Help me cut this budget (Short version)

TL;DR version:

I have 145k yen. Getting MTO suits on a time-limited 50-70% sale. The stuff I want totals 177k.
What do I skip?

(Assume my wardrobe is totally void of well-fitting tailored clothing. As it's MTO, all details can be changed around).

1. Standard conservative navy business suit.
15k

2. One double-breasted navy suit with patch pockets and light brown buttons, that will also see use as a navy DB blazer.
18k

3. Casualish navy SB windowpane suit with patch pockets, will also see use as navy blazer.
20k

4. Mid gray textured winter herringbone SB suit with patch pockets, mainly for use as a separates (or the rare occasion that I need a second business suit during winter)
20k

5. DB gray flannel suit + spare pants (mainly for use as gray flannel odd pants).
24k

6. Casual SB suit in larger black/white houndstooth pattern, also mainly for separate use.
20k

7. PoW SB suit. (various cloths available in prices 15-30k):

8. Casual suit in country colors. Brown flannel, green donegal tweed and various other cloths available in prices 15-30k)

Total sum with the most expensive options: 177k. Help me get this below or at least closer to 145k.
Thank you.

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Original post:

A local chain of MTO shops are having their yearly invitational clearance sale of (mainly) fall and winter fabrics. With the yen being very strong during last year, they stocked up on huge amounts of cloth from British and Italian mills that is now going at a 50-75% discount, including Scabal, Loro Piana, Dunhill and others.

Asking around Japanese forums tells me that these are most likely not the first quality cloth from the above brands, but rather leftovers obtained from RTW makers, stuff that did not total pass QC (think as in “seconds” for shoes”). However, it's damn cheap (as in 300$ for a MTO 2-piece in Scabal 120s), so I'm thinking about stocking up on suits _heavily_. The yen has dropped sharply the last few months and will likely stay low, so next years sale will likely not have the same offerings, not to mention I won't be in Japan next year, but rather in northern Sweden, where the only option for MTO clothing will be internet tailors, which will cost more for worse fabrics and worse fit.
(I can_not_ fit into RTW tailored clothing; too tall, too skinny).

I have had one suit and one sportscoat made at the MTO shop in the past, and as long as I pay for the cloth before the sales end, they are willing to make up the suits one at a time to make fit adjustments as we go along. You get measured in store by experienced staff, obviously. They have a total of 7 different fits/models/patterns, of which 3 is for skinny guys. I've tried two so far, and I'm quite satisfied with the second in particular.

The fabric is excellent value, and the fit is vastly superior to anything I can obtain RTW with any number of alterations. The construction is mediocre; fused jackets made in China with Japanese staff doing QC. For 6k yen extra you can get ”custom construction” which includes full canvas construction. Japanese forums suggest that unless you get spare pants and more expensive material, full canvas is not worth it, as the fabric (most often in the pants) will fail before the jacket fusing fails).

After digging trough hundred of blots of cloth on sale, I've come down to the below list, which is still about 30k yen above my budget. The question: What would you cut from the below list?
(Again, pardon for making a new thread on a entirely private matter, but hopefully the below discussion can be useful to others from a "what should a basic wardrobe contain" kind of perspective).

Navy fabrics:

90%wool/10% cashmere mix, lighter solid navy

Thinking of having this made up into two suits.

1. One standard conservative navy business suit, I could use one.
15k

2. One double-breasted navy suit with patch pockets and light brown buttons, that will also see use as a navy DB blazer.
18k

Second navy cloth, same maker as above, 90%wool/10% cashmere mix, slightly darker navy with golden windowpane:

3. Casualish navy SB windowpane suit with patch pockets, will also see use as navy blazer.
20k

Gray cloth:

Midgray, midsize fall/winter solid herringbone:

4. Gray SB suit with patch pockets, mainly for use as a separates (or the rare occasion that I need a second business suit during winter)
20k

Gray solid flannel (various shades available)

5. DB gray flannel suit + spare pants (mainly for use as gray flannel odd pants).
24k

Pattered fabrics:

Black/white larger scale houndstooth:

6. Casual houndstooth SB suit with all patch pockets, also mainly for separate use.
20k

PoW check with red or blue over-check (various cloths available in prices 15-30k):

7. “Festivities suit” for mainly weddings, parties, dinners etc. A little on the fence here. There is beautiful Scabal flannel PoW with brick-red overcheck available for 30k, and similar tough slightly less attractive cloth for 15k. Go with the cheaper as I'm unsure, go with the expensive one or just skip all together?

Taupe or green faux donegal tweed or brown flannel:
8. Casual suit in country colors. A suit that can be worn in my daily work environment (university campus) without looking like I'm a guest lecturer in economics. 20-30k (The dogtooth & PoW suit s can be put in the same roles tough).

Total sum with the most expensive options: 177k

The problem: 145k in total is really my pain limit here. I need to cut down on something (either skip a suit or two, or go for less expensive cloth). Skipping one of the 30k suits (the PoW check or the donegal tweed) would do it. Making them both but in cheaper fabrics 15k fabrics would also be an option. Making one in cheaper fabric and skip one navy or gray suit is a third option.

Assuming you have a more or less empty wardrobe, work in an academic environment where sportscoat+ slacks, chinos is the norm (we have a few the tweed/corduroy types among the older professors), how would you cut the above spending to meet a budget of 150-175k yen?

("Make sportscoats instead" would be a great suggestion and would likely make half of the items into sportscoats, BUT jacket fabrics are sadly not on sale, meaning they start at 50k).

My gratitude extended.

tl;dr

if the fit is good, and the fabric is to your liking, get a few staples and leave the more esoteric stuff for later.

Disagree that full canvas is not worth it unless getting two pairs of pants. The feel of a canvassed chest piece is much nicer than you'll get with anything fused and I think that it looks better too in many cases. A second pair of pants for suits is not a bad idea but not essential either. How often do you need to wear a suit? I think that a basic wardrobe should ideally contain the following things:

1. Solid navy or grey single breasted suit
2. Navy blazer with either metal or horn buttons
3. Solid navy or grey single breasted suit (whichever one you did not get above)
4. Tweed or houndstooth odd jacket
5. Navy or grey pinstripe suit (either single or double breasted) // solid navy or grey double breasted (bonus points for flannel)

As you need more suits, look into seasonal cloths and some other patterns (windowpane, POW check, etc.)

For the particular cloths you mention:

1. Do not get a grey suit with patch pockets with intent to wear the jacket separately. Grey solid odd jackets are not a great idea in general. I'd either get this made as another conservative business suit (flap pockets) or not bother.

2. You do not need a houndstooth suit. See if you can get it made as only an odd jacket or ditch the idea entirely. It's a cool concept but not for a basic wardrobe. You probably won't wear it as often as you'd like anyways.

3. You do not need a festivities suit. A beautiful navy or grey solid will look great for weddings and the like. Nothing wrong with adding what you describe at some point, but it is not a staple.

4. Your BlazerSuit idea is not a bad one. If you want to add a second navy suit, this can substitute nicely for getting a navy blazer. Go with the solid version; the windowpane is not needed.

I'd start with items 1, 2, 4 and 5 on your list. That's going to run you 77k. Try getting the houndstooth as an odd jacket. Not sure what they'll knock off for that, but let's call it 15k. You're now at 92k and can afford 53k more. You sound like you love the Scabal in item 7, so just get that instead of the cheaper one. 122k. See if you can get a grey or navy pinstripe for 23k or under (if not and they are not on sale, pick something you like for 20k or so).

archibaldleach said:

Disagree that full canvas is not worth it unless getting two pairs of pants. The feel of a canvassed chest piece is much nicer than you'll get with anything fused and I think that it looks better too in many cases. A second pair of pants for suits is not a bad idea but not essential either. How often do you need to wear a suit? I think that a basic wardrobe should ideally contain the following things:

1. Solid navy or grey single breasted suit
2. Navy blazer with either metal or horn buttons
3. Solid navy or grey single breasted suit (whichever one you did not get above)
4. Tweed or houndstooth odd jacket
5. Navy or grey pinstripe suit (either single or double breasted) // solid navy or grey double breasted (bonus points for flannel)

As you need more suits, look into seasonal cloths and some other patterns (windowpane, POW check, etc.)

For the particular cloths you mention:

1. Do not get a grey suit with patch pockets with intent to wear the jacket separately. Grey solid odd jackets are not a great idea in general. I'd either get this made as another conservative business suit (flap pockets) or not bother.

2. You do not need a houndstooth suit. See if you can get it made as only an odd jacket or ditch the idea entirely. It's a cool concept but not for a basic wardrobe. You probably won't wear it as often as you'd like anyways.

3. You do not need a festivities suit. A beautiful navy or grey solid will look great for weddings and the like. Nothing wrong with adding what you describe at some point, but it is not a staple.

4. Your BlazerSuit idea is not a bad one. If you want to add a second navy suit, this can substitute nicely for getting a navy blazer. Go with the solid version; the windowpane is not needed.

I'd start with items 1, 2, 4 and 5 on your list. That's going to run you 77k. Try getting the houndstooth as an odd jacket. Not sure what they'll knock off for that, but let's call it 15k. You're now at 92k and can afford 53k more. You sound like you love the Scabal in item 7, so just get that instead of the cheaper one. 122k. See if you can get a grey or navy pinstripe for 23k or under (if not and they are not on sale, pick something you like for 20k or so).

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Thank you for the detailed advice, I really really appreciate it (especially as the sale ends this Sunday).

I'll try out the “custom construction” option for the first suit I choose to make, and then I'll be better equipped to decide if it's worth 6k extra per suit. If I like a rather closely fitted, British style suit jacket, will full canvas construction provide more wearing comfort with jacket feel less stiff?

As for the extra suit pants, I'll add them mainly as a good value way of getting an extra par of tailored pants for the most versatile fabrics, such as gray flannel. Cheaper and better fitting then buying RTW wool pants.

I don't need to wear a suit very often, so I will have a hard to justify more then one conservative pure business suit.

I could do with a second one, if it can be pressed into service in other roles as well, which is way I was considering the gray herringbone (it's rather rough, textured and big herringbone. Not totally odd jacket material, but not smooth solid gray either).

I'm not that super enthusiastic about either a gray SB suit or gray odd jacket, but I was under the impression that they are both easy-to-wear, useful staples, so I was looking to fill both holes with one gray herringbone suit. If gray odd jackets are bad idea and I don't need a gray business suit, I'll most likely skip it.

That, along with skipping the taupe tweed suit, will make me able to meet the budget constrains.

taxgenius said:

Click to expand...

Sorry. Added edited OP below 200 words.

You're quite welcome. The only thing I would keep in mind is that a conservative business suit is also quite appropriate for various social functions where you want a conservative look (e.g. wedding, non black-tie evening party, funeral, etc.) in addition to working in the office. Where you end up is up to you, but you won't go wrong having a few conservative suits that can be worn to a variety of functions.