How many suits do you really NEED vs. OWN?

[Professor Χάος]

I'm also not a fan of the patch pockets. I'd rather more formal touches on an overcoat with peak lapels.

I've actually tried Suit Supply before and found them to be . Perhaps they're a better cheap option, but to my mind it's still cheaply-made.

If you're not averse to lightly-used, ebay can be a good source for wool overcoats. I mention them because many overcoats online seem to be far too short for my liking - ending well above the knee. You can find plenty of new or nearly-new designer coats for a fraction of the price though, as long as you don't mind them not being the latest season or what have you.

Cheaply made? Doesn't sound great. I would prefer to pay a premium for quality. I'll just wait until the right item comes along. Building a wardrobe takes patience, unless you have big bucks. I've bought from ebay. Sometimes they have great deals, and sometimes you find duds. Fortunately, they have a great return policy. I once bought a TF suit from an ebay seller, who turned out to be dishonest. He insisted on no returns, but ebay shoved my refund down his throat. hahaha.

 

[Professor Χάος]

Any opinions on this one? Its a Canali, fro their Kei collection, which I think means that its unstructured with soft shoulders.

How about this one? Its a Cesare Attolini, who is perhaps my favorite suit designer.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Any opinions on this one? Its a Canali, fro their Kei collection, which I think means that its unstructured with soft shoulders.

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How about this one? Its a Cesare Attolini, who is perhaps my favorite suit designer.

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I like the first one, but I prefer the pockets on the second. They're both notch lapel though, so that's something to consider. Are they both cashmere?

 

[Professor Χάος]

I like the first one, but I prefer the pockets on the second. They're both notch lapel though, so that's something to consider. Are they both cashmere?

No...they are both pure wool. I prefer peak lapels, but finding every feature I want at a reasonable price is non-trivial.

I also try to avoid bold patterns. Although I prefer Cesare Attolini as a designer, the bolder the pattern, the more clownish a suit or coat becomes.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

No...they are both pure wool. I prefer peak lapels, but finding every feature I want at a reasonable price is non-trivial.

I also try to avoid bold patterns. Although I prefer Cesare Attolini as a designer, the bolder the pattern, the more clownish a suit or coat becomes.

True. The second coat is a bold pattern, but I think what really makes it a bit much is the velvet collar. I'd prefer the collar on a plainer coat.

The Canali is a similar pattern, but the shades are definitely more muted. Of the two, I'd probably wear the first one.

 

[Pyrrhomaniac]

Six suits for someone who wears a suit everyday is certainly not too many suits. I would think a minimum of about twenty would be about right...each one gets worn once per month and should last many years assuming they are of high quality.

When I wore suits everyday in the eighties and nineties I had about forty or fifty suits, about half of which would fit at any given time depending on my weight.

Keep buying four or five per year and eventually your collection will be pretty large and versatile.

I have 48 suits and 37 sports coats. Over 500 ties, recently counted. I have a problem.

 

[EZB]

I have 4 suits and wear 0.....no place to wear them.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

I have 4 suits and wear 0.....no place to wear them.

Sometimes the world just isn't big enough. I understand.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

Rereading this thread once again, I realised I have almost come full circle. When I arrived on this forum I had (and I quote from Page 1): "5 [suits], none of which are conventional business suits - I tend towards texture, cord, tweed, linen." I went through the SF lifecycle as I reported back in 2018. Then I got rid of most of the more conventional suits, the things "every well-dressed man must have" (you know...), and now I am back at unconventional and an orientation towards texture and experiment, just better and with a whole lot more knowledge than back in 2011.

 

[zewill]

Rereading this thread once again, I realised I have almost come full circle. When I arrived on this forum I had (and I quote from Page 1): "5 [suits], none of which are conventional business suits - I tend towards texture, cord, tweed, linen." I went through the SF lifecycle as I reported back in 2018. Then I got rid of most of the more conventional suits, the things "every well-dressed man must have" (you know...), and now I am back at unconventional and an orientation towards texture and experiment, just better and with a whole lot more knowledge than back in 2011.

And having come full circle, you still own 5 suits?

 

[zewill]

I agree about synthetics. Not for me. I'm glad you liked the Isaia. Its slightly bold (for me) but a little bit of flash now and then is nice.

Here are two more options. The first is the one I wanted. Its D&G, which is another brand whose suits I would never touch. I also find Stefano Gabanna's racism against Chinese to be distasteful, but I like this overcoat. Unfortunately, someone bought this before I could. Anyway, I would prefer a lighter grey.

The second option is Suit Supply. I've never tried them, but many SF members have given SS good reviews. Both are pure wool. However, I don't like the patch pockets on the SS overcoat. Not my thing.
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I like suitsupply. I agree that patch pockets doesn’t work here. Also, I’ve never seen the lapels gorge so low on a suit supply piece. Usually they sit so high you look like dracula with the peak lapels clearly too high, even standing up past the coat or sports coat. Looks terrible.

 

[zewill]

If I were you (presuming you can afford it), I would avoid anything with synthetic mixtures. Pure wool or wool-cashmere mixes are more expensive, but they are always worth it. The addition of synthetics does not add appreciably to a coats water resistance, from my experience, and certainly not to its warmth.

I’ve learned to tolerate 10% synthetics, but only on outerwear such as coats.
Polyester or blends definitely help with regards to durability of the garment. I’ve always heard they do give extra warmth but because breathability is reduced it’s the warmth that makes you sweat. I might be wrong on the warmth factor, as 100% wool items definitely do not lack in the warmth department!

 

[Professor Χάος]

I like suitsupply. I agree that patch pockets doesn’t work here. Also, I’ve never seen the lapels gorge so low on a suit supply piece. Usually they sit so high you look like dracula with the peak lapels clearly too high, even standing up past the coat or sports coat. Looks terrible.

Given your experience with SS, what do you think of their quality, in terms of materials and construction?
I saw this coat, which looks quite nice.

Also, I've read that SS garments are ultra-slim cut. I'm normally a 42R. Would you recommend 44 in SS?

Sites-USA-Site | SUITSUPPLY US

Suitsupply

suitsupply.com

90% wool and 10% cashmere.

 

[Professor Χάος]

Rereading this thread once again, I realised I have almost come full circle. When I arrived on this forum I had (and I quote from Page 1): "5 [suits], none of which are conventional business suits - I tend towards texture, cord, tweed, linen." I went through the SF lifecycle as I reported back in 2018. Then I got rid of most of the more conventional suits, the things "every well-dressed man must have" (you know...), and now I am back at unconventional and an orientation towards texture and experiment, just better and with a whole lot more knowledge than back in 2011.

Few men wear suits, for reasons discussed elsewhere on SF. However, I will never stop wearing suits.
Eventually suits will make a comeback. How long can professionals wear cheap slacks and shirts?
Then again, as more of the service sector moves towards working from home, pajamas are likely to be the next big business trend.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

I’ve learned to tolerate 10% synthetics, but only on outerwear such as coats.
Polyester or blends definitely help with regards to durability of the garment. I’ve always heard they do give extra warmth but because breathability is reduced it’s the warmth that makes you sweat. I might be wrong on the warmth factor, as 100% wool items definitely do not lack in the warmth department!

Durability is true, although that's fairly obvious anyway - using plastic materials that don't ever biodegrade is going to add to how long a garment lasts.

Warmth is due to body heat being preserved and insulated. Strictly speaking, there are no warmer materials - only materials that are better at insulating body heat and preventing cold from seeping in, by being windproof for example. This is why wearing one heavy coat is not quite as warm as wearing three layers of equally insulating materials, because the body heat is better trapped with the layers.

Synthetics can actually be quite good at preventing body heat escaping too, but the problem is that they aren't breathable. This will make you sweat inordinately in the cold, which slowly saps away body heat. So you'll feel hotter, but it's actually a bad idea in cold weather. Good outerwear and parkas using synthetics will have a permeable layer like Gore-tex to account for this problem.

Adding the synthetic into the weave of an overcoat is only a cost-saving measure; it's a way for manufacturers to cheapen their garment's price, but also its quality. Considering that I own some overcoats that are well over 100 years old, I don't think the durability argument is a very good one either. You'll never go wrong by buying the highest quality - your wife may protest, however, which is why you should always bring chocolates home as well.