Where can I find a decent suit (or two)?

[JettaKnight]

Well, I don't wear suits. I don't mind spending on quality... but $1,000 seems a bit much for me to wear maybe once a year.

On the other hand, I don't want to look like I'm dressed in a paper bag.

Let's roll this train back a bit...

OK, why do you want a suit?

Serious question, is it for weddings, interviews, funerals, Easter Sunday?

Why not consider a GOOD sport coat? They're far more versatile, cheaper, and you don't need to worry about tailoring or canvasses. A good sport coat will look far, far better than a cheap suit. Plus, it's really easy to spot a jeans and Tshirt man who's wearing that once-year-suit - not a good look.


I have two (cheap) suits - one black and one brown. I don't wear them unless it's a very formal occasion. I wear nice pants (e.g. flannel wool) and jackets. I have nine - two tweed, two corduroy, two brown houndstooth, one navy blazer, one seersucker, one grey. I got most of them from thrift stores or Ebay where you can find good stuff - Harris tweed, Brooks Brothers, RL blue label, etc. for under $30. If ordering online, the trick is to (A) know your size, (B) find that quality vintage jacket with the crappy pictures such that everyone else passes it up.


BTW, every man should own a proper navy blazer - not that Ralph Lauren green label crap, either. Sack cut, patch pockets, three-roll-two buttons; that's the traditional look you want. It can be worn with anything from flannel wool to jeans. Just add a OCBD and your GTG.


If I ever end up in a situation where I need to wear a suit regularly (e.g. a courtroom or wall street), then I'll spend $$$$. With suits, it's go big or go home. I'm thinking sharkskin... yeah...


And for Pete's sake, stay away from polyester!!!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Well, I don't wear suits. I don't mind spending on quality... but $1,000 seems a bit much for me to wear maybe once a year.

On the other hand, I don't want to look like I'm dressed in a paper bag.

.

You can take a cheap suit and make it presentable for occasional wear. Buy two pairs of pants per one jacket. Avoid dry cleaning the jacket, as cheap suits die at the cleaners. If the buttons look cheap (and they are probably plastic) upgrade them to real horn buttons (maybe $20 online for a full set, plus tailor cost to sew them on). Have it tailored and reinforced in critical seam areas.

Spend a little more on a nice tie and pocket square to dress it up a bit more.

What you can't easily fix is the cheap liner, which will be hotter and sweatier than a quality one, and an arm design that restricts your movement. In a good suit, you can lift your arms or point a pistol without your jacket coming up. The bigger arm holes with a lower arm pit of the cheapies will make it lift. The material will also pill quicker, particularly under a OWB holster.

 

[JettaKnight]

Anyone ever work college job fairs? Every kid that comes up to my table in a black polyester suit (that was bought when they were six inches shorter) paired with brown clunky shoes makes me want to go postal...

I won't wear a suit to a interview (I'm an engineer) . Because, (A) times are changing... (B) it looks pretentious and phony. I wear jacket and long tie. It says, "I acknowledge the formality of this occasion and I am a professional that is comfortable looking good and I'm not putting on a show - I'm for real."

 

[BE Mike]

Anyone ever work college job fairs? Every kid that comes up to my table in a black polyester suit (that was bought when they were six inches shorter) paired with brown clunky shoes makes me want to go postal...

I won't wear a suit to a interview (I'm an engineer) . Because, (A) times are changing... (B) it looks pretentious and phony. I wear jacket and long tie. It says, "I acknowledge the formality of this occasion and I am a professional that is comfortable looking good and I'm not putting on a show - I'm for real."

Off topic, but nowadays, to me, "going postal" means stealing every piece of mail that may have a gift card or cash. It has become a real problem here.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Neiman Marcus has a website called "Last Call" that has their clearance items. http://www.lastcall.com/ Right now you can use "APRIL40" to take another 40% off any one item and "LCSHIP" for free shipping, and they stack. I just ordered a Hickey Freeman 2-piece suit for $415 shipped. It's an $1800 MSRP suit: Grey Sharkskin Super 170's "Wish" Suit at Hickey Freeman

I'll have to pay a tailor to take in the pants and hem them, but for the price of roughly 2 cheap suits I've got an extremely nice one that will last for years. I'm wearing a suit I had tailored in 2004 right now and other than a little pilling where my holster rubs the pants, it still looks like new. The Hickey Freeman suits are classics, stitched in the US with some machine and some hand sewn components, out of quality material. They will last most men a lifetime.

Saks off Fifth is also a clearance site with mid and upper range suits. https://www.saksoff5th.com/Entry.jsp

A little info on Hickey Freeman:
Hickey Freeman Is Back - Barron's

Hickey Freeman, the Rochester, N.Y., luxury-menswear manufacturer that tailored suits for the Rat Pack and John F. Kennedy, is an iconic U.S. brand that badly lost its way and is now improbably staging a comeback.....Management claims they’ve spent “millions” modernizing Hickey, but are mostly focused on making better-quality suits. “It’s counter–business school,” says Silverstone. “When we reintroduced the brand, we actually lowered our margins pretty aggressively despite holding our price points. We wanted to give back more value with more hand work.” They also invested in technology, including state-of-the-art Gerber laser cutters, which cut cloth more precisely and efficiently than humans can. But operations like cutting armholes, which can’t be made as skillfully by machine, were returned to the tailors and their supple handiwork. “Our lapels are made of canvas and hand-basted, so that no matter how many times you dry-clean that suit, that shape is there for its life,” says Silverstone. (For more, see the related Penta Daily story.)
All in all, production costs were increased by 10% to 20%, partly by upgrading suit materials with finer canvases and horsehair, horn or corozo-nut buttons, Italian-cotton pocketing, and felts.

 

[seedubs1]

Your lack of suit says to me "I don't really want this job." Would not hire. Yes, I'm also an engineer.

Anyone ever work college job fairs? Every kid that comes up to my table in a black polyester suit (that was bought when they were six inches shorter) paired with brown clunky shoes makes me want to go postal...

I won't wear a suit to a interview (I'm an engineer) . Because, (A) times are changing... (B) it looks pretentious and phony. I wear jacket and long tie. It says, "I acknowledge the formality of this occasion and I am a professional that is comfortable looking good and I'm not putting on a show - I'm for real."

 

[Sylvain]

It depends where you work. I'm a cheap bastard believe me but when having quality matters I will put out the cash. I put out!
if you work in a business where an impression makes a difference it's not too much to just spend 500 to 700 on a suit. Trust me it's worth the extra money! Also don't forget a good shirt and tie and the shoes are very important. I don't think it's unreasonable to spend $1000 for a complete suit. Tie, shirt, suit, shoes, socks, belt. if you need to wear a suit everyday the. You're gonna be looking at a lot more.
People don't think twice to drop that or half on a gun for entertainment.

$1000 is not too expensive for a suit, you can often spend that on the jacket alone (or on the shoes alone).
Some people get $15,000+ suits.

To me the fit is more important than the quality of the suit though.
If a cheap $500 suit is the perfect size for you then you will look better in it than if you get a $1000 that is one size too bnig or small.
Of course you look even better if you get an expensive suit that is the perfect size.

You can easily get an off the rack resonably priced suit and add $50 or so to have a tailor modify it to fit you perfectly.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I found a seamstress on the south side of Indy who does good work and will measure and do alterations for you. I can pass along her contact info to anyone who's interested. She's an older lady who works out of her home, the work is good quality, and the prices are outstanding.

 

[dnurk]

tagged for future reference.

 

[halfmileharry]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...elevate-mens-fashion-romphim-rompers-men.html

 

[Snapdragon]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...elevate-mens-fashion-romphim-rompers-men.html

Well, there ya go. I think you'd look swell in the polka-dotted one, Act.

 

[actaeon277]

Well, there ya go. I think you'd look swell in the polka-dotted one, Act.

Ummm.... no!

 

[JettaKnight]

So, Actaeon, what'da end up with?

 

[actaeon277]

I didn't yet.
My money supply went down again.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I didn't yet.
My money supply went down again.

Also, remember buying a suit is sort of like buying a gun. Support equipment costs money, too. A nice suit and junk shoes, "dress" shirt you can read through, and clip-op chunky knit tie is like a Sig Elite in an Uncle Mike's universal holster.

Once you know your measurements, stalk eBay. I recently picked up an as-new Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece "Madison" for under $200. It had been tailored, but luckily based on the measurements it was tailored for my identical twin and fits great. That's about $1900 under retail at Brooks Bros. Men's Regular Fit Golden Fleece Suit | Brooks Brothers

You've got to know your measurements, though. Then use your actual measurements vs the clothing. Remember with a jacket, you want about 2" larger than your actual measurements to give it room to move and not hinder you. These suits are likely to be tailored, so don't pay attention to just the listed size. The sellers who know what they are about will list actual measurements plus how much cloth is available to let out hems, sleeves, etc. Just keep in mind sleeves with working buttons have very little play room to shorten or lengthen. Non-functional buttons aren't much more expensive than pants legs to alter.