Suit for Work

[Grenadier]

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

Haha, thanks (@ voxsartoria)

EDIT: Why do you recommend not going to Portland?

Hippies.

 

[evaporateddwarf]

Originally Posted by Grenadier

Hippies.

Haha, there's plenty of hippies where I'm at too (Eugene). I'd say more so in proportion to population than portland, which tends to have way more hipsters.

 

[chet31]

Do you have to wear a suit every day, or just occasionally? Conservative or not? How well do your peers dress?

 

[Ivar]

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

I'm sure this has been asked a billion times, but In 20 minutes of surfing I'm not satisfied, so here we go. If you've got links to helpful threads, go for it, but though I'm a noobie here, I'm not to forums in general. Keep your snide remarks to yourself, or "use the search function," they're not going to make me feel dumb, so don't waste your breath.

Ah, the great American spirit.

On a more serious note, this thread ...

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=246927

... should get you off to a good start.

 

[evaporateddwarf]

At the current job I have (working at a bank) as a teller, I don't need a suit. But, when I get a promotion into a more serious position once I graduate, rather than going into government work, I'd need a suit pretty regularly. When it's not a day where I'll be presenting or meeting clients and a full suit is not required, I'd still need slacks and a sport coat.

 

[evaporateddwarf]

Originally Posted by Ivar

Ah, the great American spirit.

On a more serious note, this thread ... http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=246927 ... should get you off to a good start.
I'm not trying to be a douche, or act cocky. Pretty much every forum I'm apart of, when guys come in who are asking questions that regulars are like 'come on, duh...', while most are understanding that the noob just doesn't know a lot, there's always the flock that comes in and mocks them and says 'use the search button' and tries to make them feel stupid. My point was just to try to preempt that and to tell people not to bother cause I know how it works. It obviously has not worked and has maybe caused more troubles than not mentioning it at all. Whatever, I guess. Thanks for the thread. I guess my big question is just branding. I don't know which suits are good, and which are ok but overpriced. I don't want to go to Nordstrom and have someone sell me a BOSS for $850 and me think it's worth twice as much as the Calvin Klein I got a few years ago, only to find out the quality was the same and I just was too naive to know the difference.

 

[pvrhye]

If you own only one, flat charcoal is the best bet.

 

[sinnedk]

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

At the current job I have (working at a bank) as a teller, I don't need a suit. But, when I get a promotion into a more serious position once I graduate, rather than going into government work, I'd need a suit pretty regularly. When it's not a day where I'll be presenting or meeting clients and a full suit is not required, I'd still need slacks and a sport coat.

i personally recommend avoiding a black suit or the patent banker blue shirt... i worked for banks for quiet a while and for some reason everyone owns a really blue shirt and navy suit, i'd try to avoid.

I always used to wear stripes with a nice tie, just remember not to look better than the boss and you'll be ok

 

[Ivar]

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

I'm not trying to be a douche, or act cocky. Pretty much every forum I'm apart of, when guys come in who are asking questions that regulars are like 'come on, duh...', while most are understanding that the noob just doesn't know a lot, there's always the flock that comes in and mocks them and says 'use the search button' and tries to make them feel stupid. My point was just to try to preempt that and to tell people not to bother cause I know how it works. It obviously has not worked and has maybe caused more troubles than not mentioning it at all. Whatever, I guess. Thanks for the thread. I guess my big question is just branding. I don't know which suits are good, and which are ok but overpriced. I don't want to go to Nordstrom and have someone sell me a BOSS for $850 and me think it's worth twice as much as the Calvin Klein I got a few years ago, only to find out the quality was the same and I just was too naive to know the difference.
No problem, man. Seeing that you apparently have $1000 to shell out, I would recommend that you seek out and try: Ralph Lauren Polo Ralph Lauren Black Label (on sale) Brooks Brothers (on sale) ... or, if you're more into Italian-styled stuff, sites such as www.shopthefinest.com or www.virtualclotheshorse.com

 

[MrDaniels]

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

Got it. What brands do you personally recommend? A friend of mine got a gray Armani suit for $800 at Nordstrom and seems to like it. Though I assume their more mass produced suits are good, when I got to one thread where everyone threw in their .02 about ratings of suits (exceptional, very good, good, acceptable etc), Armani didn't seem to fall anywhere on the list.
Looking at what they have on their site, I would say the best "starter suit" choices they have available in the under $800 range would be from Joseph Abboud and Hart Schaffner and Marx. Both of those brands are solid, and distinctly above the Men's Wearhouse category. Though some of the Satorinazis here might insist that you need to invest well over a grand in a suit, even though you are fresh out of college. http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/mens-suits?origin=topnav As many guys you will be jockeying for position with in Oregon (not exactly a great fashion town, unless you are wearing a hemp dashiki) will not have done any research and will wind up at Men's Wearhouse you will be far, far ahead of the game if you go to Nordstrom...better fabric quality, cut and fit in all of their garments-plus they do a good job with tailoring. I would recommend going to the Washington Square location, it has the largest men's department and it is easy to access if you are driving in. And don't forget the Brooks Bros downtown. If you can catch them having a sale, you can get a great high-quality suit in your price range. And I do not recommend buying online if you are inexperienced in purchasing suits. You need a knowledgeable salesperson to guide you as you see how it fits on you.

 

[AlexE]

Welcome to the forum evaporateddwarf!

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

I'm sure this has been asked a billion times, but In 20 minutes of surfing I'm not satisfied, so here we go. If you've got links to helpful threads, go for it, but though I'm a noobie here, I'm not to forums in general. Keep your snide remarks to yourself, or "use the search function," they're not going to make me feel dumb, so don't waste your breath.

Hmmm, this sounds like a wordy way for saying: "Hello, I am an asshole". Without this introduction you would have received one or two "use the search function"-comments, but also plenty of good advice from people who don't want to answer your question after reading this BS.

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

I'm looking to get a suit for work. I'll be working in the financial industry, most likely in the northwest. I'll either be working for a bank or the government. The suit will be a graduation present, so I'm not on a tight budget, but don't want to go past $1000. I'm 6'2", 180ish lbs. 34" inseam, 42R, broad shoulders, semi-athletic build.

I bought a black Calvin Klein suit from Macy's a few years back for a funeral, and have used the pants and jacket separately quite often. The pants are now in a rough/unwearable state, and I've noticed the jacket doesn't look like a deep black. When comparing the jacket to the black slacks I wear for work from BR, the suit looks very worn, so I'd prefer a suit of higher quality. I'm wanting something modern and youthful, but not too drastic. A slimmer fit is preferable.

There's chains like Macy's, JC Penny, Men's Warehouse, Banana Republic and such, but from what I gathered from here, it doesn't seem like they have much to offer. What/where do you guys recommend? From what I've gathered, black is not a good option. I'm not much for brown, so I think I'll go for black pinstripe if that's appropriate, or a flat or striped charcoal/grey suit. Navy I'm kind of mixed on whether I like it. I could venture to Portland, OR if you guys think it's worth the trip.

At $1000 the easiest thing you can do is to visit a Brooks Brothers store in Portland and try their 1818 models. The Madison is a full cut which is obviously not what you are looking for. The Regent is a classic, slightly trimmer cut. You might like either the Fitzgerald or the Milano best. Have a look at their website www.brooksbrothers.com

At Nordstrom you might wanna check if they have some Canali suits. They typically run at around $1500, but they might have something marked down if you are lucky. The also carry Hickey Freeman ($1200 and up), which is good quality, but not slim. Else Nordstrom will have a lot of Hugo Boss which is considered "low quality at high prices" by most people here.

Regarding color: The business/finance classics are solid navy, solid charcoal/dark gray, navy pinstripe, dark gray pinstripe and lighter grays for summer. Don't do solid black for business (people do it, but it is a bad decision) and don't start out with something eccentric like a black pinstripe. Since it is your first good suit either solid navy and solid dark gray are the best choices.

Originally Posted by evaporateddwarf

I'll also need to get some shoes. I have a black pair, but they're getting too worn for interviews, and I'm sure black with gray is not a good option. What color combination do you guys recommend?

With navy, dark and mid gray you can do both black (more formal) and darker shades of brown. With light gray I'd stick with brown including lighter shades like tan.

 

[USAF - 1]

If you have the time, try a number of different brands. Although I was stuck on the Armani Collezioni suits at Nordstrom, I've since found that the Ralph Lauren Black Labels are probably some of the best value for the money if you get them on sale and they are definitely better than the Collezioni. I buy my suits almost exclusively from eBay now and since I know what my size is and how different brands fit, I have been very happy with all my purchases. Of course, you need a good tailor as well.

I've paid no more than $550 for a Armani Collezioni and the same for the RL Black Label online all new with tags. If you're looking to spend a grand you can get two RL BL suits. With the RL BL suits they are fully canvassed and you can have functional button holes made on the sleeves, although they come with the buttons pre-fastened.

Or if you want a REALLY good suit, get a Ralph Lauren Purple Label. They can be had on eBay for around $1k or slightly more.

 

[latindandy]

Don't spend too much money on that suit, it s very likely you will gain a couple of pounds after you start working. Also, once you acquire sartorial knowledge you will feel bad about spending so much money on a suit that just doesn't make the cut.

That said, go to a store, try every 100% wool medium gray to charcoal suit you see, and buy the one that fits you best. Do not get influenced by brands, they often look and feel better, stick with a reasonably priced suit that fits.
The fact it's a gift doesn't mean you have to spend your parents retirement savings on it.

Trust me : )

 

[latindandy]

Originally Posted by latindandy

Don't spend too much money on that suit, it s very likely you will gain a couple of pounds after you start working. Also, once you acquire sartorial knowledge you will feel bad about spending so much money on a suit that just doesn't make the cut.

That said, go to a store, try every 100% wool medium gray to charcoal suit you see, and buy the one that fits you best. Do not get influenced by brands, they often look and feel better, stick with a reasonably priced suit that fits.
The fact it's a gift doesn't mean you have to spend your parents retirement savings on it.

Trust me : )

Better than taht, go with your GF and a digital camera, take pic of every suit, then go home and compare them and then pick one.

 

[comrade]

Originally Posted by MrDaniels

You can head for Portland, they have several Nordstorm and a Brooks Brothers...they should take good care of you.


You probably want a solid navy blue or charcoal grey to get started. Avoid black suits for business and DEFINITELY avoid a black pinstripe suit, unless you are going to work for the Mafia.

If he were going to work for the Mafia, he wouldn't have to settle for Nordstrom or Brooks Bros.