Buying First Suit - Help

[zach9]

I am looking to buy my first suit and would like to spend less than $500. So far I am considering SuitSupply Napoli fit ($469), J.Crew Ludlow fit (ebay around $400), and possibly a Hickey suit from Gilt. I want either a dark grey or navy and it must be a slim fit. Any more suggestions?

 

[Subtleyjewish]

A word of advice from a fellow young'n: super-skinny lapels and ties may be popular with the GQ crowd, but I urge you to think twice about a more traditional width. My first real suits were all Calvin Klein, two notch and two peak lapels, which aren't super skinny, but are definitely narrow. My father, a Brioni power-suit guy, derided my choices, but I went ahead anyways. All four suits were slim-fit, but the family tailor still did a few hundred dollars worth of alterations to make them perfect. While I still wear them, I'm much happier wearing some of my father's old suits--don't worry, another few trips to the tailor--with more traditional lapel widths. While thin lapels and ties have gone in and out of fashion along with the ultra-wides, a conservative middle-ground has always been the province of the upper echelons of corporate America. It can be difficult to find office-appropriate ties that aren't disproportionate to thin lapels, or perhaps that's just my bias towards the Italian old-guard. In any event, as Tom Ford says, a wider lapel paired with a sharply tailored body helps define the natural-V of the male torso, and gives off a powerful, and masculine, image.

 

[zach9]

I agree, I'm a bit weary of the J.Crew ludlow styling. It's a nice slim fit, but the lapels are ridiculously slim. I'm more interested in a suit with a slim cut as opposed to just slim lapels. The SuitSupply Napoli fit looks fairly conservative while also being a slim cut. http://www.suitsupply.com/navy-suit-napoli/P277804,en_US,pd.html, h

 

[TM79]

Snag a Regent or Fitzgerald from Brooks Brothers during a sell or through the B&S forum here.

They're slim but not totally over-the-top. I think the skinny lapels and skinny tie thing is fading. I also don't think it looks good, but that's subjective ...

 

[Subtleyjewish]

I've found myself going on the Suitsupply website more and more frequently. I definitely like the Napoli fit for a traditional Italian vibe, and I think that the Washington and Washington half do a wonderful mix of English dandy and business. You can't go wrong with any of them.

 

[TM79]

I don't like the sharp peaks on some of those lapels but it's personal preference. I kind of like the blue check Havana coat.

 

[zach9]

just to reiterate, i'm not going for the skinny tie and ultra slim suit look. I just want something that has a flattering fit and will last.

 

[CrAz3D]

remember that you're going to be spending more for tailoring.

 

[jamesny]

Skinny or slim fitting doesn't suit everyone and really depends on personal style. Just because it's trendy in your office doesn't mean you have to follow them. And skinny doesn't work well with all body types. Just make sure the suit is tapered close to the body but not too skinny. Keep the colors classic like navy or charcoal grey.

 

[phxlawstudent]

Ludlow is really skinny. I suggest the Aldridge line. I think it's cheaper too.

But if you're not set on J. Crew, check out Joseph Abboud at Nordstrom's Rack. They also have HSM usually.