Australian Members

[Geoffrey Firmin]

The last time I drank Cinzano it cost a $1.30 a bottle.

 

[eightace]



With the sales now on at David Jones - is Anthony Squires considered a quality suit?

Years before I discovered SF, I bought a suit from Anthony Squires. Lovely fabric, it seems to be well-made, but I realised later that it didn't really fit well. I have had it altered, but it still doesn't look right, and now I've spent as much as a good MTM suit would cost.

TLDR: don't mess around, go MTM.

 

[Coxsackie]

Raucously loud party in the next door apartment last night (with crap soundtrack), so wifey and I headed out to Bennett's Lane in the conservative business dress for some live music.

Featured band (and backup group for the nightly Melbourne International Jazz Festival jam session) was The Grid, a Perth trio offering modern electric jazz with a highly individual style, incorporating an eclectic range of influences including elements of rock and pop. Mostly quite restrained, but towards the end of their opening set of original compositions they unleashed some lashings of searing virtuosity from each player. Especially impressive was bassist Dane Alderson, who in his solos combines the dexterity of a Stanley Clarke with mature lyricism and a complex polyphonic sensibility.

For the actual jam, a number of "friends" were invited onstage. All were decent but the stand-out was another Perth denizen, Troy Roberts on tenor sax. First set concluded with a raucous blow on Dizzy's "A Night in Tunisia", at which point (1.30am) we took our leave - as I'm up early to play string quartets with friends this morning.

Aussie jazz appears to be alive and well.


Dane Alderson


Troy Roberts


Three guest horns, one guest guitarist

 

[Teggeh]

I'm in need of a Tux. I'll be going to a few functions this year and next year that require a Tux. So I'd like something nice, but not overly expensive. I don't really like the look of the options available from MJ Bale and don't really want to spend more than $900 for the tux (pants+jacket). Any suggestions of other places to look? Prefer to try it on. Online only/US/UK stores are a no go.

edit: Forgot to mention, RM Williams shoes (not boots), whats the quality like? Recommended or avoid?

 

[Thanasi]



Years before I discovered SF, I bought a suit from Anthony Squires. Lovely fabric, it seems to be well-made, but I realised later that it didn't really fit well. I have had it altered, but it still doesn't look right, and now I've spent as much as a good MTM suit would cost.

TLDR: don't mess around, go MTM.

This is my first suit in ten years. I work in IT Pre Sales these days and can get away with a pair of slacks, nice casual shirt, and even a tie. A suit can be a tad formal, but common if you're a business development manager.

So I eyed an Anthony Squires suit yesterday at DJs, grey, wool, 100s, for $700. Is it worth it?

 

[Journeyman]

So I eyed an Anthony Squires suit yesterday at DJs, grey, wool, 100s, for $700. Is it worth it?

Really depends whether it fits well or not.

For all the talk about hand-stitching and full floating canvassed chestpieces, the most important thing about a suit is whether it fits. It can have all the hand-work in the world but if it looks like a sack or if it makes you look like an over-stuffed sausage, everything else counts for naught.

I haven't tried on anything by Squires for a decade or more so I don't know what their suits are like nowadays. I do remember that they were quite boxy with a fair bit of padding in the shoulders. I think that they are fairly well made but, of course, nothing amazing.

With regard to the jacket, getting the shoulder width right is really the most important thing, as other bits can generally be nipped and tucked and taken up.

 

[eightace]



This is my first suit in ten years. I work in IT Pre Sales these days and can get away with a pair of slacks, nice casual shirt, and even a tie. A suit can be a tad formal, but common if you're a business development manager.

So I eyed an Anthony Squires suit yesterday at DJs, grey, wool, 100s, for $700. Is it worth it?

Only if it fits.

 

[Osiris2012]

Really depends whether it fits well or not.

For all the talk about hand-stitching and full floating canvassed chestpieces, the most important thing about a suit is whether it fits. It can have all the hand-work in the world but if it looks like a sack or if it makes you look like an over-stuffed sausage, everything else counts for naught.

With regard to the jacket, getting the shoulder width right is really the most important thing, as other bits can generally be nipped and tucked and taken up.

This.

 

[Osiris2012]

I'm not trying to start anything between Sydney and Melbourne but I've been working in melb conservative business dress the week before last and now Sydney conservative business dress all this week and I have to say the Sydney guys beat Melbourne hands down for business wear (imo). Technically if you subscribe to the model that conservative business dress wear should be purely ultra conservative, conforming to charcoal suit and black shoes then yes Melbourne would be streets ahead.

Saw a fella rocking what looked like a HC grenadine in Sydney conservative business dress, would have blown some minds in Melbourne to see colour in the conservative business dress.

 

[Oli2012]

Why not go MJB?

The fabric is on par, the cut is nicer, and a decent suit can be had for $500.

 

[sliq]

With regard to the jacket, getting the shoulder width right is really the most important thing, as other bits can generally be nipped and tucked and taken up.

Couldn't agree more. I don't bother buying suits/jackets if shoulders of the suit don't sit well on my shoulders; besides width I'd look for divots across the shoulder, at the top of the sleeve, and sleeve pitch.

 

[Thanasi]

Really depends whether it fits well or not.

For all the talk about hand-stitching and full floating canvassed chestpieces, the most important thing about a suit is whether it fits. It can have all the hand-work in the world but if it looks like a sack or if it makes you look like an over-stuffed sausage, everything else counts for naught.

I haven't tried on anything by Squires for a decade or more so I don't know what their suits are like nowadays. I do remember that they were quite boxy with a fair bit of padding in the shoulders. I think that they are fairly well made but, of course, nothing amazing.

With regard to the jacket, getting the shoulder width right is really the most important thing, as other bits can generally be nipped and tucked and taken up.

I feel embarrassed to say that I'm just a noob when it comes to fashion, and I'm tryin'.

After trying it on, the staff said that it was a "perfect fit" (i.e., no alterations needed).

I assume a grey (standard, with no lines in the fabric) would be the best choice to give a more casual look than a navy. Working in IT Pre Sales I can have meetings with customers that are wearing jeans and t-shirts. So I don't want to come off as being slick and pompous.

 

[sliq]

I feel embarrassed to say that I'm just a noob when it comes to fashion, and I'm tryin'.

After trying it on, the staff said that it was a "perfect fit" (i.e., no alterations needed).

I assume a grey (standard, with no lines in the fabric) would be the best choice to give a more casual look than a navy. Working in IT Pre Sales I can have meetings with customers that are wearing jeans and t-shirts. So I don't want to come off as being slick and pompous.

if it's your first suit, i'd go with a solid mid grey.. it's not a particularly casual colour, likewise with navy, unless you go lighter.

have a read of:

http://ethandesu.com/post/9914610435/the-grey-suit-what-constitutes-a-staple-wardrobe

it's an excellent post; very informative. the colour of the suit ethan is wearing is also a good starting point.

 

[Journeyman]

After trying it on, the staff said that it was a "perfect fit" (i.e., no alterations needed).

Hopefully, they were correct in their assessment.

Unfortunately (as I've ranted about in the past), a lot of menswear sales assistants seem to think that to fit well, a suit must be one or two sizes too big, so as to give a man some room to move.

Whilst I don't want a skin-tight suit, I don't really understand this idea of needing room to move. A well-fitting suit gives a person room to move because it fits them well, not because it fits them like a sack.

I lost count of the number of times I'd try on a jacket that fit me well and was a really good width across the shoulders, only to be told that I needed to try on the next size to give me some room.

And don't get me started on the number of times that I was told that sleeves should come down to where the thumb joins the hand (yes, really).

So, in short, I hope that the staff who told you that it was a perfect fit were accurate!

 

[kayhill]

Hopefully, they were correct in their assessment.

Unfortunately (as I've ranted about in the past), a lot of menswear sales assistants seem to think that to fit well, a suit must be one or two sizes too big or small, so long as they get a sale.

I wouldn't put much weight in sales assistant opinions on fit -- too many of them are purely self interested, or don't know enough about how it should fit. I mean really, they're just people working a retail job usually -- not necessarily any interest in suits.

I think given Thanasi wants a first time suit places like MJ Bale are a good choice because they have a more modern cut and the prices aren't too bad.

I find most DJs brands to be too boxy (or pricey Zegna, Armani, Canali etc).