Tips on buying a new suit or two

When your mother in law suggests your suit is looking dated, it is probably time to upgrade.

It has been 10 years or so since I bought suits, and they were black and Navy. I'm sure styles and things have changed.

What should I look for when putting together a new suit wardrobe? I don't have a ton to spend, maybe $500ish, so where should quality be sought or value when weighing suit vs shirt vs shoes?

I'm looking for an all-around style, that would translate from church, weddings, baptisms, night out with wife etc. I guess a modern, but classical style, if those two meld well, or at all. I don't wear a suit for work, so it wouldn't be an everyday wardrobe item.

Which colors should I look at?
How many buttons on the jacket?
Cuffs or no cuffs on the pants?
Would I be better going with 1 better quality suit and changing shirts/ties, or two cheaper suits for variety?
I've heard the shoes make the suit, is that true, and if so, what are some good shoe brands to look at that won't break the bank?
Shoes- I've always been a brown with blue/brown, black with black/gray, sort of guy. Have those rules changed?

So I'm more or less a suit neophyte. I bought off the rack 10 years ago and don't know where to start in today's fashion world. Any advice would be appreciated.

The key with part-time/occasional suit wearers is don't buy into the current trends. Go with a timeless style.

-Greys & Blacks are the pinnacle of timeless
-2 buttons
-No cuffs on the pants
-Your question on quality vs. quantity relies on how often you wear your suit. If you wear suits often, get two that are within budget. If you're just looking for a sweet suit to wear every now and then, spend the bucks and get a higher quality one and mix on the accessories for sure.
- If you pick the right suit, you can get away with a lot of footwear choices. I wear anything from a casual to a full dress shoe. I like Clarks. I like their range of style choices, they're comfort and their prices.

If you go into get fitted for a suit or two, just tell them you are looking for a timeless look and nothing trendy.

Blue or grey. Check out thrift and consignment stores to get lightly worn well-made suits at a bargain. And always get them tailored.

patten1969 said:

And always get them tailored.

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+1

Even a great suit looks bad if it does not fit properly.

This is so true. I tried to buy suits about 5 years ago at one of those suit warehouses. I took them to a cheap tailor and she made them literally unwearable. I could have done better myself. I won't make that same mistake this time.

I'd say given your budget you'd probably do well to get a solid charcoal suit in the $400 range, and then spend a little more for tailoring it. The shoes don't really make the suit, the fit does.

So, 2-button, charcoal suit, notched lapels that aren't too wide or too narrow, flat front pants, no cuff. Don't get fancy with pinstripes or obvious patterns.
Shoes: dark brown wingtips for more casual occasions, black cap toes for formal.

Which colors should I look at? - Navy or gray.. Perhaps a solid navy and a gray pinstripe

How many buttons on the jacket? - 2

Cuffs or no cuffs on the pants? - No cuffs

Would I be better going with 1 better quality suit and changing shirts/ties, or two cheaper suits for variety? - I'd get one of each. Jos. A Bank is having a sale right now. Buy 1 at regular price, get 3 free. Regular prices are a joke for their quality, but 4 for one is not a bad deal. I went today and got two suits for myself and a tuxedo for each of my two college sons for $750.

Jos. A Bank quality is decent for the price when on sale like this. They will last you OK, especially since you aren't a frequent wearer.


I've heard the shoes make the suit, is that true, and if so, what are some good shoe brands to look at that won't break the bank? - Decent shoes are Johnson & Murphy and Cole Hahn. A little higher is Alen Edmonds.

Shoes- I've always been a brown with blue/brown, black with black/gray, sort of guy. Have those rules changed? - IDK about the rules, but I wea black shoes with everything. My only brown ones are more casual loafers for khakis.

Some great advice from others, which is pretty consistent. I'll add one more "plus 1" for tailoring. It is the most often ignored part of a suit. If you want to see how a suit should fit, watch the first episodes of Mad Men - where you'll see very different suit styles on very different body types all fit perfectly. (I'm not suggesting a retro look, but just for fit). Also this fit guide is most helpful. http://lifehacker.com/this-visual-guide-outlines-how-mens-suits-should-fit-1444682567

BSAGuy said:

Which colors should I look at? - Navy or gray.. Perhaps a solid navy and a gray pinstripe

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Navy, yes, gray pinstripe? Nah. I would save the pinstripe for maybe a 5th or 6th suit, they go in and out of style. If you only have two suits it's good to keep them fairly simple. Flair them up with accessories that can be swapped out so you get maximum variety.

corysold said:

When your mother in law suggests your suit is looking dated, it is probably time to upgrade.

It has been 10 years or so since I bought suits, and they were black and Navy. I'm sure styles and things have changed.

What should I look for when putting together a new suit wardrobe? I don't have a ton to spend, maybe $500ish, so where should quality be sought or value when weighing suit vs shirt vs shoes?

I'm looking for an all-around style, that would translate from church, weddings, baptisms, night out with wife etc. I guess a modern, but classical style, if those two meld well, or at all. I don't wear a suit for work, so it wouldn't be an everyday wardrobe item.

Which colors should I look at?
How many buttons on the jacket?
Cuffs or no cuffs on the pants?
Would I be better going with 1 better quality suit and changing shirts/ties, or two cheaper suits for variety?
I've heard the shoes make the suit, is that true, and if so, what are some good shoe brands to look at that won't break the bank?
Shoes- I've always been a brown with blue/brown, black with black/gray, sort of guy. Have those rules changed?

So I'm more or less a suit neophyte. I bought off the rack 10 years ago and don't know where to start in today's fashion world. Any advice would be appreciated.

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If you are going to avoid funerals, I'd go with a navy suit. Errbody in the club get Navy. It just looks good on everybody. If this is for funerals as well, I'd get charcoal.

For myself, two buttons. No cuffs. 1 better quality suit (maybe from Suitsupply). I wouldn't worry about the shoes too much, but if I was, I'd get a similar style to the Allen Edmond Flatirons. Great shape and just enough decoration to keep it fun and interesting. If you plan to wear them daily and take care of them, then spend a bit less on the suit and buy quality shoes. If they're just for wearing with the suit, try to stick with some of the cheaper brands and buy based on looks.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/105206-The-quot-only-one-suit-quot-thread?highlight=

A great discussion there about what to do if you own just one suit.

Whatever you buy, if your old suits are in good condition, hang on to them. They will be back in style at some point.

My sartorial knowledge could fit in your cereal bowl, but I would recommend looking at Combatant Gentleman online. I looked all over the place for a new suit recently, from the major department stores to Jos A Bank, and everything I could find in between. I finally settled on a slim fit suit from Combat Gent and I couldn't be happier with it. The fit and fabric feel beat everything else that I had looked at, and I got it for less than $200 during a sale around Thanksgiving.

Is it the equivalent of a 4-figure suit? No, and I wouldn't pretend it was. What is is though is a half-canvassed suit made from a nice grade of wool & I think it is hands down the best for the money among everything that I looked at.

FWIW, the tailor,without knowing the brand, just looked at me and said, "oh, is nice (have to imagine an Italian accent here)" when he touched the jacket to take it off the hanger at his shop. The jacket needed very little tailoring, already being nicely shaped around the waist and torso. Not a sack suit by any means. He is adjusting the sleeve length and taking in the waist and hemming the pants and that is really about all it needed.

Should you go that route though, do take the time to at least chat with one of their sizing reps. They advised that their pants run true to size and I would say that is accurate. I usually have to go up a size from my jeans size (34) in dress pants, but I would have been just right in a 34" waist in their pants. They were out of that size though so I had to have the pants taken in a good bit.

Thank you for all the great tips. It will be put to good use.

As my budget is near the low end for suits, are there certain things that make a big difference between a "cheap" suit and an "inexpensive" suit?

I know I'll be sacrificing somewhere, but if I had to choose 1 or 2 things in a suit in that price point, it should be X and Y?

corysold said:

As my budget is near the low end for suits, are there certain things that make a big difference between a "cheap" suit and an "inexpensive" suit?

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Off the top of my head, you should look for 100% wool, and canvassing rather than fused jackets. Fusing however has also gotten better so it's not necessarily a deal breaker if your budget it tight. If spending $400+ then you can definitely get half-canvassed.

corysold said:

Thank you for all the great tips. It will be put to good use.

As my budget is near the low end for suits, are there certain things that make a big difference between a "cheap" suit and an "inexpensive" suit?

I know I'll be sacrificing somewhere, but if I had to choose 1 or 2 things in a suit in that price point, it should be X and Y?

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At your pricerange, I'd avoid any gimmicks that could seem to make the suit "fancier" or more "high end ... dang you are getting a deal for a suit at this price that has ...".

Beyond making sure it's 100% wool (although a tiny bit of space-aged polymers to add some "stretch" is fine ... you just want to avoid the "wool-poly blend" nonsense) look for "quality you can feel" in terms of good construction and material. If someone want's to sell you on "working buttons on the sleeves" ... run! Apart from making the sleeves very hard/expensive to alter/tailor, it's just a "make it seem posh" gimmick.

Ditto, I hate to say it, for "canvass" construction of the suit. Since "canvassing" is something guys are starting to hear about as "a mark of suit quality", which can be true for a $2,000 suit, but if you need to shave a zero off the end of that price, you won't be getting "the same thing". They've un-cut juuuust enough corners to be able to label their suit as 'canvassed" or "half-canvassed", and cut corners elsewhere instead.

(It's kind of like buying a "cashmere sweater" for $100. Cashmere has a reputation based on luxury sweaters make to incredibly high standards in years and decades past, sourced from highest-quality materials. But since any wool that comes from any cashmere goat can use the name, fourth-rate wool is gathered at a fraction of the price and sold ... as "cashmere" ... to unsuspecting consumers ... but it can't hold a candle to "the real thing". For inexpensive suits, any mention of canvassing, working button holes, a fancy supplier of cloth, or any connection with Italy should be seen as an attempt to use "flash" to make you overpay for that suit.)

73mountaineer said:

My sartorial knowledge could fit in your cereal bowl, but ...

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Hay Dave, what do you think of these suits I bought online recently?

I've leaned more in two days here than in a lifetime previous.

More research has shown me that in Chicago I could get a Custom Suit, Custom shirt, tie and square for $995.

Assuming Id be looking at $500 for a suit, plus say $150 more for a decent shirt and tie, does it make sense to just pay the extra and get a first rate fit, if lower or equal material (though Is guess "low end" in Chicago is high end where I'd shop), than 1 or 2 lower quality suits?

I'd have to save a bit more, but for something I'm hoping to wear every Sunday for church and special occasions, the idea of 1 really quality, well fitting suit sounds more appealing than 2 lesser quality, somewhat good fitting suits.

Am I wrong? Obviously it changes my budget, but I'm thinking id be much happier in the long run. Get a quality, well fitted suit, a pair of AE black cap toes and consider myself set for virtually any occasion for the next 10 years?

If you get a $200 suit or a $2000 suit , make sure you have it tailored correctly or either will look like crap.

corysold said:

More research has shown me that in Chicago I could get a Custom Suit, Custom shirt, tie and square for $995.

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What do you mean by "Custom suit"? $995 seems way too cheap for bespoke, so I'm imagining it's some Made-To-Measure (MTM) place that measures you, has some company in Hong Kong or elsewhere make it, and then ships it back over here. Nothing really wrong with that, but also not really necessary and opens up a lot of unknowns.

Before diving into MTM on your first good suit, I would really try shopping around a bit and see if you can find a decent off-the-rack suit that just needs a little tailoring. 2 $400-500 suits will give you a lot more mileage than 1 $1000 suit, especially if the latter is a simple charcoal.

I would absolutely advise to NOT go the bespoke route. Everything I've read about that advises people that there's no real reason for a true bespoke suit unless you have some weird body shape or simply have a lot of disposable income.

LogisticEarth said:

Everything I've read about that advises people that there's no real reason for a true bespoke suit unless you have some weird body shape or simply have a lot of disposable income.

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That's not even remotely true.