Can you find anything wrong with this $85 suit (and $29 shoes) from Target?

Looks like any $200, $500, or $1000 suit to this newbie...(As do the shoes)
Can anyone explain the differences.
Or are some people grossly overpaying for their Kool-Aid?

http://madetomeasureny.com/2010/04/2...p-jeff-powell/

Looks like a $300 ensemble.

Jacket: too wide in the shoulders (which are too padded), the buttoning stance is too high, lapel has no roll, armholes are ridiculously low, sleeves are baggy, too much fabric in the back, and the waist is not suppressed enough. It's almost certainly also a fused garment.

Shirt collar needs to be more spread, but otherwise it and the tie are acceptable if boring.

Shoes are a fairly impressive find for $29, though they're surely glued soles that will end up falling off after the first walk in the rain.

Not that anyone in the 'real world' will notice these things or think he's anything but well-dressed. That being said, it'd be ridiculous to try and compare his outfit to many of those posted here. There's no contest.

And if people are willing to pay a premium to look much better than that (which they can and do), why moan about it?

I agree that the shoulders look too padded, among some other problems. At least he got the suit tailored. However, I think the main consideration with a suit and shoes from Target is durability. Some things may look fine brand new, but their quality is most likely crap and will look much different over a short period of time. I realize this suit may work for some people with very tight budgets, but I think even a used suit of better construction would be a better choice.

Not this guy again...

Originally Posted by eightysixed

Click to expand...

Looks like he caught wind of this thread...


To My Fans at Style Forum

Since you are all so big on taking my photos and calling me terrible looking, here's a photo you can post on your next thread about my blog:

Originally Posted by holymadness

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Shoes are a fairly impressive find for $29, though they're surely glued soles that will end up falling off after the first walk in the rain.

I happened to be in Target yesterday and, while my wife was shopping, wandered through the shoe department. I saw that very pair of shoes and, although the construction would mean no more than a year's wear, they were actually on a fairly attractive last and the leather was of decent quality. There were actually pores visible, and they had a decent feel to them.

I certainly wouldn't buy them for myself, but for the guys from the other side of the forum that occassionally post that they "need a pair of decent looking shoes to wear for a one time event...don't want to spend much", I might have to recommend them.

Hi all,

First off, I feel like a douche for reacting the way I did (please reference photo above) the first time I found out you all were ragging on my blog and I've since removed the post about it. It was pretty unbecoming on my part as I was upset about the fact that some of the guys here were calling me hideous and ugly. It just hit a nerve in me and I was reminded of the bullies I had to deal with in high school. The constructive criticism on the original thread about my Land's End suit I took into consideration. Especially the bits about my blazers being a little too tight.

Secondly, I know that what I feature on my blog is by no means up to snuff with what you do here. If it's really that terrible to the experts on this forum, then don't read what I put out there. I understand that most of you absolutely hate my suits and my tailoring which is fine by me.

I'm sure I am about to receive a **** storm of slurs, jabs, verbal abuse, and what ever else this thread likes to throw at people but the goal of my blog is to help guys dress better on the limited budgets they have.

I actually do appreciate the critique you all have posted and I agree with the tailoring tips on Jeff's suit that you mentioned.

On a more positive note, thanks for feeding my blog over 200+ extra hits this morning from this thread alone. Even if you don't like what I do, you are definitely giving me some excellent free promotion.

Best,
Dennis Cahlo

It does look like a $300 suit. The pants are awful -- I just see baggyness. The jacket is stiff and lifeless.

Responses to threads like this affirm my belief that there are way too many blind followers on this forum.

Actually, that's kinda like real life also..........

A few trend-setters and lots of mindless drones.

Is that suit made of any kind of fiber? It looks like a box made out of sheet metal. Classic example of 'you get what you pay for'.

If you tell people the suit is from Target, they're probably going to tell you it looks bad no matter what. A fairer test would have been to post the suit without saying where it was from, and then to reveal its origin later.

Having said that, the pants seem to fit horribly and the jacket has no shape. This may be a result of the tailoring, though. And of course one would be worried about durability, but since it won't get much wear this might not be a problem.

Originally Posted by Dennis Cahlo

Click to expand...

Hi all,

First off, I feel like a douche for reacting the way...Best,
Dennis Cahlo



Thanks for standing up for yourself, Dennis.

Originally Posted by Dennis Cahlo

Click to expand...

Hi all,

First off, I feel like a douche for reacting the way I did (please reference photo above) the first time I found out you all were ragging on my blog and I've since removed the post about it. It was pretty unbecoming on my part as I was upset about the fact that some of the guys here were calling me hideous and ugly. It just hit a nerve in me and I was reminded of the bullies I had to deal with in high school. The constructive criticism on the original thread about my Land's End suit I took into consideration. Especially the bits about my blazers being a little too tight.

Secondly, I know that what I feature on my blog is by no means up to snuff with what you do here. If it's really that terrible to the experts on this forum, then don't read what I put out there. I understand that most of you absolutely hate my suits and my tailoring which is fine by me.

I'm sure I am about to receive a **** storm of slurs, jabs, verbal abuse, and what ever else this thread likes to throw at people but the goal of my blog is to help guys dress better on the limited budgets they have.

I actually do appreciate the critique you all have posted and I agree with the tailoring tips on Jeff's suit that you mentioned.

On a more positive note, thanks for feeding my blog over 200+ extra hits this morning from this thread alone. Even if you don't like what I do, you are definitely giving me some excellent free promotion.

Best,
Dennis Cahlo


The apology is a big thing to do, shows more class than those that ragged on your looks (was I one of them ). Anyway, what you do is more "real" than what we do here, in that more guys are likely to take advice on how to buy/alter a suit from Target than to spend $5K on a bespoke suit. I do think that many things that you can learn here would help what you do on your blog. A $300 suit will never be a $5000 suit, but you can pick up bits on fit, quality, and style on here that you can apply to any wardrobe. Good luck on your site and stick around.

Thanks, Ed.

Those shoes at 30 bucks are a steal for people who will never wear them again.

I've seen target suits in person that can look pretty decent, the fabric is of course bad but you get what you pay for. In the case of the suit in the blog the largest of the problems come from the tailoring job IMO. But the awkward button stance is difficult to work with from a tailors perspective; there is only so much a tailor can do. For 230 total you can really complain, maybe just about the tailoring.

Jeff looks like a particularly hard man to fit off-the-rack. He's muscular, but on a relatively compact frame. A strong candidate for custom.