Suit for wedding next month

[qhduong]

Hey everyone, I've just registered after just reading through the forum on tips for a suit. This will be my first suit, mainly used for a wedding next month (around 3 and a half week time). I'm still in college, so would prefer to not spend over $500 on a suit right now. I actually just bought a black Kenneth Cole suit (http://www1.macys.com/catalog/produc...xx.esn_results)

After reading the forum, I found out that blacks are really "hated" and not recommended unless attending a funeral

. I can get this returned easily. So down to the actual questions:

1. Is charcoal the best color for my first suit?
2. Should the country of origin play a role in my decision? (I personally think Chinese-made stuff are cheap).
3. What are your recommendations for my first suit?

I'm 5'11", 160lb, Asian, black hair. I think a picture would help more so here's one:


I'm in Seattle and I think the only stores available to me are JAB (heard it's a crappy store), Macys, Men's Warehouse.

Thanks in advance!

 

[aravenel]

Welcome to SF. There are quite a few threads on this that will give you more detail. In short however:

1) Yes, solid charcoal or solid navy are your best choices.
2) No. In your price range, everything you look at will be made in China.
3) Brooks Brothers has a sale coming up. You'll probably be able to get a good suit (try the Fitzgerald cut for something slimmer) for close to your price. That's probably your best bet--since this is your first suit, I wouldn't suggest ordering online since you won't have a good idea of your measurements.

 

[runner-guy]

I agree with much of what aravenel said:

1. Go with charcoal or navy. These colors are much more flexible than black for other occasions.
2. Yes, suits made in USA or Italy in general will be of better quality.
3. For $500, you can get much better quality suits than Kenneth Cole. First, get your measurements from a good tailor. Once you know your measurements, check out a few sites online. For brand new suits within your budget look at:
- M. Valentino or Baroni from Wizard of Ahhs on eBay.
- Benjamin from ehaberdasher.com.
- Jack Victor from Sierra Trading Post.

You could also look for used suits on this site or ebay from Corneliani, Canali, Zegna, Hickey Freeman, Brooks Brothers, etc. No matter what suit you buy, go to a good tailor to get properly fitted.

 

[qhduong]

I know my size is 38 (Men's Warehouse guy measured me). Is that not enough to buy a suit or do I need to go to a tailor to get measured? I'm really against buying used stuff, especially clothing so I think that's out of the plan. I tried searching also but what's the difference in situation where a suit with stripes vs solid color work?

 

[aravenel]

Don't wear stripes to a wedding--it's too businessy.

Sizes vary drastically between brands--I've got suits from 38 to 41. Also, I wouldn't trust the guy at Men's Wearhouse. Most of those guys have no idea what they are talking about. You'd really want to know your specific measurements (chest, shoulders, waist, arm length, etc). There are several guides on the forum that can help you.

 

[ianGP]

just to add a question:

Would a navy suit be ok for a 'black tie optional' wedding?
with a plain white shirt and black bow tie?

 

[tgt465]

Navy suit would be fine for "black tie optional". I would not recommend black bow tie, as 1) it might look like you're desperately trying to make a pseudo-tuxedo out of your suit, 2) some find black and navy not an appealing combination and 3) while you want to be formal for a wedding, it would be nice to add some color for festivity. A light blue tie (either four-in-hand or bow) might be better.

 

[ianGP]

Thanks! I don't want to dip into my G&G funds just to buy a cheapo tux for 2 weddings this wear

 

[qhduong]

Thanks guys, I will stop by Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom to see if they have anything on sale

.

 

[Seattlite]

Since you said you're from Seattle, I recommend you check out the Brooks Brothers outlet at Seattle Premium Outlets, Exit 200 on I-5. They have a lot of suits there for about $200-$300, a pretty good deal compared to their retail prices. They also will have very big sales at the end of the summer; not a help for your upcoming wedding, but useful for later.

 

[qhduong]

I checked out both Nordstrom & The Rack today. Nordstrom is a little too expensive for me, so no go. Only thing I found at The Rack was a Hickey Freeman suit jacket, but it was in black so no go also. I stopped by Macy's and found a nice Jones New York charcoal suit which fits me quite well. It's all wool, and was pretty cheap with coupons ($200 total for suit). The problem is that the pant is single pleated, it's not too bad right? Is it fine if I don't get it cuffed since I'll be wearing a quite colorful tie with the suit hehe.

@Seattlite, thanks for the suggestion but that's kind of far for me...