• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Starting Fresh in Europe

LeMat

Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Good afternoon all,

I'll be called to the Bar in Toronto in the next couple of months and it's time to put away childish things. I've got a pretty solid set of the easy purchases --- ties, pocket squares, socks, wallets --- but on a student's budget I've been making do with a friend's Thai MTM connection for four years now. The suits fit very well but just don't have any quality of craftsmanship and are reaching the breaking point. I've got a great pair of black Ferragamos that are serving me well, but the rest of the shoe complement is destined for the fireplace. I've also lost some weight and it's more trouble than it's worth getting all the old shirts taken in.

Time to start fresh.

Cut to the Big Question! I've got three months between the ceremony and starting my new job, so I'm off to Europe with the wife to celebrate. We have no particular plans for the month we're overseas. We can go to Paris, Milan, London... wherever our fancy takes us. I've got a clothing budget of $5,000 to stock up on whatever will be most cost-effective upon my return --- so if proper shoes will be 30% cheaper in Italy, but suits only 20% cheaper in France, maybe I should head to the former.

When I was in Paris shoe quality and prices were so much better after the exchange rate I bought a $20 piece of rolling luggage just to store four pairs and fly them all home as checked baggage; I'm sure the same can be said for suits, shirts, and so on in different nooks and crannies across the continent.

So, here's where I desperately need your help. With the exception of that single trip to Paris, I've never actually toured Europe. I have no idea where to go or where to shop for suits, shirts and shoes. (Mostly the former two.) Where specifically are the best balances between quality and price? Any favourite tailors or shops?

For a bit of background, I'm 6'2", turning 30, average build and generally Welsh-looking. (Just imagine you're dressing a tall, bearded Daniel Radcliffe.) Also, I can never make up my mind between English and Italian style, so your advice might really help me get started on my own style as I begin a wardrobe from scratch. As much as I tend towards the cut of a Zegna or Brioni suit, my personality's a lot more professorial and tweedy. (I was recently obscenely jealous of Benedict Cumberbatch's good fortune as a sort-of balance between the two.) I'm currently on the Canadian equivalent of Bay Street, so a more conservative shop might be the ticket.

Many thanks in advance! I can't wait to hear what the masters come up with.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.3%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 61 39.1%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 10.9%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 17.9%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,207
Messages
10,579,311
Members
223,892
Latest member
cprice
Top