Where to buy an interview suit - very skinny, 38 Long

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Skinny_2017

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I'm having a very hard time finding an interview-appropriate suit.

I want it to be very conservative, solid color, dark navy or dark charcoal gray, super normal.

I am 6'0" with extra long arms and legs and very skinny. My waist is 30" or 31". My inseam is 34" or 35" depending on the rise in the pants.

I have an okay suit, it is navy, Jos. A. Bank, 38 Long, heavily tailored. Size 37 was definitely too small (at Jos. A. Bank), although I could possibly wear a 39 or even a 40, especially since my tailor said he can tighten the torso pretty easily.

Here is the problem: I look like an anorexic skeleton in my Jos. A. Bank suit. The pants are so wide in the leg and the fabric is so soft, it really accentuates my skinny bony legs. The crotch is too low and cannot be fixed, so I could smuggle an entire ham in the butt of the pants.

I look fantastic in J. Crew suits, because they are made for skinny people, but I cannot afford a J. Crew suit, they are like $1,000 before any alterations.

I look pretty good in extra slim fit European suits, but none of them are conservative, they are all fashion-forward. I actually have one already, I look great, but it has a subtle windowpane pattern, peak lapels, and contrast stitching. I bought it on ultra-super-clearance, they definitely did not have a more conservative version from the same suit maker.

So currently I will look like an anorexic skeleton in my Jos. A. Bank suit, or I will look fashion-forward and European in my European suit, which honestly does not match my character.

Where are the suits for skinny men that cost less than $1,000? I have heard mostly negative things about ordering custom-made suits, they tend to be like $500 and just not good. It also takes many weeks.

I want to get a suit off the rack that is close for $500 or less, and then get it tailored for another $100. My Jos. A. Bank suit was only like $200. Very few suit makers sell anything even close to my size.

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Holy lord, J. Crew Factory seems too good to be true. It is more than 50% off, and the suits look the same (albeit a much smaller selection). I am wondering what the catch is.

J. Crew actually doesn't make 38 Long suits, which may be a problem. I always assumed they just didn't have them in stock. I will visit the J. Crew Factory store tomorrow and see if the suits are clearly crappy and also whether 38 Regular has long enough sleeves for me. At J. Crew, the Long variant has an extra 1.0 inch on the sleeves. Sleeves can sometimes be lengthened if there is extra fabric folded over at the end, so I will check that also.

Google has suggested Express, and they actually do make 38 Long suits that look very nice.

Can you do the trick again where you tell me Express has a knock-off store that is 60% cheaper? (Although the Express suits are under $500, so I suppose that is possibly reasonable.)
 
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Just an FYI, jcrew (and factory) offer I think a 10% or 15% off discount if you're a student. So if you find something you like there, don't forget to use the discount if you qualify.
 
Student discount? Even more magical advice, thanks.

I just checked, I definitely qualify and it is a 15% discount at both J. Crew and J. Crew Factory. Sadly, it does not apply to online orders or phone orders, and they never have my size in stock (especially not my pants). But it might apply to phone orders shipped to the store, which is something I have done in the past when my size is out of stock (i.e. always), because then you can try it on before actually shelling out the cash. 15% is pretty good, so let's hope.

So J. Crew suit pants always come hemmed? That is weird, but it seems to be the case. Most suit pants come unhemmed and very long. J. Crew is a weird and special place.
 
Maybe try combatentgent? They fit well for me and the price is ok. Don't expect brooks brother quality though
 
Holy cow, Combat Gent is by a wide margin the cheapest store that I have ever seen that nominally sells my size suit (38 Long), and the jacket and pants are sold separately which is a necessity for me.

I can get a very conservative Combat Gent charcoal or navy suit for $160 total, and it isn't even on sale. Free return shipping for any reason within 30 days.

I am slightly suspicious of a $160 suit, though. That is really cheap.
 
If the idea of a pre-owned suit doesn't turn you off completely, look on eBay for well-made high-end brands in a 38-39 long and spend your money on tailoring. Brooks Brothers (not all are baggy), J. Crew, Hickey Freeman, Canali -- all available at VERY low prices. Just measure the suits you have that fit well so you can compare --
 
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Holy cow, Combat Gent is by a wide margin the cheapest store that I have ever seen that nominally sells my size suit (38 Long), and the jacket and pants are sold separately which is a necessity for me.

I can get a very conservative Combat Gent charcoal or navy suit for $160 total, and it isn't even on sale. Free return shipping for any reason within 30 days.

I am slightly suspicious of a $160 suit, though. That is really cheap.
I used one of their suits for interview and it was fine. Obviously their wool is cheaper than the j crew stuff but it's still pretty decent. also be sure to look on google for some coupon codes as they often run sales
 
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Holy lord, J. Crew Factory seems too good to be true. It is more than 50% off, and the suits look the same (albeit a much smaller selection). I am wondering what the catch is.

J. Crew actually doesn't make 38 Long suits, which may be a problem. I always assumed they just didn't have them in stock. I will visit the J. Crew Factory store tomorrow and see if the suits are clearly crappy and also whether 38 Regular has long enough sleeves for me. At J. Crew, the Long variant has an extra 1.0 inch on the sleeves. Sleeves can sometimes be lengthened if there is extra fabric folded over at the end, so I will check that also.

Google has suggested Express, and they actually do make 38 Long suits that look very nice.

Can you do the trick again where you tell me Express has a knock-off store that is 60% cheaper? (Although the Express suits are under $500, so I suppose that is possibly reasonable.)
Lol I don't think Express has an outlet store/website, sorry :( I have many friends that have gotten suits there and have loved them, but none of them are super tall and skinny so I'm not sure how they'd fit you personally.

I have gotten other stuff from JCrew Factory (shirts/sweaters/pants) and all have held up just as well as the regular J Crew store stuff. Just make sure you take great care of everything, of course (hand wash/hang dry the shirts helps a lot!). Also, sign up for the emails, J Crew Factory stuff goes on sale ALL the time, I'll get random emails saying the whole store is 50% off. You can't combine the promotions with the student discount, though so that's something to keep in mind (i.e. never buy a promotion thing if it's <15% off without your discount). The physical J Crew Factory store will only be in an outlet mall, so keep that in mind. If you're going to an outlet mall anyway, check out the Brooks Brothers outlet, the Tommy Hilfiger outlet, Calvin Klein, Banana Republic etc. and try on as many suits as you can.

Good luck!
 
Express does have a factory store online and in various locations http://www.expressfactoryoutlet.com

I personally don't think Express suits look that good in-person.

JCrew factory suits weren't too attractive in person; they were baggy when I looked last time...

Never tried Combat Gent but doesn't look too bad though it may not be one that lasts the longest...
 
Try some thrift stores.

I'm having a very hard time finding an interview-appropriate suit.

I want it to be very conservative, solid color, dark navy or dark charcoal gray, super normal.

I am 6'0" with extra long arms and legs and very skinny. My waist is 30" or 31". My inseam is 34" or 35" depending on the rise in the pants.

I have an okay suit, it is navy, Jos. A. Bank, 38 Long, heavily tailored. Size 37 was definitely too small (at Jos. A. Bank), although I could possibly wear a 39 or even a 40, especially since my tailor said he can tighten the torso pretty easily.

Here is the problem: I look like an anorexic skeleton in my Jos. A. Bank suit. The pants are so wide in the leg and the fabric is so soft, it really accentuates my skinny bony legs. The crotch is too low and cannot be fixed, so I could smuggle an entire ham in the butt of the pants.

I look fantastic in J. Crew suits, because they are made for skinny people, but I cannot afford a J. Crew suit, they are like $1,000 before any alterations.

I look pretty good in extra slim fit European suits, but none of them are conservative, they are all fashion-forward. I actually have one already, I look great, but it has a subtle windowpane pattern, peak lapels, and contrast stitching. I bought it on ultra-super-clearance, they definitely did not have a more conservative version from the same suit maker.

So currently I will look like an anorexic skeleton in my Jos. A. Bank suit, or I will look fashion-forward and European in my European suit, which honestly does not match my character.

Where are the suits for skinny men that cost less than $1,000? I have heard mostly negative things about ordering custom-made suits, they tend to be like $500 and just not good. It also takes many weeks.

I want to get a suit off the rack that is close for $500 or less, and then get it tailored for another $100. My Jos. A. Bank suit was only like $200. Very few suit makers sell anything even close to my size.
 
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Student discount? Even more magical advice, thanks.

I just checked, I definitely qualify and it is a 15% discount at both J. Crew and J. Crew Factory. Sadly, it does not apply to online orders or phone orders, and they never have my size in stock (especially not my pants). But it might apply to phone orders shipped to the store, which is something I have done in the past when my size is out of stock (i.e. always), because then you can try it on before actually shelling out the cash. 15% is pretty good, so let's hope.

So J. Crew suit pants always come hemmed? That is weird, but it seems to be the case. Most suit pants come unhemmed and very long. J. Crew is a weird and special place.

J. Crew (and Factory) will apply the discount to anything purchased in the store. So your best bet would be to figure out what you want, go to the store, and have a sales associate order it for you. You will also get free shipping using this method.
 
Topman offers some fantastic options for skinny people like you and I. Their cuts tend to be quite flattering, and they're overall a nice company. They also occasionally have deals, and (I believe) continuously offer a student discount.

Edit - Another good option is suitsupply, they offer custom suiting options and are pretty top notch.
 
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I'll second the Macy's suggestion. I got my suit at Macy's yesterday and I'm really happy with it so far. I'm 5'11", 36S, wear 30x31 pants, so I'm on the slightly skinnier side. I personally got the Calvin Klein X-Fit extra slim-fit series (36S, 30x32) sold as separates which fit me almost exactly, and I only had to pay $290 after tax (down from $600 pre-tax regular price). I'm definitely slimmer on top and kind of lanky, but I think the jacket fit especially well at the shoulders and underarms. I only needed a bit of tailoring.

I didn't really have a hard time finding my jacket size and saw plenty of your size at my local Macy's. There were plenty of good wool suit options that I liked, so I don't think it hurts to try since there's a big sale and whatnot.
 
I'm also tough to fit in suits and always look small, I've had great luck with men's wearhouse. They don't fit great off the rack but they have done an excellent job altering my suits to fit well. Also you can generally get good prices especially if you buy two, and if you tell them you're on a budget and a student they often work with you on price.

Alternately, Nordstrom rack can be a goldmine for skinny suits and you can save enough off sticker price to have them tailored well.

Good luck, and don't worry. You'll look fine, and if you do MMI they'll hardly have time to see what color your tie is before you're on to the next interviewer.


Edit: Also, don't forget to get your dress shirts tailored to fit well in the arms. A well fitted shirt under the jacket makes it look professional and put together.

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Seconding combatgent. I have a $200 suit from there that looks better than my $1000 Ralph Lauren suit. They also tend to be a bit slimmer than regular suits. Keep in mind you will need to spend around $35 or so to tailor it to your dimensions.
 
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Men's Wearhouse

Express: Men
Blazers are usually $200
Slacks are usually $90-100

JCPenny

Macy's
 
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When I saw the prices at J. Crew Factory on the website, I said "this is amazing, what's the catch?" When I saw the suits in real life, I said "oh, there's the catch." The J. Crew Factory suits are much, much lower quality than Jos. A Bank suits, despite being slightly more expensive.

Tiger of Sweden would be a good suggestion if I wasn't so tall with such a narrow waist. Surprisingly, Tiger of Sweden suits come with pre-hemmed pants, and they are hemmed SHORT.

I have bought one pre-owned suit, it is not interview appropriate, and I am now dubious as to whether any pre-owned suit will ever make me look good.

I will figure something out, thanks everyone.
 
In my opinion, get a real suit. Get measured, let someone tailor it to fit you well, and show up looking like you mean business. You're going in for one of the most important interviews of your life, not a court date for a speeding ticket.

Men's wearhouse will measure you exactly right and they have a tailor in house. They often have some good deals too!
 
Haha no way.

You guys got it all wrong. For men, there is a threshold of acceptability in fashion.

When your looks go up from rock bottom to decent, or rags to suit, you look much better. The difference between a cheap suit and expensive suit, however, is not as appreciable. The curve is definitely logarithmic for men.

Get a decent cheap suit that fits you well enough, get it tailored, and get this over with. Buy your expensive suit when you are older and can buy things for the hell of it. "Fashion forward" suit is codename for "can only be worn for a year or two before it goes out of style." No professor is going to shake your hand and then inspect how your suit sits on your hips. You either look professional or you don't. The threshold is not hard to get to for a guy. Just (a) make sure to remove all the white thread bands on your cheap suit and (b) get it tailored. You will be fine.
 
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