Wedding attire ?

I'd like to ignore the bickering too. I am still curious though, and put this question out to anyone reading: what, exactly, is wrong with JC Penney for suiting, particularly for under $150? I know it is not top quality, and the styles are not chic, but what they make is still wearable and recognizable as a suit. There is also a distinct advantage to being able to go into a store and see it and try it on, rather than risking an exchange on EBay. I agree with the point that Jos A Banks makes a superior product, but they are still more expensive, even with their best sales. For a very limited budget, I think JC Penney makes a lot of sense. Am I wrong, and if so, why?

Originally Posted by AncientSoul

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Kisa,

Doc4 is right on the money with his advice. Ask the gentlemen about the suits they have in their closets and pick the darkest ones. You could buy them matching ties like Doc said, although it's not necessary.

Buying an inexpensive suit is also a viable option since a long time service from the suit is not needed.

I would not recommend the rental route.

And congratulations

Pretty much what I would say as well. Since it is an afternoon wedding going into the evening, one could go the rental tuxedo route and perhaps have a higher sartorial standard for the wedding. Only a few purists would object to tuxedoes for a 4:30 wedding. One the other hand, a low-priced suit--if the groomsmen don't happen to have suitable suits already--probably wouldn't cost more than a tuxedo rental and could be of future use to the groomsmen. I am not aware of any firm that rents business suits, but suits like the JAB Executive line can often be had for around $100 at Banks' innumerable sales.

No experience with J.C. Penney suits, but the star poster on another large clothing forum is very fond of them, and I believe the Stafford line are supposed to be pretty good values.

Originally Posted by MrDaniels

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Persons who think JC Penny is viable should not be lecturing on decorum.


The fact that you come into the thread with such an elitist attitude is insulting, especially to the OP. You don't need to act like that. This should be about helping OP. For her needs, JCPenney is fine. She's not looking for sartorial excellence. She needs some semiformal wear that will work well at a great price. Not eveyone is willing nor able to blow disposable income on clothes. In fact, as hard as it must be for you to believe, some would find you very VERY stupid for doing so.

To OP:
I would definitely go for very dark suits. Black would great for the formality. One comment made is the ability for the best men to reuse the suits. If you want this option, go with the darkest charcoal grey possible. First, I would see if they have similar suits already, if not:

Target and JC Penney are good options and I hear the Target Merona brand suit separates are quite a value. That's an easy way to get the same type anywhere in the country. Plus, tux rental may even be more expensive without the ability to keep the suit. A third option is Jos A Bank. I would wait for their lower end lines to go on sale for $99. Often they have "Buy one get one ____" sales

This is the lowest you'll be able to go. I think if you go with the charcoal suits, you can convince them to go 50/50 since its so versatile.

ONE TIP: Look at what a well fitting suit looks like by lookin at some posts here. Encourage them to get that fit. A perfect fitting suit will make you look like a million bucks, no matter the brand.

Just did a little looking into low-priced suits. I note that JAB Executive suits are all-wool, whereas the JCP offerings at similarly low prices are synthetics, so I'd definitely prefer the former. However, you do have to catch the right sale at JAB to get the best deal.

Originally Posted by JLibourel

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Just did a little looking into low-priced suits. I note that JAB Executive suits are all-wool, whereas the JCP offerings at similarly low prices are synthetics, so I'd definitely prefer the former. However, you do have to catch the right sale at JAB to get the best deal.

It seems the JCP Stafford Performance line at $180 is the 100% wool suiting, while the Stafford Essentials line at $140 is a polyester blend. So it seems it would be cheaper/better to go with Jos A Bank, although it might also be possible to find those JCP suits on sale as well.

Thank you, Doc 4, for your reply and advice. SB = Single Breasted, makes sense. Silly me, I thought DB was dark blue! ;-)

Mr Daniels, Thank you. That's reassuring.

Thank you, tgt.

Thank you, TimelesStyle. Great idea. I will look into them.

Dear Acrid Sheep, [now there's a user name I haven't seen before....I hope it doesn't have anything to do with wool suits! ;-) ] Thank you for your reply and kind words advice .... to ignore the bickering on this thread Thank you. Yours is the best advice so far ;-) I am quite frankly appalled at the exchanges flying back and forth here. I foolishly thought "style" included more than mere sartorial taste. I do, however, appreciate all who took the time to answer my query. One more thing, while I admittedly know next to nothing regarding men's fashions, I do have one area of expertise. It is not "Like I said", but "As I said". This is as offensive to my school teacher's mind as rental suits are to you on this forum. TGT, I know it is rude of me to offer advice that was not asked for. It is meant kindly; please take no offense.

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Thanks for your advice, Libourel and for taking the time to do some research for me. That was very sweet.

Thank you Saiyar

Thank you for your advice, Ancient Soul.

Originally Posted by Kisa

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Thank you, Doc 4, for your reply and advice. SB = Single Breasted, makes sense. Silly me, I thought DB was dark blue! ;-)

Originally Posted by Kisa

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I am quite frankly appalled at the exchanges flying back and forth here. I foolishly thought "style" included more than mere sartorial taste. I do, however, appreciate all who took the time to answer my query. One more thing, while I admittedly know next to nothing regarding men's fashions, I do have one area of expertise. It is not "Like I said", but "As I said". This is as offensive to my school teacher's mind as rental suits are to you on this forum. TGT, I know it is rude of me to offer advice that was not asked for. It is meant kindly; please take no offense.

Thanks Kisa, I'm glad you like what I said.

One would have thought that those seeking to dress like gentlemen would also know how to behave like gentlemen, but far too often the inhabitants of this forum demonstrate that both are learning processes. It is, of course, easier to slap a fresh coat of paint on a condemned building than it is to actually fix the building's structural problems ... just as it is easier to dress a man up to look like a gentleman than it is to change him into a gentleman.

Thank you for your patience with us.