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More help wanted

housemaidsknee

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as i've posted before, i have been wearing casuals for so long that i don't remember what a suit feels like. Â i got some shoes : Â RL Polo and a pair of Allen Edmonds (which have not arrived yet). Â I need help choosing a suit ( i live in a place where the highest end store is macys and they carry crap). Â added to that i'm a 40S with a 32 waist. Â one of god's cruel jokes as far as shopping for a RTW suit is concerned. anyway, what do all of you think of the following suits: Â (after what i spend on everything else, i'll be on a $500 budget for the suit): Ebay ARMANI COLLEZIONI BB Wool and Cashmere This one i can get BB GC's for 20% off on ebay so should be under 500 as well. Â Also, how are Land's End Half Canvas Suits? Does Land's End make Short sizes? did not see them on the website. I have never gone to Sears looking for suits - do Sears carry the entire Land's End range in store? Are there any other options i should consider? TIA.
 

housemaidsknee

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have i done something wrong? pissed off the experts? how come nobody will give me their opinion?
 

dah328

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It might be because it's only been a couple hours. If you search the archives, you'll find lots of threads about good suits at different price points.

If you want my moderately-informed opinion, the Armani Collezioni suit is not particularly well-made. There are lots of threads to that effect. I don't know exactly what line the BB suit is from. From what I've read, if it's not Golden Fleece, it's probably not canvassed at all. I don't know much about Land's End's half-canvassed suits. I have seen short sizes on their site, although they might not be available for every product.

As an aside, I'm also close to a 40 short with a 31 waist or so. I've pretty much given up on RTW suits as it's difficult and expensive to have the necessary tailoring done to try to squeeze some semblance of fit out of the suit. WW Chan is my suit of choice, but at about $730, they're a little bit above your price point. Also, unless you're in one of the cities on their US trip, it would be hard to work with them.

Regards,

dan
 

housemaidsknee

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It might be because it's only been a couple hours.  If you search the archives, you'll find lots of threads about good suits at different price points.

If you want my moderately-informed opinion, the Armani Collezioni suit is not particularly well-made.  There are lots of threads to that effect.  I don't know exactly what line the BB suit is from.  From what I've read, if it's not Golden Fleece, it's probably not canvassed at all.  I don't know much about Land's End's half-canvassed suits.  I have seen short sizes on their site, although they might not be available for every product.

As an aside, I'm also close to a 40 short with a 31 waist or so.  I've pretty much given up on RTW suits as it's difficult and expensive to have the necessary tailoring done to try to squeeze some semblance of fit out of the suit.  WW Chan is my suit of choice, but at about $730, they're a little bit above your price point.  Also, unless you're in one of the cities on their US trip, it would be hard to work with them.

Regards,

dan
thanks for the reply - i will let the ebay suit pass. about the bb suit - is it worth the money? i need it rather fast so working with a hk tailor wont be an option this time around. what other options does a 40S 32" waist guy consider under $500. searched some past threads and saw a lot of ebay suggestions but most don't work for my size.
 

aarghh

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Have you considered Banana Republic? They have separates that allow you to mix and match for your jacket and trousers, and the cuts are not bad. So they're fused, but you do want it in a hurry.
 

JohnMS

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I'll respond to the Lands' End side of the question.  Yes, LE does carry suits in long, regular, and short sizes.  The problem is the shorts are typically only available on their lower-end suits, the 70's-grade wool.

Regarding their half-canvas suits, I have a charcoal birdseye in 110s fabric that I really like.  The drape of the pants are great and the cut of the suit looks as good on me as 80 percent of the suits I've tried on.  The half-canvas suits used to be made in Canada, but I believe are now made in Portugal if I remember right.

Sears will most likely not carry the Lands' End suits, just some of the basic stuff. From what I've heard, read, and discussed with LE people, Sears is cutting back on their LE offerings in their stores. Why pay a whopping $25 for a LE dress shirt (cotton/poly blend) when you can buy the Sears equivalent for $20 or $15? That is the thinking of the consumer according to a newspaper article I read.

The price of the half-canvas are high at full price.  I paid about $125 for the one I have, only because I patiently waited the 18-24 months it took for the suit to come down in price.  Many of their half-canvas suits are upwards of $500 to $600.  For that price there are a lot of other options in much better quality stuff.
 

housemaidsknee

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i really appreciate all the help.

i had not thought that banana republic would carry suits. they dont instore here (remember i am in god forsaken idaho). will probably make a weekend trip to salt lake city (which i know is not the best place but its better than here and i can make the return trip in a day).

will check banana republic instore and the macys there. don't know what other stores they have - i know they have a brooks brothers. is the brooks suit i linked in the first post any good? or should i stick to the golden fleece (if it is in my price range on sale or something). i have read/heard some bad things about brooks separates and jos banks suits so i guess they are out.

how is the quality of the banana republic suits? i know i should learn to judge quality myself but i guess that will come with time. till then, all the help is appreciated.
 

housemaidsknee

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not to hijack my own thread, but ...
i really appreciate everybody taking the time to educate a newbie like me. to show thanks, i have 2 gmail invitations to send that i won't be using. anybody who has posted a meaningful reply to my questions is welcome to have one. just ask. (i know gmail is probably not hot around here, but it is what it is - 1GB free)
 

TomW

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You won't find any Macy's in SLC, you will find Nordstrom, ZCMI and that's about it... complete list of downtown shopping can be found here. I assume you're in Pocatello or Idaho Falls... Boise at least has a large Bon-Macy's and Dillards.
 

housemaidsknee

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You won't find any Macy's in SLC, you will find Nordstrom, ZCMI Â and that's about it... complete list of downtown shopping can be found here. I assume you're in Pocatello or Idaho Falls... Boise at least has a large Bon-Macy's and Dillards.
i am actually in boise - but the bon-macys, dillards (though i have not been there for a while now) and tjmaxx tend to have lower end stuff. last i looked a week ago in the bon macys, they had exactly 7 suits in my size - and half of those were not even 100% wool. how is the brooks brothers in slc?
 

JohnMS

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Brooks in SLC, actually Park City, is ok. The majority of their items are made specifically for the factory store. However I was up there about a month ago and they actually had a number of dress shirts from their main store. Years ago I bought a pair of BB leather braces, but rarely have I seen anything worthwhile.
 

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