Solid Navy 38R suit in the NYC area.

[bluemagic]

It seems doubly hard to find solid navy and 38R suits. Must I pay a premium to get this combination, or is there someplace I might be more likely to find a solid navy suit in my size at one of the New York area discount stores or a sale (Saks?). I would like something fully canvassed, if possible. What is the minimum I should pay?

I want something slim, but with natural shoulders.

Would the Lands' End Tailored Fit suit (fully canvassed!) at $479 on sale right now be bad?

 

[DocHolliday]

Solid navy and solid charcoal both tend to be elusive beasts in our size. They usually command a premium. You might keep an eye on STP -- I picked up a solid charcoal Corneliani there.

I tried one of the fully canvassed Lands' End sportcoats, but the cloth was terrible and the fit was boxy. It was far from slim. I returned it and am not planning on ordering another.

For what you're looking for from a mid-tier maker (Corneliani, Canali, mainline Zegna, etc.), I'd consider $500 to $750 a pretty good bargain. Even Polo blue label tends to command upward of $500, or did before the economy crashed. If you have a large Marshalls nearby that carries decent suits, you might poke around there.

If you're desperate ... I do have a NWT 38R Brooks suit in solid navy that I snagged off eBay, but when it arrived I discovered it had two small moth holes in the trou. If you'd be interested in that, I'd sell it for $115 shipped, which would almost cover what I paid for it. You'd need to have the holes rewoven, but I think they'd be covered by the coat. I can take pics of both the suit and the damage if you have any interest.

 

[MetroStyles]

In all honesty, B&S Forum is your best bet.

 

[bluemagic]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

I tried one of the fully canvassed Lands' End sportcoats, but the cloth was terrible and the fit was boxy. It was far from slim. I returned it and am not planning on ordering another.
Whew, glad to see I dodged that bullet... What year Brooks is that? If rewoven, would it still be visible? I had thought of getting the Polo Navy suit in the after-Christmas sale for about $650, but it is after all only half-canvassed (as are the BB 1818s, right?). I was even more close to buying a Hickey Style Navy suit (also half-canvassed, I believe), but it sold out before I could pull the trigger, and I could not find it anywhere. My current suit is a Hickey Freeman with gray pinstripes that I got before StyleForum. I believe it is fully canvassed, but I am not sure. I picked it up at a Filene's basement. It is not an LTD. I still don't know where these good Marshall's are! Also, what are the best places to buy Corneliani, Canali, and mainline Zegna?

 

[DocHolliday]

I'm not entirely sure of the vintage of the Brooks, but the styling isn't dated, as far as I can recall. It's a pretty conservative cut, suitable for interviews and the like. I'll look at it later tonight and report back.

The Polo blue label suits aren't bad at all, especially if they fit you well. Personally, I'd get one of those over the Hickey, if only because the Hickey stuff has those maddening keyhole lapels. (Admittedly, it's a pet peeve not everyone shares.)

Really, the best places I've found for the brands you mention are eBay, B&S and the major discount stores. No great secret to pass along, I'm afraid.

 

[bluemagic]

I may make a trip to NYC tomorrow; will report back.

 

[Irond Will]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

I tried one of the fully canvassed Lands' End sportcoats, but the cloth was terrible and the fit was boxy. It was far from slim. I returned it and am not planning on ordering another.

Huh. My experience on the fit of the Men's Tailored Canvassed Suit Coat and the matching trousers is that the suit was extremely slim - like, almost too slim for me and I'm basically built like one of those Greys from Close Encounters. Perhaps it's a different item from what you had experience with. I had to have the sleeves extended, and my tailor, who is a rather girthy Armenian, commented on the slimness (and said I looked like a plucked chicken

).

In any case, the fabric felt fine to me, but I don't really own anything higher-octane than BB 1818 and HF Boardroom and probably don't have the experience to make a really critical judgment. It seems on-par with the BB and HF suits I own.

 

[Irond Will]

Also, this LP/HF navy 38R suit on B&S looks nice, and only $100. You might want to check the measurements.

 

[ziggysnorkel]

Yeah navy in that size is hard to find. I'm almost considering a BB Thom Browne because it's still on sale at 1350. Not sure it's worth that but whatever. It's hard to find a 38 in my size that fits me well in Navy. RLPL and BL never seem to go on sale in solid navy as well.

If you want a JV suit, there is a 70% off coupon floating around right now. It's good until Friday I believe.

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by Irond Will

Huh. My experience on the fit of the Men's Tailored Canvassed Suit Coat and the matching trousers is that the suit was extremely slim - like, almost too slim for me and I'm basically built like one of those Greys from Close Encounters. Perhaps it's a different item from what you had experience with. I had to have the sleeves extended, and my tailor, who is a rather girthy Armenian, commented on the slimness (and said I looked like a plucked chicken

).

In any case, the fabric felt fine to me, but I don't really own anything higher-octane than BB 1818 and HF Boardroom and probably don't have the experience to make a really critical judgment. It seems on-par with the BB and HF suits I own.

It wouldn't surprise me if the fits were dramatically different. I imagine LE is contracting out to a variety of makers. In general, though, I haven't found much of their stuff "slim," though I do have a few pairs of their cords that fit very nicely.

 

[Warren G.]

Originally Posted by ziggysnorkel

Yeah navy in that size is hard to find. I'm almost considering a BB Thom Browne because it's still on sale at 1350. Not sure it's worth that but whatever. It's hard to find a 38 in my size that fits me well in Navy. RLPL and BL never seem to go on sale in solid navy as well. If you want a JV suit, there is a 70% off coupon floating around right now. It's good until Friday I believe.
Yeah anybody else have the Black Fleece suit? I'm really curious about the fit/quality. I was really considering picking up one too. To op: I feel ya as well, kinda sucks being 38. I wish I was a 42 xD...I would have a field day at the b/s and stp.

 

[bluemagic]

Originally Posted by Irond Will

Also, this LP/HF navy 38R suit on B&S looks nice, and only $100. You might want to check the measurements.

I am too tall for that. If the inseam was a little longer, maybe. I really don't want a herringbone pattern, either. I just want a simple solid navy suit! They really don't pop up on B&S, like ever.

 

[Warren G.]

edit : opps

 

[Jacksdad]

I sell suits (mostly Zegna, Armani, Isaia) and very rarely do I see 38R suits. Frustrating as I too am a 38R. Every once in awhile I will have a basic 38R in one of these and it is sold immediately.

 

[bluemagic]

This begs the question of why suitmakers don't make more solid basic suits. It may be related to the question of why there are so many surplus suits in odder sizes. Maybe it has to do with production runs?