Suit recommendations

[water]

I am relatively new to purchasing suits and would appreciate any help that can be offered... I like a very specific style of suit. By this I mean a slim cut. No pleat pants. I do not like big shoulders or lapels (although the lapels do not have to be overly thin). Double vented rather than single. I often refer to this look as 60s London and I think it is what people refer to when they mention Italian cuts, though that might not be entirely accurate. As a point of reference, if anyone has seen the film Gangster No 1, I really like the style of suit Paul Bettany's character wears throughout. Now I realize he is probably wearing some five thousand dollar Saville Row job... Are there any off-the-rack designers who make suits that come close to matching my preferences? Any recommendations?

 

[LabelKing]

I suggest Dior Homme or Helmut Lang. Also Gucci, Prada, and Miu Miu makes a suit that might adhere to your specifications.

 

[Brian SD]

Dior Homme is REALLY slim, just to add. Not to say that it's bad - I really like it.

Add Jil Sander to that list. They have much smaller shoulders than say... Boss. And the lapels are pretty skinny.

I don't know much about Miu Miu, Gucci or Prada, but the first companies that come to my mind thinking skinny suits are Dior Homme, Jil Sander and Helmut Lang.

 

[LA Guy]

Depends how much you are willing to pay - but the rule seems to be - the more fitted and stylish the suit, the more expensive it will be. Apparently, the rich are taller, thinner, and better looking for it. Damn them. Unfortunately, flat front pants are not the norm in the states, and at a typical midlevel department store, you'll be hard pressed to find them Yes, there are perfectly good style reasons for pleats, but in general, they're just the better to be fat in. The most inexpensive suits that might fit your criteria are probably DKNY and some cK models. I prefer Emporio Armani or Helmut Lang to either, but they are about twice the price (between $800-900 for the former, and $900-$1300 for the latter), and Costume National to either of those (about $1000-$1500).

Good luck.

 

[Renault78law]

YSL seems to fit the bill. I second Helmut Lang too.

 

[Yosarian77]

Add Paul Smith to this list.

 

[water]

Like LA Guy mentioned, it does not seem overly common to find flat front pants in North America... which is unfortunate for me since I am not really a fan of pleats (single I can live with, but really dislike double).

I will probably have to use e-bay to find anything close to what I am looking for, so there are certain concessions I am willing to make. Lapel size is not a huge issue as long as they are not out touching the shoulders. As for the shoulders, how easy would it be for a tailor to slim them down a little?

The more I think about it, I guess what I am looking for is a more athletic cut that is not boxy.

I appreciate all your help guys.

 

[unappliedscience]

Theory might be a somewhat affordable alternative to designer suits like Dior Homme or Helmut Lang. They can be found in Neiman Marcus, Saks, and their store in NYC.

 

[LA Guy]

Don't buy off Ebay unless you are a suit buying veteran. Check out Yoox instead, which has a large number of suits by the brands already mentioned. And as a bonus, Yoox has recently made their size descriptions somewhat more intelligible.

 

[water]

Well, I have a little knowledge when it comes to measuring for suits... my biggest obstacle is knowledge about designers and their style. For example, I have no idea if a particular designer tends to create a boxy or athletic silhouette. I have been considering this suit which I found surfing auctions at e-bay: Zegna(?) Charcoal 40R I am waiting to have a couple of questions answered by the seller (including who manufactured the suit). But I like the way the jacket cuts in on the body. Plus the pants are not pleated and the lapels appear to be stitched(?). Any thoughts?

 

[incognitius]

Don't buy off Ebay unless you are a suit buying veteran.

Just out of curiosity, why should one avoid buying a suit off of eBay?

Is it not enough to know your shoulder, waist, and inseam measurements, as well as something about brands, and then to bid accordingly?

 

[MikeF]

Just out of curiosity, why should one avoid buying a suit off of eBay?

Is it not enough to know your shoulder, waist, and inseam measurements, as well as something about brands, and then to bid accordingly?

I think more than that is required. Lots of people can measure an existing suit, and remember being told, for instance, that Canali produces a better suit than Hugo Boss. But when they find a Canali that "fits" on eBay, do they appreciate its merit relative to other Canalis? Can they tell what season it's from? Whether the cut is an odd one? Whether there's an issue with the construction? How the fabric will feel and wear? How much the suit would actually have retailed for?

Obviously, some of these questions loom even if you buy your Canali suit from a retail discounter for marginally more than you would have paid on eBay. You still won't be able to tell what season the garment is from. But, you will be able to tell whether there's a construction problem, the quality of the fabric, etc.

My view re: purchasing suits on eBay is that, particularly at the lower end (i.e. anything other than Kiton, Attolini, etc.), you're better off 90% of the time purchasing through traditional routes. I own close to 20 suits now, across all different brands, and tend to get burned on those rare occasions when I dare to purchase a new suit on eBay. When I don't get burned, the suits still generally don't rate as well with me as ones I've purchased in person.

Incidentally, here's a taste of some of the suit disasters I've had via eBay:

- slightly different glen plaid on jacket than on pants
- pinstripe fabric for jacket, exact same fabric in windowpane on pants
- fabric - on a major brand - that feels and looks like cardboard (on the plus side, it doesn't wrinkle.)
- pinstripes on back of jacket uncentred and centre seam
- broken pants zipper

You can see, most likely, why I'm at the point where I'll happily pay 20% more for the privilege of inspecting the garment before putting down my cash.

 

[fareau]

Sometimes all the measurements are right but the suit just doesn't fit.  I should be quite comfortable in an Oxxford 42R (going by the measurements) but I'm not; I am most comfortable in an Oxxford 44R.  There's just something about the cut that doesn't always translate into the measurements.  When buying on Ebay, you really need to know how a particular brand fits your body.

While discussing Ebay, I have abandoned buying used suits after three bad experiences: each seller with a sterling feedback record and over a thousand previous sales, each suit described as "like new", each purchase a disappointment.  The garments often look and feel like they have been through a war (and lost).  Granted, each time I payed only 40-50 dollars, but consider if a bidding war had erupted and I had gotten stung for considerably more.  If you have every tried to return something on ebay, you know that it can be quite frustrating.

I know that some forum members sell used clothes on ebay and I am sure that they have excellent standards for what they sell.  You really have to be careful when buying on ebay.  I am curious to hear other members feelings on this matter.

 

[VMan]

I know that some forum members sell used clothes on ebay and I am sure that they have excellent standards for what they sell.  You really have to be careful when buying on ebay.  I am curious to hear other members feelings on this matter.

I sell clothing on ebay, 75% used and 25% new roughly.

I think that being a clothes-minded person, I definitely can describe an article of clothing better than someone who just does it for a living and doesn't have a real passion for clothes. I always provide real measurments (4-8 different spots) for all articles of clothing, even casual shirts, so the buyer is guaranteed a good fit (if they can measure themselves properly, that is).

My minimum standard is that I would never sell something that I myself wouldn't wear. I check over articles of clothing a few times. On occasion I have sold 'factory irregulars' and always disclose the state of the garment.

 

[agent.5]

Just wondering: where do these used clothing comes from? There are tons of used Armani and other higher end brands on Ebay, and I assume that they are real. I have no interest in selling clothing on Ebay, so I am asking just to fill my curiosity.