quality suits and places to buy them

[215512]

where are some common places to buy suits that are moderately priced? I.E. about 250-400 dollars. I am thinking:

Express
Dillards/Macys
Men's Warehouse

Any suggestions? thanks a million

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[JEWmongous]

where are some common places to buy suits that are moderately priced? I.E. about 250-400 dollars. I am thinking:

Express
Dillards/Macys
Men's Warehouse

Any suggestions? thanks a million

Idk if you have "Karako" around you, but thats where I did my suit shopping. It is like a huge warehouse for suits. I got a deal for 3 with shirts/socks/belt for like $500-600. Sounds cheap but they are actually very good quality suits.

 

[illini04alum]

From my experience, department stores like Macy's have pretty decent ones if you are a normal fit. Unfortunately for me I'm somewhat tall but skinny and have wide shoulders, so regular sizes / fits are not really good for me. Men's wearhouse had a decent selection / price (around $200) for my body type / budget. Just my 2 cents.

 

[allenmarchallo]

Got a GREAT deal on my suit @ "Jos. A. Bank"

Great quality suits & they usually have sales...However, they got me when I overlooked the prices of a $65 shirt and $79 tie!!

 

[podoc123]

Nordstrom's Rack is a good place. Thats where I got mine

 

[GetnMyFtNtheDor]

I swear by Mens Warehouse. Great quality suits and reasonably priced. I bought a suit from them as a senior in highschool and continue to impress when I wear it today. Alterations are very important as well. I prefer european cut vs American cut.

Bachrach and Jos A Bank make good quality suits as well. Please remember, ill-fitting suits look worse than being naked.

I don't believe in department store suits

 

[215512]

Thanks for your imput everyone I appreciate it

 

[runner0382]

The key to a suit is fit. At the $500 and below price level at 'MSRP' there really is no difference in fabric quality, so the money should be spent on making it as well-tailored as possible.

As said above, the department stores (Dillard's and above) are fine. But the going rate for a suit should be $200 and it is difficult to find them there discounted from the normal $495 price without a big sale weekend.

I have had nothing but poor experiences with MW and Jos A. Bank (who had buy 1 of any suit, get 2 free that ended yesterday) - pushy salesman and suits that are fine but nothing special.

Here are my personal suggestions as someone who is adept at saving money but likes nice things:

1) Have a Ross/TJMaxx/Marshall's close to you? Go there. For $180, you will find the same suits in department stores (Calvin Klein/Claiborne/Perry Ellis/Tasso Elba/Alfani, etc.). Even in the garment district in Los Angeles, you can't get deals this good without significant haggling.
2) Overstock.com - same type of brands above but usually for $200 (sometimes less if you find something on sale)
3) Department stores - far from your best place to go, but okay if they have a clearance rack.

FIND THE BEST TAILOR YOU CAN. I am lucky and any well-cut jacket in a 38R I can walk into and not have to tailor at all.

Dress shirts: Again, Ross/TJMaxx/Marshalls sells the same thing in a department store at between 60-75% off. I just grabbed a few amazing shirts from a well-known British shirtmaker for $40. These shirts would normally be $150-200 and yes, you can very much tell the difference. They wear well, wear longer, iron up better, and fit amazingly.

Ties: Don't be a sucker and buy them in department stores. Again, Ross/TJMaxx/Marshalls has ties all day long for $8-15 tops. Same with belts.

At our age, there is no reason to need to spend a lot of money on a suit and accessories if you know where to shop. I have had great success at the stores above, and you are getting the exact same product without the nice shopping environment. No one will be the wiser unless they rub your arm and find out it's not Super 150's wool.

While the suit's tailoring is inferior construction-wise, with good tailoring, a $200 suit can look (but never feel to another person) just as good as a $2000 Armani (Marshalls/TJMaxx occasionally stocks these at well between $500-600). Also, realize you will buy a suit of Italian fabric tailored in China. No, it doesn't matter.

 

[Feli]

...Have a Ross/TJMaxx/Marshall's close to you? Go there. For $180, you will find the same suits in department stores (Calvin Klein/Claiborne/Perry Ellis/Tasso Elba/Alfani, etc.)...

...Ties: Don't be a sucker and buy them in department stores. Again, Ross/TJMaxx/Marshalls has ties all day long for $8-15 tops. Same with belts....

...FIND THE BEST TAILOR YOU CAN....
...with good tailoring, a $200 suit can look (but never feel to another person) just as good as a $2000...

This is good advice and has always worked pretty well for me

Marshalls (in a nice part of town) or esuit.com are the cheapest suits that are ok quality IMO. Marshalls will have a couple good suits mixed in with a lot of ugly ones, so you have to know what to look for (100% wool, no crazy patterns, etc). Some people just have a natural understanding for art/fashion, and some really don't. Start with basics. You can always wear a green Zenga double breasted suit or a white Armani tux later once you are done with school and have $, but it's a waste until you have money to burn and more importantly, until you know how to shop for good looking suits and outfits. As was said, the big key is just knowing your exact sizes (jacket, shirt neck/sleeve, waist, length). That knowledge will let you buy some off the rack sale stuff, but you have to realize what a tailor can/cannot do for the rack clothes you buy.

First things first, go to a quality tailor or tux shop and get measured. It should cost about $10. Next, go buy the classic book "Dressing the Man" by Flusser (~$35). Finally, go shopping, and buy a basic charcoal or dark navy suit that will work for everything from weddings to interviews to a nice date (no pinstripes, checks, etc on this first suit... you're try to look like a congressman, not Diddy lol).

Keep in mind that dressing good is going to cost way more than you think; it doesn't just mean buy a suit or shirt+tie and you are done. A lot of young guys buy a nice suit or shirt+tie but then proceed to wear them with their regular old leather shoes, belt, etc and look like a slob. There are a lot of subtle fashion rules (read the book) and accessories that must all be considered for a suit to be good overall outfit (dress shirt, tie, socks, shoes, watch, cufflinks, case/bag, etc etc). A pretty nice shirt/polo with jeans/khakis that you wore in undergrad cost you maybe $100 and you could wear that with whatever accessories you wanted to. Now, compare that to an entry level business outfit... you have 3-10x the cost per outfit now.

 

[jpevball]

So how about shirt color, folks? Just typical White? or Other (i.e. Blue? Cream? Purple with yellow dots? lol)......

 

[Feli]

So how about shirt color, folks? Just typical White? or Other (i.e. Blue? Cream? Purple with yellow dots? lol)......

White or light blue are generally the best shirt choices; that's pretty much all I wear to clinics since it's simple and won't offend any attendings, patients, etc. You can get into pattern shirts, but then you add more complexity because you have to beware that your shirt doesn't clash with your tie's pattern. When you're young, you want to look conservative and mature to your older patients, JMO. Plain white shirts are obviously the easiest since it will match with any suit/tie/accessory color scheme.

Spread collar dress shirts are good if you're skinny... regular ("point") collars are better for chubby faced guys. I'd skip shiny shirts, French cuffs, colored shirts with white collar/cuffs, spectator shoes, gaudy jewelry, and other fancy stuff. Those are more edgy and harder to pull off unless you have quite a sizable budget and a real good sense of style. Being in Miami, I can tell ya that being gay, black, or latino also helps guys successfully pull off the wild colors/patterns much better than I could... lol.

Good, safe, combos are:
-Navy suit + white or light blue shirt + blue/yellow or blue/white or blue/blue tie (black or very dark brown belt+shoes)
-Gray suit + white shirt + red or blue striped or solid color tie (black belt+shoes)
-Dark brown suit + white shirt + red or brownish tie (brown belt+shoes)

To get good, safe ideas, watch the presidential debates or take a look at the kind of stuff national news anchors, fortune 500 CEOs, etc wear. That is the look you're going for. No matter what your personal style (or lack thereof), professional interview is just not the time to try trendy stuff like like thin shiny silver ties, purple French cuff dress shirts, bergundy pinstripe suits, etc.

 

[MaseratiGT]

Get a French Cuffed shirt from Hugo Boss. It makes ALL suits look beautiful.

 

[215512]

Get a French Cuffed shirt from Hugo Boss. It makes ALL suits look beautiful.

Agreed

 

[runner0382]

Guys and gals,

I HIGHLY recommend TM Lewin in the UK. They are an established British shirtmaker from the late 1800s whose craftsmanship and quality is the equal of any of the finest outfits in the world.

Right now, their best shirts would be $40 a piece (but you have to order 4) shipped to the U.S.

For better quality than just about anything you can find (and vastly superior to anything at this price point), I'd recommend it.

Ever noticed how big brands (including Hugo Boss) won't do 1/2" arm sizes? Want everything to be perfect? I'm really a 33.5, and TM Lewin will do it for me, no charge!

Great shirts, highly recommended, very popular among people who want quality and value in the U.K. You won't be disappointed.

 

[illini04alum]

Not to be intentionally picky, but a black suit w/ white shirt and tie should be fine right?

 

[Feli]

Not to be intentionally picky, but a black suit w/ white shirt and tie should be fine right?

I'd say no.

IMO, pure black suits are for funerals, dressy evenings, Quentin Tarantino movies, or hosting SNL. Black tuxes are obviously for weddings, awards, New Years, formal dinners, etc.

You could get away with a black suit in daytime if you have no other available options, but it makes you look gothic - esp outdoors in daylight. That's probably only acceptable if you're in a trendy career field (fashion, art, show biz, etc). For a traditional, professional settings, such as medical, you'd be much better off with gray, charcoal, navy, or dark brown suit if at all possible. Besides, black suits/tuxes eventually fade with sunlight or dry cleaning (and look like crap once faded), so that's another reason to only wear them for select evening events.

More related info: http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/suitsandblazers/595

 

[runner0382]

Guys, PLEASE do some basic research! Sounds like most of you are undergrads and have no clue how to dress properly for an interview.

Black suits are NOT okay. Dark blue or charcoal. White or blue shirt. Basic tie. Match your shoes to your belt. That's it!