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Low Range Suit - dry clean or replace?

Cra

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After 3 years, I still wear my $120 suit to conferences and weddings (which incidently I got for $90from essential man because a button was missing).

The question now is - should I spend 20% of the purchase price dry cleaning it or should I just pop down to Coles, buy a can of Lynx and give it a good spray?

Thanks in advance.
 

alliswell

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Couple of things. You don't have a midrange suit. You have a cheap suit, but all the better if it fits you and does the job. In any event, if you want to wear it again under circumstances where it has to impress and it's dirty, clean it. Forget comparing the price of the suit to the cost of cleaning. If not, do whatever you like.
 

reidrothchild

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Originally Posted by alliswell
Couple of things. You don't have a midrange suit. You have a cheap suit, but all the better if it fits you and does the job. In any event, if you want to wear it again under circumstances where it has to impress and it's dirty, clean it. Forget comparing the price of the suit to the cost of cleaning. If not, do whatever you like.

+1. That's a pretty cheap suit. I think most people in these parts would consider mid-range to at least be half-canvassed and start closer to $500. That being said, if you like it and plan on wearing it more, the maintenance costs as a percentage of the purchase price of the suit are irrelevant. You wouldn't forego oil changes for your Hyndai Accent based on a similar calculus.
 

GBR

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That is just a cheap nasty suit - nowhere near mid-range.

Still if you can manage to be happy with it and it has not started ti fall to pieces than by all means clean it - then watch it fall to pieces.
 

Saenek

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If $120 is mid-range to you I'd hate to see a low-end suit.
 

Klobber

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Well, the suit is mid - range:
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.
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It is just mid - range within the bargain basement bracket (suits under $300).

$500 the price for a mid - range suit? Nope, not even close. $500 is still a cheap suit. I would consider mid - range starting at $1.2K. A mid range should start with a fully canvassed suit minus all the bells and whistles.

Anyway, to the OP, keep the suit and wear it. If the suit is functional and fits well, it is good go. Dont worry about it being a cheapie, I wore these type of suits for years before upgrading when my salary jumped up a few notches.
 

Philip1978

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reidrothchild

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Originally Posted by Klobber
Well, the suit is mid - range:
.
.
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It is just mid - range within the bargain basement bracket (suits under $300).

$500 the price for a mid - range suit? Nope, not even close. $500 is still a cheap suit. I would consider mid - range starting at $1.2K. A mid range should start with a fully canvassed suit minus all the bells and whistles.

Anyway, to the OP, keep the suit and wear it. If the suit is functional and fits well, it is good go. Dont worry about it being a cheapie, I wore these type of suits for years before upgrading when my salary jumped up a few notches.


I don't necessarily disagree with you, as terms like "cheap," "mid-range," and "high end" are so subjective, but I had the Benjamin suits everyone seems to be so high on in mind. They are fully canvassed and retail for about $500. Brooks Bros 1818 line also retails for under $1,000, and I certainly don't consider them to be "cheap," either pricewise or construction-wise. I'd think they fall into the mid-range category as well. But if you're accustomed to Rubinacci or Saville Rowe bespoke, I guess you've probably got an entirely different classification system than I do. For me, mid-range (RTW) would go from about the lowest price I could get a canvassed suit for ($500) up to about the cost of a typical Hickey Freeman ($1,500-2,000). Once you get over the $2,000 mark, you get into Oxxford 1220 territory and BB Golden Fleece, which I consider to be the lower end of high-end. Obviously, the likes of Tom Ford and Kiton make suits way beyond the $2,000 marker, but a 7 Series BMW is no less a luxury car because of the existence of a $2 million Bugatti. Just the $.02 of a small-timer.
 

tone76

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The OP appears to be Australian (or possibly a troll? Lynx ... really ...?
facepalm.gif
), which explains a lot. AUD$120 does NOT buy you a mid-range suit. It buys you a cheap, nasty polyester POS. I'm struggling to think of what the US equivalent of Essential Man might be, but a lot of their clothing wouldn't look out of place at Wal*mart. OP is better off taking that suit to his local Vinnies or Salvos and starting again from scratch. Whilst he's there, he could maybe look at thrifting a decent older suit.
 

Klobber

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Originally Posted by reidrothchild
I don't necessarily disagree with you, as terms like "cheap," "mid-range," and "high end" are so subjective, but I had the Benjamin suits everyone seems to be so high on in mind. They are fully canvassed and retail for about $500. Brooks Bros 1818 line also retails for under $1,000, and I certainly don't consider them to be "cheap," either pricewise or construction-wise. I'd think they fall into the mid-range category as well. But if you're accustomed to Rubinacci or Saville Rowe bespoke, I guess you've probably got an entirely different classification system than I do. For me, mid-range (RTW) would go from about the lowest price I could get a canvassed suit for ($500) up to about the cost of a typical Hickey Freeman ($1,500-2,000). Once you get over the $2,000 mark, you get into Oxxford 1220 territory and BB Golden Fleece, which I consider to be the lower end of high-end. Obviously, the likes of Tom Ford and Kiton make suits way beyond the $2,000 marker, but a 7 Series BMW is no less a luxury car because of the existence of a $2 million Bugatti. Just the $.02 of a small-timer.


Good point. There is no real marker for mid-range, top-range etc... I prefer to talk in terms of generalities (specifics ruin the concept of generality). In other words, a fully canvassed suit without all the bells and whistles and moderately good fabric, should by and large, cost around $1 - $1.2K. That does not mean you cannot get a fully canvassed suit for cheaper.

Half Canvased suits like the BB 1818 line are fine pieces as well, but Im working on the concept that a Mid-Ranged suit is a very luxurious item, i.e. like a 7 Series BMW or Porche 911 in automobile world. So I expect a mid-range should start at fully canvased.

Im not working on concept that cheap = trash either. I would consider up to 70%-80% of the fashion label suits as cheap rather than mid-range, but that does not stop them being any good. Same goes for BB 1818, they are good suits, half canvassed, but I got to put them in the cheap category. BB Golden Fleece or Black Fleece on other hand are usually fully canvassed and hand tailored, making them at least mid-range.
 

reidrothchild

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Originally Posted by Klobber
Good point. There is no real marker for mid-range, top-range etc... I prefer to talk in terms of generalities (specifics ruin the concept of generality). In other words, a fully canvassed suit without all the bells and whistles and moderately good fabric, should by and large, cost around $1 - $1.2K. That does not mean you cannot get a fully canvassed suit for cheaper.

Half Canvased suits like the BB 1818 line are fine pieces as well, but Im working on the concept that a Mid-Ranged suit is a very luxurious item, i.e. like a 7 Series BMW or Porche 911 in automobile world. So I expect a mid-range should start at fully canvased.

Im not working on concept that cheap = trash either. I would consider up to 70%-80% of the fashion label suits as cheap rather than mid-range, but that does not stop them being any good. Same goes for BB 1818, they are good suits, half canvassed, but I got to put them in the cheap category. BB Golden Fleece or Black Fleece on other hand are usually fully canvassed and hand tailored, making them at least mid-range.


I see. I was thinking that cheap means a price point where you really couldn't get anything worth owning; mid-range to be the beginning of decent suits; and high-end to include all luxurious items. Under any classification system, I suppose we can all agree that $120 is cheap.
 

Klobber

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Yes, thinking of it, labelling stuff in mid - range, upper range etc is entirely subjective and few would agree that such a classification makes sense.

$120 is cheap, particularly for full retail. Such a suit would in all likelihood be made in a sweatshop in Asia for 10cents.

Still though, cant find myself bashing a guy for wearing it. If that is all he can afford, cant knock a guy for that. I just wish he went on eBay and bought a nice second hand one for that price.

I prefer to knock overpriced cheap suits - i.e. the sorts you get in Banana Republic or Jcrew. Just how can they justify a $379 tag for suit jacket and then $110 for matching pants? Hugo Boss also deserves a severe beating down, up to $900 for a suit that is basically fused and made on the cheap.
 

sho'nuff

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i would just pick up a $49.99 merona suit at target have it basic tailored and be on your way.

at an event where you'll see lot of people,

you dont want people to see you in the light of 'he doesnt really take care of himself' which is a reflection of many other things about yourself. stuff like having bad breath, dirty clothes, unkempt look, wearing clothes w sandals to church, etc that says i dont give a crap and i dont respect others.

but no one will look down on you for buying on the cheap. nothing wrong with that. as long as youre presentable, clean, look dressed for the event, etc it dont matter if you wear a 49.99 merona suit from target because finances/economy is one thing, looking like you care for yourself/others is another.
 

reidrothchild

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I tried on one of the Merona jackets on a whim once, and they're really not bad for like $50. They occasionally have some decent patterned ties, though I've never bought any. Banana Republic is probably about the worst value proposition out there for suits. I understand a mall store selling fused suits, but the cut of them isn't even anything special, at least not the last time I tried one one, which has admittedly been over a year ago. BR also sells a lot of trousers and blazers that are poly-wool blends or pure polyester. I still have some BR items (not suits or dress shirts) that I'm happy with. JCrew makes some decent casual stuff that's not a bad deal on sale.
 

Klobber

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BR or Jcrew I have nothing really against them - apart from suits and dress shirts. Casuals = fine. Not the best items ever made, but then we dont have to pay a pretty penny for them. Value wise they are probably on a par with Polo RL (although Polo suits are far better tailored than any BR or Jcrew offering) and Hugo Boss.

Putting into context, wearing a pair of Brunello Cucinelli chinos or a Loro Piana zip up sweater for a walk in the park or to the mall is somewhat overkill IMO. Jcrew and BR have their place, although not in my business/formal wear part of my wardrobe.

Merona suit is good for the money. Merona = Calvin Klein = Tommy Hilfiger = Michael Kors etc... all these suits are of the same quality, except Merona costs a few bucks and not > $200 like CK or TH. In my opinion, I would buy Merona suit before BR or Jcrew when considering the extra $400 for the BR does not get you a much better suit.
 

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