mens clothing help! buying a suit for the first time :o

[gopunk]

so i'm headed off to law school in about a month, figured i should buy at least one suit for my upcoming career before my first interviews begin.

i've narrowed it down to two choices...

1. jos. a. bank is having a 2 for 1 sale... the salesman showed me two suits that fit me really well. they're the same style, just one is charcoal and one is navy. i'd be paying $700 for both (they're regularly priced at $700 each).
2. alternatively, my dad showed me a tasso elba suit at macy's that is $350, down from $600. this fits me just as well. it is pinstriped, so it is slightly less versatile than the jos bank ones (which are solid), from what i hear.

since i don't know much about suits, it is hard for me to make a decision, so i thought i would see if anybody on ATOT can offer advice

the jos bank suits are super 110, and the tasso elba suit is super 140, but i'm not sure if these numbers actually matter as much as their prominent display would indicate, or if they are like the CPU clock speeds of clothing.

in terms of quality, are these two brands known to be of roughly equal standing?

 

Just get the one that fits better. If you're just going to be wearing it for interviews, quality and durability aren't too important.

 

[axelfox]

Don't get one and hope that your summer position is super casual.

I worked for a solo, and he came in with shorts and hawaiian shirt one day. And it wasn't even Friday. I eventually showed up in polo shirts.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: jumpr
Just get the one that fits better. If you're just going to be wearing it for interviews, quality and durability aren't too important.

i can't really tell a difference in how they fit, they both fit well.

and i would probably be wearing to the jobs that the interviews lead to, so quality and durability are important to me.

 

[Kishan]

What size are you? For the amount of money you're spending, I would be getting a Boss for $350. People notice nice suits-my brother is at his AT Kearney/Monitor Internship and is always complimented on his suits-Boss, Mani, Burberry etc. They key is that he paid about $350 a suit. Just make sure you have a nice shirt/tie combo.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: KPSHAH316
What size are you? For the amount of money you're spending, I would be getting a Boss for $350. People notice nice suits-my brother is at his AT Kearney/Monitor Internship and is always complimented on his suits-Boss, Mani, Burberry etc. They key is that he paid about $350 a suit. Just make sure you have a nice shirt/tie combo.

40 regular

are boss / mani / burberry better brands than jos. a. banks? brooks brothers? tasso elba? i just have no clue about all these brands.

 

[tk149]

I like my Jos A Banks suits.

 

[sandman018]

pinstriping goes in and out of style alot. If you care about that kind of thing, solid is a better choice imo.

 

[zerocool84]

go to Men's Warehouse

 

[PushHands]

I use to work at Nordstrom in the Men's Furnishing department so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Do not, I repeat, do not ever go to the Men's Warehouse for suits, ever.
IMHO, generally speaking, the suits are inferior for similar price suits you can get elsewhere.

People say that your first suit should be navy blue for versatility. Different brands of suits have different cuts because they are targeted at slightly different markets. For example, the Hugo Boss line is generally trimmer and for the more slender guys. Most of Americans are on the heavy side, especially executives that work all the time without excercise and hence most of the suits are targeted towards this market. I'm slender myself so I need to be aware how the suit "sits" on me.

Fit is the most important thing. A $3000 suit that doesn't fit correctly is worth less than a $300 suit that drapes over your flawlessly. Probably all suits in your price range are manufactured very similiarly. Parts are glued on and inferior glue can degrade after extensive heat treatment from drycleaning (that is my understanding). I currently do not command a salary that justifies custom made suits so I buy suits very similiar to what you are looking at. They are good suits in you/my price range.

When it comes to super 110 or super 140, the higher number represents a higher thread count per inch, or something like that. Generally speaking, the larger the number, the more refine the suit will look. But trust your eyes, look for sheen, and feel the fabric for softness and smoothness because one manufacturer's 120 could be superior to anothers 140 (me thinks). I have helped my brother-in-law pick a 110 over a 120 because just looked better.

Regarding quality, as I alluded to earlier, with your price point, most suits will be comparable in quality. Suits are pretty well built these days so you'll be ok. Say away from Men's Warehouse. I bought my first suit there before I knew anything and would not return, ever. I'm surprised I posted this much Remember how you look DOES have influence whether or not you want to believe it.

edit: if you have more questions, PM whenever you post a question in this thread as I no longer visit ATOT that often.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: PushHands
I use to work at Nordstrom in the Men's Furnishing department so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Do not, I repeat, do not ever go to the Men's Warehouse for suits, ever.
IMHO, generally speaking, the suits are inferior for similar price suits you can get elsewhere.

People say that your first suit should be navy blue for versatility. Different brands of suits have different cuts because they are targeted at slightly different markets. For example, the Hugo Boss line is generally trimmer and for the more slender guys. Most of Americans are on the heavy side, especially executives that work all the time without excercise and hence most of the suits are targeted towards this market. I'm slender myself so I need to be aware how the suit "sits" on me.

Fit is the most important thing. A $3000 suit that doesn't fit correctly is worth less than a $300 suit that drapes over your flawlessly. Probably all suits in your price range are manufactured very similiarly. Parts are glued on and inferior glue can degrade after extensive heat treatment from drycleaning (that is my understanding). I currently do not command a salary that justifies custom made suits so I buy suits very similiar to what you are looking at. They are good suits in you/my price range.

When it comes to super 110 or super 140, the higher number represents a higher thread count per inch, or something like that. Generally speaking, the larger the number, the more refine the suit will look. But trust your eyes, look for sheen, and feel the fabric for softness and smoothness because one manufacturer's 120 could be superior to anothers 140 (me thinks). I have helped my brother-in-law pick a 110 over a 120 because just looked better.

Regarding quality, as I alluded to earlier, with your price point, most suits will be comparable in quality. Suits are pretty well built these days so you'll be ok. Say away from Men's Warehouse. I bought my first suit there before I knew anything and would not return, ever. I'm surprised I posted this much Remember how you look DOES have influence whether or not you want to believe it.

edit: if you have more questions, PM whenever you post a question in this thread as I no longer visit ATOT that often.

wow, thanks for the detailed advice! i definitely feel a lot more confident about making a decision now

 

[gopunk]

got a few more questions for ya guys:

1. is the back of the suit supposed to be completely smooth across the shoulders? or is it ok if it wrinkles a bit between the shoulder blades... i think it's ok, but my parents for some reason think this is a bad thing. the salesman said you need to have that wrinkle there for flexibility, but he is a salesman...
2. how are pierre cardin and alfani? in comparison to jos. a. banks? i looked at some suits at jc penny... i think the fabric was not as soft as the super 110's and 140's but i'm not very experienced in these matters so it is hard for me to be sure.

 

[ironcrotch]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
go to Men's Warehouse

 

[r6ashih]

Get it tailored to fit your body. It is free if you get it from Nordstroms. I got a nice kenneth cole setup up for around 400

 

[PushHands]

Originally posted by: gopunk

1. is the back of the suit supposed to be completely smooth across the shoulders?
2. how are pierre cardin and alfani? in comparison to jos. a. banks? i looked at some suits at jc penny... i think the fabric was not as soft as the super 110's and 140's but i'm not very experienced in these matters so it is hard for me to be sure.

1) First of all, where are you getting this advice? Nordstrom salesmen are different than Macy's salesmen. Go to Nordstrom and pretend you're looking for a suit and get them to size you so you'll concretely know what your size is. Then ask them the shoulder question. This is a generalization but find a salesperson that is a bit older for more reason that I'd like to exlaborate at this time.

2) Forget about what the name brand is, it's almost irrelevant for the suits in your price point (IMHO) so go for what feels/looks right. Different brands = slightly different cuts. Aslo wouldn't recommend going to JCPenny though I have never bought a suit there. Different target demographic so generally will have different quality.

I'd spend an evening with you so you can at least look decent but we're no where near each other (checked your profile). I think what r6ashih is saying when he refers to "getting it tailored to fit your body" is that after you purchase the suit, they can make slight alterations in the suit to better fit your body.

This is what I would do, go to Nordstrom and get yourself sized up. Then go to Nordstrom Rack and pick out a suit there and get it altered to your body. Or that 2 for 1 sounds like a good deal if the suits are nice. What ever you do, pay for the alterations. Consider that a cost of the suit, no an "extra" you can go without.

And get yourself a proper fitting white shirt as well. None of my dress shirts are made by Armani as the brand name shirts you find at places like Macy's are crap and thin. Go to the Men's Furnishing Department at Nordstrom and ask them to size you for a shirt. Don't know your weight and height but a good place to buy shirts is LandsEnd.com. And get a woven tie, not a printed one

 

[ahartman]

See if there's a Sym's in your area. They have name brand suits at great prices. The thing is that they don't have a regular rotation of anything in particular - they have what they have and it changes weekly.

My only experience with Mens Wearhouse was that they 'lost' one of my suits (pre-alteration) which leads me to believe they sold it to someone else - mistake or not, it wasn't cool. After that, they tried to sell me another suit which had clearly been altered, but put back on the floor. Just too shady for me.

 

[HamSupLo]

Tailor

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: PushHands

Originally posted by: gopunk

1. is the back of the suit supposed to be completely smooth across the shoulders?
2. how are pierre cardin and alfani? in comparison to jos. a. banks? i looked at some suits at jc penny... i think the fabric was not as soft as the super 110's and 140's but i'm not very experienced in these matters so it is hard for me to be sure.

1) First of all, where are you getting this advice? Nordstrom salesmen are different than Macy's salesmen. Go to Nordstrom and pretend you're looking for a suit and get them to size you so you'll concretely know what your size is. Then ask them the shoulder question. This is a generalization but find a salesperson that is a bit older for more reason that I'd like to exlaborate at this time.

2) Forget about what the name brand is, it's almost irrelevant for the suits in your price point (IMHO) so go for what feels/looks right. Different brands = slightly different cuts. Aslo wouldn't recommend going to JCPenny though I have never bought a suit there. Different target demographic so generally will have different quality.

I'd spend an evening with you so you can at least look decent but we're no where near each other (checked your profile). I think what r6ashih is saying when he refers to "getting it tailored to fit your body" is that after you purchase the suit, they can make slight alterations in the suit to better fit your body.

This is what I would do, go to Nordstrom and get yourself sized up. Then go to Nordstrom Rack and pick out a suit there and get it altered to your body. Or that 2 for 1 sounds like a good deal if the suits are nice. What ever you do, pay for the alterations. Consider that a cost of the suit, no an "extra" you can go without.

And get yourself a proper fitting white shirt as well. None of my dress shirts are made by Armani as the brand name shirts you find at places like Macy's are crap and thin. Go to the Men's Furnishing Department at Nordstrom and ask them to size you for a shirt. Don't know your weight and height but a good place to buy shirts is LandsEnd.com. And get a woven tie, not a printed one

yea the salesman was an older guy at jos bank. i've noticed the salesmen will always say something like "i've been in this business for xx years..."

followed your advice, got a nice forward point non-iron white shirt from brooks brothers (haven't gotten the tie yet). i just went to buy the suits with my dad, from jos banks. we got really lucky... the price of the suits i had put on hold dropped $200 just today! so ended up paying $500 for 2 super 110 merino suits - one navy, one charcoal i'll pick them up from the tailor next week!

thanks to everyone for the help

 

[Landroval]

Originally posted by: sandman018
pinstriping goes in and out of style alot. If you care about that kind of thing, solid is a better choice imo.

Agreed

 

[acemcmac]

why stay away from mens warehouse?

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
why stay away from mens warehouse?

what i've heard is that suits for the same money are better elsewhere. i dunno... the first store i went to was a men's wearhouse, and the suits seemed fine for the price to me.