How long do you expect a suit to last?

[Wideknot]

There have been numerous remarks about high quality clothing having the added value of lasting the life of the wearer. Style and fit issues aside, what do you typically find is the service life of a decent suit or jacket? Probably be best to calculate in number of wears, not number of years, because, obviously, a suit worn twice a year is going to last longer in years than one worn weekly.

I'm finding that 100 wears is about the limit for a typical super-120's worsted given the usual office environment. A few of mine have only made it to 80 before they've gotten shiny enough for me to want to retire them. Also, I've found that flannels (I love flannel) don't hold up well as the knees of the pants tend to start bagging long before the fabric shows any wear. And, once they've bagged, there's no good way to get the fabric back into shape. Tweed, on the other hand, seems to wear like iron. In fact, it gets better as it gets older. I have a gray (cream/black herringbone) Harris Tweed that my dad bought in the 1950's and gave to me when he outgrew it and I was in college. Had it relined about twenty years ago and only quit wearing it a few years ago when "middle age spread" finally caught me.

 

[TheFoo]

I don't know what to expect yet but I'm hoping I get more than 100 wears! I think it obviously make a huge difference how you wear your suits and what cloth you pick--I'm not sure anything of mine reaches super 120. I must have worn my charcoal suit about 50 times already, at least, and it shows no signs of wear. The cloth is Harrisons Fine Classics, which is sub-100.

I brush down everything after wearing it to get the dirt and debris out, but haven't sent anything to the cleaners.

 

[aj_del]

I am sure I would get bored of the same garment much before the life of the garment is over. I know its bad form to quote oneself.

Originally Posted by aj_del

In Delhi, India, it is only cool enough for a jacket for around 3 months from round 15 Nov to 15 Feb. I have around 8-9 suits and 7 SCs. Of the 5 working days in a week, I put on a suit 3 times and 2 days I wear a SC with odd trousers. Didnt actually calculate exactly how many wears I will get out of each garment but I dont think I would want to wear anything 3 years from now. I would be bored with the same suit. So from my point of view longevity is not an issue rather boredom is. As such I no longer believe in English cloths also, rather I prefer 'luxury' and Italian cloths as I like them much more than the Minnis and other stuff held in such high regard here. I would take a LP cloth any day over a Minnis.

 

[TheFoo]

You like LP worsteds? It feels so dead to me, and it wears like Kleenex.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I feel like worsteds wear out much faster. Especially at the crotch.

I feel that any good quality suit you gets shouldn't be one of novelty that you will get sick of. I have a ton of suits that I have gotten since college ended that I hate so much. Not because I am sick of the color, but more stylistically because they are very fashion forward MTM. Now I am hitting myself because I feel immature in them, not like a man. They are like costumes practically. Classic suits you should be able to throw on now, or 20 years from now and still feel great in it.

It is still funny though because I always get compliments on them and I kind of like it as a social experiment. The people who like them I know has no idea about how clothes should fit. I even had some idiot come up to me on the subway and say I love your suit it is very perfect, but I'm a tailor and from a tailors perspective the sleeves are too baggy. A suit, which any decent suitmaker would tell me that I look ridiculous and the whole thing is too tight.

 

[deveandepot1]

I hope my suits and sport coats will last forever, but I know my nieces and nephews will eventually spill something on them. I also think as I age I may pick up a few pounds and have to buy suits in a different size.

 

[aj_del]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

You like LP worsteds? It feels so dead to me, and it wears like Kleenex.

What I meant is that SF tends to reject almost anything which is not Minnis, Lesser, Smith, Fox (and a couple more from England) and from Italy, only Carlo Barbera makes the cut. I dont subscribe to this view for 2 reasons

1. My experience with Minnis fabric has been poor. I have tried their flannel (the holy grail of flannel here) and S100s with cashmere suitings and have been quite disappointed.

2. Since I dont intend to wear a particular garment more than say 30 times, I have no hesitation in selecting a high 'supers' fabric or a 'delicate' cloth. Basically, if I like the cloth I dont care what name is on it. Marzoni, Reda, E Thomas, are all OK for me. Needless to say, Scabal, Dormeuil, Zegna as well. And yes, LP works for me.

Regarding your question about LP worsted, I dont know which particular cloth you are referring to but if I like the cloth, I would not be put off the fact that it is LP. In the beginning I wanted to only get SF approved cloth but now look, feel and design is much more important than whether the particular book is SF approved.

 

[Ianiceman]

I'm in the opposite camp to AJ and would be quite happy if some of my tackle lasts until my relatives are flogging it off in an estate sale. The most extreme example I have is a beautiful worsted and silk sharkskin jacket which was clearly made bespoke for a mod in the early sixties. I got it for fifteen quid in Afflecks Palace in Manchester in 1985 and it still gets worn.

There was a thread about shoe wear which is similar and longevity has a lot to do with environment. I just got back from New York where a typical suited commuter might drive to the station, stand in the rain, sit in the train or get crammed up against smelly subway commuters and then walk several blocks in rain, snow, fog and smog. Here in Houston you leave the house, drive to work with jacket on hanger in the car, park within 100 feet of your office and spend the day in air conditioning. It's very rare that I spend much time out in the smog, soot, bad weather and crush of commuters. I reckon a suit here could take a lot less wear and tear than in NYC.

 

[UrbanComposition]

I have vintage suits from 20s-60s and the stuff that's not flannel is practically indestructible. You could cut raw steak with the creases, and whereas the fabric is rather dry (excluding the flannel) they've held up years before me, and at least 50 wearings while in my possession. As for newer fabrics, back in 2000 I got sick of heavier fabrics, ponied up for my first super 180s Armani. Felt wonderful, like wearing sweats. Drawback: it got shiny in one season.

To each his own, but for me, longevity trumps fashion.

 

[intent]

I feel most suits, no matter how "classic", will look outdated in a number of years. Subtle differences in lapel width, length, buttoning stance, pocket style, fabric pattern, trouser pleats, etc.

 

[aj_del]

^^ agree plus dont you guys get bored with wearing the same suit once every fortnight for say 5 years

 

[globetrotter]

20 years, at least

 

[porcelain monkey]

Fashion aside (and yes, most suits will look dated to some extent, no matter how "classic&quot, it depends on how, or rather how much they are worn. A suit worn for 100 days in a row will wear out much faster than one worn every other week for five years - still 100 wearings. When I got my first job I had two suits so I wore each one just about every other day. Within a couple of years (200 wearings?) they began to break down. Now I have a dozen or so and most are well over 100 wearings and going strong with no signs of stress.

 

[Nicola]

Originally Posted by Ianiceman

I'm in the opposite camp to AJ and would be quite happy if some of my tackle lasts until my relatives are flogging it off in an estate sale. T.
I'm taking my wedding tackle to the grave. The hell with anybody else.

Originally Posted by aj_del

^^ agree plus dont you guys get bored with wearing the same suit once every fortnight for say 5 years
Seasonal wear means you only wear it for part of the year

 

[SpallaCamiccia]

Mine are in better shape the ones with no number ex. virgin wool. My super 120, super 180s seem not to last as much as the " worst " ones.

Perhaps those are done just to wear in some occasions not for the daily use.

Guabello fabrics from Zileri are beuatiful but not last very long. I won´t buy another guabello one.