Ask A Question, Get An Answer... - Post All Quick Questions Here (Classic menswear)

[patrickBOOTH]



Is jcrew good quality for the price? I always thought people looked down upon it.

You don't have a lot of options at that price point. I would say wait for a sale at Brooks Brothers. Get the Fitzgerald suit. It is modern and better than J. Crew.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



I'd like to buy a bespoke suit.  Can someone recommend a good tailor in NYC?  I'd like to set a budget of $2500, but I'll spend more if warranted.

Ercole's. Francoercole.com

 

[patrickBOOTH]



Vahram at Mr. Ned makes mine and they're all kinds of awesome. Besides the high quality, I think his big strength is that he's fluent in a lot of different styles. I go for a Tom Ford-ish Italian cut, but he'll make pretty much whatever you want.

There is nothing Italian about a Tom Ford suit.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



Seems to be a lot of activity here today....


My shoulders measure 18".  When I buy suits, how much allowance should I generally add to make sure a suit fits in the shoulders?  Or I guess I should say, is there a minimum to not go past? So on my 18" shoulders, an 18" jacket is going to be way too tight, but is 18.5 better than 19.25?  Is it just preference?

And is it true (I saw it on askandy) that a chest is usually cut 4" larger than your chest measurement?  So my 42' chest (a 42R) would be cut at 46"?

I think you are over analyzing this. I would say go for what feels right to you. The shoulders should jut-out past your natural shoulders. A good measure is put your arms straight down at your sides and shimmy next to a wall. If the wall touches the shoulder pad before it touches your arm the shoulders are too large.

As for chest measurements it depends on the brand and the style of cut. No set formula.

 

[Van Veen]



Need some recomendations for places to look for a gray and a navy suit. I can probably spend around 500 each, and am looking for something of moderate style -- nothing too conservative like brooks brothers or too experimental either. I'm also 6' about 185 with wider shoulders and long torso. Thanks.

Suitsupply

 

[Kid Nickels]



There is nothing Italian about a Tom Ford suit.

 

[cptjeff]



You can do a lot better than Kiwi. But then again, you can do a lot better than JM, so maybe it's a good match.

Edward Green (along with other high end shoemakers) use kiwi in the factory. It's not as horrible as many here pretend it is, most of that is just shoe polish hipsterism; using an obscure and expensive shoe polish makes them feel superior.

 

[razl]



Edward Green (along with other high end shoemakers) use kiwi in the factory. It's not as horrible as many here pretend it is, most of that is just shoe polish hipsterism; using an obscure and expensive shoe polish makes them feel superior.

I can't say for certain, but as someone who recently drank the koolaid and went whole hog with Saphir products, I can say that back-to-back the saphir wax feels like a much higher quality product, even to a noob like me. The wax applies, spreads, and seems to buff out better. Also, and maybe more importantly, Saphir doesn't include silicone in any of it's products (I think recent wisdom has determined that Kiwi only has it in their "parade gloss" waxes, but I wonder....)

I'll say this - I'm using it because my experience tells me it's better for my shoes, I don't really care whether anyone else knows or not - so, for me, a superiority tool it is not.

 

[Kid Nickels]



Edward Green (along with other high end shoemakers) use kiwi in the factory. It's not as horrible as many here pretend it is, most of that is just shoe polish hipsterism; using an obscure and expensive shoe polish makes them feel superior.

I can't say for certain, but as someone who recently drank the koolaid and went whole hog with Saphir products, I can say that back-to-back the saphir wax feels like a much higher quality product, even to a noob like me. The wax applies, spreads, and seems to buff out better. Also, and maybe more importantly, Saphir doesn't include silicone in any of it's products (I think recent wisdom has determined that Kiwi only has it in their "parade gloss" waxes, but I wonder....)
I'll say this - I'm using it because my experience tells me it's better for my shoes, I don't really care whether anyone else knows or not - so, for me, a superiority tool it is not.

I was actually just thinking about this the other day. How much of the difference in price b/t Kiwi and other supposedly superior brands is for real an how much is just marketing bs? I haven't tried enough to know.

 

[cptjeff]



I can't say for certain, but as someone who recently drank the koolaid and went whole hog with Saphir products, I can say that back-to-back the saphir wax feels like a much higher quality product, even to a noob like me. The wax applies, spreads, and seems to buff out better. Also, and maybe more importantly, Saphir doesn't include silicone in any of it's products (I think recent wisdom has determined that Kiwi only has it in their "parade gloss" waxes, but I wonder....)
I'll say this - I'm using it because my experience tells me it's better for my shoes, I don't really care whether anyone else knows or not - so, for me, a superiority tool it is not.

I would suspect that's just a different ratio of cream to wax. Kiwi also makes creams, IIRC, though a bit harder to find.

And as far as I know, it's just the parade gloss with silicone.

But if the saphir makes polishing easier for you, more power to you. But it's almost certainly not making a significant difference to your shoes.

 

[andrewgreg]

My jacket sleeve is about 3 inches too long, the cuff has 4 covered buttons (non-functional) but 4 button holes(still sealed).

I take to my local tailor, I know they don't have buttonhole machine so I said I don't need function buttons and button holes. I want them to cut/open the lining/cuff/placket, fold it and then resemble it, make it look like this just like my other jacket , and sew the button. They said they cannot do it and I need to find someone else do it from sleeve. I thought that's a very simple work. I think it's too risky do it from sleeve. I'm not sure if they are right.

Please, someone give me idea. Any opinion is appreciated. Thank you

 

[GamaH]

I have two questions, which I don't think warrant a thread of their own, so I'll just ask them here.

Ernest Alexander Totes. Anyone have experience with them? I like how they look, and the colors are pretty manly, enough to offset (in my opinion), any stigma of effeminacy of carrying a tote. The "Olive" wax tote looks like a pretty dark shade of green, but from other products, the olive canvas seems to look "lighter." As the ones them seem lighter are also more "pixelated," which is truer to tone?

 

[CruzAzul]



I go for a Tom Ford-ish Italian cut, but he'll make pretty much whatever you want.

There is nothing Italian about a Tom Ford suit.

I think you just misunderstood me here. Picture a fundamentally Neapolitan-style jacket with the traditional soft shoulders, but stronger peak lapels and a different waist treatment. Bespoke is an opportunity to mix elements of different styles. It's fun.

 

[CruzAzul]



Need some recomendations for places to look for a gray and a navy suit. I can probably spend around 500 each, and am looking for something of moderate style -- nothing too conservative like brooks brothers or too experimental either. I'm also 6' about 185 with wider shoulders and long torso. Thanks.

Suitsupply

Seconded on Suitsupply. They're surprisingly well-made for the price and they have a decent range of styles.

Also, the SF groupthink chorus mandates you avoid Hugo Boss, but they might be the style you're looking for (neither fashiony nor old-farty) and they have a bunch of suits on sale in the $550-$650 range right now. I like 'em.

 

[mctt]

Hi All,
Anyone know where this jacket is from?