MTM Suits - Pal Zileri or Canali?

[Python]

I am currently looking for a made-to-measure suit (or two) and am looking for opinions on makers. I do not wear a suit to work (medical doctor), so a conservative/traditional look is unimportant - I mostly wear suits for nights out, so a more trendy appearance is preferable (but still well-tailored).

Some information about myself and what I'm after:

About me:
- Mid 20s, slim, in-shape Asian guy (black hair, etc.)
- 5'11", 31" waist, broad shoulders

Looking for:
- Black solid, or black with pinstripes (or one of each); as a black-haired Asian guy, brown (whether suit or belt/shoes) looks awful on me anyway, so that's out of the question.
- Fitted suit (not a fan of the sack-style suit)

Opinions sought on:
- Peak or notch lapels? (bearing in mind that I wear suits for going out, not work)
- 1, 2 or 3 buttons?
- Width of lapels?
- How high should the top button be?
- Lining colours? (I like deep purple)
- Would light grey also suit me?

At the moment I'm considering either Canali or Pal Zileri MTM - how do they compare in terms of quality (specifically regarding MTM, not their off-the-rack selections)? Do they have functional sleeve buttonholes? Full canvas construction? Styling? How does the quality of Pal Zileri MTM compare to their Sartoriale line? What about Armani MTM (is Black Label MTM available)?

Currently living in Melbourne, Australia, so options are limited as compared to other parts of the world (do the quality of Canali/Pal Zileri MTM suits differ between continents?).

Your opinions?

 

[pkincy]

At this stage of your sartorial life and experience, good retailers are your friend. It is very difficult to help at a distance.

Both Pat Zileri and Canali are very good garments and both should do very well for you. I suppose I question the need for the MTM upcharge for a beginning wardrobe. That normally is reserved for special fabrics or hard to fit bodies in my experience.

Starting out you will be able to buy staples. And you might look for dark greys and navy blue to start with. My preference is navy blue, but I think many others would start with a charcoal grey. Black can be a very in color with young people but is very out with traditionalists, so would be a chancy first suit color.

Visit the outstanding retailers in your area for the Christmas sale and see what fits you well and makes you look good.

Keep us posted.

Perry

 

[Python]

It's not a first suit - more like 9th (including tuxes). I'm just looking for something which fits better than the usual off-the-rack garments (given that I have broad shoulders and a relatively broad chest, along with a narrow waist; all my shirts have to be either custom-made or designer (e.g. Versace or Helmut Lang) lest they surround me like a balloon).

Regarding colour, I already have a navy and charcoal suit, which I rarely wear; black tends to suit me very well, given that I already have black hair. I'm also wondering if light grey (matched with pink shirt) would suit an Asian guy. Also, remember that I don't wear suits to work and use them almost exclusively for going out (where I wear them a lot - no shortage of trendy nightspots full of 20-something yuppies with lots of disposable income here in Melbourne...).

In any case, the customs for what colours to wear at what time are much looser here in Australia than, say, in New York or Westminster - black (whether solid or pinstripe) is just as common during the daytime as any other colour. (On a related note, I'm sure the 'navy/brown for business/no black during daytime' rule was coined with brown/blonde-haired Caucasians in mind - would it be any different for those of different hair and skin tones who don't look so good in earth tones?)

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Broad shoulders and particularly skinny lapels are unlikely to go well together. Even if they did, you probably wouldn't want to wear the suit in a few years. You might experience the same problem with peak lapels or having only one button. But you could do it anyway. It makes sense to consider what styles you already have. Duplication seems wasteful. Also, unless you like a lot of attention, it's advisable to only have one bold feature on the suit (for example, one button not with peak lapels). Light gray sounds fine, but then it probably would look too conservative without some fashion-forward styling of the suit (or a non-traditional fabric). The lining can be whatever color you like.

 

[Python]

Thanks for the advice - anyway, the damage is done now. Just ordered a suit by Pal Zileri in Loro Piana's Super 150s fabric (black with triple silver pinstripes) in a stylish-yet-classic, fitted design (narrow-but-not-too-narrow, non-peaked, hand-picked lapels, two vents, fitted waist, high armholes, two buttons with button detailing, functional cuff and lapel buttonholes, embroidered silver silk lining). I also ordered a black silk/mohair sports coat at the same time... go figure. Total damage? 4750AUD. Not too bad, IMO...