An Introduction and some guidance needed....

[Casanova White]

Good day,
Just a little abut myself before I start bombarding the forum with questions. I'm from England (work in Manchester) 24 years young. Recently I have developed a much greater interest in the sartorial side of life. I've always had a keen interest in style however only recently has my work necessitated a smarter look.

My problem isn't so much that I need advice as to what looks good as I know what look I want. I like the sharp, powerful, well cut look. It's more that I need help with what makes that look (eg. why some suits look boxy whereas others seem to flatter the figure) and where and how I can go about getting my desired look.

In the past couple of months I have learnt a alot in regard to the various subtleties that go in to the design of suit (slanted pockets, notch/peak lapels etc etc) and have been eager to make a purchase. Im becoming increasingly frustrated though because I am gaining all this knowledge yet can't put it to use as I am loathe to invest in something which isnt quite right. This is where I need your help my friends, and I hope that you are willing to assist.

The main problem however, is budget. I'm not looking to spend any more than £200 on the suit really and further complications are brought in by my build.

I'm 5'8" , 140lbs and slim build, with short arms and legs. Measuring my chest I get 38" although I normally shop for 36" jackets and a 34" jacket in H&M yesterday fit me quite comfortably also. My problem seems to be that I find it very difficult to find a suit that fits as many stores don't stock 36" and even then it's hard work finding one that fits snugly, in a short cut with 30" short trousers.

The main questions that I need assistance with are these...

Finding a suit. Whether to get RTW (and have it altered) or an Asian MTM?
Do I need my shirts altering. Sleeves too long? Body too baggy?
Tailoring / Alterations for the above matters. Where to find a good one and how much to pay?
Smart shoes. Which styles to get?

I already have some ideas on each issue but rather than make this post more lenghty than it already is I'll deal with each matter seperately. My initial intention was just to say hello, although I appreciate that it has become a rather long one. So ummm... Hello.

Thankyou
CW

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by Casanova White

Good day,
Just a little abut myself before I start bombarding the forum with questions. I'm from England (work in Manchester) 24 years young. Recently I have developed a much greater interest in the sartorial side of life. I've always had a keen interest in style however only recently has my work necessitated a smarter look.

My problem isn't so much that I need advice as to what looks good as I know what look I want. I like the sharp, powerful, well cut look. It's more that I need help with what makes that look (eg. why some suits look boxy whereas others seem to flatter the figure) and where and how I can go about getting my desired look.

In the past couple of months I have learnt a alot in regard to the various subtleties that go in to the design of suit (slanted pockets, notch/peak lapels etc etc) and have been eager to make a purchase. Im becoming increasingly frustrated though because I am gaining all this knowledge yet can't put it to use as I am loathe to invest in something which isnt quite right. This is where I need your help my friends, and I hope that you are willing to assist.

The main problem however, is budget. I'm not looking to spend any more than £200 on the suit really and further complications are brought in by my build.

I'm 5'8" , 140lbs and slim build, with short arms and legs. Measuring my chest I get 38" although I normally shop for 36" jackets and a 34" jacket in H&M yesterday fit me quite comfortably also. My problem seems to be that I find it very difficult to find a suit that fits as many stores don't stock 36" and even then it's hard work finding one that fits snugly, in a short cut with 30" short trousers.

The main questions that I need assistance with are these...

Finding a suit. Whether to get RTW (and have it altered) or an Asian MTM?
Do I need my shirts altering. Sleeves too long? Body too baggy?
Tailoring / Alterations for the above matters. Where to find a good one and how much to pay?
Smart shoes. Which styles to get?

I already have some ideas on each issue but rather than make this post more lenghty than it already is I'll deal with each matter seperately. My initial intention was just to say hello, although I appreciate that it has become a rather long one. So ummm... Hello.

Thankyou
CW

Hello,

nice to meet on this forum.

Here is my subsumption: The main problem however will be the budget. So, on longterm think about working on the budget to achieve better results.

Yours sincerely
Golf_Nerd

 

[Casanova White]

Thanks for your input.
Yeah the budget is a problem but rather than focus on blowing the bulk of my money on one item (i.e. a suit) I intend to share it around a bit so that the look is complete as a whole. The devil is in the details as they say. I've always thought shoes are a key part in the successfulness of any look so have set aside around £200 for 2 pairs of shoes.

I'm starting a new job in a weeks time and hopefully, all going to plan, this should increase my budget somewhat. Providing I take care of my shoes then I wont need to upgrade these in the near future, and can concentrate on buying an improved suit and more shirts/ties etc.

CW

 

[denning]

Your budget is bang on for Thick as Thieves (http://www.thickasthievesla.com/), our resident suit maker, and his style would seem to fit yours as well.

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by Casanova White

£200 for 2 pairs of shoes.

CW

Shoes (UK), also seconds and sales:

http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/

 

[academe]

Another option might be to strategize your purchases over several months, depending on what you need for work/leisure and how much you will earn from your new job. For example, if you have £400 available to you now and expect to have ~£200 per month to spend on clothing, you could consider buying 2 pairs of shoes for £100-150 each, and setting aside the extra £100 for your suit fund. Within 2 months you would have £500 to spend on a suit, which should give you far more options. This of course assumes that you don't need a suit for work; if you do, then perhaps spending most of your money on a suit might be a better choice...

Just an idea. I always advocate spending a wee bit more to get quality clothes/shoes that will last longer. That said, the suggestion of Thick-As-Thieves for a MTM suit is in your price range, and other forum members seem to have had good experiences.

 

[amin]

casanova white, i am in the same situation as you. i start work next week and i want to start building my wardrobe. i have a similar build to you and find it difficult to find suits that fit perfect. Thick as Thieves looks like it can provide what i am looking for.

 

[VKK3450]

Alterations can be a biaaaaaaatch.

The valet around the corner wants 20 pounds to shorten some shirt sleeves. I can Jantzen a new shirt for a few bucks more

K