Help me look my sharpest in DC (Please)

Hi. I'm a student who has recently fallen in love with suits, but still has a lot to learn. These forums have helped me to finally break free of laymen mistakes like buying polyester suits and jackets (which I'm now so embarrassed over that I have donated almost all of them) and am only now understanding the finer points of buying suits, like fabric quality, fused vs canvassed, etc. Even though I'm a student, I really want to own a genuinely nice suit. I'm studying political science, so I'm in DC a few times each year. When that happens, I'm standing in the same room with, for instance, the Under Secretary of State, or people like Hans Blix (whom I had my picture taken with) or Zbigniew Brzezinski (whom I spoke to at a Q & A last year as well). ------------------------------------------------ MY DILEMMA: I want to stand in the room with those kinds of influential people and look sharp. I don't want them to think "look, another college student here as a tourist" when I come over to them. I want them to think "wow, that's a well-dressed young man." So - how? I know Men's Wearhouse and the like are out of the question here. Jos. A Bank didn't impress me much either - expensive and overly padded. So where should I be looking? What brands? I think I can figure out dress shirts, accessories etc. on my own, but as far as getting a stand-out suit goes, I could use some guidance. Not too crazy about my options in Richmond, VA - Franco's carries Canali and the like, but never for less than a thousand. The Nordstrom's here carries Hugo Boss as their "nice" slim fitting suit (just the jacket, actually, at 800 dollars). Slim fit is a big selling point for me - mainly the shoulders (anything with shoulders over 18" is probably not worthwhile). So if I wanted something off the rack, I'd probably have to travel, and the chances of getting something nice at a worthwhile discount are low. I'm open to buying online from trusted sources, including this board's members. Lightly used is fine, as long as it isn't dated. I'd like to stay in the low-to-mid hundreds and make sure that I get the most bang for my buck before pulling the trigger. So - any ideas what kind of options I'd have in terms of brands and quality? Thanks in advance. JN

Also, in case this comes into the equation: I measure at around 5'11" and take a 38" chest. I'm a slim guy - around 150, and that's after gaining a good deal of weight since February. My neck is 15" and I take a 34/35 dress shirt - I'm pretty sure the exact measurement was around 34. My waist is tricky - I can easily fit into a 32 - possibly even lower if I had to - but since I have digestive/breathing issues, I need my pants much looser than most people do. So the ability to let pants out to at least 33 1/2 is very important.

It's funny you should say that - because I was shocked at the number of wealthy, powerful people I've run into in DC who were wearing suits that fit them horrendously.

Nonetheless, I'm a young guy in rooms filled with old farts who tend not to take me seriously. So dressing significantly better than they do would probably be a help - it certainly won't hurt.

Have been meaning to get to Potomac Mills for awhile - hadn't considered thrifting there. Sounds like good advice - so thanks.

Sure - not looking for anything too ostentatious. Like you said, conservative, but high quality and a genuinely good fit. That would be perfect for what I need. Will definitely look into the suggested reading material.

Funny you should mention this, as the Metro Center store is in the same building where the last conference I was part of was held. I even stopped in, but was too much of a newbie to know what I was looking at.

Looking at 400-600 for something new, 200-300 used. I can dig in for around 750, but that'd only be for something custom tailored that really sings to me. As for what I like - whenever I find a suit or blazer that actually fits in the chest and shoulders, I'm ecstatic. From there it's a matter of quality. It's a possibility. Main reason why I'm hesitant about MTM. What kind of options does EA provide closer to 750? Vest isn't a necessity. I understand that they're connected to Tom James, whom I've spoken to here in Richmond. They have generic, made-in-Colombia suits at that price range and I've heard mixed things. Feedback for EA seems more positive, but the only pictures I've seen posted here looked like the jacket was too big.