New Suit Help (w/pics)

Like the million other threads that get posted like this (I know cuz I've read most of them!), I'm graduating next month and will be continuing to work in a law office and attending court on a fairly basis.

Previously I've made-do with odd jackets, bargain slacks, bargain shoes, and a lot of Jos A Bank/Men's Wearhouse shirts. Basically, my closet would give most of you nightmares. But finally, I'm rebuilding my wardrobe from the shoes on up and have no plans to ever devolve into the abyss of crappy retail clothing ever again.

I ordered some BB slim fit shirts to start, a Canali wool sportcoat (lovely; best thing I own), 3 pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes, and this navy starter suit, which I hope to pair with a charcoal one after I settle on a suit brand...



Got this Benjamin Sartorial Classico in a 44L last week. The pants are obviously too tight (totally underestimated that 10lbs I put on over the winter, mainly in the seat/love handles) and will need to be swapped out for a safer fit, in addition to making a trip to the tailor. I'm just trying to figure out if this looks strange or bad in general.

The g/f says it's fine, but she's so used to my atrocious dressing that I'm afraid she is desensitized to it. I have a big chest/shoulders/arms and (believe it or not) am a marathon runner; once I shed winter fad I usually walk around at 200-205lbs and 6'2". Basically nothing ever fits well. Any advice from similarly-sized guys would be great too!

I humbly submit myself to the judgement of S/F. Thank you very much in advance.

From the front, the jacket looks solid. The back needs to be cleaned up around the armpits. The pants don't look too tight, but the lighting's not great for showing the waist/hips. The length needs to be shortened, but the thigh and knee widths look fine.

On another note, if they fit, the JAB and TMW shirts are ok.

Congrat's on the job at the law office. Are they going to help pay for you to go to law school?

Thanks for the feedback Vinny--I'm def. no fashion hound so those shirts never bothered me before, until I really had the opportunity to try on some nicer stuff. Since then it's just been a question of biding my time and drooling over the wardrobes that SF posters have assembled for themselves. It's a relief to hear that I don't look absurd. I think maybe the huge drape from MW stuff (which is really for big big guys) had gotten in my head as being "normal!"

And thanks! The law office is actually a public defender's office where the attorneys honestly dress in some pretty beat-down stuff. I haven't even gotten into law school yet, but they're keeping me on post-internship (in a paid position) anyway, which is a pretty swell deal.

The forum used to be more helpful. Only three of six important problems were noted. The other three: the jacket doesn't fit well at the shoulders (from the side), it is too tight in the chest, and it is too short (at the rear). The jacket cannot be lengthened, the chest probably cannot be made bigger, and the shoulders likely could only be fixed for a large sum. Therefore the suit is too small, barring backing off the exercise routine. Off-the-rack jackets rarely fit muscular men well, even after tailoring.

Overall, I think the fit is good. Certainly the right starting color, and Benjamin is a good entry-level.

Like MIC, I'm a little concerned about the shoulders, but I think that may be more of a factor of where your arms are in the photos. Benjamin is generally for a slighter build than you, but if it doesn't feel pinched in the shoulders and underarms I wouldn't worry. On the other hand, if the trousers are tight already, sizing up might not be a horrible idea.

Disagree with MIC about the jacket length. It appears that it covers your rear pockets (or where those would be if the trousers had them. I like my jacket shorter as well, and my tailor has given me that rule of thumb as the "outer bound." The other rule of thumb is to reach for something above your head; the jacket should not be short enough that you can see your shirt.

And in the United States, it's "judgment" not "judgEment." One of the most common typos I see on pleadings.

mensimageconsultant said:

The forum used to be more helpful. Only three of six important problems were noted. The other three: the jacket doesn't fit well at the shoulders (from the side), it is too tight in the chest, and it is too short (at the rear). The jacket cannot be lengthened, the chest probably cannot be made bigger, and the shoulders likely could only be fixed for a large sum. Therefore the suit is too small, barring backing off the exercise routine. Off-the-rack jackets rarely fit muscular men well, even after tailoring.

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Those are good points, but if I was in the mood, I could point out more than 3 "important" problems. Who they'd be "important" to is a different story. In OP's position, I think that the things that I pointed out are the most important

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's very helpful. I really have terrible luck with fitment with everything, everywhere. But that's why I was asking, so I didn't step out and embarrass myself.

Should I scrap the Benjamin and try something else? I was thinking of taking a trip to Suit Supply in DC (about an hour metro ride). Or are there any other brands that make decent suits that might cater better to a guy with my build? I've lurked and noted basically all the good brands (even a little upwards of my price range) but haven't had much luck with finding posts about this.

(note: judgement and recieved. two words i've come to realize i will never spell correctly. )

Suit Supply caters to slim men, meaning it's likely to fit worse. The fit of the current suit jacket could be made okay, with alterations and cutting back on weightlifting. (From a photo that isn't very clear, it appears to not fully cover the behind, which is a no-no.) Probably the best option for a new suit would be to heavily alter something like a regular-fit Brooks Brothers suit or (on sale) a Signature Gold suit from (your dreaded) Jos. A. Bank. Those two places offer in-house tailoring, which could be a money-saver, but tailor quality varies by location and only a good tailor should do certain alterations. Or to be measured by an overseas traveling tailor for a suit, which is higher-risk because one can't be sure how 'custom' such a suit is and the customer probably is on his own for alterations after purchase.



Flokk said:

I was thinking of taking a trip to Suit Supply in DC (about an hour metro ride)...

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If you're looking for conservative good-quality suiting, it may be worth your while to take a trip up to Westminster (about an hour's drive from DC) and visit English American. More information in these threads:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/181579/dc-where-to-get-a-mtm-suit

http://www.styleforum.net/t/327148/english-american

http://www.styleforum.net/t/230280/im-making-a-trip-to-english-american-tailoring-for-a-suit-advice

If you're having trouble finding the right fit, you could try made-to-measure. Tailors from "Proper Suit" come to DC about once a month, and you can get a full canvas MTM for $750... A little more expensive than suit supply, but a good deal when you compare to something off the rack at brooks bothers or Hugo Boss.

random-adam said:

If you're looking for conservative good-quality suiting, it may be worth your while to take a trip up to Westminster (about an hour's drive from DC) and visit English American. More information in these threads:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/181579/dc-where-to-get-a-mtm-suit

http://www.styleforum.net/t/327148/english-american

http://www.styleforum.net/t/230280/im-making-a-trip-to-english-american-tailoring-for-a-suit-advice

Click to expand...

Oh snap. That's literally a hop and a skip from me; I drive through Westminster constantly. Went ahead and made an appointment for this Saturday. MTM (at their price point) is going to be cheaper and hopefully better-fitting than buying a decent starter suit and shelling out for tons of alterations. Thanks!

Thanks for the advice all; it's super helpful. MTM is definitely the way I'm going to go.



Flokk said:

Oh snap. That's literally a hop and a skip from me; I drive through Westminster constantly. Went ahead and made an appointment for this Saturday. MTM (at their price point) is going to be cheaper and hopefully better-fitting than buying a decent starter suit and shelling out for tons of alterations. Thanks!

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Splendid! They did a three-piece SB peak lapel in medium gray for my wedding in 2011; I went back last year for a tuxedo. It's not as iGent as most of the stuff posted on this forum but it fits me well, and I feel kinda rad about supporting an in-state business rather than sourcing my clothing from the other side of the planet.

Elio's a good guy. Have fun tomorrow!

Elio is in India for a few weeks sadly. But Lori and Jose (a sort of awkward tailor guy, hails from Spain and handles most of their quality control in the factory) were helpful.

Ended up selecting a Super 120 2-button navy with pick-stitching and functional buttons, and a double vent (they have a vent strap, not sure how I felt about that but it can be removed). Bemberg was the default lining. You also get a custom tag which I didn't realize. The price was $795 but Lori knocked it down $100.

They do returns and alterations are of course free. I was pleased with the time spent and their overall flexibility. They fitted me with the "L" make which is for bodybuilders specifically (not that I'm in that class of lifter). Their least structured shoulders were still too structured for my taste, but we'll see how that goes; they were willing to alter them further. Also Jose took me back to look at the shop floor and explained their manufacturing process.

May 12th is the estimated completion date...fingers crossed!

So I ended up with a MTM English American navy two-button. I'll put pics in a larger EA thread and here when it's finished--have to drop it back off for a few more alterations this week.

All in all, couldn't be happier. Lori pushed the suit through on an expedited timetable (3 weeks compared to 5-7~) so that I could have it for a graduation ceremony. Met Elio when picking it up and he was quite helpful. Another tailor on staff, George, took the jacket right back to the table to correct for a slight shoulder roll before I walked out the door.

Because of the expedited order they did miss functional buttons that I asked for. But they didn't bill for them and Elio is tossing them in free next time around, which hopefully will be soon.

EA was great to work with...can't wait to post pics.

Agree on the back of the suit that needs to be adjusted as there's tension along the arms. The shirts too wrinkled and large for the built and the pants can still be tapered a bit.