OT: Suit shopping...

[Sex Panther]

 

Originally Posted by OverDriven

The thing about Express shirts though - they are now around $60. There are a lot of better options at that price.

 

Yeah, but when you factor in that most of the time it's buy one get one 50% off, and you can usually snag a coupon for $25 off of $75, you get two for $65. Not a bad deal.

[-Assy-]

I don't know why you need one. Mark Tremonti never wears suits

[Ron Burgandy]

 

Originally Posted by -Assy-

I don't know why you need one. Mark Tremonti never wears suits

 

Lololololol

[OverDriven]

 

Originally Posted by Sex Panther

Yeah, but when you factor in that most of the time it's buy one get one 50% off, and you can usually snag a coupon for $25 off of $75, you get two for $65. Not a bad deal.

 

Yeah if you're buying more than one then it becomes a good deal. It kind of drives me crazy how Express almost forces you to buy two of anything with their buy one get one 50% deals. They price the individual items high so that you have to take their offer and spend a bit more to get a decent price on each item.

[Sex Panther]

 

Originally Posted by -Assy-

I don't know why you need one. Mark Tremonti never wears suits

 

Neither does Nick Carter, but you still have plenty.

[Sex Panther]

 

Originally Posted by OverDriven

Yeah if you're buying more than one then it becomes a good deal. It kind of drives me crazy how Express almost forces you to buy two of anything with their buy one get one 50% deals. They price the individual items high so that you have to take their offer and spend a bit more to get a decent price on each item.

 

Yup!

[-Assy-]

I'm not Kbizz....

[Kenny Powers]

Express shirts are disposable. But at $25 a pop I don't mind relishing my stock every year

On sale that is

[LaXu]

 

Originally Posted by Sex Panther

I'm looking to pick a couple up. Probably 1 gray, and 1 black. Slim/modern fit. The gray one for interviews and more professional occasions, and the black for more formal occasions. I'd also like the black jacket to go with jeans.

 

Gray, sure. Black, no. Black is for funerals or security guards. Get a navy blue suit instead. Oh and a suit jacket is never meant to work with jeans. A sportcoat is what you want for that as they have materials and patterns that work better with odd trousers. I personally dig linen sportcoats for summer and tweed for the colder months.

I suggest you check out your local thrift stores first. You might find something that is in great condition, just didn't fit the previous owner. eBay is actually a good place to look too, provided you know your measurements (as sizes are rarely reported correctly and vary from brand to brand). Just avoid the 1970s monstrosities with huge lapels and bell bottom pants. That said, also avoid the tiny lapels and really short length that is supposedly trendy right now - it looks like absolute {censored} unless you're one of the super skinny model types they put into them for product pics. Basically the lapels should be in proportion to your head and shoulders and the jacket should roughly cover your ass and end at your crotch. Maybe a little bit shorter on the more fashion-forward stuff.

Otherwise fit is indeed king. Find a good tailor as most things can be altered except one: shoulders. The jacket shoulders should fit right and not go over your natural shoulder. Depending on your shoulder type a jacket with more or less padding might look better. Everything else can usually be altered. Most of the jackets I've bought have needed sleeve lengthening and taking in at the waist.

[Caulk Rocket]

I don't own a suit, I don't wear jewelery, and I don't {censored}ing wear cranium accessories.

[Kenny Powers]

 

Originally Posted by Caulk Rocket

I don't own a suit, I don't wear jewelery, and I don't {censored}ing wear cranium accessories.

 

Most fry cooks don't

Jk but what are you trying prove with this post?

[Rear Naked]

 

Originally Posted by Caulk Rocket

I don't own a suit, I don't wear jewelery, and I don't {censored}ing wear cranium accessories.

 

cool dude

[Caulk Rocket]

 

Originally Posted by Kenny Powers

Most fry cooks don't

Jk but what are you trying prove with this post?

 

A Mitch Hedberg reference is never a bad thing.

[Sex Panther]

 

Originally Posted by LaXu

Gray, sure. Black, no. Black is for funerals or security guards. Get a navy blue suit instead. Oh and a suit jacket is never meant to work with jeans. A sportcoat is what you want for that as they have materials and patterns that work better with odd trousers. I personally dig linen sportcoats for summer and tweed for the colder months.

I suggest you check out your local thrift stores first. You might find something that is in great condition, just didn't fit the previous owner. eBay is actually a good place to look too, provided you know your measurements (as sizes are rarely reported correctly and vary from brand to brand). Just avoid the 1970s monstrosities with huge lapels and bell bottom pants. That said, also avoid the tiny lapels and really short length that is supposedly trendy right now - it looks like absolute {censored} unless you're one of the super skinny model types they put into them for product pics. Basically the lapels should be in proportion to your head and shoulders and the jacket should roughly cover your ass and end at your crotch. Maybe a little bit shorter on the more fashion-forward stuff.

Otherwise fit is indeed king. Find a good tailor as most things can be altered except one: shoulders. The jacket shoulders should fit right and not go over your natural shoulder. Depending on your shoulder type a jacket with more or less padding might look better. Everything else can usually be altered. Most of the jackets I've bought have needed sleeve lengthening and taking in at the waist.

 

Black, yes. {censored} Navy Blue.

I'll pass on the lice suits from the thrift stores.

You SHOULD wear a sport coat, however, when you're out "clubbing" in the dark, if it's the right kind of suit coat, it'll pass just fine.

[PurpleTrails]

I've had good luck getting suits at Nordstrom Rack, then getting it tailored. The Rack is sort of their outlet branch. The stuff there is pretty much always at the price you might see as a sale price at the regular nordstroms, and sometimes they run sales. They carry good quality stuff, same as at the regular store.

[kanamvar32]

So I just did a ton of research and finally pulled the trigger on 2 suits. Here are some things that I learned in the process. Hopefully these help you out a bit.

Price-to-Value: this was the biggest thing I was looking for (next to fit, described below). For the most part, the more people who know the name of the brand suit you are buying, the more you are paying for marketing vs. materials. That said, some of the bigger name brands that are carried at department stores, etc. go on sale/clearance so you can find good deals. In fact, buying giftcards off sites like Plastic Jungle at a discount to face + using eBates (a site that you can use to get extra discounts when shopping online) are really good ways to cut down costs especially when the store has an online sale (like Macy's or Brooks Brothers noting both have sales now).

Fit: probably the most important thing in a suit putting $ aside. You can definitely tailor a suit, but there are some areas that you cannot adjust. The main ones are chest and arm holes. If those arent right, then you are pretty much screwed. You can fix sleeve length and parts of the neck/collar area so keep that in mind.

Fabrics: generally, a 100% wool suit is the way to go. The "Super" # essentially is a grade and weight. The higher the number usually the finer the material. The finer materials, however, wrinkle easier and are generally more delicate. If you are looking for something you can wear all day, beat up a little, and not be too worried about wrinkles, go with the 120s. These should be sort of soft to the touch but sturdy. If you plan on wearing your suit occasionally for business meetings, dinners, etc. you can consider the 150s+. The scores (120s, etc.) do vary by the company making the fabric so not all with the same # are of comparable quality.

Color: this pretty much comes down to circumstance/event/occasion and personal taste. Solid charcoal and navy suits are pretty standard. If you are in a conservative business setting dont get fancy with pinstripes, etc. If you are some ability to show off your style and tastes, then it is cool to go with unique patterns and colors.

Style: lots of different style choices. I am personally a traditional 2-button single breasted suit kinda guy.

Care: if you get a wool suit you really only need to dry clean it if you get food stains on it. A quality suit is not something you need to clean after each wear. If it has wrinkles you can consider steaming it.

I ultimately went with a bespoke suit because I couldn't find anything that fit just right (I am picky though) and I didn't care for the fabrics that I found on the suits in stores. The nicer suits I did find in stores were only modestly cheaper than a custom suit. I actually picked a 97% super 150s wool + 3% cashmere blend. The suits are both 2-button single breasted grey (one a real dark charcoal, and the other a slightly lighter grey).

If you are looking for something under $600, I suggest Nordstrom Rack and Off 5th (Saks). If you are looking at under $1200 I suggest hitting up the sales + discounted gift cards + ebates at Brooks Brothers and perhaps Nordstrom (the Canali suits are quite slim, are decently well made and would probably look right for you, but I dont think they are worth the money at full retail, which is around $1600). I am personally not a fan of Hugo Boss or Zegna unless its over 50% off retail.

Another option, given that you work out and are probably hard to fit, is the Made-to-Measure options. Idk where you live but in LA there are a ton of companies that send people to your place, get some measurements and then make your suit (usually in China, etc.). The quality is ok, the price is ok, and the work product is usually ok from what I've heard. This isn't a bad option if you end up having difficulty finding something off the rack.

[Sex Panther]

Thanks Kan. Some good info there.

[NinjaRaf]

I just got a really nice gray one from Burlington coat factory back in October. Joseph abboud. 200 bucks. They tailored it there too.

[NITROHOLIC]

 

Originally Posted by Caulk Rocket

I don't own a suit, I don't wear jewelery, and I don't {censored}ing wear cranium accessories.

 

youre a smart crowd haah, most crowds I gotta be like "You have a lot of {censored} on your face. hallright"

[SwedeZ]

Don't just point and click. Find a decent shop with a good tailor, avoid big box retailers. You can still get a good suit with a decent budget, just don't be pushed into anything. Take an afternoon and do it right.

Or you could just go into debt and get a few YSL suits. I like those.

[Pepi]