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Help me get my husband a suit!

cougarlicious

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So I know nothing about men's suits. But I do know that the ones that husband wears, albeit custom made by Needle King, make him look old and dowdy. I'm guessing it's not really the tailor's fault but the fact that my husband may be picking what he views as "standard" suits which are boxy and plain. (For instance, they usually have three or four buttons and pleated pants.) He wears a suit every day to work, and I wanted to get him at least one suit that was sleek and stylish.
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A couple things to note - he's not a skinny guy (5'11", 190 lbs) but he is losing weight and that's also part of the reason I want him to get a new suit - he's starting to swim in the ones he owns. Most of the guys I see wear slim tailored suits are thin but I'm confident he can still pull it off.
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I poked in his closet and the only suit with a size tag says 44R, 36x30 pants. I'm guessing he's a size smaller now though, considering his weight loss.

Any suggestions on suit brands I should look into for a guy that size that has a modern tailored fit? I typically buy things on Ebay, CL, etc so I'm looking for brands that are higher retail but can found at a steep discount ($300 or so?) on those sites. Is that the best route or am I better off waiting for Needle King to come back from Thailand or go to another online custom tailor?

Thanks for your help!
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intent

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"Cougarlicious"?
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cougarlicious

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Lol..."Cougar" is actually the name of my cat....but yes, now I realize what it also implies!
 

Nicola

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Ya you could trade him in -)

If he is losing weight then it might be better to wait.

If the sizes you gave are correct then he has a bigger difference between his pant size and his jacket. which gets back to the weight loss. Different guys lose weight in different places at different rates.

Best to go into a real store and try on some things.
 

niidawg3

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first i would recommend him going to a tailor to get his shoulders, chest, sleeve length and coat length measured for what would be an ideal modern fit.

after that it might make sense to start with sotres like h&m, banana republic or zara to have him try on some suits, since these guys do primarily slim/modern fit.

if and when he gets comfortable on what he likes looking good in, he can go the route of having Needle King tailor those similar fitting suits for him.

good luck and
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at the name.
 

SuitedNBooted

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Zara and H&M are good places to start, though you will probably find your husband has some more slimming down to do before he fits into them.

To state the obvious, slim suits really are made for slim people. At this stage you might want to look at suits that, while not slim, have a modern cut, and that are flattering on people with a little girth. Hugo Boss e.g. are known for this.

The other point is: don't count on Needle King (love the name
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) reproducing a trendy cut. Made to measure shops have a house cut, and chances are you won't get anything else from them regardless of instructions.

One possibility is Thick-as-Thieves made-to-measure suits, they are affordable and have modern cuts.
 

cougarlicious

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Thanks for the tips! Would have never guessed to take him to H&M, Zara, etc - always just assumed the quality would be inferior. But it makes sense to at least have him try on some stuff so I can have a better grasp at his actual size!

I don't necessarily need a "slim suit" but definitely something modern...more close fitting instead of boxy.

Yeah, I was concerned at Needle King doing a modern suit too. He did one for me, and although I chose the style and it fits fine, somehow it comes off as a bit stiff compared to my Theory/BR suits. I never end up wearing it because of that reason.
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IUtoSLU

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You won't be able to get him a suit that fits unless: (a) he already has one that fits well and you know or can find out its measurements, OR (b) he goes with you.
 

SuitedNBooted

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Although a lot of people here swear by made-to-measure, I've found as well that MTM clothes often look less stylish than well-fitting off-the-rack items. Although they may be fine in terms of size, the styling just isn't there to the same extent, which makes sense since tailors are not fashion designers.

Another thing to watch out for with the look you want is getting a nice tight fit in the shoulders. If you have to choose between two sizes, consider getting the smaller one and having the waist let out. Often people don't realise you can do this, and they end up with a suit that is too wide at the shoulders (not sure this can be done with a Zara suit though).
 

unjung

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For what it's worth, I'm your husband's height and about 10 pounds lighter, and I wear 40R/33. I think your husband's current suits may be a full size or more too large for him.
 

whiteslashasian

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Originally Posted by unjung
For what it's worth, I'm your husband's height and about 10 pounds lighter, and I wear 40R/33. I think your husband's current suits may be a full size or more too large for him.

I agree. Depending on the maker/style, he is likely in the 40r to 42r range.

Take him to several places with suits in different styles (e.g. more conservative/traditional at brooks brothers and then trendier/stylish at Zara) and get a feeling for what sizes work. FWIW I'm a 41 at Brooks Brothers and a 44 at Zara.
 

Montauk

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It sounds like your husband might feel (and thus look) uncomfortable in a slim-cut suit, which tend to look best on younger, slimmer guys (and which aren't even very fashion-forward at this point anyhow). There's nothing necessarily old or dowdy about a three button coat (if the lapels roll to the middle button) and (forward) pleated trousers (I wear little else, and consider myself neither!). It's all about getting the fit right.
 

KObalto

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Originally Posted by cougarlicious
(For instance, they usually have three or four buttons and pleated pants.)

A suit should never have more than 3 buttons.
 

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