Australian Members - Page 1123

 

Don't think that really counts as a thread hijack ;)

 

It's different to what most people have suggested but have you considered the online MTM route for suits? I'm also from Newcastle and there is no way you can find a reasonable suit anywhere, I've looked quite a bit. That leaves you going to Sydney, or going online. While trying on a suit in store is going to be best, having someone take your measurements and ordering online from somewhere like blacklapel.com might not be a terrible idea. Their suits start at around $450 (free shipping) and have been getting some good reviews. They will also offer to remake the suit if you aren't happy with the fit.

 

I'm currently toying with the idea of a BL suit, unfortunately I don't really have much use for one everyday so I struggle to justify the expense ;)

 

As for colours, stay away from black. Navy and Grey are the best bets here, I'd start with Navy as it's very hard to go wrong, then pick a shade of grey you like, not too dark, not too light.

why not throw in some nice socks? 

 

good thing you wear RM Williams. i see tonnes of solicitors in court wear 'em so you'll blend right in. my boss wears them too (he's had his pair for 30 years and they're still going strong).

$450 for online MTM is not great, when you consider that MJ Bale do two suits / $1000 and have free shipping, no questions asked returns, and free return shipping. I would try that option first.

^ I'd do the same. $450 online MTM could very well lead to $450 down the drain. If MJ Bale doesn't suit, you can always get your money back.

Do MJ Bale still have surgeon's cuffs on all their jackets?

Some do, some don't. I think it may be dictated by price. The more expensive jackets do have them, whereas the 2 for $1000 suits tend not to, in my experience. Others may know more on this..

Only on their (slightly) more expensive full canvas line (which is a pain in the ass really - I have short arms ...)

 

Their 'Classics' half-canvas suits have non-working sleeve buttons.

I don't know any more than thebrownman, but I will say that surgeon's cuffs on RTW suits is a trend I just don't get.

A substantial chunk of folks are going to need some kind of sleeve adjustment - why complicate that?

http://putthison.com/post/29970907669/the-simple-pleasure-of-wearing-clothes-many

"In a recent documentary, Tom Ford explained this scene from A Single Man, where his distraught protagonist George drags himself out of bed in order to get dressed. The scene wasn’t in the original book Ford based his movie on, but he put it in because it related to him. When he’s in a deep and dark depression, one of the things he enjoys doing is putting on a suit. “It might be false,” he said in the documentary, “but I feel like if I shine my shoes, put on a tie, and make myself look as good as I can possibly look, I feel better. That somehow it’s armor; it’s a ritual that I go through.”

And isn’t that what’s enjoyable about clothes? Aside from making us look better at job interviews and first dates, nice clothes are enjoyable simply in and of themselves. I enjoy putting on a pair of wool trousers, a perfectly fitting dress shirt, and my favorite sweater even if I’m planning to stay home for the day.

Apart from dampening our love for dressing, I worry that a hyper-rational, over-thought approach to dressing can needlessly confuse men. Perhaps they’ll fumble their way through their closet and ignore their own intuitions (or worse still, fail to develop one). Or they fall back into a kind of unimaginative “paint by numbers” approach to dressing. The latter seems particularly joyless to me.

So, by all means, take what you can get from books and websites about classic men’s style. I think many of them are helpful. But at the same time, learn to train your own eye for what looks good. I still think one of the best ways is by observing others. Develop a sensitivity for the nuances of how and why certain things work, and apply it to your own sense of style. Most importantly, even more than learning about whether black or brown shoes go best with fawn gabardine trousers, learn how to enjoy wearing clothes. There’s a lot of pleasure in it. "

Because some still believe that working cuffs = good suit, even if it ain't true.

A few of the better quality Off the Rack jackets and suits I have bought (Boglioli, Ede & Ravencroft for example) have closed working cuffs. That is they are still sewn up and can be altered, and if the sleeve fits the buttons can be removed, buttonholes opened and buttons resewn to be working cuffs.

 

I have to admit, the MJ Bale suit deal does look rather good. Certainly worth a try though it would be a much better idea to try in store. Don't forget to factor in tailoring costs (do they include that?)

 

I agree, online MTM does seem a risky business but some of the guarantees make it quite attractive. Black Lapel offers $75 tailoring credit, free remakes or free returns if you are not satisfied.

 

Not trying to argue ;) Just urging you not to dismiss this rather novel way of doing things straight away. Especially pertinent as the OP did state he had a non-average build.

Charcoal (not black) or navy suit...plain blue tie... white or powder blue shirt...black captoes....

$450 for Black Lapel is fine. But MJ Bale is a solid choice as well.

Forgot to mention, CUREBFD code for Black Lapel will take 10% off. Sounds like I'm affiliated with them but I'm definitely not ;)