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First, please please please reconsider on the matter of the suit's color. Despite what some - particularly, albeit not exclusively, those with relatively little understanding of classic men's fashion -- believe, a black suit is not "classic." In almost every possible situation where you might think a black suit would be the best choice, a grey or navy suit would be preferable. Well, with the possible exception of clubbing, but I don't go clubbing, so I can't really speak to what's preferable on that front. (And yes, even when attending a funeral, a charcoal grey suit is often a better choice than a black one, although I'll allow as how a funeral is one of those rare occasions when wearing a black suit may actually be a perfectly valid choice.)
This point has, however, been discussed at SF at great length on many occasions, so rather than rehashing what's already been said, I'd advise you to look up old threads, should you be so inclined.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not knocking MTM suits. If you said your price range were $900-1200, I might well recommend MTM. But at $400-700, with no obvious physical oddities making OTR suits a fundamentally poor fit, buying OTR and getting it "fine tuned" afterward, is probably the way to go.
Oh, lest you think that remark is sexist, let me note that neither do most men know what suits they should be wearing.
Then, once you have some idea what you want, go start a new thread (as this will all be far too involved for incorporation into this "Ask A Question, Get An Answer" thread, which tends to deal best with relatively simple and straight forward matters), asking for suggestions as to where you can find something like it, given your price range.
Then, you and your husband go there (and I'm hoping it's a physical store, and not just a website, since someone relatively unfamiliar with quality suits is almost always better off going to an actual store, where he can be measured, and try various things on, than he is ordering off the web - although much depends on where you're located... what holds true for someone shopping for suits in Manhattan, may not hold true for someone shopping for suits in rural Montana). Have your husband try on some suits. Then, when he finds one which both of you like and think is a good choice, whip out your cell phone and take a few pictures of him wearing it. One from the front (with him standing naturally). One from behind. One from the side.
Post these pictures to the thread you started. Ask for opinions.
Ask if anyone can recommend a good alterations tailor near you. Because even a suit that looks good and fits pretty well right off the rack can often benefit from just a little expert tailoring. A half inch here or there can genuinely make a difference. (Plus, you'll need to have the pants cuffed - or hemmed, if that's what you prefer. And very possibly the sleeves will need to be shortened slightly. These two alterations are almost a given, they're so common.)
Finally, if you aren't already up on it, educate yourself on how to care for the suit. Maybe you'll want to buy a brush for it. Maybe you'll recognize that instead of sending your husband's suits to the cleaners for a cleaning-and-pressing every so often, all you really ought to be doing is having them pressed, with cleaning a far less common thing. Maybe you'll realize that your local dry cleaner simply does a horrible job on suits - pressing them badly is a common thing - and you ought to find a new, better cleaners.
You could even make sure you (or, really, your husband) understands how to wear the suit to its best advantage. For example, many men wear their suit pants far too low. Others don't know which buttons to button, when they button their suit coats. And some are confused regarding which shirts to wear with their suits, or which shoes to wear with them.
Well, this post is already on the long side, and I've barely touched up some key issues and advice. Like I said, you really need to start a brand new thread for this topic. But good luck. And congratulations to your husband on losing the weight (assuming it was intentional).
First, please please please reconsider on the matter of the suit's color. Despite what some - particularly, albeit not exclusively, those with relatively little understanding of classic men's fashion -- believe, a black suit is not "classic." In almost every possible situation where you might think a black suit would be the best choice, a grey or navy suit would be preferable. Well, with the possible exception of clubbing, but I don't go clubbing, so I can't really speak to what's preferable on that front. (And yes, even when attending a funeral, a charcoal grey suit is often a better choice than a black one, although I'll allow as how a funeral is one of those rare occasions when wearing a black suit may actually be a perfectly valid choice.)
This point has, however, been discussed at SF at great length on many occasions, so rather than rehashing what's already been said, I'd advise you to look up old threads, should you be so inclined.
In that price range, bespoke is out of the question, of course. Made-to-measure (MTM) may be a possibility, barely, but unless your husband is unusually difficult to fit (and 6'2", 200 lbs, with broad shoulders, doesn't sound all that difficult, although one never can tell for sure without seeing the person) he will likely get a better quality suit by buying off-the-rack (OTR), and then getting it expertly tailored for perfect fit.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not knocking MTM suits. If you said your price range were $900-1200, I might well recommend MTM. But at $400-700, with no obvious physical oddities making OTR suits a fundamentally poor fit, buying OTR and getting it "fine tuned" afterward, is probably the way to go.
No idea what this means. Are you saying you want the suit to have a label whose name people will recognize? That you want some particular feature which people sometimes associate with high quality suits? That you want it to reflect some particular school of fashion though? Or what?
That's okay. Most women are clueless about what suits men should wear - which seldom prevents them from telling their husbands/boyfriends/sons what to wear. You, at least, understand that you lack the necessary understanding, and are seeking to be educated.
Oh, lest you think that remark is sexist, let me note that neither do most men know what suits they should be wearing.
Okay, first off, you need to devote some time to reading about suits - style, fit, material, etc. Decide what sort of suit would work best for your husband, based on his looks, where he'll likely be wearing the suit, his preferences as to fit, etc. (For example, maybe he prefers a traditional fit, as opposed to a closer fitting suit. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it's something you and your husband will have to decide. Don't let strangers on an online forum decide this for you.)
Then, once you have some idea what you want, go start a new thread (as this will all be far too involved for incorporation into this "Ask A Question, Get An Answer" thread, which tends to deal best with relatively simple and straight forward matters), asking for suggestions as to where you can find something like it, given your price range.
Then, you and your husband go there (and I'm hoping it's a physical store, and not just a website, since someone relatively unfamiliar with quality suits is almost always better off going to an actual store, where he can be measured, and try various things on, than he is ordering off the web - although much depends on where you're located... what holds true for someone shopping for suits in Manhattan, may not hold true for someone shopping for suits in rural Montana). Have your husband try on some suits. Then, when he finds one which both of you like and think is a good choice, whip out your cell phone and take a few pictures of him wearing it. One from the front (with him standing naturally). One from behind. One from the side.
Post these pictures to the thread you started. Ask for opinions.
Ask if anyone can recommend a good alterations tailor near you. Because even a suit that looks good and fits pretty well right off the rack can often benefit from just a little expert tailoring. A half inch here or there can genuinely make a difference. (Plus, you'll need to have the pants cuffed - or hemmed, if that's what you prefer. And very possibly the sleeves will need to be shortened slightly. These two alterations are almost a given, they're so common.)
Finally, if you aren't already up on it, educate yourself on how to care for the suit. Maybe you'll want to buy a brush for it. Maybe you'll recognize that instead of sending your husband's suits to the cleaners for a cleaning-and-pressing every so often, all you really ought to be doing is having them pressed, with cleaning a far less common thing. Maybe you'll realize that your local dry cleaner simply does a horrible job on suits - pressing them badly is a common thing - and you ought to find a new, better cleaners.
You could even make sure you (or, really, your husband) understands how to wear the suit to its best advantage. For example, many men wear their suit pants far too low. Others don't know which buttons to button, when they button their suit coats. And some are confused regarding which shirts to wear with their suits, or which shoes to wear with them.
Well, this post is already on the long side, and I've barely touched up some key issues and advice. Like I said, you really need to start a brand new thread for this topic. But good luck. And congratulations to your husband on losing the weight (assuming it was intentional).
