Brooks Brothers vs. Suit Supply

I think the fabrics SS uses are at least on par with BB, perhaps even better. SuitSupply however has a some of inconsistencies within their products, especially with sizing. The quality in my SuitSupply suits have been ok, no problems at all. Most love from me goes to the fabrics, which I feel are very good for this money. Even when everything is more expensive here than in Europe (a normal SS suit in Europe is 299 euros, quite a bit cheaper than 469 dollars, and the same stuff in everything else).

I'm not really sure how you can completely leave style/fit issues aside, as I would say lapels, pockets, shoulder etc are maybe the most important thing in a suit. The quality with SS is ok for the money, but the style is on a different level if you prefer more European and contemporary look. Also the fabrics are pretty great for most part. For knits and ties I would skip SuitSupply, both are very bad and feel cheap.

Also, I own one BB 1818 suit, and 4 suits from SuitSupply as well as an odd jacket.

I got 2 Suit Essentials suits for 2 @ $450/ea and after coupon and additional 15% discount came out to about $360/each. The quality is solid, my tailor thought it was a good value and the sales associates at BB actually recommended the Suit Essentials to me saying "the difference for 1818 is marginal and probably not worth the mark up, the Suit Essentials are good",

I tend to agree, as those suits hold up as well as my BB's made with Saxxon Wool or a few of my others. I'm fit, I have my suits tailored well, and I wear nice ties and shirts, so I think at $400/ea it is an awesome deal and I look GREAT. Then again, I'm not really snobby with the price tags.



unclesam099 said:

I went into the SuitSupply store in London and immediately walked out when I found out that everything was made in China.
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Apologies for getting late to the party, but is this even true?



atila said:

I got 2 Suit Essentials suits for 2 @ $450/ea and after coupon and additional 15% discount came out to about $360/each. The quality is solid, my tailor thought it was a good value and the sales associates at BB actually recommended the Suit Essentials to me saying "the difference for 1818 is marginal and probably not worth the mark up, the Suit Essentials are good",
I tend to agree, as those suits hold up as well as my BB's made with Saxxon Wool or a few of my others. I'm fit, I have my suits tailored well, and I wear nice ties and shirts, so I think at $400/ea it is an awesome deal and I look GREAT. Then again, I'm not really snobby with the price tags.

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Aren't the Suit Essentials fused?



TheTukker said:

Apologies for getting late to the party, but is this even true?

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All of the jackets that I looked at (all in the 42L size) said "MADE IN P.R.C." The fabrics are woven in Italy, from what the sales assoc. told me.

Their belts said Made in Italy, but from what I understand, that statement is not always true to the sense of being "MADE" there. They seemed ok, though.

Yes, most of the stuff is made in China. Shoes and belts might be the only stuff that isn't. Don't have my knits with me at the moment so can't check where they are from. However, especially in Europe 299EUR (or even less for some models) is pretty much the cheapest half-canvassed suit you can get. I would say it is nearly impossible to produce non-fused stuff for this price in Western countries. Like I said in my previous post: The fabrics are super nice, quality is ok and the bang for the buck ratio is very good. Especially when the styling is quite nice (Lazio and Napoli are great).



unclesam099 said:

I don't believe that Chinese production is even close to the quality of American, Italian, English, etc., but also because of political reasons and because I don't believe in "designer" brands.

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Sure, there's nothing in China that compares to Oxxford, Kiton, or Savile Row, but now there are Chinese makers that are at least as good as the lower tier manufacturers in these countries. To walk out of the SS store just because you see the 'made in china' label is extremely presumptuous IMHO. Also I wouldn't really consider SS a "designer" brand.



unbelragazzo said:

Sure, there's nothing in China that compares to Oxxford, Kiton, or Savile Row, but now there are Chinese makers that are at least as good as the lower tier manufacturers in these countries. To walk out of the SS store just because you see the 'made in china' label is extremely presumptuous IMHO. Also I wouldn't really consider SS a "designer" brand.

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It may be presumptuous, but I simply won't buy Chinese goods that are produced at a very low cost, and are offered for sale at only a slightly lower price, in order to "compete" with an American produced good. You're right, SS isn't a "designer" brand - the SS prices are likely more on-par for what you get than a tee shirt from a designer brand that simply has a name printed on it for some excessive amount of money.

The OP asked for feedback, and I have offered mine on the subject, that's all.

I'm wearing a BB Milano Saxxon suit today and the fabric, fit, and quality are great, IMO. Very soft fabric, well cut and finished. And made in the USA, so I'm very happy with it.



unclesam099 said:

I went into the SuitSupply store in London and immediately walked out when I found out that everything was made in China.

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If I felt like that, I'd be walking out of every store and not buying anything.



johnbond8459 said:

If you read what i was asking I was referring to quality not cut.

Suit brands are not apples and oranges, they are all similar since the item, a suit, at it's basic level is the same.

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yeah, not a chance. This statement shows a bit of ignorance on the topic of suit design. Comparing a tom ford or RLBL to a madison cut Brooks Brothers suit and saying they are basically the same means there is a chance you are legally blind.



Quadcammer said:

yeah, not a chance. This statement shows a bit of ignorance on the topic of suit design. Comparing a tom ford or RLBL to a madison cut Brooks Brothers suit and saying they are basically the same means there is a chance you are legally blind.

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+1

It's akin to saying all cars (Ferrari and a Yugo) are the same because they are similar since the item, a car, at its basic level is the same.

gumercindo said:

+1
It's akin to saying all cars (Ferrari and a Yugo) are the same because they are similar since the item, a car, at its basic level is the same.

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I believe that is exactly what he did say as part of his lecture and demand that we sit here and rank suits for him.

Although I can't get past the name, the brand, and where it's made, I like the cut and styling of the Suit Supply. I hate the fit, cuts, and shoulders of Brooks Brothers. They just simply don't do it how I like. Their shoulders don't take the right shape, I don't like their lapels, sizing, or anything. Keep in mind, I didn't read the thread or even the original post, but I'm assuming it's a comparison between the two. I'll put it this way, from what I've seen and tried on myself, the suit supply will look a lot better than Brooks Brothers.



Superfluous said:

Although I can't get past the name, the brand, and where it's made

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Not trying to be a jerk, genuinely asking because curious: why do these things matter to you?



unbelragazzo said:

Not trying to be a jerk, genuinely asking because curious: why do these things matter to you?

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Because I'm just like that. It's hard to take it seriously with a name like "suit supply." It sounds like one of those "wholesalerugs.com" or "hugediscountclothingsupply.com" stores .