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Need advice on buying suits while losing weight.

post #1 of 14
12/5/12 at 2:53am
Thread Starter 

I am in the process of both losing weight and beginning a new chapter in my life. I need to begin dressing for a professional workplace. My dilemma is this, I have lost 20 lbs in 3 months and plan on keeping losing another 50-60 over the next 9 months to a year. I am 6' tall 240lbs with measurements as follows: 45" Chest, 56" Overarm, 38" Waist, 41" Outseam, and a 31" Inseam. 

I need to buy, at least, a few suits and blazers. I'd prefer not to look like an idiot in a bunch of cheap, poorly fitting suits but I'd also prefer not to (and am not able to) spend a ton of money on clothes only to repurchase another time or two. Essentially I am asking a few quick questions. How many times and how much can I "bring in" a suit before the dimensions start to be compromised? Two inches in the jacket and pants? Will the quality of the suit be a factor in determining how much a suit can be tailored? Is it worth it to buy a few suits from one of the two despised suit retailers? Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I've been stressing about this so I figured this would be a good place to start. Thanks again, guys!

Also, am I correct in assuming I'm a 46R Jacket? 

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post #2 of 14
12/5/12 at 4:00am
Congrats on your weight loss! I've been there. Every ten pounds you lose reduces your suit size by one (on average). You can lose about 2 1/2 suit sizes before your garment is worthless. Within that range, however, a good tailor can keep you looking OK.

My advice is don't spend money on suits during your weight loss. Your garments will only last 2-3 months. Keep one charcoal grey and one navy blue from some place like J.A. Banks in your closet at all times .... But that's it. Save up for your new wardrobe.
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post #3 of 14
12/5/12 at 4:45am
Buy cheap, wait until you're at your goal weight AND you find that it's sustainable (meaning go another 3-6 months at that weight). You might spend a year looking like a shlub, but consider it atonement for your prior eating/exercise habits.

This way you can get what you want rather going half-way and never being satisfied.
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post #4 of 14
12/5/12 at 5:02am

Congratulations on your dedication to a healthier lifestyle.

 

Do not assume you are finished until you've been at the same weight for at least six months. I made the costly mistake of hitting a plateau and thinking my weight loss was finished and I was at my natural weight. I ended up eventually down an additional two sizes. If this is a complete dietary change like mine was, I'd give it a couple of years in total.

 

The problem with slimming down suits and sport coats is that the shoulders are expensive and it takes a very skilled tailor. Likewise slimming trousers beyond a couple of inches.

 

I'd buy the least expensive/most versatile things I could stand to wear until the weight loss is over. It goes by pretty quickly.

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post #5 of 14
12/5/12 at 7:39am
Like everyone else said, don't. If you need a suit while still fluctuating, get the cheapest thing you can--I'd thrift it.

Then, once you hit your goal weight, go wild smile.gif Buy some nice new stuff, will be good incentive to keep the weight off smile.gif

And congratulations!
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post #6 of 14
12/5/12 at 3:38pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks guys! Thank you for your praise, motivation and help. It means a lot to me. I stopped by *cough* Macy's earlier... Depressing. Now on my way to Jos A Bank... I'll get a Navy and Charcoal. I can switch up ties and shirts more easily and with less expense. You guys gave me a good idea! Pick out a suit and use it as an incentive to reach my desired weight. It'll be my gift to myself! Anybody know if JAB has something with lightly padded shoulders? 

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post #7 of 14
12/6/12 at 7:09am
I seem to recall they released a more "modern" model a couple of years ago that had less shoulder padding, but I'm really not sure.
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post #8 of 14
12/6/12 at 7:19am

The local goodwills in my area must have 20-30 Jos A Bank suits of all sizes and colors for $15.  That would be my suggestion until you get to a weight you will settle on.  I'm in the same boat.  I'm 5"10 and was 245 pounds in May 2012.  I'm now down to 195, yep 50 pounds in a half year just by changing my diet(very little carbs).

 

Went from a 48-50 suit and i'm now a 42. 

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post #9 of 14
12/6/12 at 7:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by woodchuck312 View Post

The local goodwills in my area must have 20-30 Jos A Bank suits of all sizes and colors for $15.  That would be my suggestion until you get to a weight you will settle on.  I'm in the same boat.  I'm 5"10 and was 245 pounds in May 2012.  I'm now down to 195, yep 50 pounds in a half year just by changing my diet(very little carbs).

Went from a 48-50 suit and i'm now a 42. 

Yeah, I'm definitely in favor of thrifting. Spend as little as absolutely possible--leaves more money for a sweet wardrobe remake when you hit your goal weight smile.gif
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post #10 of 14
12/6/12 at 8:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aravenel View Post

Like everyone else said, don't. If you need a suit while still fluctuating, get the cheapest thing you can--I'd thrift it.
Then, once you hit your goal weight, go wild smile.gif Buy some nice new stuff, will be good incentive to keep the weight off smile.gif
And congratulations!

 

Congratulations! Welcome to the fitness lifestyle! As aravenel and others said, don't. I made the terrible mistake to buy my suits when I thought I woouldn't transform my body anymore. I was in the normal range, 40 in jacket and 33 in trousers, so every drop 7 suit would fit perfectly. I continued tranforming my body and fall in addiction to fitness. Now I feel limited, because I can't grow my back any more, but I still want some more msucle in the arms, for example. So now I'm a 42 in the jacket but 30 in trousers. It's has been a nightmire to my tailor to fix my suits and jackets. 

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post #11 of 14
12/6/12 at 10:37am
My advice would be to go somewhere like JAB that sells suit separates and get two pairs of trousers for each jacket. I'm the same height roughly and am at what you consider your target weight. Therefore, you'll probably be trying to lose about 5 more inches from the waist and three from the chest.

If your shoulders will stay roughly the same size then a jacket will last longer than trousers, plus I feel as though jackets can be taken in more overall. You may be able to get away with only one pair of trousers if you get flat fronts, but since they're pretty cheap, buying one for when you're half way there wouldn't be a bad idea.

I'd also opt to have the belt loops removed and wear braces (suspenders). That way, even as you slim down you won't get that awful bunching up that one gets when tightening a belt around trousers that are too big and if your trousers are a bit big in the waist it will be far less noticeable (this will help you with about an inch or so, after which tailoring or new pants will be necessary).
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post #12 of 14
12/7/12 at 6:46am
Thread Starter 

So I picked up two suits from JAB, one navy, one charcoal. The salesman was helpful and everything fit pretty well. I figure with the things I can buy that I can wear at any weight (ties, pocket squares, shoes) I can make them look pretty good! Thank you guys for the info. I feel much better now knowing that I have some options! I ended up paying around $500 for the two suits and I feel thats a good amount to spend based on the time I'll wear them. I think buying a few more pairs of JAB trousers would be advantageous too. I think they're around $50. A few more pairs of quality denim. I figure good denim always keeps pretty good value any I can recover 75% of my cost, right? Nothing crazy, AG or Agave. Thank you guys again for the advice, congrats and motivation! You guys have any ideas where I can pick up some good tweed or cords? Do cords accentuate size?

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post #13 of 14
12/7/12 at 6:53am

Congratulations Soquick!

 

I'm also losing weight, (used to be 450lb, now 240 lb) and resorted to using ebay/extremely discounted items to fill out my wardrobe. However don't let the idea of your clothing not fitting stop you from buying. Use the fact that you're buying slimmer fitting clothes as a motivation to lose more weight, and fit in them even better; Eventually you can resell them on eBay or on SF at the same price you bought them.

 

Again Congrats!!

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post #14 of 14
12/11/12 at 12:13am
Thread Starter 

Congrats to you too, Joshua! You've made crazy progress! So I picked up two JAB Travelers suits. A little boxy with a little too much shoulder padding but hey, they were $250 a piece. To make myself feel better I also picked up a pair of AE Cliftons! First pair of AE's so I'm pretty excited about them. Thanks for the kind words and advice guys!

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