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Help Buying First Suit

suitMike

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Hello,

I'm in the market for my first suit. I've tried a few suits in Neiman Marcus and I really liked the way Brioni suits fit me. I know ebay has some Brioni suits for around $1000 - $1500. Are the Brioni suits on ebay generally decent compared to the one's in store? Are they terribly out of style? Am I better off going with a cheaper brand I can buy in store at MSRP (possibly Zegna or Canali)? Please help as I'm new to Suits and really want to avoid making a mistake with my first suit.

This is the suit I'm currently looking at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-BRIONI-...4-44-L-6495-/232042389398?hash=item3606cddf96
 

GBR

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It would be helpful were you to say what you will wear it for and whether you need several. For example if you are a solicitor or accountant who is to appear in court you will want something quite different from someone who works in IT. Some idea of your age would also help.
 

suitMike

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It would be helpful were you to say what you will wear it for and whether you need several. For example if you are a solicitor or accountant who is to appear in court you will want something quite different from someone who works in IT. Some idea of your age would also help.

Thanks for the followup. I work in tech, so I won't be wearing it to work. I'll mostly be wearing it when I go out to dinners or events. I'll be starting with one suit, but I plan to eventually add more suits to my wardrobe. I'm 24 years old.
 

IChen

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That certainly works since it's for dinner and events. I've also found that after 1-2 suits, sportcoats work too.
 

TOstyle

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Thanks for the followup. I work in tech, so I won't be wearing it to work. I'll mostly be wearing it when I go out to dinners or events. I'll be starting with one suit, but I plan to eventually add more suits to my wardrobe. I'm 24 years old.

My advice is that fit is the most important thing, not the name brand of the suit. If you find a suit at H&M and Zara that fits better than that Brioni you found on ebay, go with the one that fits best. You're young, so start there, get a sense of cuts and styles that you like and slowly build out your wardrobe, trying different things. But whatever you do, don't just go out and buy the most expensive suit you can afford and think that you're done. That's the opposite of what classical menswear is all about.
 

razl

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My advice is that fit is the most important thing, not the name brand of the suit. If you find a suit at H&M and Zara that fits better than that Brioni you found on ebay, go with the one that fits best. You're young, so start there, get a sense of cuts and styles that you like and slowly build out your wardrobe, trying different things. But whatever you do, don't just go out and buy the most expensive suit you can afford and think that you're done. That's the opposite of what classical menswear is all about.

This is all good info - and yes, fit is king - but I'll also add that the OP, at 24 and asking for help on buying his first suit, probably doesn't know what a good fit is yet. I don't mean that as rude, I'm just saying that he hasn't probably yet had the experience to figure out what is and is not a good fit in general and specifically for him.

Unfortunately, I don't have a good recommendation on how to remedy that other than the proverbial forum advice of "lurk moar". Maybe I can offer one bit that will probably go unheeded (we've all done it) but should be said anyway - fashion comes and goes but style is timeless. In other words, try and avoid getting sucked into things "trendy" - in today's world that's narrow lapels, too short jackets, cropped or peg legged trousers, etc.

However, much like you might not know good fit yet, you might not yet be able to discern classic from trends. If unsure, well, lurk moar.
 

GBR

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'Fit' is king I agree and your worst enemies are salesmen who want any ill0fitting rag out of door and getting mesmerised by brand labels such as BOSS where you are buying a label and not quality.

I would certainly buy the one which appears to fit best, treat the salesman as namely that not a tailor and be prepared to have some minor alterations. As to colour, your preference but light grey or midnight blue are equally at home at the functions you describe. Avoid pinstripes which are inappropriate, avoid black and above all avoid anything made of recycled lemonade bottles and stick to wool.

There is or was (not sure if it has survived) a thread where you get advice on it. If you do use that you will want some photographs, front, back profile, with and without the jacket. Wear proper shoes and a shirt as well. Get someone to take them, doing that yourself simply does not work. If you intend to use the inside pockets of your jacket allow a little leeway so that you don't have unsightly bulges.
 

IChen

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Also sales people don't care if your sleeve is too long or short. They don't care if jacket is too long or short. They don't care if it's clearly too tight.

Even though buying online, take a look in stores and also take pics and post here. They can help/teach you a lot with what to look specifically for also.
 

suitMike

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Also sales people don't care if your sleeve is too long or short. They don't care if jacket is too long or short. They don't care if it's clearly too tight.

Even though buying online, take a look in stores and also take pics and post here. They can help/teach you a lot with what to look specifically for also.

I had a chance to try on some suits at the store today. Had salesman suggest either a 46R or 44L. I got a chance to take pics of a couple 46R suits. How's the fit on these two suits?

20170430_163321_censored.jpg

20170430_163407.jpg

20170430_163638_censored.jpg

20170430_163633.jpg
 

IChen

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I think the blue fits quite a bit better.
 

paxonus

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As has been noted above, fit is king. In that regard, try googling "how a suit should fit" and do some reading. You will be glad you did.
 

razl

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It's important when you're judging fit that you wear clothing when trying it on that is the same/similar to what you will actually wear with it. I doubt you're looking at a Brioni to only wear the jacket with jeans and a tshirt.

That's not insignificant, I suspect the bulkiness of your jeans isn't giving you a good idea of how the quarters and skirt will lay (err, the lower parts of the jacket) and without a shirt with sleeves, the upper fit can be misleading (especially on some narrower sleeved versions, especially if you're wearing a non-sleeved tank top). Plus you should want to see how your dress collar and normal sleeve length work with it as well.

Lastly, you'll just get an all around better idea of what it's going to be like to wear it for real. This is particularly true on more athletic/fitted brands/models.
 

TOstyle

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This is all good info - and yes, fit is king - but I'll also add that the OP, at 24 and asking for help on buying his first suit, probably doesn't know what a good fit is yet. I don't mean that as rude, I'm just saying that he hasn't probably yet had the experience to figure out what is and is not a good fit in general and specifically for him.

Unfortunately, I don't have a good recommendation on how to remedy that other than the proverbial forum advice of "lurk moar". Maybe I can offer one bit that will probably go unheeded (we've all done it) but should be said anyway - fashion comes and goes but style is timeless. In other words, try and avoid getting sucked into things "trendy" - in today's world that's narrow lapels, too short jackets, cropped or peg legged trousers, etc.

However, much like you might not know good fit yet, you might not yet be able to discern classic from trends. If unsure, well, lurk moar.

Fair enough, and I wrote that quickly. My point was don't just buy the most expensive jacket you can afford - or stretch to buy (cough brioni cough), but spend some time trying out fits. Like the other guys said, Google a bit to read up, but the reality is I don't think there is any substitute for just trying a bunch of stuff to see what you like. You kind of can't fake style or fit, it takes work.

So the OP isn't going to nail it on his first jacket, but hopefully with some reading and help here he'll be able to get it done right - and faster than I was able to learn.

I think the blue jacket is a better one to start with. Little big in the back and too long in the sleeves but some tailoring can fix that. My $0.02.
 

C MattssonJH

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I’m late to this conversation but found it intriguing. As a men’s stylist representing a made-to-measure menswear company I fit men in made-to-measure suits daily I thought some of the advice here was spot on. There are so many good options available today for men who want to be fitted appropriately. As our company is not one of the sponsors I won’t name it here. I would say that our stylists who are in all big cities (and many small ones) across the US are trained to help young men like this 24-year-old gentleman learn about fit and how to buy a suit.

Both the jackets you tried on looked too long for your torso. At 24 I think you should go with something a little bit more modern. Attached are a photo of one of my clients who at the time it was taken was 24 and also one of our models from a recent look book. These images help you to see the appropriate length of the jacket.

8A27B937-8A3F-4863-BDE0-2AAA99424B08.jpeg


4230A052-AED0-4E81-B455-86DE0A2EE98F.jpeg
 

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