Paul Stuart Sales

[Patrick Bateman]

How is PS quality-wise? are the jackets canvased?

B

Yes, fully canvassed.

If you get a chance, walk by their window displays around the corner from the Madison Avenue side. There's a half-finished suit jacket on display that shows the canvas lining.

 

[dah328]

I don't think all their stuff is canvassed.  I scored a great PS jacket at a thrift shop, but it's almost certainly fused.

dan

EDIT: I checked again and the jacket is canvassed. It's a coarser navy material and I think that threw me off the first time.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Who knows with older stuff. All the newer stuff is made by Isaia, St. Andrews, or Samuelsohn I think. None of those companies does fused products I don't think.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Just to clarify my previous post, I have been a PS customer for only a few years, but one of my girlfriend's family members has been working at PS for the last 10 years. He is proud of the product he sells, and rightly so. Unlike some "high fashion brands" or even Ralph Lauren (Blue Label), PS would never sell $1200 fused suits to its discerning customers.

I cannot speak to the suits PS made more than 10 years ago, but when my father and his brother were starting out as lawyers in New York in the late '70's, the purchase of a Paul Stuart suit was a sign that you had "made good." I highly doubt that the quality then was lower than it is today.

 

[lisapop]

If you get a chance, walk by their window displays around the corner from the Madison Avenue side.

Don't be frightened by the headless mannequins in the windows.
Grayson

 

[kabert]

I cannot speak to the suits PS made more than 10 years ago, but when my father and his brother were starting out as lawyers in New York in the late '70's, the purchase of a Paul Stuart suit was a sign that you had "made good." I highly doubt that the quality then was lower than it is today.

Ditto -- when my father was a lawyer in NYC in the late 60s (when I was born), and as long as I can remember since then, my father has always spoken highly of all-things-Paul Stuart. Even when his waistline started growing in the 1970s, and he started to outgrow clothes, he never got rid of any of the Paul Stuart stuff. Lucky for me, I finally pursuaded him that it'd be a rare day that he'd even be able to fit into those size 16-1/2 and 17 shirts again and he might as well give them to me. I'm still wearing one of them -- a beautiful Sea Island cotton dress shirt with French Cuffs.

Paul Stuart has been a NY institution since the 1930s -- let's hope it stays that way.

 

[lisapop]

For many, including myself, Paul Stuart was the place to graduate to, or aspire to, if you felt Brooks Brothers was stuffy and too conservative. PS was the more sophisticated, more stylish cousin up the block.
Grayson

 

[Buster]

lisa-p and the rest: a couple of more posts like that and I'll have teary eyes all the way to the sale.

B

 

[Patrick Bateman]

For many, including myself, Paul Stuart was the place to graduate to, or aspire to, if you felt Brooks Brothers was stuffy and too conservative.  PS was the more sophisticated, more stylish cousin up the block.
Grayson

Could not agree more. My dad always used to buy his shoes at Paul Stuart (I think they made by Edward Green then, not Grenson). The day I bought my own pair (on sale, thankfully) with money that I had earned from my first, real post-college job--it was a good feeling.

Some members have posted about how PS often seems empty. In a perverse way, sometimes I don't think that's a bad thing. The store is an oasis of calm and its wares epitomize classic masculine style. Service is always attentive without being pushy.

In short, it's a great place to take a breather from the otherwise frenetic Midtown streets. And it's one of the very few brick & mortar stores that I feel is worthy of my support.

 

[lisapop]

For many, including myself, Paul Stuart was the place to graduate to, or aspire to, if you felt Brooks Brothers was stuffy and too conservative. PS was the more sophisticated, more stylish cousin up the block.

By the same token, those who felt Brooks was way too avante garde and fashion forward would, of course, head for J Press. Does anyone know if that heavyset gentleman who I believe managed the J Press store in NY is still around? Very nice man and a fixture there.
Grayson

 

[mussel]

More info on PS sales starting tomorrow:

Get up to 80 percent off on men's suits, sportcoats, trousers, outerwear and furnishings including: ties, shirts, robes, pajamas, sweaters and shoes.

Mens:

Suits now $100-$500, orig. $200-$2,000
Pants now $50-$100, orig. $90-$300
Shoes now $70-$280, orig. $245-$1050

 

[sashae]

Getting there early for the shoes... hoping for a nice double-soled country-looking wingtip (you know, for farmer.)

 

[zjpj83]

Me too, I'm going early. But, what I really don't want to have happen is for me to buy some Grensons at $285 only to find that Bennies has gotten them in in May at less than $200.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Chris, I need my Grenson fix. Just lie to me and tell me they'll be coming in next week.

 

[zjpj83]

Seriously, I really do need my Grenson fix. It's too bad, because I'm probably going to end up spending too much at this sale. Stupid Grenson company - get your act together and send Chris your entire inventory now.