Buying menswear on AliExpress? You're kidding, right?

[DougDevious]

As I talk about in the "introduce yourself" thread, my situation, both financially, and physically, puts me at such a disadvantage that I've been driven to the margins of what's considered reasonable or obvious in the discussion of where to buy menswear.
Not only do I not have the money to buy OTR, but I am also too small for anything OTR anyway and that trickles down even into thrift stores, meaning I have no option than to go custom. But of course, "custom is even MORE expensive" you might say, and it is. In all but one place.
AliExpress.
I can hear your shock, but let me explain:
Look, I hate fast fashion as much as the next guy, but you gotta remember that AliExpress isn't one big megastore that sells every variety of low-quality junk, it's a large platform for lots of storefronts that vary in quality. It's sort of like social media, where you get the real good **** made by real people, like this cool-ass guy that makes boots, and **** which is autogenerated dropshipping bots with strings of numbers as names.

I certainly will say that AliExpress of all places was never my first choice, but when you're in a rare situation like I am, you gotta look real hard for all the options out there, you gotta be crafty.
And also, it can be easy to forget there are tailors all over the world, not just America and Europe, and people wouldn't go into tailoring of all things if it wasn't a decent living by their countries standards, other than supporting its tradesmen, underpaid may they be by western standards.
Before you tell me I'm going to get ripped off, let me say that I already have.
I tried buying a ""custom suit"" for what was probably about 90-120 , and it was only when I received it I realized I'd been had.
I might be a little embarrassed to admit that I cheaped out, and got what I paid for, but all part of the learning process.

Pictured Right: What the listing led me to believe it would look like
Pictured Left: What it came out like. Note the ridiculously low armholes, the loose waistcoat, and excessive sleeve length. It wasn't even actually custom-made, just "close enough".


I'd say it's probably just a case of me being unlucky and not asking enough questions, going for something unreasonably cheap, and expecting things to turn out reasonably well, which is a mistake I won't make again. Again, when you're in a tricky situation like mine, you can't expect to not go through any trial and error.
Next time, I will go for something well above 150+ dollars (at least in New Zealand Dollars)
What do you think of something like this?

Spoiler: The same suit, but with better buttons + shirt combo

admin edit: objectionable statements removed.

 

[breakaway01]

I think you're in a tough spot. As you said, RTW at a men's store is not an option for you given your small size. However, I assume you've tried RTW suits designed for boys? Seems to be that could be an option unless they are too short for you.

I think you should not use cheap online custom tailoring. Custom tailoring is difficult to get right even with in-person fittings at very expensive bespoke tailors. Online custom tailoring from inexpensive makers is very, very unlikely to get you satisfactory results. Because your measurements are so unusual (32" chest) these inexpensive makers are very unlikely to have a standardized block pattern for a 32R jacket. At USD$100/NZD150 (or even at twice that price) they cannot make any money by having an experienced pattern maker draft a custom pattern just for you. So they are probably having to make large changes to their smallest block pattern (say 36R or maybe 34R), or maybe they're even modifying a women's pattern.

I guess the question I have for you is, do you NEED tailoring at your age (I think you wrote that you are 18 or 19 years old?). $100 spent on a suit that doesn't fit you is a waste of $100.

 

[St1X]

Look for Suitsupply suits on eBay - they have as small as uk32 sizes, so you can get even a brand new suit from old collections for 150 usd

 

[DougDevious]

I think you're in a tough spot. As you said, RTW at a men's store is not an option for you given your small size. However, I assume you've tried RTW suits designed for boys? Seems to be that could be an option unless they are too short for you.

Yeah, I've looked on ebay for that kind of thing. I've found a couple options, but the first readily apparent problem is that they're rarely made out of good quality fabric. Still, beggars can't be choosers I guess.
I'll attach an image of some suits I've found on ebay:

Spoiler: big spoiler

1:

>navy pinstripe suit (also comes in black)​

>the measurement chart specifies shoulder width and jacket length, but no chest measurement​

>going off those measurements, it looks like size 16 will fit me pretty well (16 inch shoulder + 29 inch jacket)​

>description says the jacket is 65% polyester, 35% cotton, but it also says the jacket is 2 button which doesn't match the picture so can't be sure​

>like the lapel cut and 3 button closure, but not sure about the cut of the jacket itself​

>54 usd + 74 usd shipping​

2:

>blue suit with orange windowpane, looks like wool (though probably not real wool)​

>not a fan of the modern cut, but will accept it​

>what would i even pair with those colors​

>says the jacket chest is 32 inches, inseam 28 inches, which is my size​

>80 usd + 30 usd shipping​

3:

>probably the best one I've been able to find​

>grey checked jacket with burgundy velvet trim, very reminiscent of teddy boy suits​

>vest and pants are burgundy​

>55% wool 45% polyester​

>not sure about measurements, asked seller for measurements and he sent me pics with measuring tape which looked a little sloppy​

>somewhere between 16 and 17 inch pit to pit, 15.5 to 16 inch shoulder, 28 to 30 jacket length​

>95 usd + 52 usd shipping​

bottom row:

>all are orphaned boys tuxedo jackets​

>4 and 5 are on clearance for 3 dollars and 9 dollars respectively, both 29 to 31 usd for postage​

>supposedly 100 percent wool according to seller​

>on clearance because of unspecified damages/stains that aren't seen in the picture​

>6 is 50 usd + 22 usd, great price if you want to dress like oswald cobblepot​

I could scrounge around a little more for some more supposedly 100 percent wool tuxedos, but by now you probably get the picture, eh? And this is what I managed to find after hours of searching, these are not the first results that come up.

Theres also a lot of suits on the site "MENSUSA", but those obviously are yet again dubious in fabric quality. Still, it's not like I expect anything above the bar from AliExpress either.

I think you should not use cheap online custom tailoring. Custom tailoring is difficult to get right even with in-person fittings at very expensive bespoke tailors.

Well, what do you mean when you say "right"? What bar for quality are we talking about here?

Online custom tailoring from inexpensive makers is very, very unlikely to get you satisfactory results. Because your measurements are so unusual (32" chest) these inexpensive makers are very unlikely to have a standardized block pattern for a 32R jacket. At USD$100/NZD150 (or even at twice that price) they cannot make any money by having an experienced pattern maker draft a custom pattern just for you. So they are probably having to make large changes to their smallest block pattern (say 36R or maybe 34R), or maybe they're even modifying a women's pattern.

Some sellers have "boys suits" with customization as an option, so it probably won't hurt to at least ask if modifying one of those block patterns for my suit is within their capabilities. It's all about communication I think. I think if they can get a boy's suit pattern with a 32 chest and stretch it out so the jacket length and inseam are both around 29 inches, then my bar for quality would already be surpassed.

I guess the question I have for you is, do you NEED tailoring at your age (I think you wrote that you are 18 or 19 years old?). $100 spent on a suit that doesn't fit you is a waste of $100.

That's an interesting question. I think right off the bat I'll say that there is absolutely no force in my life that requires me to upgrade my wardrobe. I have no job, no current prospects, I don't even have a social life.
My interest and "need" for tailoring serve no real-world purpose other than a personal hobby and artistic endeavor, as well as being really the only hobby I have that doesn't have anything to do with the internet.
Even then, my main motivation for cultivating such a specific sense of style is as a visually striking element to my "internet persona" which I hope to feature in youtube videos I'm practicing to make.
Sort of like a natural evolution of the groundwork that iconic food reviewer and style icon "Reviewbrah" laid, with a more punk/mod-inspired eccentricity and a dash of sam-hydian meta-irony.
Yes, it sounds pretty autistic when I say it out loud, but basically, that's what it is.
I'll still try to start with a basic navy suit + shirt combo, but I'll build from there.

Look for Suitsupply suits on eBay - they have as small as uk32 sizes, so you can get even a brand new suit from old collections for 150 usd

I mean, yeah they seem alright, but it's a high price tag for singular items (not a huge separates guy), and it's probably all in that 2 button+low rise style I'm not too fond of. I'm a whiny ***** I know.

 

[breakaway01]

Well, what do you mean when you say "right"? What bar for quality are we talking about here?

I mean a suit that fits well. Not talking about construction quality or even fabric quality at this point. Just something that fits well without obvious problems (e.g. too tight, too short, improper jacket balance). You might think (and expect) that a $5000 bespoke suit should fit perfectly but there have been many examples posted here over the years demonstrating that this does not always happen.

Some sellers have "boys suits" with customization as an option, so it probably won't hurt to at least ask if modifying one of those block patterns for my suit is within their capabilities. It's all about communication I think. I think if they can get a boy's suit pattern with a 32 chest and stretch it out so the jacket length and inseam are both around 29 inches, then my bar for quality would already be surpassed.

That might be worth a shot -- at least it'll be better than expecting them to be able to shrink a much larger pattern correctly.

 

[Jason12]

the social credit thing isn't as big of a deal as the memes make it. - it's used if you don't pay your debts or dont turn up to court, not much different from western countries. kinda a meme by western people that don't know anything

idk about new Zealand but china's public transport is much faster and more efficient than Australia, less street violence and cleaner streets as well according to people i know that moved there. it's pretty much capitalist with more regulation

to stay on track, i reckon save up and go for spier and Mackay or suit supply MTO and watch videos like Mark Cho or sartorial talks for tips on making good MTO and style decisions. most suits esp. cheap ones are gonna look bad and out of place on 18/19 year olds anyway compared to the peer groups wearing streetwear. menswear looks better as you get older imo

for around the price of 3 of those cheap customs could probably get a MTO from suit supply and having 1 good one would be better than 3 **** ones

 

[DougDevious]

most suits esp. cheap ones are gonna look bad and out of place on 18/19 year olds anyway compared to the peer groups wearing streetwear. menswear looks better as you get older imo

Bad? Subjective. Out of place? Yeah, I can see myself looking strange among this peer group of other teens you assume I have, despite me already having said I have no social life. But it's not like I really care at this point.
In fact, I kinda get an odd, wry kick out of it. "Out of place" is kinda where I belong stylistically and as a person. I've always been sort of an outsider, and over the years, I've only gotten more absurdly specific and detached from normal sensibilities. I know this sounds like a 13-year-old joker fanboy trying to sound edgy and cool, but it's true.
To put it in a way similar to how Ethan Wong does in this article, It's sort of like I'm thinking of myself in 3rd person as the comedic archetype of the comically out-of-touch whackjob, if that makes any sense.
I suppose, in a way, it's sort of meta-ironic.
(also, in a way, a loose, cheap suit seems a bit more at home on an 18/19-year-old because, in the implied opposit case, at that age it really begs the question what kind of money that teen has to be buying such expensive suits, but maybe that's just the character designer in me talking)

for around the price of 3 of those cheap customs could probably get a MTO from suit supply and having 1 good one would be better than 3 **** ones

I get what you're saying, but for me, it's more than a matter of simply dressing well, like it is for a lot of people here. I'm very sure about what my tastes are, and it's usually not the kind of thing that can be bought off the rack, or really made to order. Plus, t's very rare that any OTR or MTO suit would come in size 32. I checked, and Spier and Mackay doesn't have anything lower than a 34S.
On top of all that, I'm too intrigued with such a less traveled road as AliExpress custom. I'm an explorer, setting out to discover a well-hidden treasure, fools gold or not.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

"Out of place" is kinda where I belong stylistically and as a person. I've always been sort of an outsider, and over the years, I've only gotten more absurdly specific and detached from normal sensibilities. I know this sounds like a 13-year-old joker fanboy trying to sound edgy and cool, but it's true.
....
I get what you're saying, but for me, it's more than a matter of simply dressing well, like it is for a lot of people here. I'm very sure about what my tastes are, and it's usually not the kind of thing that can be bought off the rack, or really made to order.

I'm a big fan of the style of punk-rockers like johnny rotten and other countercultural groups from the 60s to 80s, such as Teddy Boys, Mods, and so on, in stark contrast to the majority of people who draw inspiration from italian industrialists, 1930s esquire illustrations, and other bougie **** like that.

It sounds like the clothes favored by forumites here like aren't really your thing to begin with, but beyond that, it kind of sounds like you're going through something difficult that won't be solved by a piece of clothing. Not to be your financial advisor or life coach or anything like that, but if a new suit would consume a relatively large fraction of your resources while providing relatively little return on fun or utility, then it might not be a great idea. It might be more efficient to improve the other parts of your life that you've implied are currently disordered/suboptimal, and then revisit tailoring after that.

 

[Polo Collar]

are you a troll?

 

[DougDevious]

It sounds like the clothes favored by forumites here like aren't really your thing to begin with, but beyond that, it kind of sounds like you're going through something difficult that won't be solved by a piece of clothing. Not to be your financial advisor or life coach or anything like that, but if a new suit would consume a relatively large fraction of your resources while providing relatively little return on fun or utility, then it might not be a great idea. It might be more efficient to improve the other parts of your life that you've implied are currently disordered/suboptimal, and then revisit tailoring after that.

You know, you've got a point. I should probably try and have a life before I start thinking about tailoring.
I mean, it's not like I haven't thought of this idea before, but I guess it's like a compulsive video game habit; it's mainly sort of escapist. Whenever things get difficult (which they always are) I tend to procrastinate dealing with **** by just ruminating and rehearsing an image of myself as a cooler, more successful person, mostly in terms of fashion. I think that's what they maladaptive daydreaming.
My wardrobe is still a little bare though, I'll see if I can at least buy myself a couple of pairs of jeans, shoes, and like, a few more t-shirts. But that'll be it. I don't want to go on dressing like I have for over a year now, but I guess I'll have to improve my living situation first.

are you a troll?

I can come off that way, yes, but I'm 100% authentic.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

OP what do you wear now on a daily basis? There are ways we can help you start dressing better without getting into costumey suits. I agree with other posters who have said you are too young to be wearing tailoring yet and that you should wait a few years before getting into it. By that point your income will likely have risen to be able to afford MTM anyways.

Regardless, if you just want some suits for your YouTube videos, does it really matter how well they fit? I looked up “Reviewbrah” and his suits fit very poorly, which I assume is part of his shtick. I don’t think it matters very much for the purposes you’re aiming at.

 

[DougDevious]

OP what do you wear now on a daily basis? There are ways we can help you start dressing better without getting into costumey suits. I agree with other posters who have said you are too young to be wearing tailoring yet and that you should wait a few years before getting into it. By that point your income will likely have risen to be able to afford MTM anyways.

Well,

• My only pairs of pants that aren't sweatpants or pajama pants at the moment are the ones from the suit, and a pair of ladies bootcut jeans that I wear with grey-black argyle clip-on suspenders.
• My only two dress shirts are a black shirt that would fit a fat man save for the neck, and a grey shirt with black micro-stripes that is sort of the same. The former I can wear with most of my $1 tie collection, being a wide enough spread that I can manage a Windsor to keep it the right length, the latter has a very stubby and narrow collar with which I can only wear thin, unlined ties in FIH knots, as well as my recently acquired collection of 1950s clip-on batwing bowties.
• My only suit jacket besides the blue one is a black pinstripe ladies jacket which isn't quite long enough, has no breast pocket or cuff buttons, but It fits on my shoulders quite well with no collar gap.
• I have two pairs of shoes from what's basically NZ walmart, which are some knockoff chuck Taylors and some black pleather cap toes, the latter of which has their soles coming out.
• I have 3 cardigans
• To top everything off I have two polyester ladies overcoats, one black, and featureless besides two patch pockets, and the other a grey herringbone DB with a fur collar.

That's what I mainly wear day in day out if I'm not wearing sweatpants and a tee.
There is also a just-matching pair of navy pants and navy ladies jacket that I bought for 2 dollars, but those are zoot-suit tier in size and are really just a novelty.
I can post some pictures if you like.

Regardless, if you just want some suits for your YouTube videos, does it really matter how well they fit? I looked up “Reviewbrah” and his suits fit very poorly, which I assume is part of his shtick. I don’t think it matters very much for the purposes you’re aiming at.

I get what you're aiming at, but I don't really see a point in investing in a collection of oversized suits and shirts other than to flip them on eBay (which I am currently having issues trying to do), but on top of that I don't really want to be a reviewbrah clone. He has his thing and I have mine, and like I said, I kinda want to be a natural progression of that concept by wearing better-fitting suits.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

Well,

• My only pairs of pants that aren't sweatpants or pajama pants at the moment are the ones from the suit, and a pair of ladies bootcut jeans that I wear with grey-black argyle clip-on suspenders.
• My only two dress shirts are a black shirt that would fit a fat man save for the neck, and a grey shirt with black micro-stripes that is sort of the same. The former I can wear with most of my $1 tie collection, being a wide enough spread that I can manage a Windsor to keep it the right length, the latter has a very stubby and narrow collar with which I can only wear thin, unlined ties in FIH knots, as well as my recently acquired collection of 1950s clip-on batwing bowties.
• My only suit jacket besides the blue one is a black pinstripe ladies jacket which isn't quite long enough, has no breast pocket or cuff buttons, but It fits on my shoulders quite well with no collar gap.
• I have two pairs of shoes from what's basically NZ walmart, which are some knockoff chuck Taylors and some black pleather cap toes, the latter of which has their soles coming out.
• I have 3 cardigans
• To top everything off I have two polyester ladies overcoats, one black, and featureless besides two patch pockets, and the other a grey herringbone DB with a fur collar.

That's what I mainly wear day in day out if I'm not wearing sweatpants and a tee.
There is also a just-matching pair of navy pants and navy ladies jacket that I bought for 2 dollars, but those are zoot-suit tier in size and are really just a novelty.
I can post some pictures if you like.

No need to post pictures of your clothes. I think you should work on the basics before you get into suits. Can you post some pictures of people wearing outfits that you like so we have a sense of how you are trying to dress?

I can also recommend a few resources for developing your eye and learning more.
- Reddit's Male Fashion Advice is a genuinely great resource for newbies. Especially their wiki section, which I think collects all prior advice-type posts. You'll find people there are a little kinder than they are here (and probably much moreso than 4chan).
- You should read Derek's writing at Die Workwear and Put This On, both to learn about how to dress and to develop your eye for what looks good. The "Knowledge Base" section at Put This On is a great place to start.

Die, Workwear!

A blog about classic men's clothing and style

dieworkwear.com

Home

putthison.com

 

[DougDevious]

No need to post pictures of your clothes. I think you should work on the basics before you get into suits. Can you post some pictures of people wearing outfits that you like so we have a sense of how you are trying to dress?

Could you please elaborate on what you mean by basics? If it's generic "navy blazer + blue ocbd + khaki chinos" advice that I've heard a million times, I think I'm good.
As for inspiration, I mean, it would probably be more concise to link my pinterest moodboard, but I guess I'll pick out some specifics.

Spoiler: DUUUUUMMMPP

the punk approach to separates on the left, and full suits on the right,
-
-

Slim black suits, crazy hair, and guyliner. A formidable and slick look. Clarke (left) has a more "esquire man" thing going on, though.
-
-

Wes isn't quite as edgy or rule-breaking, but he's got a sort of charming homeliness to how he dresses.
The burgundy corduroy suit + pink shirt is something I hope to emulate someday.
-
-

Entirely different characters, but the same principle of a carefree, minimalist look, with casual shirting, two-piece suit, and loose tie. Note the 4 button closure on Doctor Who's suit. It's very mod, and it's not something you can get OTR. A 3 button suit is a safer middle ground, but I wanna try a 4 button at some point. Maybe with the corduroy suit?
-
-

Probably the strangest one in this entire list. This guy is a minor character in HBO's Gotham, which as you would expect has a lot of wild and colorful costume designs but this one in particular stuck out to me.
The fact that he almost exclusively wears these stingy little batwing bowties with art-deco patterns and embelishments really inspired me to buy a bulk lot of them myself, as there's something sort of charmingly kitschy and uncool (ala pee-wee herman) about them in a way that strangely appeals to me, in a meta-ironic sort of way.
It's also sort of an ivy-ish esquire man look (if I'm using that term correctly) with how he mixes patterns and wears odd vests. You can see the inspiration for the green gingham-check suit I linked in OP here.

I can also recommend a few resources for developing your eye and learning more.
- Reddit's Male Fashion Advice is a genuinely great resource for newbies. Especially their wiki section, which I think collects all prior advice-type posts. You'll find people there are a little kinder than they are here (and probably much moreso than 4chan).
- You should read Derek's writing at Die Workwear and Put This On, both to learn about how to dress and to develop your eye for what looks good. The "Knowledge Base" section at Put This On is a great place to start.

Die, Workwear!

A blog about classic men's clothing and style

dieworkwear.com

Home

putthison.com

As I've said, and I'm sure you get the picture by now, I'm not really aiming to be the "best dressed guy in the room" or anything like that, and I'm pretty sure of what I like. I mean, you're right, I'm not in a positon to start buying suits right now, but I already know what I want, and like I said I'm sort of intruiged with AliExpress as an avenue to get it, once it becomes reasonable for me to do so. Still, since I don't want to be arrogant, I'm open to whatever advice you have.

 

[FlyingHorker]

OP, any other pictures of your suit?

Facing the camera, only top button buttoned, arms at your sides.



Otherwise we can't really tell anything about the fit.

With that said, thoughts on lifting weights and going on a bulk? Is this feasible on your current budget? The idea is to make yourself larger to fit into the smaller end of the average man's suit size.

I went off to buy a blazer when I was 19, and the salesperson told me the same thing. I didn't like his advice at the time, but then ended up doing exactly that many years later.

Your chest size and physique isn't set in stone.