The StyleForum Working Hierarchical Suit Quality List (SFWHSQL!)

[bbhues]

Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

If Paul Stuart is having a sale, will it be listed on their website? I'd be alright with waiting another week or two to pull the trigger, but I've got a feeling they'll be saving the sales for after Christmas. I'll try on the Milano Brooks Brothers suits for sure, but from what I can tell right now the prices aren't really too far apart: $998 for a Milano 1818 suit from Brooks Brothers, half-canvassed, or $1284 for the Paul Stuart standard wool suit, fully canvassed. Are there noteworthy construction differences between the two? I know the PS is fully canvassed, but I'm really not sure how valuable that is to me. Will one be more expensive to tailor? Is one made of a superior material?

Brooks Brothers: http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Milan...ar_MK00224_Color=NAVY&contentpos=38&cgid=0216
Paul Stuart: http://www.paulstuart.com/product_i...07&MainCatId=14&HEADERMENUID=1&SUBPRODCATID=0

Still go for the Milano? You've all got more experience than I do. And thanks again, I'd be lost without this place.

EDIT: Also, and if this isn't the correct place for this question to be asked I apologize, but am I correct in assuming that at my price point I should be alright with most any dress shirt as long as I get it taken in to fit me properly?

Even if there is no sale at BB, can you sign up for the corporate card before to get 15% off? Also, if you try the Milano and find it too slim/shoulders too soft, you may want to consider Fitzgerald, which has more structured shoulders.

 

[AdamWill]

So, I was wondering - couldn't find the answer elsewhere in the forums. I picked up a Neiman Marcus own label cashmere SC at a Last Call yesterday, and it's marked as Made in Canada; the breast pocket label says "Union made Teamsters L-106". Wondering if anyone knows who makes these for NM. Teamsters local 106 seems to be in Quebec, so it could be Jack Victor? Quality is pretty decent.

 

[MZhammer]

So, I was wondering - couldn't find the answer elsewhere in the forums. I picked up a Neiman Marcus own label cashmere SC at a Last Call yesterday, and it's marked as Made in Canada; the breast pocket label says "Union made Teamsters L-106". Wondering if anyone knows who makes these for NM. Teamsters local 106 seems to be in Quebec, so it could be Jack Victor? Quality is pretty decent.

Do you have a pic of the label? Could be JV or Samuelsohn

 

[AdamWill]

Sure:

 

[aravenel]

My guess is Samuelsohn--theyre the largest manufacturer of "quality" menswear in Canada. They also produce tons of stuff under other labels, so it makes sense.

 

[MZhammer]

Sure:

Based on the label I'm going to guess JV. That doesn't look like any Samuelsohn label I've seen

 

[hbkshin]

Based on the label I'm going to guess JV. That doesn't look like any Samuelsohn label I've seen

Seconding Jack Victor. Just looked at a few labels today and they look exactly the same.

 

[taxgenius]

It's made by Peerless, probably for JV.

 

[aravenel]

Well there you go. Would have hoped NM would be made a bit better, though I don't have much experience with JV stuff.

 

[MZhammer]

Well there you go. Would have hoped NM would be made a bit better, though I don't have much experience with JV stuff.

+1 that's rather disappointing. I think Barneys uses Caruso... quite the disparity.

 

[AdamWill]

Well there you go. Would have hoped NM would be made a bit better, though I don't have much experience with JV stuff.

IIRC they had different stuff made by different makers; it certainly wasn't the case that all the private label NM stuff was made in Canada. Don't recall much about the others, though - might have been some US, some China and possibly some Italy. JV seems to have a mediocre rap around here, but not with a lot of detail - seems like not many SFers have really looked at them. I didn't care a lot since the material's nice and the fit is good, and the price was right...

edit: forgot to note - according to the salesperson at the Saks outlet, Saks' black and red label stuff is by JV too. They must know the secret of how to wine and dine the buyers for US department stores!

 

[Riva]

You seem bitter that people are skeptical about your "bespoke" garments or wearing a Zara suit with an Isaia coral pin but please don't go flooding the thread with misinformation. I can assure you that individuals like Dirnelli and jrd617 have much more experience than you or I in understanding stitching, fabric and production techniques.

We're not afraid that an Isaia suit will fall apart after 5 wears precisely because many of us own them, have first hand experience and can testify to their value. The point of this thread is to rely on community first-hand knowledge to establish a rough template of what suits fall where, not casting stones at garments we've never experienced. I can speak to a number of different manufacturers because I personally own them. I own fused suits, half canvased suits, and a good deal of canvased garments.

I'm not biased against fusing, it's great cost saving technique for getting a sculpted shape for low cost but it's just that: a cost saving measure that loses the comfort, flexibility and life of canvassing to make the process faster and cheaper. Having any old full canvas isn't inherently better, but a well made canvased garment is.

Sorry to bring up an old post as I just read this but did this just turned into something personal? If so please PM. Having said that...

I have sincere great respect for Dirnelli who is kind enough to spend his time typing and sharing his knowledge. But we're all strangers here so saying one is more experienced than another is a moot point and we should all drop it. My comment regarding Isaia is because precisely most of my OTR pieces are Isaias, just because I like the logo and I treat this as a hobby in addition to altering every single one of them. I'm somewhat of a detail freak so every protruding loose thread I'd cut personally, every weak sections exposed. Some pieces are flawless, most aren't so. So I can claim (the best anyone can do in the net) the integrity of my statement but I certainly would not go around saying someone else is wrong because they have never experienced it. People can choose to believe what they read and everyone lives in different areas of the world with different access to resources. I understand most people have never met a 37 year old entrepreneur with a $50mil net income a year but drives around in a $35k car and sometimes wear a Zara jacket and $90 Orient Mako watch. It is ignorance to assume those people are ignorant about the good stuff of this world and I meant guy toys/accessories. Which goes back to my earlier point regarding a first suit which is #1 image = #1 cut. A freshly graduated college kid looking for a first suit shouldn't be concerned with branding which IMO doesn't truly represent real world performance (comfort, fit, projected image). While we're at it, we should also make sure they don't go buy a cracking Montblanc fountain pens or a death-wish slippery leather outsoled shoes

 

[Riva]

So, to get to the meat of it, how much would you recommend I spend? I'm not sure if $1500 is too much for me to spend on this, even if I do have the money. Since I'm here asking for advice, maybe I should save until I've learned more. But, more importantly, what suits can I buy in-person within driving distance? That means New York and Boston are both in range. I'm not willing to purchase a suit online for two reasons; the first, I've never worn a perfectly fitting suit and so I can't give accurate measurements, and the second is that it doesn't meet my timeframe. I need the suit and all alterations done by the first week in December, when I'll be driving down to the day-long interview process.

Bottomline $800 max for a finished suit off the rack or online. Anything above should consider MTM or bespoke. Just get anything with 100% wool that fits you best. Doesn't have to be perfect and altered if the suit is only for interview, I'm sure they care more about your qualification than appearance in the military or legal. If possible $350 and save the rest for a real suit when you have the time to get a proper one.

 

[aravenel]



Bottomline $800 max for a finished suit off the rack or online. Anything above should consider MTM or bespoke.

This is bad advice. MTM or bespoke (which generally does not exist in that price range anyways) is a very bad idea for new suit wearers:

1. They don't know how to choose a good producer, and about 99% of MTM producers are far worse than their equivalent OTR. Check any of the MTM threads around here aside from Kent Want or Andrew Lock for the worst suit disasters ever seen.
2. They generally don't know what makes a good, versatile suit, and frequently end up with crazy patterned suits with neon linings and contrast buttonholes. Too much choice is a bad thing until you know what you need.
3. They often cannot articulate what they want both from a fit or styling perspective, and end up with very strange results.

Stick with OTR until you're an advanced learner. Chances are the Polo or Corneliani designer knows a lot more about what makes a good suit that a newbie suit wearer.

 

[chocsosa]

I would like to add to the good category two pieces. The first would be Trussini..fully canvassed product with nice fabric and Suit Supply's La Spalla line which is fully canvassed as well. Have both and can attest to these being in the same category as Canali or Corneliani which I own a couple pieces as well..