhouse prices) for that, but I might be wrong.
As for color I don't know, black seems the classic bet but I hear conflicting info on whether it's appropriate for a wedding, so I'm figuring navy or dark grey. (Two button with vents.)
I don't know that I'd go with a black suit first, I think they're considered too formal for work environments(in case you ever have to wear a suit for work). I would suggest a very dark navy, with pinstripes.
I would have probably started looking before now, but there's still plenty of time.
He could, but it is always handy to have your own suit around if you need one suddenly for a job interview, or a sudden family event. That said, I like the Men's Warehouse.
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I guess. But a suit just seems like something a guy should have. I've thought about it in the past but I could never justify dropping hundreds of dollars on something I didn't need. Now I have a reason to go get one. Plus who knows if I'll need one for interviews down the road or whatever. Just seems a utility item.
I think you can get out of there with a jacket and pant for under 300 pretty easily if you go low and (and their low end is still pretty decent in my opinion). They have tailors there and you need not know a damn thing, they will take care of you.
You don't need a dress shirt or tie either... they took my measurements with just my undershirt on.
I know fuck all about suits but they were able to hook me up with something that looked pretty good, and I have a very rare build. Like, I was literally the smallest size they had in stock and they still had to bring it in a little bit.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
A good place to look for someone new to suiting would be brooks brothers. They have a diffusion (crap) line just like the rest, and most outlets only sell the crap, but they have several quality lines if you are near the right store (or just shop online but since you are new to suits I wouldn't). The 1818 and golden fleece are their quality lines, with 1818 being the entry level. Unfortunately, you JUST missed, by 5 days or so, the annual brooks brothers suit sale, where 1818 suits could be had for $400. They are still having $250 off 750 right now, but that won't net you a $500 suit. The 1818 suits start at around 800, so you'd be paying at least 650. Definitely worth checking out the store if you have the opportunity.
If you do go BB, the fitzgerald is a modern slim cut (I think it's only 5 years old) that works excellently for tall and/or thin guys. The regent is fuller (for fatties). You are 5'8" and 135, so I'd put you square in the fitz camp.
As for what suit for a wedding, navy is a good choice if this is to ever double as a interview/anything else suit.
Do not buy a black suit unless you want to look like a bellman or waiter. Also, black material of low quality (JAB or MW) will look like shit in sunlight. Black is not classic. It only appears so because antique photos do not contain colooooouuuurrrr. Black was classically reserved for eveningwear (after 6pm), IE tuxes, which you should also not wear to a wedding.
If JAB is anything like Canada's Moore's then you can buy a nice respectable suit for cheap(as far as suits go) and get it tailor for you. Moore's always has sales, and sounds like JAB is an American equivalent.
Uh, I could have sworn Men's Wearhouse had good(or at least decent) brands in their selection like Austin Reed or Hart Schaffner. I know I've seen them carry Super 120 thread counts(I don't remember the quality of the brands in these), and it's my understanding that really high thread counts maybe be "fine" in some way and pricey as hell, but are also delicate.
But more importantly, I don't think he needs to be spending a dime over $400(most likely less) for his first suit.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
on the other hand
Go down to the Salvation Army, find a nice suit in the color and style you want, make sure the sleeves are not too short and that it is not too tight (or too ludicrously loose) in the chest or shoulders, and take it to a professional tailor and have them fit it to your frame.
I just did this and could not be happier with my $60 Brooks Brother's navy pinstripe. ($30 for the suit, $30 for tailoring, including hemming and tapering the pants and letting out the shoulders a tiny bit) Remember the tailor will find it much more difficult to add breadth in the jacket in any dimension than to remove it. (and sometimes it won't be possible at all)
Just an option.
that being said, I will echo some of what has been said above. there is less than a 1% chance that you will look better in a black suit than in navy or charcoal, so go with one of those. side vents are hard to find but look better than a center vent, and two/three buttons is personal preference (mine is two).
people who are warning you away from MW/JAB are generally correct--they will not fit as well as a higher-end suit, or be made of as nice a fabric, and so they will look worse. and looking good is the whole point! more to the point, the salespeople at MW will cheerfully let you walk out of the store looking terrible if you aren't confident of what you want, which it sounds like you are not.
caveat: if you are poor/broke, don't worry! you can still look good for not much money. there is an H&M at the mall in providence, and they have some nice suits that are sold as separates (good for you since you have such a large drop) that are not expensive at all.
Oh god no, for a custom made suit expect much much much much more. What I was talking about was finding a tailor. I use a private tailor who has been making bench made suits for decades, he is awesome but a bit pricey. However, he is awesome. He did some major alterations to my pants to make them fit my legs better, since most pants are big in the seat/upper thigh area to accommodate for many sizes. He also took in my jacket in a couple areas, including the sides so that they taper more to my body. A good tailor will properly do more than hemming.
Try a couple different colored suits on. I have two, a nice light grey and a whiteish beige. The grey is certainly more formal, but they both look great because the colors work and the fit is right.
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any amount in the interval [200, the biggest number you can think of]. it all depends on what you want!
Oh, and one more thing: never ever ever button the bottom button (and be buttoned when standing, unbuttoned when sitting). I could rant for an hour on this. Make sure I don't. :P
e: There's a neat post on Men's Flair that may interest you - If You Own One Suit.
Go with a subtle pattern (solids look lame, bolds aren't versital) in dark grey/blue/black. 2 button. Notch (reglular) (not peak) lapel. You'll see some very narrow lapels these days, but I vote for something more "average" in width. Get something with back vents - 1 or 2. Go with pleats on the pants, and average cuffs. Mid-break on the pants. That is the "I own one suit" suit.
For a cheap suit that doesn't look embarassing, go to Jos. A. Banks. I hate their service , their rotating sales, and their inability to measure a suit in my local store but I hope they don't all suck that badly. Their suits are generally all at a minimum level of quality. Actually, the suit I have that gets the most compliments from my non-suit-wearing friends is a $180 suit from J. A. B.
A step up from that is to go to the nicest department store in your town and buy their second cheapest suit. It will look nicer to anyone that knows, and your odds of getting it finished just right are much higher. Fit is super-important if you don't want to look like the suit is borrowed from your dad.
To do it right, go into a men's clothing store that's a stand-alone local shop. Tell them its been a long time since you have purchased a suit, and need to start building a wardrobe. They'll give you an eduication, a good discount, and a great fit.
You need a proper-size white shirt, which you may wait to buy until the coat is tailored. Also, buy at least 1 tie with the suit, to make sure it goes perfectly. A guy can wear a basic suit every day for a month, as long as he has enough ties.