MC General Chat

[bry2000]

It's a blue solid jacket with some texture. What am I missing? I probably would not wear black or charcoal trousers with it, but anything else is game.

 

[clee1982]

Yea anything is fine, light blue is still pretty versatile

 

[smittycl]

It's a blue solid jacket with some texture. What am I missing? I probably would not wear black or charcoal trousers with it, but anything else is game.

Obviously my ability to coordinate bright sport coats! Was just curious if there were any silver bullets. I figured, as most mentioned, I would just treat it as a blue sport coat and maybe wear with gray linen pants and such.

 

[1969]

This weekend I attended the UT graduation ceremony here in Austin, and my gosh America has a style problem. I could go on, but it ranged from Affliction jeans with untucked Nordstrom rack striped shirts to "I'm going to Costco" outfits to a few sad attempts at tailoring. I'm not the type of person to lament the fall of 'nice' clothing from day-to-day activities but college graduation?

 

[BPL Esq]

Maybe there's a better thread for this, and I ought to know the answers from my own research and time spent on SF, but I could use some suggestions to get me to decision time.

I need a new suit, preferably a fairly standard navy two-button for occasional use in relatively formal circumstances (e.g., court). My older ones are no longer of much use to me for various reasons. I've been browsing eBay, as I've had some success finding some gently used Oxxford/Brioni/Kiton sport coats at great prices and thought perhaps I'd snag something of high quality at a good price. Suits seem a bit tougher so far. Lots of them are either very dated, have issues, or are patterned (of course, I appreciate the patterns and would probably buy them if I didn't need a conservative navy one more urgently). I'd like a fairly classic shoulder/silhouette with reasonably generous lapels.

I'm a pretty easy size, as 42R usually fits pretty well OTR. A couple 'drop 7' Italian sport coats I've gotten look good on me, in my opinion. I've looked at the NMWA offerings from Sartoria Carrara (maybe a little less structured than I'd like) and Sartoria Formosa. I took a look at the offerings at Nordstrom and Neiman (Zegna, Canali, Brioni). I've gotten suits from Brooks Brothers in the past, but I'm not happy with the direction they've taken - short jackets, narrow lapels, etc. (my experience there over the weekend is a story for another post). I'm a lot more concerned with quality than I am with a designer name.

I'm looking to spend up to around $2K but am open to looking slightly outside that range, especially because I feel comfortable just buying one for the time being and will add more down the road. Suggestions are appreciated.

Edit: Brooks Brothers just emailed me about the introduction of their new cargo pants. Glad I didn't buy the two 1818 suits I tried on there over the weekend.

 

[smittycl]

Maybe there's a better thread for this, and I ought to know the answers from my own research and time spent on SF, but I could use some suggestions to get me to decision time.

I need a new suit, preferably a fairly standard navy two-button for occasional use in relatively formal circumstances (e.g., court). My older ones are no longer of much use to me for various reasons. I've been browsing eBay, as I've had some success finding some gently used Oxxford/Brioni/Kiton sport coats at great prices and thought perhaps I'd snag something of high quality at a good price. Suits seem a bit tougher so far. Lots of them are either very dated, have issues, or are patterned (of course, I appreciate the patterns and would probably buy them if I didn't need a conservative navy one more urgently). I'd like a fairly classic shoulder/silhouette with reasonably generous lapels.

I'm a pretty easy size, as 42R usually fits pretty well OTR. A couple 'drop 7' Italian sport coats I've gotten look good on me, in my opinion. I've looked at the NMWA offerings from Sartoria Carrara (maybe a little less structured than I'd like) and Sartoria Formosa. I took a look at the offerings at Nordstrom and Neiman (Zegna, Canali, Brioni). I've gotten suits from Brooks Brothers in the past, but I'm not happy with the direction they've taken - short jackets, narrow lapels, etc. (my experience there over the weekend is a story for another post). I'm a lot more concerned with quality than I am with a designer name.

I'm looking to spend up to around $2K but am open to looking slightly outside that range, especially because I feel comfortable just buying one for the time being and will add more down the road. Suggestions are appreciated.

Edit: Brooks Brothers just emailed me about the introduction of their new cargo pants. Glad I didn't buy the two 1818 suits I tried on there over the weekend.

NWT Oxxford in 42. Depending on the cut you might find 40 or 41 will work as well. I’ve gotten three suits and numerous sport coats from him over the years. He also carries Zegna, Isaia, etc.

Security Measure

www.ebay.com

Men's Italian Designer Clothing | Top Shelf Apparel

Browse high quality men's Italian designer clothing from the finest labels now. Discover Italian fashion brands at discounted prices. New arrivals daily.

topshelfapparel.com

 

[clee1982]

doesn't BB still have the "old cut" (i.e. not Cambridge or Milano, but Fitz, Regent or even Madison?)

at 2k I would have thought you can get Zegna or Canali on sale easy or HF. How about AMJ01/Model 1 from Armoury (Ring Jacket), it's mostly phased out, but still some on Drop93. Can also get Paul Stuart relative easy on sale at 2k (just stick to the Paul model if you want something simple and more conservative).

p.s. forget to ask, what's your try on option (like how easily accessible do you have to all the stuff)

 

[pasadena man]

I'm a 42 R drop 8, 6'. I've found both Canali and Oxxford have worked for me, good fabrics, nice cut, accommodates the drop, traditional detailing.

These options, for me, convey quality without standing out (which I don't particularly want).

 

[bry2000]

What are your retail store options locally?

Beyond that, @clee1982 offers good advice: Ring, BB (have a sales associate find an old cut -- I can give you the name of a salesperson at one of the BB New York stores who can help you if your local people can't), Paul Stuart, Hickey Freeman.

 

[hpreston]

Maybe there's a better thread for this, and I ought to know the answers from my own research and time spent on SF, but I could use some suggestions to get me to decision time.

I need a new suit, preferably a fairly standard navy two-button for occasional use in relatively formal circumstances (e.g., court). My older ones are no longer of much use to me for various reasons. I've been browsing eBay, as I've had some success finding some gently used Oxxford/Brioni/Kiton sport coats at great prices and thought perhaps I'd snag something of high quality at a good price. Suits seem a bit tougher so far. Lots of them are either very dated, have issues, or are patterned (of course, I appreciate the patterns and would probably buy them if I didn't need a conservative navy one more urgently). I'd like a fairly classic shoulder/silhouette with reasonably generous lapels.

I'm a pretty easy size, as 42R usually fits pretty well OTR. A couple 'drop 7' Italian sport coats I've gotten look good on me, in my opinion. I've looked at the NMWA offerings from Sartoria Carrara (maybe a little less structured than I'd like) and Sartoria Formosa. I took a look at the offerings at Nordstrom and Neiman (Zegna, Canali, Brioni). I've gotten suits from Brooks Brothers in the past, but I'm not happy with the direction they've taken - short jackets, narrow lapels, etc. (my experience there over the weekend is a story for another post). I'm a lot more concerned with quality than I am with a designer name.

I'm looking to spend up to around $2K but am open to looking slightly outside that range, especially because I feel comfortable just buying one for the time being and will add more down the road. Suggestions are appreciated.

Edit: Brooks Brothers just emailed me about the introduction of their new cargo pants. Glad I didn't buy the two 1818 suits I tried on there over the weekend.

If they have a suit in your size from Formosa at NMWA, that's a good bet. lots of handwork, full canvass and great fabrics, although there seem to only be a few suits/sizes available. I don't believe NMWA is getting any new Formosa in stock, so what's there, is what's there. I found most Formosa suits have a bit of structure in the shoulder.

If you can wait until visits are possible (and you are anywhere where a trip to NY is doable) then Carrara MTM is a good option too. You can try on to determine if you like the cut, or Greg can measure you for MTM, and you can pick your fabric. Admittedly, the Carrara silhouette is a bit relaxed, so if you don't care for that..... scroll down.

doesn't BB still have the "old cut" (i.e. not Cambridge or Milano, but Fitz, Regent or even Madison?)

at 2k I would have thought you can get Zegna or Canali on sale easy or HF. How about AMJ01/Model 1 from Armoury (Ring Jacket), it's mostly phased out, but still some on Drop93. Can also get Paul Stuart relative easy on sale at 2k (just stick to the Paul model if you want something simple and more conservative).

p.s. forget to ask, what's your try on option (like how easily accessible do you have to all the stuff)

Ring Jacket AMJ01/Model 1 is a good option, can be had MTM from The Armoury in addition to the pieces available at D93.

If you care to stretch your budget a bit, the Armoury Model 101 is a conservative fit with some structure. Made in the same tailoring house as RL Purple Label.

One could also mention Hickey Freeman, or even RL Polo blue label (made in HF factories these days) both have a good MTM program.

 

[BPL Esq]

doesn't BB still have the "old cut" (i.e. not Cambridge or Milano, but Fitz, Regent or even Madison?)

at 2k I would have thought you can get Zegna or Canali on sale easy or HF. How about AMJ01/Model 1 from Armoury (Ring Jacket), it's mostly phased out, but still some on Drop93. Can also get Paul Stuart relative easy on sale at 2k (just stick to the Paul model if you want something simple and more conservative).

p.s. forget to ask, what's your try on option (like how easily accessible do you have to all the stuff)

I tried on the Regent fit suits at BB (which is what I've gotten in the past). Lapels were pretty narrow and the jackets were somewhat short. Fitzgerald tends to be more slim fit than that, and Madison is a bit too billowy on me. I saw Zegna and Canali close to the top of the budgeted amount during my weekend shopping trip, but I wasn't crazy about them and selection was very limited. I'll take another look at the Ring Jacket offerings.

NYC is a pretty easy day trip for me (once I find the time for it and haven't been assigned other tasks by the wife), and Philadelphia is also very easy, so I don't feel constrained in terms of trying things on.

I'm liking the Oxxford option suggested above. The photo makes it look very boxy, but the measurements suggest it's got a bit of suppression and is pretty close to what I already have and like jacket-wise.

On the Carrara topic, it's not so much that I'm opposed to less structure in general, but I think that for purposes of near-term use in court and similar settings now that in-person appearances are going to be back on the menu, my priority for this first of what I think will eventually be a few suits replacing those I have now should be something with some structure rather than anything too relaxed.

 

[clee1982]

42 should be easy option in terms of RLPL on eBay (assume you know the fit). I haven't tried Polo for suit for ages but I think they have gone a lot more mainstream than what you want if you're looking for a more conservative cut.

edit: provided you can get the fit right at $2k, eBay is like more than all you can eat

edit2: like this, not navy, though, don't recall if RL has Douglas, but both Saks and Bergdorf Goodman definitely had the Douglas model for you to try on

NWT Ralph Lauren Purple Label Douglas Charcoal Heather Wool 2 Pc Suit 42R $2495 | eBay

The suit is the classic "Douglas" two piece suit in charcoal heather gray wool. The jacket has pockets, a double vent at the back, and unfinished sleeves with the pouch of buttons so that you can tailor the sleeve length to your liking.

www.ebay.com

 

[BPL Esq]

42 should be easy option in terms of RLPL on eBay (assume you know the fit). I haven't tried Polo for suit for ages but I think they have gone a lot more mainstream than what you want if you're looking for a more conservative cut.

edit: provided you can get the fit right at $2k, eBay is like more than all you can eat

Thanks. I've had pretty good luck finding nice sport coats on eBay in the recent past. The only consistent issue I see is that I find great jackets and then find that the sleeves are either much longer or much shorter than I need, and that becomes a pain when they have functioning buttonholes. Luckily, it sounds like my tailor is going to be able to get me the extra length from the couple I bought that had too-short sleeves, but I'm going to pay closer attention to that going forward.

I stopped in a Ralph Lauren store recently and found the Polo stuff to be a bit more trendy than I'd like. The RLPL was much better but I believe more like $3K. Haven't really specifically looked for that on eBay so far.

 

[smittycl]

I tried on the Regent fit suits at BB (which is what I've gotten in the past). Lapels were pretty narrow and the jackets were somewhat short. Fitzgerald tends to be more slim fit than that, and Madison is a bit too billowy on me. I saw Zegna and Canali close to the top of the budgeted amount during my weekend shopping trip, but I wasn't crazy about them and selection was very limited. I'll take another look at the Ring Jacket offerings.

NYC is a pretty easy day trip for me (once I find the time for it and haven't been assigned other tasks by the wife), and Philadelphia is also very easy, so I don't feel constrained in terms of trying things on.

I'm liking the Oxxford option suggested above. The photo makes it look very boxy, but the measurements suggest it's got a bit of suppression and is pretty close to what I already have and like jacket-wise.

On the Carrara topic, it's not so much that I'm opposed to less structure in general, but I think that for purposes of near-term use in court and similar settings now that in-person appearances are going to be back on the menu, my priority for this first of what I think will eventually be a few suits replacing those I have now should be something with some structure rather than anything too relaxed.

The Oxxford Capitol and Randolph fits are very full cut. They have plenty of fabric inside (I forgot the proper term for that) and can handle alterations.

 

[BPL Esq]

The Oxxford Capitol and Randolph fits are very full cut. They have plenty of fabric inside (I forgot the proper term for that) and can handle alterations.

The cut is my only reservation. I'm a relatively young guy with broad enough shoulders to give me a bit of a V taper, especially since I've lost about 30lbs in 2021 and hope to lose maybe 10 or 15 more during the next few months. I'd like something a bit more flattering without becoming too trendy/#menswear and looking out of place in court. I'm kind of thinking maybe I should cough up the extra money for the Formosa, which comes down below $2k after a discount code at NMWA. I think it probably strikes a reasonably good balance stylistically. I like the buttoning point on it a lot better than the higher one on the Oxxford.