Forced to go MTM in NYC?

Hey Everybody,

Fairly new here, as far as posting is concerned. I'm in need of 1-3 more suits for business/office wear, hopefully within the next month.

I currently have:

`cashmere, medium grey, Marc Jacobs suit. (I got it BNIB for free).

`bronze (?), slight sheen, H&M, fits surprisingly well but its...."flashy"

`assortment of jackets

My measurements:

Neck - 17.5"

Sleeve - 33"

Waist (true) - 35"

Chest - 41"

Hips - 40.5"

Inseam - 34"

Now on to the real issue: I'm about 6'5 215lbs, VERY broad shoulders/back, athletic frame. I want a slim and trim silhouette...but with my arms always crimping towards the top of my shoulders and my wide back I am honestly afraid that with any sudden movement the entire jacket might rip. I'm not a gorilla and I don't plan on acting out a Daniel Craig fight scene, but it's not a very "comfortable" notion.

I'm somewhere in between a 42L and a 44L, so my situation in the past has been either get the 42 and have the tailor let it out OR get the 44 and have the tailor bring it in. All in all it's a pretty annoying process and even after tailoring it's never been "perfect".

So, I have been looking into the whole MTM scene. Local guy on Madison Ave. quoted me at $600 for a MTM suit in any 200 count wool fabric he had available....seemed pretty reasonable. With that said, I can't testify to his skill/craft/reputation.

At this exact moment, I don't have more than say $1000 to spend. But that could change very quickly depending on a number of factors. I looked into the B&R friends and family sale, but they don't even sell 44's in store let alone 44L's.

Any thoughts at all? Feedback is much appreciated!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparrow 

you check Brooks brothers , Nordstrom, or even JCP?

they should sell a 43L

worth just a try on if you pass by since you are happy with the H&M

I will say this, I am happy enough with the H&M considering I got it half off for around $100 TOTAL. Although I don't expect it to last too long, I do very much like the silhouette it gives.

I'm sure that somewhere I can find a 43L, but even then with the other problems I listed, I'm not sure it will be as it should. I will definitely check them out just in case though, don't know why I hadn't thought about those places before. 

I think another questions is....if I can get a MTM suit for $600 (on the cheap end)....is it worth it to go to say Brooks Brothers and pay upwards of $500 and then have to pay to get it tailored and hope that it can be pinned perfectly for my measurements?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ennius 

see if you can find a decent off the rank suit that basically fits you as the poster above suggested.

 

search a bit here on what a decent fit is before buying - in terms of shoulders, length....  many threads.  And see the long current thread where (professional) tailors review posted pics of SF folks in suits and make tailoring suggestions.

 

then spend a couple hundred bucks getting it very well tailored?

I have read the fit and tailor threads. The problem is that with my measurements, MANY off the rack suit's have problems with my body that are NOT fixable by a tailor.

I think for the time being, I may just search the BR NYC locations for a 44L and try and use the 50% discount. Then pay the extra $150 to get it "very well tailored".

I went into SuitSupply and tried on a myriad of navy and blue suiting options. There was one that fit me almost perfectly OTR and looked great.....of course it was their premium "Jort" line, s150s I believe in birdseye blue. Runs $999....quality and fit both seemed top notch, but for that much I think I'm going to look elsewhere.

If I run into a snag, suitsupply is definitely a good option for a $500 "decent" suit. But if I'm going to spend over $1k on a stape suit for every day and all year use, I may still try and test out the MTM market.

Anybody have any experience with Windsor Custom NYC? I believe their full canvas options run around $1200-1700.

Well, in the Napoli line I could fit a 42L with alterations. But, in the Jort I believe I fit best in a 44L. Considering it's their slimmest line and I'm a pretty big dude, that seems right. 

Like I said, it was obvious when putting it on that the Jort was by far the best option there (at least for my frame). Felt very comfortable, wide lapels etc. But it was still $1k before tax for an OTR suit in only maybe 3 different variations of blue.

The whole reason I went to SS, was to hopefully get a couple of quality suits for around the $500-600 range. I'm not saying the Jort isn't worth the price tag, rather that when spending that much on one suit, with my measurements, I think it's in my best interest to look elsewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mensimageconsultant 

Thanks for answering the question. Frankly, if 42 and 44 jackets from the same maker both seem to fit decently (this assumes the 42L alterations mostly would be for pants), fit judgment very likely is off. Make sure you understand how a suit should fit before investing money in one.

Have you tried on, in person, any of their offerings in the Napoli, Jort, La Spalla, Havana or Sienna?

If you read what I said, when answering YOUR question, I usually am somewhere in between a 42 and 44 depending on the "fit" of the particular line of suit. In this case , at the Suit Supply Soho store, as previously stated, the roomier/boxier fit of the Napoli line in a 42L allowed me the breathing room I needed in the shoulders and back area,  but because of my smaller waist size and V-shaped frame, it looked a little baggy. In the slimmer Jort line, the 44L both gave me the right amount of breathing room in my back and shoulders but also, with the addition of the wider lapels, quite nicely accentuated my athletic frame while still keeping a trim and slim silhouette.

Maybe YOU should make sure you particularly understand how SS different fit options work, before YOU invest your time in attempting to become my "image consultant".

Quote:

Originally Posted by mensimageconsultant 

Lack of appreciation and misattribution of motives do not produce good feelings. The shoulder area might be the area where men get jacket fit the most wrong. You were given an honest answer not meant as an insult but rather to guide you toward a good outcome. (To have said the same thing to a senior member or someone else expected to know fit well possibly would have been insulting.) It's hard to believe that 42 and 44 from two different lines by the same brand would fit the same (or equally well) in the upper torso. Yes, let's presume you know how to tell if a jacket is big enough there, but that's not the same thing as fits well. Edit: after figuring out that "Jort" (terrible name) is now called La Spalla and comparing measurements, its 44 is more than an inch bigger in the chest than the 42 Napoli, which proves they don't fit the same and suggests that one fits better on the upper body than does the other - but without pictures, we'll never know.

Sorry about the tone of my response, but honestly, your comments on the answer I gave for your question in my thread, which I am looking for honest and helpful advice was, at the time, seemingly offensive and condescending. 

I never said that the 42L Napoli fit the "same" as the 44L Jort. Rather that, again, "the roomier/boxier fit of the Napoli line in a 42L allowed me the breathing room I needed in the shoulders and back area,  but because of my smaller waist size and V-shaped frame, it looked a little baggy. In the slimmer Jort line, the 44L both gave me the right amount of breathing room in my back and shoulders".

They are obviously two different cuts, and I preferred at the time, the less amount of padding and sloped shoulders look of the Jort. I'm sure your calculations on chest room are accurate when comparing them online to the SS website, but as you can tell if you read the Suit Supply thread on here, often times they are considerably off when compared to the real thing in person. 

Can you maybe start to reply with possible retailers I should check out based on my size? Department store or boutique options? Possibly MTM specialists that aren't too expensive in the NYC area? Actually consulting me on things of a helpful nature would really be appreciated. 

On a lighter note, I have appointments at both Martin Greenfield Clothiers and Windsor Custom NYC for possible MTM options. Both run around $1400, which IMO isn't terrible and is worth the extra $300 over the Suit Supply variety which were limited in style/color and would need alterations anyways. These would take 4-7 weeks though, so I may be forced to look into some middle road half-canvased options for which Suit Supply seems appropriate.