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A few suiting questions

post #1 of 14
10/26/11 at 3:06pm
Thread Starter 
Hi gents,

I'm currently a BBA student in university, and need a decent suit for interviews and other events. As such, I picked up a worsted wool charcoal suit earlier on this week from J. Crew. I know that J. Crew suits aren't exactly held in high regard on this forum (and for good reason, too, I'm sure), but there are a few limiting factors that drove me to my purchasing decision (namely, the lack of any reputable store around here that sells a suit of higher quality as well as time constraints).

I got my suit in the mail on Monday, and wanted some feedback on it from the MC crowd before taking it to the tailors. I also had a few questions that I was hoping you could indulge me in. I don't need to be super-MC, but I do want to dress to impress.

1) Is gray appropriate for my purposes (interviews, possibly work, other BBA events, etc.). I still have time to swap it out for a navy suit if not.

2) I want to assemble one-two outfits for this suit. For the events that I need this suit for, would it be advisable for me to stick with brown or black shoes/belt? I've read that it's probably more conservative to stick with black, but that brown should be okay with well. Preferences?

3) What color dress shirt and tie would you guys recommend for a well rounded outfit? (Obviously this follows the previous question)

4) Apart from getting the pants hemmed, how is the fit on the suit? Do the sleeves need to be shortened? It's a little too long, in my opinion, but a few of the SW&D guys said that it's an acceptable length.

Please pardon the terrible image quality as well as shirt, shoes, etc. I haven't gotten around to purchasing the other pieces yet
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Photo_Oct_25_1_30_45_AM.jpg

Thanks for your help, guys. I appreciate your time!
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post #2 of 14
10/26/11 at 3:51pm
Grey is fine for interviews, but you should switch to some black dress shoes. If you are doing interviews then you don't want anything too flashy so you can just stick to a white shirt. As for the fit, I think it looks really good for your first suit.


Edit: I don't think your suit's sleeves are too long. I usually like showing 1/4 to 1/2 of cuff.
Edited by Texastyle - 10/26/11 at 11:20pm
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post #3 of 14
10/26/11 at 4:29pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, thanks for the advice, Texastyle. I'll definitely be switching the shoes out for some different shoes -- the ones in the photo are Alden Pitt Boots, which are a little too rugged for my purposes. redface.gif

As far as sleeve length go, do you think that the length on the shirt sleeves themselves are too long? I don't plan on wearing that specific shirt with the suit, but a good deal of mine are roughly that long on me. As you can see in the photo, my shirt sleeves extends about a half inch past my wrist. Is that advisable, or should I get my shirt sleeves shortened?

Could anyone offer some recommendations for nice quality, value dress shoes that won't break the bank? I'm leaning towards either shelling out some big bucks for a nice pair of Alden dress shoes (which makes me cringe a little on my college-student budget), or playing it safe and picking up something a little less expensive.
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post #4 of 14
10/26/11 at 4:38pm
First off, suit looks really good. In terms of suits, jCrew is a case of "you get a little less than what you paid for." It is a little much for an at most, half canvassed suit, but the cut works well for some people and you can do a HELL of a lot worse for a first suit. Some purists may say it is short, but I think it works for your frame.

I would wear a white shirt and a navy tie, either solid or a simple stripe or dot pattern. White pocket square.

For an interview I would go with black shoes. A captoe. I know they are considered "blobby" but Allen Edmonds park avenue is good and a good value. I would not recommend Aldens as a first shoe, as you should determine what your taste and preferences are before shelling out the good bucks. The good thing about AEs is that they are quality and timeless and will you always be able to wear them if you get the right size. (Alden is the same, but more expensive, and a bigger "mistake" if they don't work for you in the long run).

You can also consider brooks brothers peal and co. or the allen edmonds for brooks brothers in a cap toe or wing tip. Wait until holiday sales and you could get them as much as 30-40% off. If you can open a credit card there you can stack a discount. That way, you get high quality shoes at an even better price. FYI, most of the Peals are made by Crockett and Jones or Alfred Sargent, two very good English shoemakers.

EDIT: Looking back on your original post your sleeves are not too LONG, if they are anything they are a bit too SHORT. You seem to be between a long and regular so I would actually lengthen them a tad. They are not outlandishly short, but, I have come to feel awkward if I am showing too much shirt cuff. So of course, it is a personal preference as well.
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post #5 of 14
10/26/11 at 4:46pm
I second the Allen Edmonds idea. I bought my pair of strands from a seller here on the site for about 100 dollars off the retail price. The only thing is that it takes about 3 weeks to get your shoes after you place an order.

Here is a link to his thread if you want to ask him any questions.
http://www.styleforum.net/t/263225/ic-allen-edmonds-mega-thread-is-back-nib-park-ave-fifth-ave-strand-mcallister-macneil-shell-cordovan-all-models-colors-sizes
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post #6 of 14
10/26/11 at 4:54pm
I personally like having my shirt sleeves shorter so that they end pretty much at my wrist bone so, in your case, I would have them shortened a bit. At any rate, that looks like you're showing a little too much cuff the way it is currently.

Black is certainly the safest bet if you were to only have one pair of shoes. I personally don't see a problem with dark brown either though and could see that working if done right.

What's your budget for shoes? You can get Allen Edmonds for a decent price if you shop around.

Edit: oops, looks like the shoe question was already answered before I posted; I would third the Park Ave recommendation.
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post #7 of 14
10/26/11 at 5:25pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

Thanks again for your help! It seems to me like you all are in agreement that I'm showing a bit too much cuff, which I agree that I am. It also seems like you're basing your judgment on the length of my suit sleeves in relation to the length of my shirt sleeves. Are my shirt sleeves not a little bit too long to begin with? The way I see it, I have to either get my shirt sleeves shortened, or my suit sleeves lengthened. I'm leaning towards the former rather than the latter, as my shirt sleeves extend past my wrist, something that I think feels strange.

I had totally forgotten about AE -- thanks for the recommendation! I have a competition coming up in two weekends that I'll need an outfit ready for, hence the time constraint mentioned in my original post. I would've shopped around and tried to purchase a suit that would have gotten me more bang for my buck, so to speak, except for the fact that I didn't have time to shop around. Epaulet, for example, was a company that I was looking to purchase a suit from. However, at 5'8" and 160 pounds, I would need to custom-order a 38S from them, which has a significant turnaround time, I believe.

My budget for shoes is as high as Alden cordovan shoes, but I'd like to avoid going there if at all possible. It's certainly not the sensible choice for me to making on my limited budget. If I were to purchase Alden's, I would obviously justify it by thinking in my head that being impeccably dressed lends to making an admirable first impression, and making an admirable first impression leads to better opportunities. redface.gif

Allen Edmonds seems like the sensible choice in this case, though. Would you guys recommend captoes, wingtips, or PTBs? Are there any shoes out there that you would recommend that could serve as double-duty between shoes for a suit as well as shoes that could be worn with a more casual outfit? I saw Alden Color 8 PTBs being thrown around in a different thread, but again, would like to avoid paying Alden prices. I'd preferably like a pair of shoes that would look great with a gray suit, but would also work with trousers and a tucked in shirt. More utility for the money, you know!
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post #8 of 14
10/26/11 at 9:29pm
I think the only Allen Edmonds that could pull double duty are McAllisters in brown and strands in brown. The more brouging on the oxford, the more casual. These Peals can also do double duty as well http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=523&Product_Id=1412605&Parent_Id=522&default_color=Dark-brown#.

I would personally avoid a PTB as a first dress shoe. But that is just me. Same for cordovan. Get regular cafeskin to start I would say.

Also, if you want a shoe that can be more casual, especially during the day, brown is the way to go. I would suggest black shoes for an interview however.

Also, do not get so hung up on what you are wearing to an interview. Sadly, most men do not really notice or care about dress. Us SF people are rare out in the wild (depending on your location of course). I would be more concerned about what you say, being professional in attitude, and being humble, earnest, and willing. Not to say you are NOT worried about that, but I see so many interview threads focusing on looks that we forget an interview is about you selling yourself for a position. You are also rather young, not unlike myself, and you could be put in the awkward position of appearing more affluent than the person you are interviewing with. I think it is great you are caring about your dress and appearance so please do not twist my words. I am sure you will do fine either way.

Best of luck
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post #9 of 14
10/26/11 at 10:14pm
How casual are you thinking? If, when you say trousers, you're referring to dress pants of khakis, any of them would be fine. If you're wearing them with jeans? PTB's or wingtips should be fine. For captoes, PA's might be too dressy, so I would go with Fifth Aves or Strand. Any of the above shoes I would be comfortable wearing with a suit as well. Of course, these are just my own personal preferences.

That being said, if it was me, and I only had one pair of shoes to buy, I'd probably go with the Fifth Aves or wingtips in dark brown.
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post #10 of 14
10/26/11 at 10:58pm
Suit is short.. fails the rule of thumb..unless you are not standing straight. Rule of thumb = when arms fall naturally your thumb lines up with the bottom of suit. It seems like you aren't standing completely straight, so i'll give you benefit of the doubt there.

Shirt sleeves seem too long to begin with. I don't why some people are saying they are too short..got to be fucking kidding me. I know people have a preference for a bit longer than short in case you bend your elbow the cuff will fall at your wrist. but only a few cm above wrist is enough, it looks like you are way more than a few cm above wrist.
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post #11 of 14
10/26/11 at 11:18pm
+1 but if you were referring to me I was speaking to the coat sleeves, not the shirt sleeves
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post #12 of 14
10/26/11 at 11:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Citan1145 View Post

+1 but if you were referring to me I was speaking to the coat sleeves, not the shirt sleeves

aaah I see. I agree, shirt sleeves a tad too long suit sleeves a tad to short, needs to meet them in the middle.
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post #13 of 14
10/27/11 at 12:38am
Are your shirt cuffs buttoned? If not, that might explain why they hang over the hand a bit much.

Thumb rulefor jackets is not totally SF approved I've noticed . It's a short jacket, but not overly fashionably so. I think it goes with your age, build and style of the suit (slim lapels).

I think it's a very good start for a first suit, do you have any picture of the back and side?
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post #14 of 14
10/27/11 at 5:36am

The suit's fine man, but choose black shoes for interviews.

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