Suits

[Seahawk]

The kind you wear

My son is getting married in mid-October so I will be in need of a ensemble for the wedding.

The rehearsal dinner is more casual so I have that covered. Given the move to BC and CV, in the last ten years I may have worn a suit twenty times...meaning all my suits are a bit dated and, frankly, I'll probably purge the closet of the old stuff...pleats included

I have been looking at online retailers like this one: https://www.studiosuits.com/collections/gray-suits?tw_source=bing&tw_campaign=627558602&utm_term=1142394382396837&tw_adid=71399815028705&msclkid=bdca1a849a8314ac2637723793c2d56c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMAX_USA%20-%20Wedding%20Suits&utm_content=ATC%20%2B%20LAL%20list

I plan on getting a consultation at a brick and mortar store in South Carolina next week, but am curious if any one here with much better sense of this type of stuff has any recommendation for an online retailer.

The store in South Carolina is excellent and I will get measured there and purchase some khakis and a blazer.

TIA since I have the fashion sense of a light bulb.

[Baz]

Don't laugh but there's a lot of nice men's wear in the second hand - Goodwill type stores. Habitat for Humanity, too. Most cities will have more than a handful of these.

Especially if you think this will be a 1-use event.....why shell out the big bucks?

[Zeke]

And you can rent suits, not just formal wear. You could get an expensive suit (if that suits you) for not much money. If you co Baz's route be sure to have enough time to get some light tailoring done. A good fitting average suit beats an ill fitting costly suit every time. And that way you need not be so exacting when choosing a suit that suits you.

OK, sorry.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I last bought a suit for a wedding at Joseph A Bank. They were a bit old school and had a tailor. Prices were reasonable. This was 2018 or 19. They have since closed their store in our town but have a lot of locations on the east side of the country.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

A suit just needs to be well tailored, it doesn't need to be expensive or special. The tie. The tie is everything. Maybe spring for an Eton shirt, you will wear it again.

[vash]

yea. new suits are awesome.

(not so awesome when your body fat levels are in heavy fluctuation mode. )

get it tailored and you will look dope. you would think a classic suit doesnt go out of style, but it does. it really does.

and we will need pics. .

[MAS956]

I went to a wedding in Ireland last year and needed a suit. I ended up going to this place: https://www.indochino.com/ and had a suit made for me. I went in to their brick and mortar store (looks like they are in SC as well), picked out the style and fabric I wanted, had a bunch of measurements taken and three weeks later, the suit was mailed to me. I had a follow-up back at the b&m for a final fitting and steaming of creases from shipping.

All in all, I was happy with the end result, was told that the suit looked great and the cost was reasonable.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by vash

you would think a classic suit doesnt go out of style, but it does. it really does.

Boy, no kidding. Men's fashion is so cyclical. I always feel like I look like this when it's time for a wedding or a funeral...

[A930Rocket]

If you swing by Charleston, Berlins, downtown is a great place for suits. I’ve gotten a couple over the years.

https://berlinsclothing.com/

Looks like Indochino and Berlins are both on King Street, downtown Charleston.

[Seahawk]

Thank you guys for the guidance...my goal is to blend in.

I volunteer at the local HFH one day (ok about 4 hours) a month getting their books ready for the monthly review with their CPA, who is a friend of mine.

I had errands to run today so I stopped by. Zilch. Happily, they are interested in my coming purge of clothing.

Which is probably for the best since I mentioned Baz' suggestion to Mrs. Seahawk and I think she said, "Never speak of this Baz person again".

I keed.

Edit: Called my daughter...headed to Berlins!

[brainz01]

The tailoring is everything. And that usually means having all the key dimensions right: chest, coat waist, and sleeve lengths; pant waist, seat, and leg lengths all need to be right for your body. Tailoring can cost more than $100 to get everything right, but good tailoring can make a less expensive suit look terrific. Bad tailoring will destroy an expensive suit.

As for current fashion, we're currently "in the middle", and probably biased to the slimmer side (but not tight, or skinny). That can feel snug, if you last bought a suit in the 90s. What that means in practical terms is medium shoulders that aren't meaningfully padded, medium lapel (~2.5-3" and probably notch), single breastfed, 2 button, single or sidle vents (but side is usually more elegant), and jacket length that's usually around (or just above) the horizontal crease below your butt cheeks.

For pants, the key is NO PLEATS, and NO CUFFS. Also slimmer through the thigh and calf is more in fashion, but note that this fit will feel snug and you will not be able carry your wallet, keys, snacks, phone, flashlight, and CCW in your pants pockets. Leg length is a mild break in the front, preferably with the cuff cut at a slight angle to hang -~1/2 lower on the back side.

Depending on your body size and shape, stuff off the rack may be close. There are limits to what you can do with tailoring. Most suits on the rack are designed for a 6" drop (chest size - waist size = drop). If your actual drop is less than 5 or more than 8 you're may need to buy separates (jacket and pants separately) or go custom. Try different brands and different stores, the fit will vary. "Athletic" suits have a higher drop. Don't buy a suit where the jacket does not fit right through the chest and shoulders - - it's more work/money to fix if even possible. Sleeves and waist are common tailoring adjustments.

Regarding fabric: Only wool unless you have a big wardrobe. No synthetics, no cotton, no linen. Wool. Pick a medium weight in a medium Grey, or Blue for all year wear. Sorry, no brown unless you have a big wardrobe. A pinstripe or chalkstripe can add style and maybe make you look thinner. Window pane and other non solids are trickier to accessorize and can make a heavier guy look heavier.

[Most] All the suits in the link Hawk sent conform to the fit guidelines above. Those are not expensive but could be fine for infrequent wear if they fit you right. Note that they are relatively snug, especially in the thigh as is currently the fashion. This fit is relatively unforgiving to weight gain. +10 lbs starts to get tight, so consider a looser fit if your weight fluctuates. I repeat. Only buy wool if it's your one suit.

If you get a fitted suit, you need a fitted shirt. Depending on your waist size that probably means you need to have the shirt waist tailored. Sleeves and neck size (and chest) should hopefully fit off the rack. A blousey shirt will look bad under a fitted suit. They both need to fit right.

A few other thoughts:

Nice custom suits start around $1000. They will have nicer fabrics and details like pique stitching and working buttons on the jacket. It's not required, but people that know suits will pick up on the details. The more you spend above $1000 (custom) is usually the quality of the fabric, but it gets harder to tell the difference between a $1000 suit and a $5000 versus a $1000 and a $500 suit. Diminishing returns...

If you would consider 2 suits, it's common to stretch a wardrobe on a budget with a Grey and blue suit that can be mixed/matched for a blazer look, eg blue coat with grey trousers or vice versa. The fabrics typically need to be solids and complementary weave.

Black shoes and belt. Brown can be OK if you have a bigger wardrobe, but it's harder to get right. Shoes can also make or break the look. Typically a black lace up looks best. Some sleek loafers can work, but nothing too boxy or casual like a penny loafer - - that will look out of place with a suit (but fine with jeans or khakis and a blazer).

Tie is a personal preference. But ties are also less of a requirement these days. No tie is cool. And if you go no tie, consider 2 buttons undone, not just the top. No undershirt. You'll look Hollywood. Again, see the photos in the link you shared.

If there's one nearby, try shopping at Charles Thyrwhitt (sp). They have a massive selection of shirt sizes and fits at good prices which will save money on tailoring the shirt. They also have separates for jackets and pants and often include "fancy" details (like working buttons) on reasonably priced off the rack items. And they have a good return policy.

Good luck!




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[Zeke]

I definitely agree with a tailored shirt unless the wearer is big enough to fill the average shirt. I get mine from Teddy Stratford. I think it's about $125 for a nice dress shirt that will fit like a glove.

Only to add to the above (brainz) sleeves should show min 1/2" standing minimum. No more than an inch. I think brainz nailed it.

[Seahawk]

^^^ Excellent, thank you.

I am 68 years old, 6'4", 230lbs of twisted steel and titanium hips appeal...snug is not a menu item

I have three dear friends from HS and college; One, a former Steeplechase horse trainer has incredible fashion sense...for him: He can even wear a freaking hat and pull it off. People have painted pictures of him from photos.

The second: same, same: It is innate.

The third guy is just like me...left to our own devices we'd look like a Sears and Roebuck ad from 1987.

Where I grew up high fashion was Pocket tees, 501's and desert boots. Little has changed except polo shorts, shorts and New Balance sneaks...the uniform of the day.

Again, thanks. The last suit I bought was for 15 years ago

[onewhippedpuppy]

Great post by brainz, I am also fashion deprived but need to up my suit game after I finish this diet. My last few have been from Men’s Wearhouse that check the box for “good enough” at best. But I’m also cheap and don’t really want to spend $1k on a suit so it’s a paradox…

[wdfifteen]

It's probably been 10 years since I bought outer clothing anywhere but Tractor Supply, so I can't help. But if you're talkin' underwear - Duluth Trading.

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Boy, no kidding. Men's fashion is so cyclical. I always feel like I look like this when it's time for a wedding or a funeral...

I haven't worn a suit in such a long time, they have padded shoulders. lol

[GH85Carrera]

I bought a suit 33 years ago for my wedding. I wore it a few times, not much. The last time was when I went before the judge to swear I would faithfully carry out my dad's will. I will never wear another tie. Nope, not gonna do it.

I know for the wedding of your son, yea, maybe just go rent a suit. No one will be looking at you, just the bride mostly and your son on occasion.

[JavaBrewer]

Wow you had some quality feedback Paul. This is a great community.

I like the advice to rent a suit and have it fitted properly. Back in ‘94 I rented a tux for my wedding and was the most incredible outfit ever fitted to my body. Guessing to buy it would be high thousands of $$$$. We are near in age and the last time I bought a suit was over 10 years ago and guess what, it hangs in my closet under wraps and have never worn it again. Now a nice jacket, a couple of nice shirts, ties and a couple dress slacks you can use anywhere for maximum effectiveness.

[Arizona_928]

I bought a fully customized 3 piece from studio suits and it was done very poorly. The sleeve fabric was folded then sewn into place. Measurements were all off by various lengths, which made the jacket worthless to fix state side. Tried to return it and they told me to pound sand. That said, the guy who made the vest was competent and am really happy how that one turned out, but I’ll be going local next time.

[brainz01]

Originally Posted by Zeke

... sleeves should show min 1/2" standing minimum. No more than an inch.

Great point and oversight on my part. Agree 100%

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