Jacket/Suit advice

jared

Question for the life style pros.

My girlfriend's sister is getting married next month, so of course I will be going to the wedding.

I'm looking at getting a new jacket or possibly a suit.

Here's the kicker: I'm looking for one that is "fitted", "euro cut", or whatever the hell you call the style that looks like it actually fits you.

I bought a suit about a year and a half ago from Men's warehouse. I had to have it ASAP for some job interviews so I didn't have time to be picky. It works for job interviews and a few funerals I've gone too, but for events like weddings I'd like to have one that fits. The MW suit just feels big, has big shoulders - at they even measured me and tailored it - maybe it's just the style.

Anyways, basically I'm looking to buy something thats going to look slick that doesn't engulf me. I think I'm going to have to know what I'm looking for before hand or I'll end up going home with a "traditional" fit again.

So IC lifers, give me some advice. I need to look pro

GnomeWizardd

3 button suits are win 2 buttons are bleh but thats on my frame and I am slender

jared

Yeah, I just don't know where to find good looking ones. Last time I went to Mens Warehouse they were kinda pushy.

I said I wanted a fitted suit. They said "oh this is what you need right here!". Hence the suit I have now looks big and doesn't have a fitted look. Bastards.

GnomeWizardd

go in an try some 3 buttons out, Go in there with it in your head that you are NOT going to you one, leave ur wallet in the car or whatnot, But make sure they give u some 3 button suits to try

NiGHTS

While I can't speak for the quality of their sportcoats/jackets (their women's clothing is cheaply made) Express Men would probably have the look you're going for. I own a few MX shirts and Producer pants (shirts are great, pants are great/decent depending on material) that I like. Their look is much slimmer than the norm, even without designated 'slim' material. That said, the pricing is basically at a premium.

Thrax

Go to any suit store and look for jacket sizes that end in "s," like 36S. S stands for "sport," and they have a more slender cut than the fat American cuts they shovel as "regular." Secondly, realize that any suit you buy is going to require the services of a tailor. Make sure the jacket fits your torso, and your slacks fit your waist/thighs, then let a tailor take care of the rest. A cheap suit can look very good if it's taken care of by a tailor.

That said, I've heard that Target actually has some reasonably-priced options by Merino that are 100% wool. Good idea on a budget, without much fuss. Otherwise, it's off to men's warehouse or Macy's with you.

Lastly, 3-button, side vents are in style. Vests for a 3-pc are also in style.

And that's fashion on a BlackBerry. Kill it, brotha.

NiGHTS

Thrax wrote:

That said, I've heard that Target actually has some reasonably-priced options by Merino that are 100% wool. Good idea on a budget, without much fuss. Otherwise, it's off to men's warehouse or Macy's with you.

Second this, I have a pair of Merino slacks that fit great and are very comfortable.

Charshie

Thrax wrote:

Go to any suit store and look for jacket sizes that end in "s," like 36S. S stands for "sport," and they have a more slender cut than the fat American cuts they shovel as "regular."

Actually the "S" stands for short, unless your retailers are doing something different than CA ones. In jacket sizing the "S" typically indicates that the shoulders ARE a little narrower though, and the length adjusted to accommodate a shorter torso - meaning that if you pair them with a nicely fitted pair of slacks the "S" can look more tailored. I actually used this trick myself many times, since I am not short and favor heels but am very slender. However just to warn you, some manufacturers also knock about 1/2-1 inch off sleeve length in "S" sizes too. Here's a size chart to help you determine where you fall -

http://www.thesuitoutlet.com/pages.php?pageid=1

I HIGHLY recommend paying Macy's a visit and investigating some of their Men's I.N.C. separates. I worked as a manager at Macy's for two years and I.N.C. is a decently priced brand geared towards 20's-30's aged male sophisticates - hence, less frump factor, better fit. Anyway hope that helps

~ Char

P.S. edited to include the size chart

Thrax

The Men's Wearhouse out here definitely markets them as "sport." Huh.

Charshie

Thrax wrote:

The Men's Wearhouse out here definitely markets them as "sport." Huh.

Weird O_o. Well there is a STYLE called sport? Maybe they tag theirs to indicate it - but within the "sport" categorization there should be sizes just like any other suit jacket - so could be short, regular or long versions for each measurement. Anyway the sport cut though IS more slender - it's more a blazer than a jacket. Darts to conform to waist as opposed to the boxier traditional suit cut.

Here's some quick picks from Macy's site that I know they'd likely carry. Alfani is another good brand btw even if the name is a dickballing rip-off of Armani.

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=411640&CategoryID=31780&LinkType=DepthPath

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=281167&CategoryID=40100

Edit: Included links. Going to sleep now

Ryder

Agrees with Charshie, never had the S after the size mean anything other than short

jared

Charshie thanks for the advice!

I'm going to look when I get home to see what size jacket I ended up buying last time.

That second link you posted is about something like what I am looking for! I'm going to try to go by Macys soon and look into it- very reasonable too!

cheers!

tmh88

I got a suit from nordstom with a European fit and it's amazing. I actually got a good deal on it too. If you have the time why not go to a high end department store (since they tend to have designer brands and a variety of different fits) and try on a few suits to get an idea of what you're looking for. Before I make myself sound like a total douche, I said designer brands because those are the ones that tend to have a better fit for slim people or guys that don't have linebacker shoulders. I'm tall and thin so the European brands tend to actually fit me.

poofie

mmm, men in tailored suits. pics?

WagsFTW

I would also like to see pics.

You should check out Banana Republic. They have really nice looking suits. Andrew and I went to a BR outlet and he found a really nice suit for $100.

Andrew might have more info on this, though. I just know he looks damn good in that new suit he just got.

BuddyJ

Jared, what's your budget?

Consider something like this if you can swing it. Order now and get it to a good tailor.

GHoosdum

How formal is the wedding? I'd recommend going for a sport jacket if it's not very formal, that way you can look well dressed (sport jackets look more formal with grey slacks and less formal with khakis) and maintain a very flexible wardrobe piece. You can make it especially dressy by picking up a double breasted navy blazer. In fact, you'd be better dressed than most of the guys wearing suits, as well as all of them who are wearing tuxes improperly.

Personally, I am a fan of the two button jacket over the three button, simply because three button jackets are fashionable and two buttons are not. Which, to me, means that a two button is a timeless classic that will be wearable long after the three button jacket falls out of fashion.

Also, please remember that you shouldn't wear a button collar shirt with a tie. (Yes, my avatar photo shows me doing just that. I shouldn't have, but it was the only white dress shirt I had at the time, since I had gotten rid of all my polyester blend shirts when I moved to California)

jared

I'm going to find out how formal the wedding is tonight, which should hopefully help me decide if I need the package deal or just a sports coat.

I'm also a fan of the 2 button jacket as well. Being only 5'10" I feel the three button looks kinda odd on me since I'm not as tall and skinny as others (like GW mentioned above).

Also, please remember that you shouldn't wear a button collar shirt with a tie.

Please clarify that. I think I'm misunderstanding something lol.

Also, in response to NiGHTs earlier, I agree with the Express producer pants. I have a pair of them and love them. Favorite khakis I own!

Thrax

If the collar buttons to the shirt, do not wear a tie with it. Then again, these shirts look pretty dopey, so that shouldn't be a problem.

GHoosdum

There are several types of shirt collars. A button collar is one where the ends of the collar have button holes, and the shirt front has a button on each side to button down the collar. This type of collar comes from the sporting tradition (in polo, it was nice to be able to button down your collar so it didn't fly up in your face during the game) and because of this, it's considered casual wear. These shirts are usually cut in such a way that they look best with the collar buttoned down but without a tie, sometimes to the point where the collar's spread is too narrow for a tie knot to show properly. In contrast, a spread collar or point collar is held in place by collar stays (those pointy bits of metal or plastic you shove in the ends of your collar) and the tie.

Andy calls it mistake #1

jared

Excellent explanation. I don't have any of those shirt I'd wear with a tie - luckily :P

Myrmidon

I only noticed Thrax and BuddyJ mention a tailor. When I got my first sport coat (mostly just to wear around in the fall), I positively LOVED it - but I wanted to wear it to a little more formal stuff, and I was in the same boat as you.

I went to find a tailor.

Now, ignore the big chain guys - dry cleaning places often offer tailoring services that are positive crap. I suggest, especially if you've got more of an abnormal frame, finding someone local that will both take the measurements AND do the actual tailoring, rather than ship your measurements with the jacket.

My anecdote involves finding a guy who did it in TWO DAYS for the measly sum of $14.50. The coat, by the way, fits INCREDIBLY. As an added bonus, he mentioned that I was free to ask him to fix anything if I didn't like it, completely free of charge.

By the way, I recently bought a suit - many department stores (including JC Penneys, Kohls, and Younkers) have recently eliminated their tailoring services. As a quick suggestion, try to stay away from polyester suits unless you never expect to wear the thing. It's much cheaper, but it also comes apart quite quickly. I, unfortunately, HAD to purchase one, because that's all they had that fit me properly.

Fiiiinally: I noticed someone mentioned Express. I LOOOOVE Express, BUT their pricing is outrageous, selection is small, and quite frankly they have NO IDEA how to sew a button (not to mention being extremely thrifty with their stitching). If you get one from them, I suggest reinforcing the buttons and possibly the stitching, if you know how.

pseudonym

I've got one of the express suits and love it. It's a very nice suit and wasn't that expensive. I actually got away with it not being tailored too, but that was just luck.

A few friends recently picked up some Hugo boss suits. They are the slim cut type and look great, but not exactly cheap.

GnomeQueen

I would just like to say that I endorse this thread.

That is all.

poofie

*coughstillnopicscough




i have no good reason to post this, but it's Cary Grant in a suit, and he was always dressed so impeccably. swoon.