Good Natured Advice Thread (improving a business wardrobe)

[Betelgeuse]

I now have enough brown ties...for now.

Now that's what I was talking about! Great tie, Rudals!

As @jrd617 would said and I quote: "I would sex". (jrd617, StyleForum. 2013)

 

[in stitches]



That's true, but online takes a lot more time. When I first started dressing more classically, I went to all the suit stores around town, trying on dozens of different suits, blazers and trousers, in equally as many cuts and fabrics. It'll probably take you a day or two, but you'll very quickly develop an eye for what looks good. You simply cannot get that kind of hands-on exposure in such a short period online. I still make mistakes when shopping online, something which simply doesn't happen when I'm in a physical store. 

I am not saying that online shopping is the quickest or even necessarily the best option, but it is an option. I think it worked for me pretty well.

 

[Rudals]

Betel! You want some ConradWu in action?





The reason why I can't button up...for now.

 

[Monkeyface]

I am not saying that online shopping is the quickest or even necessarily the best option, but it is an option. I think it worked for me pretty well.

Agreed, didn't mean to downplay your option. You've certainly shown the success of online shopping in the WAYWRN thread! Online shopping is an excellent option if you don't have time, don't live near many stores, or know your exact measurements and what looks good on you. It's just a little risky/expensive if you order the wrong stuff, especially with stores that don't have free returns.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun trying on many suits, and I learned a lot as well. It wouldn't hurt Rudals to spend at least an afternoon trying on loads of different suits.

 

[Rudals]

That's true, but online takes a lot more time. When I first started dressing more classically, I went to all the suit stores around town, trying on dozens of different suits, blazers and trousers, in equally as many cuts and fabrics. It'll probably take you a day or two, but you'll very quickly develop an eye for what looks good. You simply cannot get that kind of hands-on exposure in such a short period online. I still make mistakes when shopping online, something which simply doesn't happen when I'm in a physical store.

I agree with this. I think I need to get out and try different places in person. Online is not the way to go for me at this point of my SF life.

 

[bourbonbasted]

Rud, not a fan of that belt. Too much hardware for me. But the real point is that I likely wouldn't have noticed it had your tie been the proper length.

 

[Rudals]

Rud, not a fan of that belt. Too much hardware for me. But the real point is that I likely wouldn't have noticed it had your tie been the proper length.

You're too good! I thought I'd be able to get away with it, sir! You have a good set of eyes. Fixed.

 

[Holdfast]

Depends how you view the process. With bespoke/MTM shirts, the hassle is completely front-loaded. You generally need at least a couple of iterations to dial everything in. Like you, I don't actually enjoy this element of the process: it's annoying & dull. But then, there is zero hassle as you know you're getting a great fit every time. With RTW, the hassle is evenly distributed: each time, you get something that isn't quite what you want and have to look around the marketplace again. Overall, I therefore find custom shirts to be an order of magnitude less hassle than RTW.

I would suggest starting off with a B&M shirtmaker rather than the online options, though. It's more expensive, but the process of dialing in the fit takes only an iteration or two at most. Then you can get it replicated via the cheaper offshore/online makers knowing it should fit right first time.

A royal oxford and an end-on-end...

Digging the end-on-end. I've owned a few Royal Oxfords over the years and just can't get on board them; they feel like neither fish nor fowl in formality to me.

I am sorry but I think of Suit Supply as...like Target. But MFace does bring up a good point. Why not try different things with minimal damage? Sounds like a plan!

Here's the thing with Suit Supply: they have a range of fits and lines, and they're generally contemporary in style without being too obnoxiously so. Some fabric/cut combinations are very conservative; some are more unusual. Some are moderately luxurious, others are more at the durable end.

That range means Suit Supply can be different things to different people. I like them a lot, but only use them to add cheap-to-mid priced contemporary silhouettes to complement my more traditionally-fitting (and obviously more expensive) bespoke Ede & Ravenscroft items. Having both elements in my wardrobe adds a lot of range at very low cost, while at the same time not being badly-made/disposable.

Other people use Suit Supply as the mainstay of their wardrobe; if so, I would suggest opting for the more expensive fabrics/lines (assuming they fit you right).

Ultimately, they are not high-end suits in the sense of exclusive luxury fabrics or tons of handwork. Whether that matters to you is a personal thing (I don't particularly value handwork as a thing in and of itself even in my bespoke things; it doesn't excite me). But Suit Supply are incredibly useful to me as a manufacturer, as they are almost the only inhabitant in their particular cost/quality/style niche.

I'm most impressed with Suit Supply's logistics.

I read somewhere that German companies also tend to super-efficient with logistics, because of a historic customer base very used to catalogue shopping (multiple sizes, many returns) compared to almost any other country. Maybe the Dutch have a tradition of shopping in a similar way, accounting for SuitSupply's emphasis on good logistics. Either that, or they just really thought about the back-end before starting their operation.

 

[Betelgeuse]

Betel! You want some ConradWu in action?





The reason why I can't button up...for now.

If you ask me, one of your best fits. I think the contrast I ******* awesome!

 

[in stitches]



Agreed, didn't mean to downplay your option. You've certainly shown the success of online shopping in the WAYWRN thread! Online shopping is an excellent option if you don't have time, don't live near many stores, or know your exact measurements and what looks good on you. It's just a little risky/expensive if you order the wrong stuff, especially with stores that don't have free returns.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun trying on many suits, and I learned a lot as well. It wouldn't hurt Rudals to spend at least an afternoon trying on loads of different suits. 

thanks for the compliments. it definitely requires a very different kind of effort, but i found the main benefit was a much broader group of options.

I agree with this. I think I need to get out and try different places in person. Online is not the way to go for me at this point of my SF life.

thats cool, but you need to try other B&M stores besides NM. go to georgetown or tysons corner and hop into as many boutiques as you can and try stuff on.

 

[Rudals]

If you ask me, one of your best fits. I think the contrast I ******* awesome!

Thank you, kind sir. The tie length has been fixed per MonkeyFace's feedback. I actually thought I could get away with it.
Betel, you know what's coming tomorrow?

 

[Betelgeuse]

Thank you, kind sir. The tie length has been fixed per MonkeyFace's feedback. I actually thought I could get away with it.
Betel, you know what's coming tomorrow?

Nice!

 

[jungleroller]

Page 100 Woot! Rudals Looks good! I'm rocking a Suit Supply Brown Check Lazio today! http://www.styleforum.net/t/379205/...reative-three-piece-challenge/30#post_6914794

Probably wouldn't work in your work environment but I think it's a quality piece at $469 before tailoring.

 

[Rudals]

Let's settle this issue with me being unable to find a suit, especially with the funds that I have* after returning $4k worth of stuff to NM (Thank You). I shall go to SS in Gtown and try on different cuts and take decent pictures...maybe I'll take a living and breathing tripod along with me...cr@p, I have no guy friends who'd do that and I can't talk to girls anymore. But this Saturday, I'll be at SS and will bring pictures. Let's talk then. Until then, I need to get this out of my system.

 

[Rudals]

Page 100 Woot! Rudals Looks good! I'm rocking a Suit Supply Brown Check Lazio today! http://www.styleforum.net/t/379205/...reative-three-piece-challenge/30#post_6914794

Probably wouldn't work in your work environment but I think it's a quality piece at $469 before tailoring.

Very nice! I love how people are making progress here!