Official Mens Suits Thread ---- Post all Questions and Tips here...

[vince dirty]

Originally Posted by Frankie CALentino

Originally Posted by RFX45

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Originally Posted by RFX45

Socks must match the color of the trousers.

No they don't. It should ideally be similar, but it doesn't need to match. Also, if you're wearing a bright colored shirt (pink, for instance), with a navy or tan suit, then add some color to the sock to match the shirt.

It doesn't have to match but very similar. I also view matching socks with a colorful dress shirt as a bit tacky. I don't recommend it when it comes to wearing suits. Now if you're wearing a casual outfit and maybe even a casual cotton suit or seersucker, then it can be pulled off. Otherwise it just looks too tacky.

My socks are usually the most flamboyantly eye catching thing on me, whereas the rest of my outfit are usually neutral colors. I always get compliments, especially from girls.

Duncan Quinn is your friend

 

[high st]

NT'ers and suits....

im expecting this post to resemble the 95 NBA draft

 

[premeone]

I have a suit that fits kind of baggy. I want to wear it this weekend end. How long you guys think it'll take to get it made smaller?

 

[trappstar]

^^ Won't happen. A professionally altered suit takes about 3 weeks to fit. Well, this is if you purchase it from a Men's store and have them do it foryou, but I'm sure yo could find a local alterer to do in less time. Suits are alot of bread so I only entrust my alterations to the actual Men's storeI purchase this from. This way if they mess up I can get a replacement for the freeski

 

[rfx45]

Originally Posted by PremeOne

I have a suit that fits kind of baggy. I want to wear it this weekend end. How long you guys think it'll take to get it made smaller?

Define baggy? The pants are huge? The jacket are big? Sleeves too long? Either way, I doubt you can get it altered by this weekend. Also, if it is toobaggy, I think you are better off buying a new suit because altering a suit can cost and arm and a leg and a tailor could only do so much until it looks likecrap.

 

[premeone]

I got the day off tommorow so I'll see what I do. The jacket is a little wide on the shoulders and the pants are baggy. I'm skinny and short so findingclothes that fit right is kind of hard. I'l probably buy another one.

 

[rfx45]

Originally Posted by PremeOne

I got the day off tommorow so I'll see what I do. The jacket is a little wide on the shoulders and the pants are baggy. I'm skinny and short so finding clothes that fit right is kind of hard. I'l probably buy another one.

Altering the shoulders is the worst. Most tailors wouldn't even attempt it and the ones that would, will charge you high. So unless the suit is aone of a kind and worth a lot, I wouldn't even bother. If you need a well fitting suit by this weekend, check out H&M. They should have something thatwill fit you well, being skinny and short. Their prices are decent too, you can probably buy a suit for $100-$150, just don't expect them to last longthough.

 

[NCtwin]

Originally Posted by RFX45

Originally Posted by NCTwin

Originally Posted by LazyJ10

Originally Posted by RFX45

As stated in the article, it's all about the fit. My biggest suggestion to NT would be to wear dress shoes. For the most part, lace-up dress shoes are considered dressy while others can be considered semi-casual.

To be more technical:

Shoes and belt must match colors.
Socks must match the color of the trousers.
Dress shirt sleeves must be shown about half an inch to an inch past the suit jacket sleeves.
Navy and Charcoal (or dark gray and drak blue) are more business oriented than black.
Vertical striped dress shirt with vertical striped or vice versa, are a big NO!
Always tuck in the dress shirt (this shouldn't even be mentioned but then again this is NT)
Different sized people requires different type of suits.
Personal suggestion: Stick with two button suits, they just look better. No double breated suits either, unless you can pull off, which is difficult to do.

I have more but I'll leave it at that for now.

All those I put in bold feel are extremely subjective. A Black suit with a colored shirt, nice tie as a contrasting color, is just as business as a grey one. Depends the season as well.

Socks can be a nice offset since you'll see only a few inches of them, they don't need to match completely to the trousers. IE - Nacy socks, grey trousers and black shoes work..it gives some flair.

The cut of the jacket to the suit is also subjective. While I belive you need to leave some room, it doesn't have to be .5 inch, it can be a little less depending on your body type. I wouldn't go past 1 inch though.

I agree with the line about the socks. I have a lot of black ones, but every once in a while I throw in something different just to change it up.

1 inch should definitely be the limit on the jacket cut. I haven't seen anyone do double breasted in a while. Does anyone on here own one¿ 2 buttons aren't bad either, but I have a 4 button black one that fits pretty well. I woudn't go past 4 though unless you're a pastor...

Oh I haven't seen this posted yet, but you should never EVER button all of the buttons on a single breasted suit. If it's a 2 button, button the top one. If it's 3 button, do the top two. 4- top 3. Always keep the bottom one unbuttoned.

Wow, a 4-button suit. I've haven't seen anyone wear one in person. I could imagine it being real difficult to pull off or the person must be real tall. If it is black, they might mistake as being part of the Matrix.

Good suggestion on buttoning.

Thanks a lot. The jacket suprisingly isn't as long as you would think. I'll have to take a few pics next time I'm wearing it to let yousee.

I'm going to have to start getting my shirts custom done though. I can't find a white shirt with my measurements.

 

[fraij da 5 11]

Originally Posted by PremeOne

I got the day off tommorow so I'll see what I do. The jacket is a little wide on the shoulders and the pants are baggy. I'm skinny and short so finding clothes that fit right is kind of hard. I'l probably buy another one.

Look up your local Boscov's and see if they carry suits in their mens section... Billy London makes nice suits that you can get there for a very goodprice... they're made for the younger generation and they fit very well for a slender person... id be surprised if you couldn't find the right sizedjacket.

I wear a 42R jacket but all of my pants have to be altered... im between a 36-38 waist and about a 31 inseam and Boscovs did a great job at making the pantsfit nicely.

most nice stores wont charge anything for tailoring but they also tend not to drop their prices very much at all.

I'm going to have to start getting my shirts custom done though. I can't find a white shirt with my measurements.
What part is hard to find? Whats your neck/arm measurements?

 

[sifupooh]

double breasted, mock turtle neck, good tailor and bla'dow, move from the gate now

 

[premeone]

I don't know a lot about suits but the one I have is a Stacy Adams. They're a suit shop not to far from my house I'll hit it up tommorow.

 

[martin and co]

Generally speaking, very, very few people know anything about good suits....


Things I've learned the hard way (ie bought clothes I never wore again)


1. Off the rack sucks! People think buying a 1,500 Prada suit means its a good suit. The only good OTR suits I've seen are Kiton, but I cant afford tospend 3.5k-5k for an OTR.

2. If you don't believe OTR is pointless, buy a 1k jacket and take it to a bespoke tailer, he will laugh.

3. Bespoke does NOT equal expensive!

4. Pony up the cash and go to Hong Kong and get a bespoke suit. You can get a $500 suit that will be as good as a 2.5k bespoke from Savile Row. The only thingdifferent is where the suit is made (good tailors use Italian or British fabric). Hong Kong tailors are a dying breed, and they are world famous. Chinese doesnot equal cheap! HK tailors are some of the best in the world.


5. Don't go to an overnight suit place that charges $300, its a crap shoot in regards to how your suit will fit. A good bespoke requires 2 fittings.

6. Make sure you take the swatch of fabric you chose, because unless the tailor has a sterling rep, it is possible that your suit will be made out of a cheaperfabric.

7. Once you get all your measurements, you can place orders w/o flying to HK. You can buy a swatch book, and simply place a call, indicate the fabric you want,as well as the details ( center rear jacket slit or two, 1/2/3 buttons, # of pleats, if any etc) and that it.

A professionally altered suit takes about 3 weeks to fit.

Ehhh, I don't want to say thats flat out wrong, but a top notch suit takes just about two weeks to make from scratch (w/ fittings), so 3 weeks just foralterations sounds really excessive to me. Maybe your tailor was really back up when he did some alts for you, but then again he could have subcontracted themto someone.

In conclusion, if you entire budget is 300 bucks, your best bet is a deal off the rack, but if you're looking to spend moderate to serious money, bespokeis the only way to go.

is it true that if you leave the tie in its knot it ruins the tie

Its better to untie the tie then to gamble with a tie you really like. I have a few ties I keep knotted because I'm afraid if I untie them, I wont be ableto match up the ends when I tie it, and part of the tie will be terribly wrinkled. Thats because I ruined a few ties by leaving them in knots (albeit, tightknots).

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Since I posted before about my love for ties, is it true that if you leave the tie in its knot it ruins the tie. Because all my ties are still in their Windsorknots, of course loosened to fit over my head.

 

[crank lucas]

My prom suit was

 

[big j 33]

Originally Posted by Crank Lucas

My prom suit was

No... no it wasn't.

 

[airvandal180]

What is a decent amount of money to spend on a tailored suit? $750-1000?

 

[NCtwin]

Originally Posted by fraij da 5 11

Originally Posted by PremeOne

I got the day off tommorow so I'll see what I do. The jacket is a little wide on the shoulders and the pants are baggy. I'm skinny and short so finding clothes that fit right is kind of hard. I'l probably buy another one.

Look up your local Boscov's and see if they carry suits in their mens section... Billy London makes nice suits that you can get there for a very good price... they're made for the younger generation and they fit very well for a slender person... id be surprised if you couldn't find the right sized jacket.

I wear a 42R jacket but all of my pants have to be altered... im between a 36-38 waist and about a 31 inseam and Boscovs did a great job at making the pants fit nicely.

most nice stores wont charge anything for tailoring but they also tend not to drop their prices very much at all.

I'm going to have to start getting my shirts custom done though. I can't find a white shirt with my measurements.

What part is hard to find? Whats your neck/arm measurements?


My neck is 15.5" and my arms are 36". I don't know an animal alive with those measurements...

Thanks for that info on the bespoke suits Martin. I've started looking into those myself and was wondering how much I might had to spend...

 

[rfx45]

Originally Posted by MARTIN AND CO

Generally speaking, very, very few people know anything about good suits....


Things I've learned the hard way (ie bought clothes I never wore again)


1. Off the rack sucks! People think buying a 1,500 Prada suit means its a good suit. The only good OTR suits I've seen are Kiton, but I cant afford to spend 3.5k-5k for an OTR.

2. If you don't believe OTR is pointless, buy a 1k jacket and take it to a bespoke tailer, he will laugh.

3. Bespoke does NOT equal expensive!

4. Pony up the cash and go to Hong Kong and get a bespoke suit. You can get a $500 suit that will be as good as a 2.5k bespoke from Savile Row. The only thing different is where the suit is made (good tailors use Italian or British fabric). Hong Kong tailors are a dying breed, and they are world famous. Chinese does not equal cheap! HK tailors are some of the best in the world.


5. Don't go to an overnight suit place that charges $300, its a crap shoot in regards to how your suit will fit. A good bespoke requires 2 fittings.

6. Make sure you take the swatch of fabric you chose, because unless the tailor has a sterling rep, it is possible that your suit will be made out of a cheaper fabric.

7. Once you get all your measurements, you can place orders w/o flying to HK. You can buy a swatch book, and simply place a call, indicate the fabric you want, as well as the details ( center rear jacket slit or two, 1/2/3 buttons, # of pleats, if any etc) and that it.

A professionally altered suit takes about 3 weeks to fit.

Ehhh, I don't want to say thats flat out wrong, but a top notch suit takes just about two weeks to make from scratch (w/ fittings), so 3 weeks just for alterations sounds really excessive to me. Maybe your tailor was really back up when he did some alts for you, but then again he could have subcontracted them to someone.

In conclusion, if you entire budget is 300 bucks, your best bet is a deal off the rack, but if you're looking to spend moderate to serious money, bespoke is the only way to go.

I wouldn't totally disregard OTR suits. Of course bespoke and MTM suits will be better fitting but not always, quality-wise (material and howit's made). Some people here has no choice but to go to Nordstrom rack and pick a suit off the rack, it is understandable. There are also some suits outthere that fits quite well OTR, especialy to some body types. For example would be Z Zegna. I believe they make decent to good suits that can be had for$300-$400. They are made pretty slim and if you can fidn one that fits well, why not? More often than not, the sleeves and waist of the jacket can be alteredto a certain extent and if you know what you are looking for, the alteration should be minimal. Other good OTR brands thats can be had for $300-$500 are HickeyFreeman, Theory and Canali. I personally like how John Varvatos fit and they were going for 4250 at Bloomingdales last year down from $900. It's not thebest built and quality but sometimes you just can't substitute great fit OTR and great price.

Not everyone has the luxury of going to HK either. As for the measurement, if your getting bespoke I say get it measured wherever your going to get it made.Getting it measured by someone and then just giving out measurement over the phone is almost a waste of money because it is non-refundable so if you mess up,thats money down the drain. Tailors doesn't always measure the same way, compared to the good ones over the bad. Some measure over a shirt while somedoesn't, some measure your chest just under the armpit while others don't. There are plenty of things to consider but I agree that if you get a goodmeasurement from a great tailor, ordering a bespoke is a good option.

For those int he U.S., or in L.A., check otu Thick as Thieves. From what I have seen, they make well fitting suits and you have a choice fo material, design,whatever. A simple suit can be had for as little as $400 shiiped to your house. That's a great deal for a custom made suit, but remember that themeasurements come into facto again.

 

[fraij da 5 11]

Originally Posted by AirVandal180

What is a decent amount of money to spend on a tailored suit? $750-1000?

It all depends on your budget... suit doesnt = big money if you dont have big money to spend on it


There are very nice suit stores that i go to that have suits that range from $299-$3500... they have very experienced tailors and they fit you for your suitno matter what you paid. They don't charge for the tailoring, its always included in their price, which i think is great... But they NEVER have sales morethan 20% off any stuff.


It all depends on your budget, if $750-$1000 isn't a problem for you to spend on a suit, then go ahead and shop around for something you like.. chancesare you'll be able to find a deal on a suit that started at $1500+ but is on sale.

IMO, the thing about suit buying is that once you start looking, things start jumping out at you, it shouldn't be a rushed process... take your time andfind something you like

 

[awash242]

Originally Posted by High St

NT'ers and suits....

im expecting this post to resemble the 95 NBA draft

One look at the first page and you can clearly see that's not the case.

 

[rfx45]

My neck is 15.5" and my arms are 36". I don't know an animal alive with those measurements...
Kevin Durant might give you a run for your money.

I've started looking into those myself and was wondering how much I might had to spend...

What is a decent amount of money to spend on a tailored suit? $750-1000?
Like I mentioned in my last post, Thick as Thieves makes custom suits for $400+. Check out the website: http://www.thickasthievesla.com/
You can also customize the style, you don't need to stick to the styles they have on the website.

 

[high st]

i think the person rockin the suit has got a lot to do with whether it/you will look good.

i hate to say it but your swag gotta be on point. you gotta look like you belong in the suit. have to carry yourself on some boss tip. if you walking roundhead down, pigeon toed kickin rocks your gonna look like a clown regardless of fit, price etc...

that being said, you cant be rolling round with the prince naseem hamed swag and have your suit fitting on some A.I or Kevin Durant tip

the suit hasto at least look/fit decent.

 

[dlo13]

Originally Posted by NCTwin


My neck is 15.5" and my arms are 36". I don't know an animal alive with those measurements...

I thought I was doing it with the 16x36.

 

[martin and co]

No Problem....

In the USA prepare to spend at least 1200, and between 1500-2000 for something good.

You also want to go to a "source" tailor....

The guy that did George W's suits actually outsourced it to a company named Giliberto Designs, they do top notch suits as much as 50% cheaper than what youwould pay at a "tailor", but the quality is top notch. Its still going to be in the price range I quoted above.

The best thing to do is go to HK, get all the measurements taken, then just get bespoke suits, shirts, top coats, etc. w/o going there again at insanely lowprices. The cost of the trip will recoup itself after the first order.

Not everyone has the luxury of going to HK either. As for the measurement, if your getting bespoke I say get it measured wherever your going to get it made. Getting it measured by someone and then just giving out measurement over the phone is almost a waste of money because it is non-refundable so if you mess up, thats money down the drain.

Like I said, if all you have is 300-400 bucks, OTR is the only option. I was directing what I wrote more to people that think spending big moneyon OTR is a good Idea, although like I said before I read your reply, after 1 order, what you paid for the trip is recouped.

Also, I meant that once you get your measurements taken you can order anything you want w/o going back only from the tailor you got it done initially. Yourtailor really has to know you to make everything fit on point, so measurements are really useless unless they're HIS measurements, since different tailorsunderstand measurements differently.

As far as that $400 place, I wouldn't trust any place that doesn't take at least 2 fittings (1st when you come in, then 2nd later on when the suit ispartially done to better shape the suit).

If you can't afford to fly to Hong Kong, some tailors have trunk shows (Not the 2 I use, but some do), in different cities where they fit you and get thesuit done back home. This isn't the best way, since the first time I got fitted it took 3 fittings to total to get it just right (when first ordering thesuit, 4 days later to to a second fitting, then 2 days after that to get the jacket just right), so 1 fitting might not do it.

btw, overnight tailors in HK usually do NOT do refitting, thats part of the reason they're so cheap.

In closing, sure there are good OTR, otherwise they wouldn't make RTW suits, but once you go bespoke you can't go back!

 

[blackbenz]

so can someone can suggest some good dress shoes

pics would be a plus