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Tell us about your first suit

Elpasha

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My first real suit I bought about 1988, I was about 20 and living in SOCAL. It was a dark brown double breasted suit that I wore the hell out of. It was a texturized (?) type of fabric, no idea where I bought it, but it made me look quite dapper I was told.

I own 10+ suits now and none are double breasted, or will be.
 

JLibourel

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It was during my undergraduate years at UCLA. I picked it out with my uncle at, I think, Harris & Frank on Wilshire Boulevard. It was definitely at one of those good men's stores that were clustered on the Miracle Mile in those days--Desmond's, Harris & Frank, Silverwood's, Phelps-Terkel. It was two-piece in grayish olive, olive suits being more fashionable in those days about 50 years ago.

Prior to that I had always just worn an odd jacket and slacks with a tie for dressy occasions.

Come to think it over, as a very little boy, I had one or two "little boy" suits with short parts, but I don't remember the particulars of them, except that I would wear a clip-on bowtie with them.
 

Gus

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Growing up in a small village right outside of Manhattan we were trained in the ways of old school preppies. Starting in 4th grade we all attended Miss Covington's Dancing School where we wore dark suits and wore white gloves and learned to Waltz and Fox Trot. (the girls wore white gloves and party dresses). Old school preps, even fabulously wealthy ones, are very, very thrifty. So, the school had a used suit room. Once you out grew your suit your mom exchanged it for the next larger size.(always in dark navy). After those suits I had blue blazers but didn't get my first adult suit until my senior year in college. It was a grey POW plaid with a slight burgundy over plaid, purchased from Wilkes Bashford, for interviews. This was the 70's so yes, the lapels were a bit wide.
 

Kslim

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My very first suit my mother bought for me when I was about 12. I don't recall all the details but I just remember thinking it looked like green vomit and I hated wearing it. Of course, my mom thought I looked handsome. But you know, moms tend to do that. My first suit I ever bought for myself was a Sean John navy w/ blue pinstripe, 3 piece. Ahhhhh the memories.
 

MyOtherLife

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Originally Posted by Klobber
Styleforum is either not very nostalgic or this topic has been beaten to death in a distant past.

The latter.
 

MikeDT

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Originally Posted by EvilFish
Tell me all about your very first suit.
smile.gif


Confirmations/barmitzvahs don't count.


Didn't do those anyway. First suit was for my sister's wedding in the early '80s. A made-to-measure grey single breasted suit from Hodges. Hodges was a High Street, UK menswear chain. Mum said I looked very smart in it.
 

gladhands

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Mine was a mid-grey textured, three-button Ralph Ralph Lauren, made in Canada. Ralph was a Dillards only diffusion line, not actually owned by RL, but much nicer than Lauren (Green Label). I purchased it for job interviews about three months before being discharged from the army. It remained my only suit for five more years. While I hadn't worn it for nearly six years, it remained in my closet until this past December. Nostalgia wouldn't let me get rid of it.
 

pvrhye

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Originally Posted by GradSchooler
Moore's (Canada's Men's Wearhouse) when I was 20. Black, single breasted, 3 button super 80s pure gab wool. Very boxy and too big in the shoulders. I got it for an after-party on the closing night of a play I was in. The agreement was that all the guys would get suits. I was the only one who did.

Feels familiar. I had an all black wool suit. Much too boxy and picked up last minute at Penny's for a funeral.

I later moved to Korea, but some part of me wonders how close it would be to wearable with my now-trained eye.
 

mlongano

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My mother made me my first suit when I was five years old. At that time almost all mothers were "stay at home moms", and most knew how to sew, though not all of them had the skills to sew a man's suit.

I started buying my own suits when I was 15 years old (mid '60s). I worked at Richman Brothers, a regional men's store in Cleveland Ohio, and took advantage of the employee discount.

All of my suits since 1980 have been custom made for me, first by a tailor in Cleveland, Ohio, and now by a tailor in Atlanta. All together I've had about fifty suits made up (over a 30 year period).

I certainly miss the days when you could buy a quality suit off the rack. Back in the day there was an amazing variety of high quality fabric that was used with off the rack suits.
 

aj_del

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Mt cousin was getting married and I needed a suit to wear to his wedding. My father suggested that I get a SC since I am only 14 and I would get more use out of a SC. I insisted on a suit. My father took me to the tailor in the Raymond shop that he used to get his RTW from. He chose the cloth, a dark gey-brown glen plaid with a blue overcheck. I hated the cloth, though on hindsight the cloth was totally SF approved.

I got the suit after a fitting. It was fine for what it was. The cloth costed 6500 INR which in those days would have been 200 USD (total guess). Tailoring was around 3500 INR.
 

Imhoff

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First suit ever purchased was a black Oscar De La Renta 3-Button No Vent Suit. Athletic cut. It was for a school function and shortly there after, a funeral. Since outgrown said suit as it was 15 years ago.
 

jrlittl

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First suit I ever purchased was a charcoal suit from Jos A Bank right after college for a job interview. Surprisingly, it lasted for a while and didn't look half bad after some tailoring.
 

phxlawstudent

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Ugh, I feel so dumb posting, but here it is:

Went to Burlington Coat Factory at the suggestion of my mother. Purchased a black suit in a price I could afford, $100 or so. Didn't do too well in the purchasing department for many years later....
facepalm.gif
Hell, I bought HB and KC not too long ago.
facepalm.gif


Although I suppose the above story isn't quite true. I did get hand-me-downs from my uncle and grandfather.
 

kraands

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First suit I got was from the Men's Warehouse when I was 15 years I think. It was awful. It was at least a size 40 (I am a 36) and was of course ridiculously baggy. If only I knew then...
 

musicguy

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A three piece suit from Macy's. I remember seeing the price tag and was in awe that it was originally $499.99. This was back in the mid 90s. It didn't fit that well but I thought it kicked ass. I was young and had the body slimmed down a ton. It looked kinda funny. Looking back, it wasn't that bad. It was brownish.

Then I bought a black suit with separates that weren't the same material. It wasn't good.

After that, bought one online that was total crap... It fit horribly, considering it was a size too large and was really damn ugly. Navy with pinstripes. I still have it and am currently unwilling to resell it on ebay. It has an easy waist, with a spandex area hidden. ug...

Then... RLBL, baby. No turning back.
 

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