Newbie buying a suit for wedding and more.

[pooter03]

I'm getting married in early June. The original plan was to rent a tux, but in all honesty, I just look silly in one. The plan now is to buy a nice suit. Because they had a sale going on, we went to Lord & Taylor to see what they had. Somehow I ended up leaving with an $800 black Hugo Boss (red label) that wasn't on sale. When I got home, I did some research and learned how and why that was a really stupid thing to do (I bought a $300 suit for $800.) I'll be returning it this weekend.

I already have a navy Polo Black Label suit as my primary suit, but I wouldn't mind having a nice black suit as a secondary. I don't have to wear them on a day to day basis, but we get invited to a half dozen or so weddings a year plus other events. It'll be nice to have a second option.

Anyway, it turns out that Nordstrom's is having a special on MTM suits right now. I can get a Joseph Abboud semi-canvassed suit MTM for the same price as the OTR HB. Is this a better way to go? If not, I live in entral Jersey with easy access to NYC and Philly. Are there better places for me to shop for a suit in this price range (sub-$1000)?

Thanks!

BTW I don't know if this matters, but I'm about 5'7", 153 Lbs, and measure out to a 39S. I like a slimmer cut.

 

[wohwoh]

Look into suit supply.

 

[pooter03]

I did look at their website, but they didn't have any black suits. Just a tux and a morning coat. Would the brick and mortar store be different?

 

[pooter03]

I just called Suit Supply and they can do MTM suits for $600-$800. This would be better quality than what I could get MTM at Nordstrom for the same price?

 

[Simon at Elite]

I just called Suit Supply and they can do MTM suits for $600-$800. This would be better quality than what I could get MTM at Nordstrom for the same price?

We can help you with a hand tailored full canvas suit made with a bespoke quality Clissold or Holland & Sherry fabric from as low as $699.

You can have it made to measure or a standard off the rack size. Have a read OF THIS for more information.

Also you get to choose the standard of tailoring used to construct your suit. You can read more about this HERE

 

[E TF]

Don't buy a black suit. They're maybe ok for funerals, but that's it. Certainly don't wear one to weddings. If you have a decent navy suit, then buy a mid grey or charcoal grey suit.

 

[mrstillwater]

The wedding is in the evening?
If it were me I would look first at some discount online RTW sources. You can find them by searching this site for sure.

You might also try a euro size 48. There may be more selection there than a 39S and you'll probably need sleeves adjusted anyway.

 

[pooter03]

It's a Sunday afternoon wedding. I know the black suit/tuxedo is probably too formal, but I like the way I look in black suits better than grey or navy.

 

[archibaldleach]



Don't buy a black suit. They're maybe ok for funerals, but that's it. Certainly don't wear one to weddings. If you have a decent navy suit, then buy a mid grey or charcoal grey suit.

+1 on not getting a black suit. Charcoal and navy are both infinitely more versatile than black and tend to look better. If you already have a solid navy suit, your second suit should be solid charcoal. If you don't wear a suit to work and mostly wear it to weddings, dinners and other social functions, then you really have no use for something like pinstripes. If you ever get a third suit, I recommend either a worsted navy or grey flannel double breasted or possibly a nice linen suit for summer events.

 

[VinnyMac]

I'm getting married in early June. The original plan was to rent a tux, but in all honesty, I just look silly in one. The plan now is to buy a nice suit. Because they had a sale going on, we went to Lord & Taylor to see what they had. Somehow I ended up leaving with an $800 black Hugo Boss (red label) that wasn't on sale. When I got home, I did some research and learned how and why that was a really stupid thing to do (I bought a $300 suit for $800.) I'll be returning it this weekend.

I already have a navy Polo Black Label suit as my primary suit, but I wouldn't mind having a nice black suit as a secondary. I don't have to wear them on a day to day basis, but we get invited to a half dozen or so weddings a year plus other events. It'll be nice to have a second option.

Anyway, it turns out that Nordstrom's is having a special on MTM suits right now. I can get a Joseph Abboud semi-canvassed suit MTM for the same price as the OTR HB. Is this a better way to go? If not, I live in entral Jersey with easy access to NYC and Philly. Are there better places for me to shop for a suit in this price range (sub-$1000)?

Thanks!

BTW I don't know if this matters, but I'm about 5'7", 153 Lbs, and measure out to a 39S. I like a slimmer cut.

What's REALLY stupid is that you didn't want to wear a tuxedo, so you bought a black suit instead. The good news is that you still have a few months to get everything nailed down.

1) If you buy a mtm tuxedo, it will look a lot better than a rented tuxedo does.
2) Have you decided what color suit you want to wear? Grey and blue will be HEAVILY favored over black for any occasion (unless you're wearing a tuxedo).
3) No matter how you spin it, $800 for a Joseph Abboud still stinks. It will probably fit better than the otr HB, so it could be better in that regard, but it's still terrible.

I've never bought from SuitSupply, but they get decent reviews for ready-to-wear clothes. You could also look into some of the online mtm companies. Prices usually range from $300-$1,000. I've tried a few of them. As long as you're realistic about what you're going to get (fused or half-canvassed) and you send accurate measurements, you'll probably get a good suit. I haven't tried EliteSuits yet, but I'll probably experiment with them next because of the "hand-made and full-canvassed" claims.