Let's talk buying that first suit

[johnapril]

Begga fa noi.

-Mr. T

 

[TehKrond]

Guys, stop ******** up my fabulous gem of a thread

I shouldn't have added that bit of spice to the first post, sorry to make waves with a first post. No more spiteful comments.

 

[johnapril]

Guys, stop ******** up my fabulous gem of a thread

That is some funny stuff, man.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Guys, stop ******** up my fabulous gem of a thread

I shouldn't have added that bit of spice to the first post, sorry to make waves with a first post. Â No more spiteful comments.

Fair enough, I'll try to calm down. Didn't get my usual Shiatsu this morning.

 

[johnapril]

Didn't get my usual Shiatsu this morning.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunny.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Oh, by the way -- if you are looking for a flat front suit, you can just about give up trying to find something decent in your price range. About 1/10 "better" suits have unpleated pants; you can figure out the odds of finding on of those on discount in your size in your preferred color.

The Golden Fleece suits have shallow pleats that look very nice -- I have a similar build to you and I love their pants.

Also, I forgot to mention not to listen to anything Policy says. The guy is clueless (a fused $3000 suit at the Mall?), as well as a bigot -- whether intentional or not. Go back to AskAndy, Policy.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Oh, wait, was policy the guy who ordered a MTM suit online and when it came back, he posted photos and the suit was such a potato sack that even the Ask Andy guys ripped him?

That slipped my mind completely.

 

[johnapril]

JN3,

In a pinch, wouldn't Armani C. off ebay fit the bill? All those are pretty much flatfront, right?

JA

 

[LA Guy]

Gotta go, but go to www.virtualclotheshorse.com. Will be useful. Lots of deals. Go for Navy or Charcoal.

 

[TehKrond]

JN3,

In a pinch, wouldn't Armani C. off ebay fit the bill? All those are pretty much flatfront, right?

JA

I'm all for taking precise measurements, checking them at the armani store, then buying something off the internet. My dad, however, wouldn't do it which is too bad, becuase there are some great deals to be had on ebay for clothing (as I see in other threads around here.).

 

[Patrick Bateman]

For your first suit, your Dad may have a point, i.e. eBay may not be best place to go. But if you know your size for the model of a particular brand (the model is particularly important for the larger brands, as even within the same brand, all 42R's are not created equal), and are really careful with your measurements (have someone else measure you at first), then you could potentially get a great suit for a reasonable outlay. Just my $0.02.

 

[FIHTies]

My dad, however, wouldn't do it which is too bad, becuase there are some great deals to be had on ebay for clothing (as I see in other threads around here.).

Sure are... Especially for Sons of lawyers who dont know sh*t In fact, What comes to mind is something Like This RLPL Item

 

[johnapril]

Understandable.

 

[aybojs]

I'm the guy that referred the OP here, so I'll apologize for all the enusing drama. I just saw him posting a suit thread on another forum and seeming really interested, but getting a lot of clueless suggestions, so I wanted to point him to some good advice (which jn3 and a few others offered for sure). So at least on his part I think it's pretty clear he wasn't trying to offend anyone with his description of his father, so try to go easy on the guy and the thread in general.

I'll chime with some stuff that I said earlier when I was talking with him:

Honestly, I think a first suit should be bought in person. I would take jn3's leads, go around and try stuff at the different stores and see what you like most. Be sure to stick to only a few recommended brands when shopping discount, it's just as easy to find crap. For example, a Filene's may carry top notch brands like Gianluca Isaia and Luciano Barbera, but may just as well carry cheap psuedo-Italian imposters like Naldini and Sartoria Menichetti. Keep a short list and don't stray from it at this point.

While Brooks Brothers isn't the greatest, their Golden Fleece line is supposedly a pretty good value, and you'll at least get some service. Wait until you have a better idea of your measurements and what stylistic preferences you want before going the eBay route. That said, LAGuy (another Boston resident) did make a good recommendation with virtualclotheshorse.com. The owner is a member here and is both very knowledgable and helpful; I ordered a pair of shoes from him yesterday and he was very good about answering my questions. You might just take a look there.

Stylewise, don't get too hung up on details at this point. The majority of suit pants come with pleats, for example, so you probably shouldn't pass up an affordable suit you like solely because the pants have pleats. As far as color goes, just a navy/gray suit should do. Patterns are fine if you just stick to the rule of thumb that the suit should look solid from a distance (i.e. a subtle blue windowpane would be fine, neon orange pinstripes would not).

Since you said you have until June, don't feel rushed to buy this weekend. Read around the older posts, note down anything that interests you, remember that fit is probably the most important factor of wearing a suit, and you should be fine.

 

[johnnynorman3]

As someone who owns the very Brooks Brothers suit to which I was referring, I can say without hesitation that it would fit the bill here. There is no point in not purchasing it this weekend and, if you don't love it, looking for something else for the next month and returning it if you find that something else. That's the beauty of buying B & M.