Hickey by Hickey Freeman on Gilt, $400... worth it?

[CDHagg]

Ok, so... I'm a thin/toned older teen, trying to find my way in the world of fashion (and I don't mean typical teen "fashion").

I'm 5'11'', 132 pounds, 36in chest, 29in waist, 10.5in circumference arm, 18.5in circumference thigh. I have enough muscle to classify myself as "toned", but I wouldn't say that I have an "athletic physique" with broad shoulders or anything like that. I'm essentially "skinny".

Gilt has a sale right now on Hickey by Hickey Freeman suits.
(http://www.gilt.com/sale/men/sunday-night-ste-473/product/37736278) It seems that it's nearly impossible to find any information on this line, but I've gathered that it's a discontinued line aimed at younger men, with slim-fitting suits. Is $400 a good price for one of these suits (I have no idea if it's fused or canvassed, how much hand-construction it has, etc.)? Based on my measurments, would it fit me well? I'm looking for a very slim fit, but most clothes that are labeled "slim" turn out to be regular-fit from my perspective. Gilt won't accept returns on this Hickey suit sale, so I need to make an educated decision.

Thanks in advance, if you can answer before 8:00 pm CST tonight!

-CD

 

[Harold falcon]

No.

 

[Joffrey]

If you do a search you'd find that Hickey was generally well regarded around these parts. It's made in the U.S. but cut a lot slimmer than the main line Hickey Freeman suits. The same search you perform will also discover Hickey was discontinued and transformed into another Hickey Freeman line. Personally, I'd jump on the suit. But definitely search previous threads on the topic for more details as I never tried on their clothes but was always open to purchasing it.

 

[CDHagg]

If you do a search you'd find that Hickey was generally well regarded around these parts. It's made in the U.S. but cut a lot slimmer than the main line Hickey Freeman suits. The same search you perform will also discover Hickey was discontinued and transformed into another Hickey Freeman line. Personally, I'd jump on the suit. But definitely search previous threads on the topic for more details as I never tried on their clothes but was always open to purchasing it.

I've searched styleforum, and I came up with that same info-as well as some conflicting info; some say that Hickey is fused, others claim it is half-canvassed. Other than Styleforum, though, there isn't much "official" info regarding Hickey. For now, I was just wanting to see who thinks this is a good price.

 

[david123]

I bought a solid navy Hickey from Gilt, but otherwise the same suit. I think it was worth it.

I had to get the waist and seat taken out and the pants hemmed, but they were nice slim trousers in the legs. The coat is "slim" relatively to other suits in the US, but you'll need it taken in. (I am your height but 40 lbs heavier and still quite slim, and I got a 38R). Mine also had some bunching of fabric behind the back collar, so I had to get that taken care of. I also had to get the sleeves taken out. I'm picking up the finished product in a few days, but overall, I am pleased. The price is low, it was easy to purchase (that is, didn't require months of searching B&S and Ebay), the fabric is really nice, and the amount of needed alterations was substantial but not overwhelming.

The one thing that makes me reluctant to recommend it is that the armholes are quite low. When I raise my arms a lot, the suit moves. I'm not sure you'll find much better though at a similar price in a staple navy without spending ages searching. Also, given your age/height/weight, I wouldn't invest a ton in a suit right now. I was your size at that age and now need something a little bit bigger.

 

[Dinky89484]

I bought a Hickey suit recently off of GILT and really like it! It is slim fitting. I'm not a huge stickler on whether suits are fused or not fused though.

 

[CDHagg]

I bought a solid navy Hickey from Gilt, but otherwise the same suit. I think it was worth it.

I had to get the waist and seat taken out and the pants hemmed, but they were nice slim trousers in the legs. The coat is "slim" relatively to other suits in the US, but you'll need it taken in. (I am your height but 40 lbs heavier and still quite slim, and I got a 38R). Mine also had some bunching of fabric behind the back collar, so I had to get that taken care of. I also had to get the sleeves taken out. I'm picking up the finished product in a few days, but overall, I am pleased. The price is low, it was easy to purchase (that is, didn't require months of searching B&S and Ebay), the fabric is really nice, and the amount of needed alterations was substantial but not overwhelming.

The one thing that makes me reluctant to recommend it is that the armholes are quite low. When I raise my arms a lot, the suit moves. I'm not sure you'll find much better though at a similar price in a staple navy without spending ages searching. Also, given your age/height/weight, I wouldn't invest a ton in a suit right now. I was your size at that age and now need something a little bit bigger.

Hmm... low armholes are a stickler for me. I like high armholes. But last time I tried to have a tailor make the armholes smaller, the result was less than satisfactory (I probably won't be going back to that tailor). Of course, I live in Houston, which isn't known for much sartorial discernment nor for the quality of its tailors. And if I try to get the armholes raised by a more reputable tailor (such as Nick Lopez), I'm probably looking at another $100...

Thanks for your help-very enlightening!

-CD

 

[Superfluous]

Look on Hickeyfreeman.com. Ridiculous sale prices. Supposedly, Mahogany is fully canvassed and Sterling is half canvassed.

 

[CDHagg]

Look on Hickeyfreeman.com. Ridiculous sale prices. Supposedly, Mahogany is fully canvassed and Sterling is half canvassed.

Thanks for pointing out the sale to me-I completely missed that section of the website! Of course, the question is which one-Hickey or Sterling collection-is a slimmer fit, and which one is higher quality.

Sterling or Hickey?

 

[Superfluous]

I'm guessing they're about the same.

 

[reidrothchild]

I just received one of the Sterling suits in the mail today from the website sale. I really like the jacket fit. Nice length and the shoulders fit well. I would not say the arm holes are low, but they are not especially high either. I've never tried Hickey, but I think it's a slimmer fit than Brooks Brothers' Fitzgerald model, if that point of reference helps at all. Unfortunately, the pants are riding up my crack, so if my tailor says he can't fix that, it'll have to go back. Assuming the pants can be made to fit, $265 for a half-canvassed, decent fitting suit is a pretty good deal in my opinion.

 

[Superfluous]

Did you have to size up? What's the length like? Could you post the size and its measurements please?

 

[reidrothchild]

I did not size up. I'm 5'11, 195 lbs and normally wear a 42R. I ordered the 42R, and I think the length on the jacket is good. Modern, but not Thom Browne modern. I'm not experienced at measuring garments, but using the tape measure from my tool box I measured the length of the back of the coat to be 30 inches exactly from the bottom of the collar. I haven't snipped vent stitches yet, so I can't say if that would add another 1/8 of an inch to the length or not. Hope this helps.

 

[CDHagg]

I just received one of the Sterling suits in the mail today from the website sale. I really like the jacket fit. Nice length and the shoulders fit well. I would not say the arm holes are low, but they are not especially high either. I've never tried Hickey, but I think it's a slimmer fit than Brooks Brothers' Fitzgerald model, if that point of reference helps at all. Unfortunately, the pants are riding up my crack, so if my tailor says he can't fix that, it'll have to go back. Assuming the pants can be made to fit, $265 for a half-canvassed, decent fitting suit is a pretty good deal in my opinion.

What would you call the sleeves, in comparison with a more traditional Hickey Freeman suit (or any other regular-fit suit)? Slim sleeves? That's one aspect of a suit that never seems to please me-the sleeves. Of course, you probably are a different body type than myself, but I'd appreciate your opinion anyway.

-CD

 

[reidrothchild]

The sleeves are definitely thinner than the Madison models I've tried on. For me, they are as thin as I would find acceptable for an office environment where conservative dress is expected. My arms are not particularly big, so I would think the sleeves would look good on most guys of an average build. If you're 6'0, 150 lbs, you'd probably want the sleeves slimmed a bit. I should've posted some fit pics before taking it to the tailor. My tailor told me there's plenty of fabric in the seat and crotch to let out, so I'm keeping it and having pants hemmed, waist taken in, seat/crotch let out, and the sleeves taken up a touch. My tailor is getting ready to go on vacation, so I won't be able to post pics for a while.