Budget <$500 OTR staple suit for regular wear & tear - which brands today have high armholes?

[epic raccoon]

Background:
I've been thrifting and discount shopping ever since I came across SF seven years ago.

Unfortunately my proportions are very unusual, so the few suits I do own are thrifted, and most of them are falling apart by now.

So for once, I'd like to buy a brand new suit for myself. Besides, I'm living in Manhattan, so I want to take advantage of my proximity to a variety of stores and flagship locations.

My price point is actually $200-300 excluding alterations. I receive seemingly-arbitrary discounts at certain places, hence the $500 in the title. My largest obstacle is finding a solid colour, staple wardrobe item, as I'm sure you're all familiar with the weird patterns found in abundance in the clearance aisle.


Research
Yes I did my research! The few attempts at compiling data I've come across are impossible to read through, or taint good data with outdated information.

While there have been threads specifically asking about brands with high armholes, the most recent ones are from 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2011.


Requirements

• High armholes
• No patch pockets
• No polyester in shell or lining

Preferences

• Fabric - Solid charcoal/dark grey, medium-to-light weight wool (will consider blues/greys & select browns, and solid-looking subtle/tight patterns/weaves, e.g. twill, gabardine, twill, serge)
• Quality - Reasonable expectations for sub-$500 suit. Fused construction is fine. Expected wear 3-4 times/week, and hoping 1-2 years is reasonable.
• Style - Single-breasted, 2-button, notched lapel two-piece suit (three-piece for a little more is okay); flat-front pants preferred.
• Details - Medium-skinny lapel width (2¾-3", which is proportionate to my frame)

Results

Brand	Cost	Lining	Sleeves	High Armholes
Theory	$229	Cupro	???	Yes
HUGO Hugo Boss (Red)	$199	Cupro/Acetate	???	Yes
BOSS Hugo Boss (Black)	$299	Viscose	Cupro/Acetate	Yes
Neiman Marcus (DKNY)	$228	???	???	???
Saks Fifth Avenue Slim-Fit	$199	???	???	???
Saks Fifth Avenue RED Trim-Fit	$199	???	???	???

Can anyone comment on the Neiman Marcus and Saks in-house brands, specifically pertaining to the armholes?

And of course, are there any other brands that I might have missed? I purposely omitted J. Crew, Zara, H&M, etc. due to their fashion-forward extremities, especially with lapel widths and very tight suits in general.

Thanks very much in advance

 

[othertravel]

This is a good write up. For that budget, I'd recommend Spier & McKay. They have an excellent reputation in this forum and sell suits for less than $500 US.

The quality to price ratio blows the brands above out of the water. All their OTR suits are half canvassed.

 

[winghus]

This is a good write up. For that budget, I'd recommend Spier & McKay. They have an excellent reputation in this forum and sell suits for less than $500 US.

The quality to price ratio blows the brands above out of the water. All their OTR suits are half canvassed.

/\/\/\
EOT

 

[epic raccoon]



This is a good write up. For that budget, I'd recommend Spier & McKay. They have an excellent reputation in this forum and sell suits for less than $500 US.

The quality to price ratio blows the brands above out of the water. All their OTR suits are half canvassed.

Thanks. I neglected to list online vendors because I'm unable to try them on, but Spier & McKay seems to offer free return shipping for US customers on the first suit.

Again, since quality isn't a high priority, I'd love to get more suggestions & input on other brands!

 

[BigBadBernard]

If you don't mind not taking advantage of your location (!) you could always try Roddy Charles http://www.roderickcharles.com

In my opinion they make the best budget traditional suit out there - solid construction and decent English cloths for the most part. They will deliver to the US, and of course you can knock the 20% tax off their web prices...

 

[epic raccoon]



If you don't mind not taking advantage of your location (!) you could always try Roddy Charles http://www.roderickcharles.com

In my opinion they make the best budget traditional suit out there - solid construction and decent English cloths for the most part. They will deliver to the US, and of course you can knock the 20% tax off their web prices...

I'm a bit of an Anglophile Unfortunately I was hoping more for advice specific to New York, i.e. the opposite of your post

I kid. Thanks for the advice, and for introducing me to a new English brand.

However, without free return shipping (or free shipping at all?) to the United States, it's not really an option for me. Not to mention the total comes out to over $500 USD, and that's without S&H or alterations.

I have two questions for you:

• Do you know of any international retailers that may carry Roddy Charles suits?
• Do you know of any other low-to-mid-range English or British brands with suits in the £200-300 range that may be available in the US?

Regarding the latter, Charles Tyrwhitt, Thomas Pink, Harvie & Hudson, and T.M. Lewin come to mind, but the last two don't have locations in the United States; I wonder if any department stores may carry some of their suits?

 

[LA Guy]

You might just try Suit Supply (www.suitsupply.com). They have a lot of workaday suits that should fir your budget, and several members of this forum have shown how to wear them well.

 

[epic raccoon]



You might just try Suit Supply (www.suitsupply.com).  They have a lot of workaday suits that should fir your budget, and several members of this forum have shown how to wear them well.

I'll be getting MTM from SuitSupply in a few years, i.e. when I have more financial security & income.

Their cheapest suits are still a bit more on the pricey side, and AFAIK their sale discounts aren't very significant?

I'm willing to wait for sales. I just want to be able to grab one or two suits that meet my criteria, and that I can wear without worrying about ruining them.