Advice Request: Buying first Sports Coat

[BostonGeorge]

Hey guys,

I'm going to be buying my first sports coat and wanted to know if it would be worthwhile to see an M2M shop.

Given my limited experience in buying these things I was initially thinking that I might just buy an OTR one as I didn't think it would be worth the extra $. However after reading some threads on here and seeing all the great work that has been done I am starting to change my mind.

What do you guys think? Will a M2M be worth my money or should I try some OTR's first and maybe look at M2M for my second one?

I would appreciate any advice you could provide.

Thanks very much!

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Depends how well OTR fits you with a bit of tailoring.

 

[tim_horton]

Unless your body is very weirdly shaped I'd try to find an OTR that fits or needs basic tailoring to fit. If this is your first sports coat, you don't really know what you'll wind up liking or not liking, and it would suck to invest a lot of money in MTM and realize you don't like the result, regardless of how well it fits.

Of course you can always go with a staple navy sports coat/blazer. But even then, you may not be sure about what details you want: side or center venting, number of buttons, lapel width, length, etc.

I only say this because I'm in the same boat as you - figuring out what I like and what works for me - and the options of MTM seem overwhelming when I think about them.

 

[pvrhye]

Poke through WAYWRN and find a picture you like. Then ask yourself.

Is this person similar to me in proportion?
How long are the cuffs?
How many and what kind of buttons are on it.
Where does the jacket end? (Just past your ass is the standard)
Where is the button that the jacket buttons on (Natural waist is the standard answer)
Where do the shoulders of the jacket end? At the shoulder? Just past it?
How padded are the shoulders?
How heavy is the cloth?

 

[BostonGeorge]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Much appreciated.

 

[epa]

An advantage with MTM is that you have all these lovely fabrics to choose from. Actually, when looking at OTR stuff I have often observed that the only coats I like tend to be from some Italian brand that is so expensive that MTM actually ends up being cheaper.

On the other hand, MTM is no guarantee for success. I was certainly not satisfied with the fit of my first MTM sport coat (Zegna Su Misura).

Thus, if OTR would fit me well (which it generally doesn't, unfortunately) I would only go MTM if I didn't find any OTR coat at a reasonable price and with a cloth that I really fancied.

 

[Harper]

Successful M2M isn't just about knowing what you like. It is also about knowing what you don't like. I think it would be useful to have a frame of reference before you set out for M2M. Fabric wise some turn to M2M because they have the basics plus several others and want to find something "new" for them. You are not in the boat so I would suggest OTR unless you are oddly shaped and it simply doesn't work for you.

 

[Ag229487]

I would say start with something OTR and move your way up.

 

[pvrhye]

When you buy one, go to the WAYWRN thread and brace yourself for the thumping you're gonna receive. Your second jacket will be much nicer.

 

[acecow]

I'd say definitely start with OTR and tailoring first.