online suit comparison

[borsaj]

I know this question has been asked many times before but after spending considerable time searching Im hoping to get some advise from members on buying some suits online.

as my first post and a new user i know there is always suspicion of spam, i can only say that this is not in any way spam, hopefully my questions are taken as honest inquiries. ive searched through different forum posts but wanted some more definitive answers.

i need 4 solid coloured (navy blue) suits for an upcoming wedding, my budget was downgraded and we considered just ensuring the guys wore "dark" suits and match up the ties and shirts. but after seeing what these guys had i was slightly appalled because the bride and groom are somewhat fashion conscious and after looking around the net i came across what may be decent enough suits in the $250-$300 range.

the guys will pitch in a bit if the suit seems fairly worthwhile because the guys can wear it again for work. i dont want to rent tux's. im hoping i can make this special without breaking the bank.

looking to find navy blue, solid coloured, somewhat slim fitting, hand picked stiching on the lapels, (not sure the proper name for that feature) peak or notch lapels. flat front pants.

so, after filtering out the shady sellers on ebay pushing fake armani suits for $150, and from searching here quite a bit ive zero'ed in on a few:

wizard of ahs:

i emailed the guy after seeing his posts on the forum, seemed accomodating but didnt answer my questions in enough detail which made me a bit wary, he suggested

the daniele suits for normal sized guys or
the marco valentino suit w/ slimmer fit.

both suits on their site appear long and boxy because they never show it actually on a model. but there are favorable reviews on this site for a suit at that price point.

modainstyle:

metamoda firenze 1970 a bit cheaper than the others, but looks good. not much revies on this site or on the net in general. so im not sure.

overstock.com

simon carter $300 a suit im familiar with, i like them, slim fitting, usually $600 at the simon carter store in toronto

mantoni $200 looks good in pictures but objective reveiws are slim on their suits.



with my limited knowledge in suits, im thinking that italian cuts can be bigger than english style suits, but some of the sites list "tailored fit" or "slim fit" for italian suits so that may no longer be a problem.

material quality, they all refer to super 150 or 130, but look very different in pics.

again im hoping this inquiry is taken as genuine, and not a spam attempt for the sites listed above. i am looking towards spending a bit more because its looking like i can pick up legitimate suits that me and the guys can wear for work as well, so we arent worried about speding a bit extra.

any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

j
toronto, ON

 

[reidrothchild]

If you're buying four suits for a wedding party, first of all, don't. Just have the guys wear black or navy suits. The current threads probably won't look much worse than whatever you'll get from offline. The suits will show up and be of lesser quality than you hoped and will, inevitably, not fit well, and you'll be out $1200+. It is very typical for the groom's wedding party to look awful, as they usually rent cheap, baggy tuxes. If you're on some kind of budget, this cannot be avoided. Everyone will be focused on the bride and her party, anyway, so it doesn't matter.

As for the suits you've listed, I'm only familiar with the Wizard's. Everyone agrees they are cheap, work-horse suits at best. At $300, they may be a decent value (marginally better than JAB or MW), but I wouldn't recommend them for a special occasion when you're wanting everyone to look great. If you're absolutely set on spending $1200 to outfit 4 guys in new suits quickly, just go to Macy's, JAB, or MW and buy the suits. Sure, they'll be cheap suits, but least that way the guys will be able to try them on first.

 

[Harper]

Don't forget to budget in extra $$$$ for alterations. All the suits you mentioned will require a trip to the tailor to adjust sleeves and hem the pants (at the minimum).

I agree with the comment above and would go as a group and see if you couldn't get the equivalent of a group discount or get a deal on alterations if they charge for them. Plus it would eliminate any nasty surprises that might pop up from buying a suit "sight unseen."

 

[ChiquEvan]

I am a pretty short guy...so off the rack is never worth the money for me...you sound like my kinda guy..you should try buying bespoke suits online...there's tons of options out there online and most of them you never even need to visit a tailor..they walk you through the experience..

read my other posts to find some examples...
I've reviewed the two biggest online tailors recently..

Evan