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buying my first suit

planmer

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hello guys,

Im in the process of buying my first suit. Im poor so my budget is in the $200's. What color suit can i buy that i may many times a week and get away with it, and match with different colors, etc.

im thinking charcoal.. would pinstripe or solid be better?

I have this one in mind:

http://www.menswearhouse.com/menswea...=1163242892008

how would you rate that suit?


thanks!
 

ghulkhan

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I think Grey, charcoaled color suit is good. Keep it solid and kind of plain. Basically since youre gonna be wearing it a lot you want it to be something you can work with as a base to different shirts and ties. Also, go with a traditional notch. As for buttons, I think two look better but dont buy a one button. You can buy three if you want. I like double vents. If you want something more american id go with the single vent in the back.

The biggest thing though
is when you try on the jacket buy it the right size. A lot of peolpe buy their suits a size or two too big. It should be slim and comfortable and the pants shouldnt be baggy. And dont listen to the sales person about sizing they usually try to sell you something too big. The shoulders should be right on par with your own shoulders and the jacket should be snug but not tight. And you should properly get it tailored by getting it taken in some if it has to be and stuff..
 

planmer

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Originally Posted by ghulkhan
I think Grey, charcoaled color suit is good. Keep it solid and kind of plain. Basically since youre gonna be wearing it a lot you want it to be something you can work with as a base to different shirts and ties. Also, go with a traditional notch. As for buttons, I think two look better but dont buy a one button. You can buy three if you want. I like double vents. If you want something more american id go with the single vent in the back.

The biggest thing though
is when you try on the jacket buy it the right size. A lot of peolpe buy their suits a size or two too big. It should be slim and comfortable and the pants shouldnt be baggy. And dont listen to the sales person about sizing they usually try to sell you something too big. The shoulders should be right on par with your own shoulders and the jacket should be snug but not tight. And you should properly get it tailored by getting it taken in some if it has to be and stuff..



i went to a store to check out a suit and the jacket was the right size (38 s) but the pants were so baggy i looked like a clown. the guy said he could fix it. The shoulders were kind of pointing up( he said the suit just needed ironing)the suit was nice looking but when i tried the pants with the suit it was horrible.

every suit i have tried has pointy shoulder, maybe im just being paranoid but i dont like the look.

how long should the suit be?
 

ghulkhan

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umm
what do you mean by pointing up?
they shouldnt point and you should tell the guy to iron it for you and then try it on..otherwise dont buy it
for the bagginess of the pants
taking in the waste a lil bit isnt a problem like say 1'4 - 1/2 inch otherwise it will look really bad because the back pockets will be too close and other things but i woudlnt even get it if it doesnt fit...if the crotch area is too baggy then dont even get it because they wont be able to do a good job on that either
and if they are baggy in the legs , they could be taken in and made slimmer, but if the waste or crotch is too big then I wouldnt bother
but for the shoulders, and crotch and waste i woudlnt get something that needs alteration..
for alterations you should stick mainly to the jacket being taken in a bit, sleeves takin in or shortened and pants hemmed, or being taken in slightly, and the alterations shoudl be small
about a fourth of an inch or so
as for the jacket length, you should generally cover your entire ass but dont go longer or shorter then that...and for the suit jacket sleeves length, you should go for the end of the wrist, the hinge or what not, and for the pant hems, id take the shoes wiht you so you can get them hemmed properly
and for the pants id try to find flat ffront slim pants, it might help ya out a bit in terms of the clown baggy look you were talkin about
and dont get the hems cuffed if your buying flat front pants


how tall are you?
 

planmer

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Originally Posted by ghulkhan
umm
what do you mean by pointing up?
they shouldnt point and you should tell the guy to iron it for you and then try it on..otherwise dont buy it
for the bagginess of the pants
taking in the waste a lil bit isnt a problem like say 1'4 - 1/2 inch otherwise it will look really bad because the back pockets will be too close and other things but i woudlnt even get it if it doesnt fit...if the crotch area is too baggy then dont even get it because they wont be able to do a good job on that either
and if they are baggy in the legs , they could be taken in and made slimmer, but if the waste or crotch is too big then I wouldnt bother
but for the shoulders, and crotch and waste i woudlnt get something that needs alteration..
for alterations you should stick mainly to the jacket being taken in a bit, sleeves takin in or shortened and pants hemmed, or being taken in slightly, and the alterations shoudl be small
about a fourth of an inch or so
as for the jacket length, you should generally cover your entire ass but dont go longer or shorter then that...and for the suit jacket sleeves length, you should go for the end of the wrist, the hinge or what not, and for the pant hems, id take the shoes wiht you so you can get them hemmed properly
and for the pants id try to find flat ffront slim pants, it might help ya out a bit in terms of the clown baggy look you were talkin about
and dont get the hems cuffed if your buying flat front pants


how tall are you?


what i mean with the shoulder is that they dont have that round look. I was told they are supposed to point up and that it's just the padding that makes it look that way. I saw some member pics on this site and the suits just seem to take the shape of the shoulder, as if the padding had been taken out.

I would love flat front pants but i was told they are very expensive and if you want a low budget suit its bound to come with pleated trousers.

can you comment on the menswarehouse suit i linked to?


thanks for the replies. they've been helpful.

by the way im about 5'4 and my budget is about $200 haha yea im poor.
 

ghulkhan

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yea well if you want structured shoulders which gives a more italian look then maybe thats what you are trying to say with the pointed shoulders?
tradtion american suits shoulders take more the shape of your shoulders since they are not as structured
i looked at the suit you showed me on mens warehouse...first of all i dont think you should buy one online..second..its pinstriped and thats not going to be that versatile if you are going to be wearing it a lot..you want a solid color...preferably greyish because a solid grey can go with everything..and you dont want black...
umm as for 200 ish, I guess you could check out places like h&m that would have flat front pants and sell a suit for around that price or less...flat front pants are not generally more expensive to make or anything..its just that a lot of cheap suits dont come with them..they dont cost anything mroe to make then pleated pants

i kno youre on a budget but a great thing if you want to spend a bit more
say 400-500, you could find one at a hugo boss or burberry sale (around december) which make suits ten times better then anything youll find for 200

but a good fitting suit, with structured shoulders, shouldnt have a lot of room between your shoulders and the the suit shoulders, it shoudl fit perfectly.
...maybe this will help you..
http://men.style.com/gq
click ont eh how to buy a suit video..
 

javyn

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If there is a KG Menswear in your area, try there. They are now owned by MW but still cheaper. They'll run sales, if you catch one you can get a suit for 150 plus 30 for alterations.

If you only get one, I'd definitely get grey since it is so versatile. I love my navy pinstripe too, but it is harder to find stuff to go with it. Grey is just so easy.
 

javyn

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Well, when it comes down to it, it is up to you. If it were up to me though, and I could only have 1 suit, it would be a solid yeah.
 

Jared

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  • Men's Wearhouse suits are not worth anywhere close to $200
  • Have you checked thrift stores yet?
  • Are you comfortable buying off eBay?
  • Can you wait for sales?
  • Yes, solid is your only option
 

oldseed

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that's a nice charcoal suit. i'm curious, why are you shopping online? the local macy's should have that exact same suit, often for sale, from $150-$250. along with many other suits of the same style/kind.

this particular pierre cardin looks fine. a solid would be even better though.

seed

Originally Posted by planmer
hello guys,

Im in the process of buying my first suit. Im poor so my budget is in the $200's. What color suit can i buy that i may many times a week and get away with it, and match with different colors, etc.

im thinking charcoal.. would pinstripe or solid be better?

I have this one in mind:

http://www.menswearhouse.com/menswea...=1163242892008

how would you rate that suit?


thanks!
 

ghulkhan

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yea dont buy the suit from online, its best to try it on, cuz in the end whatever you spend even if its a few grand or fifty on one, the suit goes down the drain if it doesnt fit properly
 

Newton

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Let me add my voice to the chorus supporting solids.

On everything else, I am not American so cannot help you.
 

a tailor

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rtw suits size 38 usually have a 32 trouser. unless its a athletic cut. then it will have a 30 trouser. try for one of those. you are 5'4" thats a short not a regular. if you wear your trousers on your hips instead of higher on your waist the fit will be baggy and have a droopy crotch. keep in mind that pleated trousers are looser than the plain fronts you are used to.
 

ComboOrgan

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Go to a discount store like Marshalls, Syms, or Cohoes. I've seen a lot of Ralph Lauren stuff with a green label lately, and they usually have plenty of Calvin Klein suits.
These may not be the best suits in the world, but those two brands will have plenty of offerings with flat-front pants, and you'll be able to pick them up for around $200.
 

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