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need to buy a suit

Buttzilla

Buttzilla

Platinum Member
i know next to nothing about suits. the last suit i bought was from banana republic, actually, that's where most of my dress clothes comes from.

i'm planning on going to the mens warehouse to check things out cause i saw some stuff online that looks promising.

i was told that every guy should at least have a 3 button suit like this

3 button black

so i'm leaning towards that atm. although the 3 button charcoal is catching my eye also.

because suits vary from 200-2000 easily, i was thinking around the 500 for a tailored suit would be within my budget.

do they normally charge for tailoring? is there suit terminology i should be aware of so i can better express what i want?

i'm 180, 5' 8", medium build. i was told a 3 button suit would actually make me look short so i should get a two button with a vest instead.

update:

so i ended up doing the buy one get one free suit thing but got the two button instead of three button. I got the gray and dark charcoal one. here's the thing, after tailoring both suits came out to 700! after a few hours and chatting with people on styleforum.net they convinced me that i over paid for my suits.

they told me i shouldn't rush into buying something i'm going to be keeping for years to come and there's not problem shopping second hand (ebay, vintage). first things first is i should get my measurements done (especially across the shoulders) and find a good tailor. I ended up returning the suits and proceeding to tailor my older BR suit.

it's a 2 button charcoal gray with pinstripes but i'm going to take the padding out of the shoulders and bringing in the sides for a more tailored fit. i'm also going to hem the pants.

suit

here's a picture of the suit at an event for my gf's school. i lost a lot of weight (started p90x) and i went from a 42r to a 40s.

update 2:

i've been hearing good things about this site also, they make custom suits as long as you know your measurements.

indochino
 
you're spending hundreds of dollars on a suit that should last you for most of your adult life

GO OUT TO THE STORE AND GET PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. 😛
 
i do not own a black suit. i am not attending a funeral. i own several dark gray suits and a navy suit or two.
 
store doesn't open till 10am. just reading up on stuff and trying to get some advice before I go. I used to work retail so I don't want to get caught off guard and get upsold stuff I don't really need because I'm of my lack of knowledge.
 
Yes, they'll charge for tailoring. Go with a girl if you can, because she'll tell you if it looks good on you. For your first, I think 500 is a fine budget after minor tailoring like adjusting the pant leg and jacket sleeves and the other necessities. Do you know what size you are yet? I actually have a suit from BN back when they had like a 30% off thing and the pant and jacket ended up costing me a little over $300. Get a couple of dress shirts and some ties and don't forget a good pair of shoes. Budget anywhere from 50-100 for shoes. Get at least a decent pair, shiny with the thin laces. Don't go around in the heavier sketcher or doc martins, that is just horrible.

I like the shirts from Express. I usually buy a few of them at a time and its anywhere from 20-30 each and don't have the breast pocket. Ties are about the same price. You probably only need a generic white or blue shirt at first. A diagonal multi-stripe is probably a safe bet at first.

3 button or 2 button, you also have a lot of different cuts that change things around a bit. I thought I'd prefer the 2 buttons as well, but every time I go shopping, I'd come home with a 3 button.

Too bad you missed the big Macy's sales a little while back but they usually have some decent deals for around 300 if you only need 1.

Mens has that buy 1 get 1 dealy, so get something a little more casual to go with it. Can you pull off pin stripes? Maybe get a navy blue or charcoal one. Or, a cream linen suit for casual summer events.

EDIT: I wouldn't worry about the other accessories like cuffs yet. Just never button the bottom button of the suit. NEVER
 
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Yes, they'll charge for tailoring. Go with a girl if you can, because she'll tell you if it looks good on you. For your first, I think 500 is a fine budget after minor tailoring like adjusting the pant leg and jacket sleeves and the other necessities. Do you know what size you are yet? I actually have a suit from BN back when they had like a 30% off thing and the pant and jacket ended up costing me a little over $300. Get a couple of dress shirts and some ties and don't forget a good pair of shoes. Budget anywhere from 50-100 for shoes. Get at least a decent pair, shiny with the thin laces. Don't go around in the heavier sketcher or doc martins, that is just horrible.

I like the shirts from Express. I usually buy a few of them at a time and its anywhere from 20-30 each and don't have the breast pocket. Ties are about the same price. You probably only need a generic white or blue shirt at first. A diagonal multi-stripe is probably a safe bet at first.

3 button or 2 button, you also have a lot of different cuts that change things around a bit. I thought I'd prefer the 2 buttons as well, but every time I go shopping, I'd come home with a 3 button.

Too bad you missed the big Macy's sales a little while back but they usually have some decent deals for around 300 if you only need 1.

Mens has that buy 1 get 1 dealy, so get something a little more casual to go with it. Can you pull off pin stripes? Maybe get a navy blue or charcoal one. Or, a cream linen suit for casual summer events.

EDIT: I wouldn't worry about the other accessories like cuffs yet. Just never button the bottom button of the suit. NEVER
Click to expand...

great advice. i'm a 42r i believe. it's been hard finding clothes because my torso is long and i have broad shoulders but my inseam is really short, 30 will hang a bit at the bottom.

i have a good collection of banana dress shirts cause i used to work there and still know a few people there in case i need more.
 
mmm...wedding = tux, interview = suit?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you applied for their store credit card at BR and spent $800 you get upgraded to the "Luxe" card then they offer basic tailoring for free at the store. I'm sure you can manage to spend that much at BR easily on a suit alone.

Edit: BTW don't go with all black on your suit...really really really dark navy blue works fine and is an acceptable substitute. I'd buy the shirts separately - as previously suggested Express's MX1 shirts are pretty good dress shirts. I would just rent a tux for the wedding for now.
 
2-button suit - no vest

I'd go charcoal grey - Do not go black!

Ensure you own a nice belt + dress shoes to match your suit. Get your pants professionally tailored with a cuff.

white shirt for your first interview!


* Yes this place is expensive but its worth it. Their tailors are top notch and will make you look awesome in any suit you buy from them. Patrick James.
They have many $2,000 suits but if you tell the sales-man your budget and go up to $750 or so they should be able to get you into a house brand suit. Last time I was there all the tailoring was done free of charge.

http://patrickjames.com/
SAN FRANCISCO
216 Montgomery
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 986-1043


 
I say if you have dark skin (black, indian, etc) then get the charcoal. If you have lighter skin (white, asian, etc) get the black.
 
Black suits are hard to pull off. It has to be just right or else you look like a limo driver.

Charcoal or navy suits depends on your skin tone. I don't look good in Navy or light colored suits. I have to wear charcoal or black.

2 or 3 button and double breasted depends on your bodyt type. Suits are like any type of clothing. You have to try on about 50 pieces before you find one that you like the look of and fits you right. I don't care what they can do with tailoring, I want a suit that fits right without major alterations. If you have any doubts of the quality of the material (armpit seems to bunch up or shoulder seems like its extra padded) then drop the suit. You're paying hundreds of dollars, pick one that makes you feel good about self. If the suit doesn't make you feel confident then you're not going to wear it. Trust me I own maybe a dozen suits and sports jackets.


I recommend getting fitted for a shirt and then buying one with an extra inch in the sleeves, for me they always seem to shrink. Pay the extar money for wrinkle free, it's worth it. I like the borrks brothers and Jos A bank shirts.

For pants, I don't like cuffs or pleats. Cuffs always seem to get caught in my heel when I walk (and that ruins the pants eventually), does anyone else have that problem?

For pattern get a solid or maybe a thin pin stripe.

Shoes, get as plain a black shoe as possible and shine the fuk out of them every week. I like captoe oxfords. Rubber soles of you're going to be on your feet all day or walking a lot in them, leather soles if you're going to be sitting in an office chair all day.
 
I was in the exact same position as you just last week. I went to the Banana Republic outlet store and got a dark brown 3 button BR suit, shirt, and tie for $250 and got compliments on it the two times I've worn it so far (wedding and interview).
 
Originally posted by: gotsmack
Black suits are hard to pull off. It has to be just right or else you look like a limo driver.

Charcoal or navy suits depends on your skin tone. I don't look good in Navy or light colored suits. I have to wear charcoal or black.

2 or 3 button and double breasted depends on your bodyt type. Suits are like any type of clothing. You have to try on about 50 pieces before you find one that you like the look of and fits you right. I don't care what they can do with tailoring, I want a suit that fits right without major alterations. If you have any doubts of the quality of the material (armpit seems to bunch up or shoulder seems like its extra padded) then drop the suit. You're paying hundreds of dollars, pick one that makes you feel good about self. If the suit doesn't make you feel confident then you're not going to wear it. Trust me I own maybe a dozen suits and sports jackets.


I recommend getting fitted for a shirt and then buying one with an extra inch in the sleeves, for me they always seem to shrink. Pay the extar money for wrinkle free, it's worth it. I like the borrks brothers and Jos A bank shirts.

For pants, I don't like cuffs or pleats. Cuffs always seem to get caught in my heel when I walk (and that ruins the pants eventually), does anyone else have that problem?

For pattern get a solid or maybe a thin pin stripe.

Shoes, get as plain a black shoe as possible and shine the fuk out of them every week. I like captoe oxfords. Rubber soles of you're going to be on your feet all day or walking a lot in them, leather soles if you're going to be sitting in an office chair all day.
Click to expand...

never knew how much shiney shoes make a difference! and i'm planning on hemming them a bit higher. the back of my pants are barely touching the ground but i want them near the collar of them shoes now.
 
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