Help w/ New Wardrobe

[nediver]

First time poster here. So I have always been a cheap suit kind of guy, as I have started to make more I realized I need to revamp my look. I am in sales and so I realize the importance of a good look. Here is the state of things and I am looking for some feedback/advice:

1) I am losing weight. I have yo-yo and now I am set on having a more athletic profile. I have been steadily losing and should be at my goal in 90 days.

2) I have a Stowa Watch on order, due here in March. My first watch, I am excited.

3) I have a lot of Nordtrum brand shirts some slim some not, mostly sport. I like that I can wear these casual and for work. I purchased a Hugo Boss shirt at The Rack and I am in love- mainly because of fit, collar, on the cuff, everywhere. I will likely purchase more of these unless guided otherwise. I tried some Saks shirts and didn't like

4) Shoes- It pains me to think about spending any more than 250-300 on shoes and I dont know that I can. I'm in sales so stepping in snow or a puddle is not out of the question. Also- I work in the Operating Room and when my suit comes off the dress shoes stay so comfort is paramount. I have owned and settled on ECCO and Cole Haan. The Cole shoes are leather bottom, with some grip in there and perfect on my feet- no nike air didnt like.
**My wife says I need help here because my new suits and ties etc are making my beat up shoes look terrible**

5) Ties- I tie a thick double windsor always have. I love a thick tie. Robert Talbott or Brioni have been my recent go too. I would love some less expensive suggestions.

6) Suits- All that I owe are department store crap. My tailor who is amazing and italian has some italian suits in her store. They are Roberto Capone Uomo suits. Here is what I can tell you. They are full canvas, 150's, the fabric is top notch, all hand stitched, functional cuff buttons, the little flap in the armpit- I guess this is for sweat so you dont bleed through and ruin the suit, all the handmade touches you look for. $1,000 each and she will deal if need be. She offers full tailoring- I mean full not just sleeve and pants with each purchase and she will also fix them annually if something needs a touch. As i said she is amazing. Does this sound like a good deal?

That's all I have for now.

 

[Klobber]

Welcome to the forum, you took a lot of effort in this post. I will give you some brief advice, but the context is research by running a string in the search engine here - you will find a glut of information.

In regards to your questions:

Hugo Boss shirts work and they are not too expensive. Fit is the most important thing and if it aint broke ... There are numerous shirting threads where many brands are discussed, and most, if not all, are better quality than Boss. If you feel like experimenting with other brands, run a search on this forum and educate yourself in that regards (i.e. you first need to know what constitutes a good shirt).

Shoes, on your budget, Allen Edmonds will work. I think AE's are the best bang for the buck in your price range - and are at least an order of magnitude better than Cole Haan. Educate yourself on shoes and run a search through the forum digging up all the relevant threads. It will take a while but it is worth the effort.

Robert Talbott ties often have pretty patterns, but I would not punt more than $30 on one. Brioni make nice ties. On a budget, I suggest hit your Nordstrom Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Saks Off Fifth etc and get them at a pinch. Store brands, Canali, Brioni, perhaps even Versace are all workable at under $50 when on discount. Styleforum loves 7 fold ties by numerous brands but they run in at over $100. TJ Maxx and Marshalls are selling brand name ties at a steal although patterns are usually meh.

I know nothing about that suit brand, but it sounds fishy to me - handmade suits do not sell for $1K and end up in the hands of a seamstress willing to wheel on deal on prices. Not wanting to sound cynical here, but educate yourself on brands by running a search in the forum and then you can re evaluate my opinion.

 

[MyOtherLife]



[COLOR=FF00AA]First time poster here.  So I have always been a cheap suit kind of guy[/COLOR], as I have started to make more I realized I need to revamp my look.  [COLOR=FF00AA]I am in sales[/COLOR] and so I realize the importance of a good look.  Here is the state of things and I am looking for some feedback/advice:
1) [COLOR=FF00AA]I am losing weight.  I have yo-yo[/COLOR] and now I am set on having a more athletic profile.  I have been steadily losing and should be at my goal in 90 days.
2) I have a Stowa Watch on order, due here in March. My first watch, I am excited.
3) I have a lot of Nordtrum brand shirts some slim some not, mostly sport.  I like that I can wear these casual and for work.  I purchased a Hugo Boss shirt at The Rack and I am in love- mainly because of fit, collar, on the cuff, everywhere.  I will likely purchase more of these unless guided otherwise.  I tried some Saks shirts and didn't like
4) Shoes- It pains me to think about spending any more than 250-300 on shoes and I dont know that I can.  I'm in sales so stepping in snow or a puddle is not out of the question.  [COLOR=FF00AA]Also- I work in the Operating Room [/COLOR]and when my suit comes off the dress shoes stay so comfort is paramount.  I have owned and settled on ECCO and Cole Haan. The Cole shoes are leather bottom, with some grip in there and perfect on my feet- no nike air didnt like.
**My wife says I need help here because my new suits and ties etc are making my beat up shoes look terrible**
5) Ties- I tie a thick double windsor always have.  I love a thick tie.  Robert Talbott or Brioni have been my recent go too.  I would love some less expensive suggestions.
6) Suits-  All that I owe are department store crap.  My tailor who is amazing and italian has some italian suits in her store.  They are Roberto Capone Uomo suits.  Here is what I can tell you.  They are full canvas, 150's, the fabric is top notch, all hand stitched, functional cuff buttons, the little flap in the armpit- I guess this is for sweat so you dont bleed through and ruin the suit, all the handmade touches you look for.  $1,000 each and she will deal if need be.  She offers full tailoring- I mean full not just sleeve and pants with each purchase and she will also fix them annually if something needs a touch.  [COLOR=FF00AA]As i said she is amazing[/COLOR].  Does this sound like a good deal?
That's all I have for now.

Welcome to Styleforum
Please clarify the following:
You are in sales, losing weight, you have a yo-yo, you also work in the Operating room and she was amazing, as you said.
Am I getting this correct?

 

[Klobber]



Welcome to Styleforum
Please clarify the following:
You are in sales, losing weight, you have a yo-yo, you also work in the Operating room and she was amazing, as you said.
Am I getting this correct?

Oops, did not read the post through and through - she sounds like an amazing seamstress and then some, ominously I say!

 

[nediver]

Welcome to Styleforum

Please clarify the following:
You are in sales, losing weight, you have a yo-yo, you also work in the Operating room and she was amazing, as you said.
Am I getting this correct?

All true about me. With regards to the tailor, I do need to defend her. She owned a 7,000 sq ft factory here in town and employed 50 people, mostly Italian and Spanish and they made suits on contract for many of the upscale department stores. The Orient put her out of business. I found her through a referral of someone way more fashion forward than I.

Welcome to the forum, you took a lot of effort in this post. I will give you some brief advice, but the context is research by running a string in the search engine here - you will find a glut of information.
In regards to your questions:
Hugo Boss shirts work and they are not too expensive. Fit is the most important thing and if it aint broke ... There are numerous shirting threads where many brands are discussed, and most, if not all, are better quality than Boss. If you feel like experimenting with other brands, run a search on this forum and educate yourself in that regards (i.e. you first need to know what constitutes a good shirt).

Shoes, on your budget, Allen Edmonds will work. I think AE's are the best bang for the buck in your price range - and are at least an order of magnitude better than Cole Haan. Educate yourself on shoes and run a search through the forum digging up all the relevant threads. It will take a while but it is worth the effort.
Robert Talbott ties often have pretty patterns, but I would not punt more than $30 on one. Brioni make nice ties. On a budget, I suggest hit your Nordstrom Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Saks Off Fifth etc and get them at a pinch. Store brands, Canali, Brioni, perhaps even Versace are all workable at under $50 when on discount. Styleforum loves 7 fold ties by numerous brands but they run in at over $100. TJ Maxx and Marshalls are selling brand name ties at a steal although patterns are usually meh.
I know nothing about that suit brand, but it sounds fishy to me - handmade suits do not sell for $1K and end up in the hands of a seamstress willing to wheel on deal on prices. Not wanting to sound cynical here, but educate yourself on brands by running a search in the forum and then you can re evaluate my opinion.

First let me say this is all great advice, thanks it is appreciated. I have been lurking and researching both here and other style forums and AE's come up a lot I am sure for good reason. I would really like to branch out on the shirts, consider the Boss my gateway shirt. I hated versace ties, love the patterns, but they don'd hold up well. Canali are nice no disagreement there. The next town over has Off Saks and a Rack, as well as the others u mention I will poke around.

Concerning the suit. I am not a total noob when it comes to the suits and have been doing a lot of research as you suggested. Here is what I can tell you. It is not a custom obviously, she charges 3-5k for that. It is full canvas, hand sewn, and a quality fabric. I can compare it to the brands I know that's all. I have tried on some good and some bad in this list: Hickey Freemans, Canali, Brioni, Varvatos, Boss, Zenga Cloth Saks Suits, True Zenga, Brooks 356 and 1818, and all the other name brand fashion designers that throw a label on a suit-Calvin, Nautica, etc. The Zenga, HF, Canali, Brioni, and 1818 being what I consider a good suit. This italian suit she is selling is nice and I can get every part of this suit adjusted for a more custom fit because its her product to begin with. I will take pictures and share to make sure my untrained eye is not being taken.

 

[ajmanouk]

One thing I would advise is waiting until you've hit a stable weight point to make any drastic purchases. And it's crucial that you can maintain that weight.

 

[buzzron]

One thing I would advise is waiting until you've hit a stable weight point to make any drastic purchases. And it's crucial that you can maintain that weight.

Specially when deciding on suits, but it's fine with shoes, Cole Haan has some pretty comfortable styles.

 

[AntiHero84]

1) I am losing weight.

Don't spend too much money on clothes right now. Especially things that will be dependent on size, such as shirts, suits, jackets, etc. Things like ties, shoes, and watches should always remain approx. the same size. Wait until your size is consistent and move from there with bigger purchases.

2) I have a Stowa Watch on order, due here in March. My first watch, I am excited.

Congrats.

3) Shirts

Check out Brooks Brothers on sale. You can get some staples for fairly cheap. Same with Charles Tyrwhitt, they have some more interesting patterns.

4) Shoes

Allen Edmonds aren't out of the budget, but you need to get a little creative. Try buying them through B&S on the forum, eBay, or wait for their factory seconds. You could also try Florsheim, but make sure to only purchase their Limited or Imperial line in classic models (think plain, captoe, or wingtip... no bicycle toes!).

5) Ties

Be careful with the double windsor. To each their own, but you also don't want to look like you play professional football or basketball. Half windsor or four in hand are a little more classic and current.

Try looking for ties on the Styleforum B&S, you can usually find excellent deals on brand new ties.

6) Suits

If you like her current work, why not give it a shot, but there are other options. Not to be repetitive, but Styleforum B&S is your friend. Also try Brooks Brothers or Charles Tyrwhitt on sale.

 

[jamesny]

Buying suits in haste should be avoided at all costs. Once you're able to maintain your desired weight then that's the time you measure for a new suit.