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DKNY vs. Hugo Boss suits

jpbova

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I'm on a budget and I need a couple of new suits. I had the chance to try a couple of Hugo Boss suits at the department store and really like their fit- soft shoulder and good waist suppression. However, I like the price point of the DKNY trim fit suits, but the department stores didn't have any DKNY suits for me to try. Can any of you offer some advice, knowledge, or experience with these brands.
 

Klobber

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Quality of construction of both these brands is similar, except Hugo Boss use better material. Apart from Donna Karan signature, and Hugo Boss selection, do not expect canvassing in these suits. You should avoid DKNY if you can, try get Boss black label on a deal for $300 or under brand new.

Lots of bad things have been said and written about Boss black label suits, but within their domain of fused suits, they are probably in the upper bracket of this domain.

Personally I would avoid either brand on basis of construction rather than fit, but if you are on a budget, you are on a budget.
 

Klobber

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Originally Posted by countbaron
BTW who is the finest gentleman in your avatar? A relative perhaps?

Dude from Dos Equis advert. Yes he is a relative, he has the unusual distinction of being both my brother in law and real brother.
 

jpbova

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Originally Posted by Klobber
Quality of construction of both these brands is similar, except Hugo Boss use better material. Apart from Donna Karan signature, and Hugo Boss selection, do not expect canvassing in these suits. You should avoid DKNY if you can, try get Boss black label on a deal for $300 or under brand new.

Lots of bad things have been said and written about Boss black label suits, but within their domain of fused suits, they are probably in the upper bracket of this domain.

Personally I would avoid either brand on basis of construction rather than fit, but if you are on a budget, you are on a budget.


So, if I have this correct, The DKNY and Hugo Boss suits are cut the same? same soft shoulder and what not?

I knew I would have to get a fused suit. I would like to get a fully canvassed suit, but I can't afford it right now. I was going to get something fused for now, and move on to something like a Thick As Thieves or Brooks Brothers later.
 

othertravel

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Originally Posted by jpbova
So, if I have this correct, The DKNY and Hugo Boss suits are cut the same? same soft shoulder and what not?

I knew I would have to get a fused suit. I would like to get a fully canvassed suit, but I can't afford it right now. I was going to get something fused for now, and move on to something like a Thick As Thieves or Brooks Brothers later.


They are not the same cut. Boss has a variety of cuts (structured and soft shoulder models; tapered waist and regular fit). I recommend you try a few on.

I would stay away from DKNY. If you want to look good on budget, and don't care about suit construction, get a Boss suit. They use better wools too (Guabelo, Columbo and sometimes Zegna).

I would also recommend you take a look at Boss Selection. They are half-canvassed (thus being a step up from a fused garment).

But as previously mentioned, don't pay full price. Get the Boss/Boss Selection suit from an outlet or online.
 

othertravel

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And fyi: I've seen Boss mainline suits for as low as $200 at outlet stores. Cheapest Boss Selection suit I ever purchased was $500 from Ebay.
 

jpbova

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Thank You for the information. Now, what can you guys tell me about Michael Kors?
 

WorkingOnIt

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If we're talking "regular" DKNY and Michael Kors, they are of much baggier cuts than red label Hugo. I would say they are comparable to the Hugo Boss Pasolini suits.

If you can get them for cheap though, DKNY is more than adequate for the real world. I'm not a huge fan of my DKNY (only had waist suppression and hemming done) but it still gets compliments from women. With coupons, you can get a DKNY on sale for under $200. I think that's great for a bad weather suit.
 

y3ahind0

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if I can rank them: 1. Hugo 2. DKNY 3. Kors. At ebay, you will find many Hugo Boss suits for sale. They usually are vary from red to black label. In my opinion, the cut is pretty slim compared to others, although no canvassed. Not bad for starting suit.
 

sportin_life

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At this price range, I'm a huge fan of Hugo Red Label suits, although they are hard to find. If you end up going Hugo Boss (black), look for the Sharp/Jam suits, which is the slim fit line for the black label suits. You might also want to check out Theory suits, they are in the same price range and have slim/modern cuts also. You can usually get any of these at around $350-400 on sale at dept stores (or less if you can afford to wait and search around a lot).

From my experience, the best suit at sub-$500 that I have seen/owned have been the Hickey (style) suits. They are cut similar to the slimmer Hugo black label and have much better construction/fabric.
 
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Are outlet suits the same as those in the regular stores? I know with many brands these days, they are no longer overstock/old styles at the stores, but are actually clothes made out of worse quality fabric and construction. So, it may look like you're getting a item for 80% off, when you're actually getting another item that is worth exactly (or sometimes less) what you're paying.
 

jrasero

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Hugo Boss suits can/are very overrated. I don't think they are worth the price, but with that said you can find them at Century 21 and such for $500. DKNY is defiantly a step down but not a huge step down from Hugo Boss. DKNY never seems to fit me right in the shoulders. You can defiantly find DKNY, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole suits for $200-$350 and they are all more or less the same quality unless you go with their upper lines, which at that point I would say just go custom at that point
 

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