Need Advice: Law Student on A Budget

[Passacaglia]

Hi everyone,

I've recently been offered a place in Singapore's top law school and will be in New York and Washington this August on vacation.

Singapore's menswear scene is largely disappointing; it's overpriced for the quality point compared to the States and there is a very large gap in the area of mid-quality, mid-priced items. The alternative is to use homegrown tailors, which themselves vary in quality and price point excessively. I have not yet reached a point in my life when I can afford Kevin Seah Bespoke, although I have purchased some ties and lapel pins from Gerald Shen, whom I often see posting here and am a fan. I've looked into Iris Tailors which seems highly regarded on the forum but they're still a little too steep for me and are my last resort if I can't find anything in the States.

Due to Singapore's mandatory Army service, I haven't had much cause to update my wardrobe for the past two years and I've lost quite a bit of weight so many of my old clothes and suits no longer fit as well as I would like them to.

1. I'm looking for suggestions on where I can find a reasonable quality OTR boring lawyer black suit and pair of shoes in the New York/DC area that can be had without breaking the bank of a impoverished student and will hopefully see me through at least 4 years of internships, moots, and mock advocacy.

2. I'm also interested in New York's thrift stores (there are none worth going to in Singapore), and have had Beacon's Closet recommended to me. Any recommendations or suggestions in this area as well?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Concordia]

I've been out of that part of the market for a while, but some of the usual suspects might be Joseph A. Bank on the lower end and Brooks Brothers on the high side. Not that either is always known for very highest quality or best prices.

One thing to consider is that each of those shops offers separates, so you can find trousers that fit and even get a second pair, which might serve you well if you're doing an internship where your jacket spends a lot of time on a hanger.

 

[bboysdontcryy]

I'm not sure why there was a need to begin a post with 'I've recently been offered a place in Singapore's top law school ...' as if that's in any way pertinent to your query. That, in addition to the fact that, from what I understand, there are only two law schools in Singapore and that students from both institutions are of a similar caliber. A distinction sans difference?

If you find Iris' products pricey, and have scoured the streets for cheap tailors, chances are that you're unlikely to find RTW products from NY and DC that 1) fit as well and 2) have prices that better that of a cheap tailor for which Singapore is littered with.

Concordia mentioned Brooks Brothers. Other suspects include J Press and Ralph Lauren, but they're likely to be priced in the range of Iris.

Jos A Bank is a cheaper alternative, and you can find shops selling suits at that price range around the US. They're all at least 350 USD and above so take that into consideration (since I'm aware you can have a suit cheaply made for less in Singapore -- and of course, at a quality commensurate with price). A RTW is unlikely to fit as well unless you have a body cut like a model.

You might want to check out outlet malls and if you're visiting during the sales seasons, you might get lucky.

 

[Kai]

For off the rack, I would recommend Canali.

Canali suits can be had online pretty consistently in the $600-$900 range. Fabrics and construction are very very good.

British American House in New York City carries Canali, and often have them on sale at that price point as well.

Canali is pretty much my go to OTR suit. If I'm going to spend more than it costs to buy Canali, I'm going bespoke.

 

[Frankie22]

I'm not sure why there was a need to begin a post with 'I've recently been offered a place in Singapore's top law school ...' as if that's in any way pertinent to your query. That, in addition to the fact that, from what I understand, there are only two law schools in Singapore and that students from both institutions are of a similar caliber. A distinction sans difference?

If you find Iris' products pricey, and have scoured the streets for cheap tailors, chances are that you're unlikely to find RTW products from NY and DC that 1) fit as well and 2) have prices that better that of a cheap tailor for which Singapore is littered with.

Concordia mentioned Brooks Brothers. Other suspects include J Press and Ralph Lauren, but they're likely to be priced in the range of Iris, and you're unlikely to get it to fit well unless you use their MTM program.

Jos A Bank is a cheaper alternative, and you can find shops selling suits at that price range around the US. They're all at least 350 USD and above so take that into consideration (since I'm aware you can have a suit cheaply made for less in Singapore -- and of course, at a quality commensurate with price). A RTW is unlikely to fit as well unless you have a body cut like a model.

You might want to check out outlet malls and if you're visiting during the sales seasons, you might get lucky.

Just shut up.

 

[bboysdontcryy]



Just shut up. 

Yes. You can STFU.

Maybe you're the sort who likes to boast about going to a top school. But okay, take that to a bragging thread, or say, a college admissions forum.

 

[jeff13007]



I'm not sure why there was a need to begin a post with 'I've recently been offered a place in Singapore's top law school ...' as if that's in any way pertinent to your query. That, in addition to the fact that, from what I understand, there are only two law schools in Singapore and that students from both institutions are of a similar caliber. A distinction sans difference?

If you find Iris' products pricey, and have scoured the streets for cheap tailors, chances are that you're unlikely to find RTW products from NY and DC that 1) fit as well and 2) have prices that better that of a cheap tailor for which Singapore is littered with.

Concordia mentioned Brooks Brothers. Other suspects include J Press and Ralph Lauren, but they're likely to be priced in the range of Iris.

Jos A Bank is a cheaper alternative, and you can find shops selling suits at that price range around the US. They're all at least 350 USD and above so take that into consideration (since I'm aware you can have a suit cheaply made for less in Singapore -- and of course, at a quality commensurate with price). A RTW is unlikely to fit as well unless you have a body cut like a model.

You might want to check out outlet malls and if you're visiting during the sales seasons, you might get lucky.

1. Yes there are two "well known" law schools but one does it for undergraduate and a LLM for post grads while the other does a JD and follows the American system.

2. Littered with cheap tailors yes but 99.9% of them will be crap. Doesn't only apply to Singapore, you would have to be pretty thick to think you are getting high quality work for 200-300 bucks (Maybe even in 24 hours!)

3. Not true, the whole point of RTW is that it was made to fit the "majority of the population" based on average measurements. If you are talking about brands like RLBL, and some of the Tom Ford models (base F, etc) then ok you need a certain body type but in general alot of RTW is pretty forgiving you just need to find the right brand for you

 

[Sam3L]

If you're going to be in New York, stop into Suit Supply. Lots of pics I've seen from them, stuff people have ordered online and hoped it fit, ended up looking good for the price. And in NY, you'll have the benefit of stopping into the actual store and getting measured, and try things on before buying. Pretty nice wool, full or half canvas, $469-$600 for the reasonable ones.