I need a suit this week. Help!

[kingnothing]

I'm graduating college in May, have several job interviews coming up, and don't own a suit. I can't afford to spend more than $300 - $400 on the suit, plus a bit more for a couple of shirts and a tie. I've never owned a suit in my life and I'm not sure what to look for or where I'll get the best bang for my buck. The suit needs to come from a local store that I can find in a mall or typical retail shopping center; I don't have the time to wait on an online purchase plus tailoring.

Help!

 

[embowafa]

best bet for a college grad on short notice is an H&M suit. They're in the $250-300 range, I believe?

 

[sho'nuff]

Another option for more conservative interview suits you can goto your nearest mens wearhouse they have all sorts of sale suits now and can help you in an emergency situation like this wear you can get a fair worth's wear out of it.
Trust me, they are not as bad as everyone here makes them out to be. They are the perfect store for your age group in an urgent crisis.

 

[acidboy]

... its also very important that you know how the suit should fit you. a review of the WAYWT thread is a big help. good luck with your inteviews.

 

[ryoneo]

^^ Since time is an issue, the two places mentioned will be your best bet. I would try H&M first and then Men's Warehouse as a last resort.

 

[minnesotamoon]

I would also check out Nordstroms Rack. There are some nice suits there in your range. I personally would opt for a conservative 2 button in Navy but I don't know what type of industry you'll be interviewing for. I know there is a place in our local mall that will do the work on the suit within a couple days.

 

[polar-lemon]

This obviously won't be ideal in any way, so I'd try to spend the least amount of money possible to get something that will just work for now. You can then spend time looking for the right suit at the right price when you're ready. Hit some outlets/Marshalls, you can probably pick up a Lauren suit for $100-$200. STP also has these "Corbin" suits for really cheap, and has an excellent return policy- you can order multiple sizes of a particular model, and keep the one that fits you best:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...ase=&allWords=

There are also a couple of Lauren and Bill Blass suits for under $200 on STP:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...01024+10004952

A basic navy or grey, even with slight pattern, will do you fine for now.

 

[kingnothing]

Wow, thanks for all of the quick replies!

What's H&M?

I initially thought about going to Men's Warehouse as they've got a 2 for 1 sale going on. Jos. A. Bank is also running a half off sale right now -- would that be a better option?

As for the industry, I'm interviewing with a variety of companies in various different markets for a job in software development. I won't be wearing a suit on the job, but it is nevertheless expected during the interview by most of them.

Any thoughts on pin stripes?

 

[sjg22]

Pin stripes are very classic and tend to look good on most people. However, if you are getting just one suit, I'd probably go with a solid colour as the pin stripes limit your shirt selection. Shirts are cheaper than suits and so you can create a wide variety of outfits with one suit and a number of different shirts and ties in different styles (eg. plain, stripes, checks, etc).

H&M is kind of like the Ikea of clothes (fittingly, both are, or at least were, Swedish companies). They have stores in every major city in the U.S. and Canada, and most midsize cities as well. My honest opinion would be to go with an H&M suit (you'll get it very cheap) and then take it to a tailor to get fitted as precisely as possible. This will be your best bang for your buck suit given your week time limit.

 

[koolhistorian]

Check also Filene's Basement, if you have one around you - good for the shirts and ties buy two or three sets, just to have them for various phases of interviews.

 

[The_Foxx]

Good luck with the job interviews! Here is another article on the subject, I thought this one was interesting and had some good advice in the text:

http://men.style.com/gq/features/sli...=16&play=false

I agree with the H&M suit recommendation. Seems like a good bet for a young guy, and they seem to fit pretty well and look sharp. Whatever route you go, you'll want a solid navy blue or solid gray suit-- no pinstripes or patterns!! If you go with menswearhouse or jos a. bank, recommend the following:

+ look for a suit with flat front trousers.
+ when you think you've found your size, try on a size smaller and see what you think. You might be surprised/ suit might fit you better than you thought.

 

[MHH89]

+1 for filenes basement

Also check out Jos A Bank

 

[MDGD]

+1 for reading up on fit before buying anything.

Check the suit separates at a Banana Republic outlet as well.

 

[xbwolfx]

I was in a similar situation recently and decided to go to JosABank. I bought a navy suit from their Signature Gold line for $320. All of their suits have pleated pants, unless you purchase separates.

Although I prefer flat-front pants, I had trouble finding a quality suit with flat-front pants in the $200-300 price range on short notice.

 

[bmulford]

mens warehouse. They'll even tailor it while you wait. You're going to like the way you look.