store recommendations for suits

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SigurRos

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Anybody have any recommendations for stores that are great for buying affordable but interview-wearable suits?

I can't remember the last time I bought one to be honest.
 
mens wearhouse has always been ok by me. nothing too great, but fast turnaround and decent price/quality ratio.
 
My friends have told me Sear's is also very inexpensive and high in quality. Anybody have any comments on this store?
 
Just chiming in that for women's suits, Ann Taylor has a pretty great line of petites.
 
Zara is ok...good modern cutting and fit, but fabric quality is so so.
 
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Please please avoid Men's Wearhouse... For very inexpensive suits, check out Target's Merona Premium Wool line (avoid anything with polyester), or Macy's Alfani line. Please go with solid charcoal or navy and not the ubiquitous (and inappropriate) black. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, a discounter like Ross, Marshall's, or Nordstrom Rack may be a good choice but it is sometimes difficult to find conservative cuts/patterns there.
 
I got mine from Men's Wearhouse, it was alright. They offer complimentary press service forever.
 
armybound said:
what happened?

I got my suit at some outlet store.. S&K or something like that. the suit, a shirt, and tie came out to like $90.
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High pressure salespeople. Tried to upsale me on everything. I also thought the alterations were fairly pricey.
 
I recommend getting your suit from somewhere you trust. Places like Men's Warehouse are nice because they're reasonably cheap and they offer services like tailoring.

It really depends on your budget.

I think for under $1000 suits, the FIT is much more important than the brand. Find a suit with a style that you like, decent material (no polyester, get wool or maybe a blended cashmere if you can find it reasonably priced), and get it taylored by someone you trust.

Remember the purpose of the suit is for you to look professional; that is relatively easy to achieve. As long as your suit isn't out landish (crazy color) or too fashionable (skinny pants/short sleeves/tight fitting jacket), and fits okay so it doesn't look like you're wearing your dad's jacket, you're fine.

Make sure to get the sleeves of the jacket talored to perfection. When you're sitting down face to face with an interviewer that is the most noticible part of the suit. Sitting with your arms on the arm rest, you should show about slightly less than 1 inch of your shirt.
 
Irv's, Nordstrom Rack, Feline's Basement. These places all have designer suits at deep discounts. I got a $800 Hugo Boss suit for $250.
 
littlealex said:
too fashionable (skinny pants/short sleeves/tight fitting jacket)
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Haha, there's nothing wrong with more "euro" slim-fitting suits if you have the body for it.
 
Go to an outlet store for an otherwise high-end store. That helps to ensure that you'll get a quality suit, but won't go broke. I look for suits at Nordstrom Rack (the outlet store for Nordstrom), Off Sak's 5th (the outlet store for Sak's 5th Avenue), and I also attended a warehouse sale put on by Barney's New York and got a suit there.

These suits tend to be very high quality, but also heavily discounted. If you're not in a rush you can wait until you see a great deal and just grab that suit.
 
hp540 said:
Haha, there's nothing wrong with more "euro" slim-fitting suits if you have the body for it.
Click to expand...

This man is completely correct. As long as you're not rocking a five-button suit with a pink shirt and polka dotted tie, you won't be too fashion-forward. For slim people, an Italian cut is just a suit cut that fits them correctly.
 
hp540 said:
Haha, there's nothing wrong with more "euro" slim-fitting suits if you have the body for it.
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I think euro suits are fine for daily wear. For interviews, however, don't go crazy with the slim-ness. Of course this is just my opinion, but I'm trying to go for something classic and conservative.
 
Try Marshalls. They have some nice suits for great prices.
 
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I got a nice suit for a pretty decent price at Macy's. A lot of times you can get pretty expensive, brand name suits for a reasonable price. Try to catch a sale though and you should be in good shape. 👍
 
I got mine from S&K. Pretty decent charcoal wool. Got it for ~$145. They tried to sell me the whole package deal: shirt, tie, shoes, cufflinks, etc. Just went with the suit. You can pick up the other stuff pretty cheap.

One Q I have concerns tie color. I've heard differing opinions concerning this; some say that you should wear a tie that's non-distinct; i.e. something that just kind of blends in with the suit; something dark. Others have suggested something along the lines of blue or red to stand out. I want to stand out, just not awkwardly. Any opinions? I think the whole bowtie thing has been laid to rest, although I'd actually like to be the one guy ballsy enough to try and pull it off.
 
If you think you can pull off the bow tie, go for it. I don't have the courage for that.

It is reasonable to not want to walk in looking like MIB is on a mission. To stand out, I think I will be going for a dark gray suit, light pink shirt and a baby blue tie.

I know it sounds weird, but the whole ensemble works well.


Or I might just go with a white shirt and a red tie (dark red).

Dark ties are fine, just don't wear it with a black suit.
 
are cuff necessary to pull off the whole professional look?
 
SigurRos said:
are cuff necessary to pull off the whole professional look?
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You mean on pants? It's a bit more conservative but I'm not sure that it's absolutely essential... If you're talking about french cuffs, absolutely not. I would avoid them if at all possible.
 
i wouldn't wear slim-fitting suit to an interview either (i started wearing skinny jeans even before girls did in my program)
i still want to have that conservative look during interview
 
I just got my suit Saturday at Nordstrom. It was expensive but I had a very good experience there. I love that store. Hahaha By the way, in case it matters, I'm female.
 
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sorry, i meant cufflinks. I'm not even sure what thye are haha
 
SigurRos said:
sorry, i meant cufflinks. I'm not even sure what thye are haha
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Cufflinks are pieces of metal that you put in french cuff shirts. I would avoid them, as they are seen as more informal.
 
Emporio, best grand ever spent.
 
coralfangs said:
i wouldn't wear slim-fitting suit to an interview either (i started wearing skinny jeans even before girls did in my program)
i still want to have that conservative look during interview
Click to expand...

I don't think there's anything wrong with a slim-fitting suit, but definitely wrong with a too-tight suit. If it's slim and the fabric falls right, then you're fine. If your jacket is bunching up in all the wrong places, or the buttons pull when you button the thing, then you're going to look terrible. If your pants are too tight, that's unprofessional. On the other hand, you don't want clothes that are too baggy, either, or you'll end up looking like a little kid trying on mommy's/daddy's grown-up clothes. So yeah, slim-fitting suits can still be classy and professional.
 
drizzt3117 said:
Cufflinks are pieces of metal that you put in french cuff shirts. I would avoid them, as they are seen as more informal.
Click to expand...

I think you have it backwards. Cufflinks are MORE formal. (Which is why formal wear always has studs and cufflinks). Nothing wrong with them if you are a nontrad coming from a "suit" profession where they are often worn (law, business, accounting, banking), but perhaps, looks a bit odd/flashy on folks coming straight out of undergrad.
 
Buying a suit MUSTS:

1>Make sure the shoulders fit!!!

2>Material must not be total crap.

3>Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored.

I'm a suit snob, but one that knows not everyone else is, so those three will have to do. But those three are NOT negotiable.
 
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littlealex said:
no polyester, get wool or maybe a blended cashmere if you can find it reasonably priced)
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drizzt3117 said:
(avoid anything with polyester)
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Just curious... why should we avoid things with polyester? I haven't bought my suit yet (will within the next couple weeks, maybe next weekend), but that keeps coming up, so I wanted to know why...
 
mvenus929 said:
Just curious... why should we avoid things with polyester? I haven't bought my suit yet (will within the next couple weeks, maybe next weekend), but that keeps coming up, so I wanted to know why...
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It really depends on whether they look cheap -- sometimes the polyester suits catch the light in a way that makes them visibly polyester.
 
Law2Doc said:
It really depends on whether they look cheap -- sometimes the polyester suits catch the light in a way that makes them visibly polyester.
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i agree. i've got a $280 polyester calvin klein suit, but it looks amazing, not cheap.
 
I asked an uncle about buying a suit for an interview and he said to avoid polyester as well. How do you manage in the Texas heat with a 100% wool suit? You are going to inevitably have to walk outside for 15+minutes and you will sweat profusely.
 
midn said:
I asked an uncle about buying a suit for an interview and he said to avoid polyester as well. How do you manage in the Texas heat with a 100% wool suit? You are going to inevitably have to walk outside for 15+minutes and you will sweat profusely.
Click to expand...

For a summer suit, avoid polyester. It actually does NOT breathe well (tropical wool breathes much better).

Good summer suits are often made of linen because it is really thin and light (but it wrinkles).


And yes, polyester is not always bad, especially if it is blended with wool it can help resist wrinkling. However, often polyester risk looking cheap. I guess a good polyester suit may be preferred over a bad wool suit. Then again, at the end of the day it is about how the suit FITS you.

Wool is just the gold standard for suit materials.



------here is a website I found on this topic--------

http://www.execstyle.com/2006_06_01_execstyle_archive.html

Choosing The Right Suit: Fabric

Below is an extract from our Interview Guide eBook available at http://www.execstyle.com/eBook/Interview_Dress_Etiquette.pdf

Choosing The Right Suit: Fabric

Wool
A quality wool is the most appropriate fabric for your interview. Wool is
resilient, crease resistant, drapes well and is relatively long wearing.
Wool breathes, is comfortable in a wider range of temperatures and
has an elegance that cannot be duplicated.

Other Fabrics
Fabrics such as silks, linen, rayon have their place in a less formal
environment where one wishes to make a fashion statement.
Polyester on its own or blended with wool can be presentable but may
feel like you are wearing a plastic bag. It is also likely to pill.
A quality microfiber, a fine fiber woven from polyester or a polyester
blend, can be woven to breathe reasonably well but does not have the
elegance of wool.

posted by GoldenTeahouse @ 12:29 PM
 
The biggest problem with polyester is that it holds odors. Since suits shouldn't be washed, that leaves dry cleaning, and they have to be cleaned quite often.
 
Zara and H&M are problematic because some suits look too casual and the two-button adds to that image, in my opinion.

They do fit slim guys the best though.

Otherwise, like others have said Norstrom Rack and Off Saks are good but if you're a rare size (32) then you might be outta luck.

I agree that Men's Wearhouse has some pretty shoddy brands and some salespeople can add to the feeling of getting a bad deal even more. Some people swear by them, but I don't.

I got my Hugo Boss from Macy's for 50% off during their sale in July. For the more common sizes, it honestly doesn't matter where you go. For slim sizes, like I said, it's more difficult and you can't avoid shopping around.

Anyway, to complete the outfit, I got shirt from Nordstrom, tie from Macy's, one of my Dad's belts from Nordstrom, and shoes from Nordstrom.

When these guys have their sales, you can't beat the price for the quality of the salespeople and of the products.
 
phatmonky said:
Buying a suit MUSTS:

1>Make sure the shoulders fit!!!

2>Material must not be total crap.

3>Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored. Get it tailored.

I'm a suit snob, but one that knows not everyone else is, so those three will have to do. But those three are NOT negotiable.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Don't listen to the salespeople regarding your shoulders. If they don't fit from the start, there's not a whole lot the tailor can do without messing up the rest of the suit. To alter the shoulders requires taking the jacket apart and those fees can be dramatic.

Always check the shoulders. Even if the suit's perfect everywhere else, don't get the suit.
 
drizzt3117 said:
Please please avoid Men's Wearhouse... For very inexpensive suits, check out Target's Merona Premium Wool line (avoid anything with polyester), or Macy's Alfani line. Please go with solid charcoal or navy and not the ubiquitous (and inappropriate) black. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, a discounter like Ross, Marshall's, or Nordstrom Rack may be a good choice but it is sometimes difficult to find conservative cuts/patterns there.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't grey or blue look kind of casual? What about black with stripes?
 
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