Need help deciding between Hall Madden and Benjamin navy suits

[ichabodchris]

Hey everyone, first time poster here.

I've been upgrading my wardrobe and I am now in the market for a new dark navy suit. I've only ever owned shabby, off the rack suits that have NOT been purchased with consideration. So far, I've narrowed it down to a few: Hall & Madden, Benjamin, Brooks Brothers, and Suitsupply. I got these brands thanks to a PutThisOn article from a few years back.

I'm based in NYC and was able to visit Hall & Madden, Suitsupply, and Brooks Brothers this past weekend to get first impressions. Hall and Madden stood out as the salesman wasn't pushy at all and really went into great detail about what to expect and what to look for when getting a new suit. Suitsupply and Brooks Brothers were both more rushed and I felt like someone was trying to get me into a used car. I emailed the people at Benjamin and they said that their suits run a bit more slim and that Suitsupply is the closest approximation. My hesitations with Benjamin are: I can't really put anything on or inspect material, etc. And the salesman at Suitsupply (their fits are supposedly similar) was being very pushy trying to get me into a 42S when I typically have worn 42R and the guy himself was wearing a very slim suit.

All of that said, I'm between the Hall & Madden off of the good vibes and feeling that I'd probably get what I'd pay for, and Benjamin based on previous posts/rankings I've found here.

But, I figured this community may help me just pull the trigger and help free me from my analysis paralysis.

Anyway, hope everyone's week is going well!

 

[breakaway01]

What is your budget? I don't know Hall & Madden's pricing, but if you can afford $1500-2000 I'd definitely also look at the Armoury and No Man Walks Alone.

 

[ichabodchris]

What is your budget? I don't know Hall & Madden's pricing, but if you can afford $1500-2000 I'd definitely also look at the Armoury and No Man Walks Alone.

My budget is around a grand

 

[breakaway01]

I don't really know much about Hall Madden's process but I understand that it's all MTM. The point here is that you can't be sure how it'll turn out until it has been made, and at that point only minor adjustments will be possible. Did you try on a trial suit in your size when you were there? If they don't have a suit in their block pattern for you to try on, I'd stay away -- too unpredictable. If they do have a suit in your block pattern, it needs to fit reasonably well without major alterations needed. Major deviations from the block pattern come with risk.

The advantage of RTW is that you can tell how it'll fit before buying. Sounds obvious but it's not necessarily true that custom = better fit. For example, you didn't really like how the SA at SuitSupply wanted you to size down. You should insist that you try your regular size as well (or maybe you did). I think their suits are actually reasonably proportioned if you insist on trying your actual size.

 

[ichabodchris]

What is the SA at Suitsupply?

But that's very fair. I’ll try to find something in my block at both places and see how they fit/compare. Thanks!

 

[breakaway01]

Sorry, SA = sales associate

 

[ichabodchris]

Sorry, SA = sales associate

Gotcha, thanks! I'll try on trial suits and take some pics and try to see which is a better starting spot before tailoring. Really do appreciate the help and advice.