Anyone know these brands?

[gloths]

I'm looking for my first suit. I've looked around and slim fitting 38Rs usually fit me very well.

I'm in ottawa so the selection is limited. Harry Rosen has Z Zegna suits starting at $1k. They fit really well but from what I've read here they aren't worth half that.

Holt Renfrew had a PS London that fit really well too. $1.3k Still too much for the quality (or lack thereof).

I've been looking around for deals and a small store here had been having a 50% off sale for a couple of months (after that much time I guess it's not really a "sale" anymore).

They carry the following:
Baumler
Louis Feraud
Bruno Saint Hilaire

I can't find much information about these brands. Anyone know anything about their quality?

There's also a mondo uomo store nearby. They have their own brand. Are they any good or just another moore's.

 

[bbhewee]

Feraud and St-Hilaire are French brands, and not too good quality-wise. Fused as far as I can remember.

 

[OttoSkadelig]

avoid french suits.

being part french, i say this with some authority.

 

[Eclipse]

Indeed most french brands are to be avoided, usually being overpriced and lower quality, although some are pretty respectable and offer quality clothing such as Dormeuil, Lanvin, DH or YSL.

Being knowldgeable of the european market only, I wouldn't know if these brands keep the same standards overseas or if the goods are produced under license, most of the aforementioned have their tailored clothing for the euro market manufactured in Italy or Germany.
And I'm assuming they'd be hard to find in your area.


Pasting the yellow pages link for your region in case it might help you find more menswear stores:

http://www.yellowpages.ca/search/?st...Canada&x=0&y=0


Also mind that although it doesn't always get good publicity on these forums, Hugo Boss sometimes offer suits that can be pretty nice (at least for the euro market, don't know about Canada)...While their lower end ones use cheap fabrics and finishing, moving onto the finer Boss Black or Selection suits can lead to some interesting finds (all the more so on sale), provided they're available locally.

 

[Master-Classter]

What's your general size/shape and what are you looking to use this suit for?

Is it a stretch to make it out to Montreal?



The Z-Zegnas have a great cut but are made in Mexico and fused... so for $1K I'd say pass. On sale (Holts will do it occasionally) for around $650-700 it's ok. (and before USA people jump in, remember, in Canada we don't get your crazy sales). Look for the "city" cut (drop 7) and then try the even slimmer "drop 8" version (fastest way to identify it is the sleeve buttonhole stitching will be angled). Also check sites like Yoox for prices.

For PS - Holt's should have a decent selection. Look for the Byard model/cut, it's pretty slim.
If you like PS, see if Holt's there has the Ralph Lauren Black Label (the only cut is called "Anthony&quot. This $1500 suit on sale for the $1-1300 of the others at full retail is a better deal. Or hunt around online and see if you can get one for much less.

Some of Armani's (Collezioni) models are slim. I think it's the Georgio or Metro body (there's 4-5 cuts and Holts/Harry's carry different ones).

Etro's ok, they have a cut (I think called Milano/Metro or something).

Holts (at least here in Toronto) just started carrying Burberry London suits and they're really not too bad. I think half canvassed and prices around the $1k-1200 mark. Not much of a personality though, whereas guys like PS come with their own set of balls.


I'd say avoid some of the more "runway" guys like Dior, Prada, Gucci, D&G, etc. They're slim, but the quality is sometimes not there, their prices are generally rather high, and they're very fashion forward.

Also understand that when you're comparing PS to Zegna, they're really chalk and cheese in terms of styling.

anyway, hope that's somewhat of a help.

 

[gloths]

Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to avoid those french suits.

Any words on the Baumlers? I've seen them at multiple stores. They fit nice. I found it a bit heavy but the AC in the store wasn't working so that didn't help.

I did try an Armani Collezioni with a metro cut. It looked awesome, but not $2k awesome.

Montreal might be a possibility. Any suggestions? What can I expect as far as prices for RLBLs (they're only sold in Toronto/Montreal)?

I need a suit in exactly one month so I can't wait for deals. Otherwise I would just wait until boxing day as I do for most things.

 

[denacethemennis]

Sorry can't say I know Baumler but if you're in Ottawa I suggest stopping by Morgante Menswear over on Sparks. It's a smaller store but I found a decent selection there (Canali, Z Zegna, Cavalli, etc) and the tailor is excellent. I gave up on the other stores in town (after some bad experiences) and I've been doing most of my shopping there for about a year now.

Hope this helps.

 

[Endeavour]

as a fellow Canadian, i wholeheartedly would recommend made to measure by samuelsohn or coppley if your budget can't stretch quite as far. Both offer good value for money (samuelsohn suits are often on par with much more expensive suits), are available quickly from the canadian factories, and many stores across the country carry them (Harry, many independent mens stores). I believe theres someone in montreal who specializes in both. A number of different cuts are available, and the fabric selection is very good.