suitsupply sienna fit

[cornholio]

This is my first post and I'm just looking for a little help with my first suit.
I need a grey classic and versatile suit for the occasional event.
I'm hoping to spend <$800.
So I went to Suit Supply and we tried some things and narrowed it down to the Sienna in grey bird's eye. I also tried a J Crew Ludlow.

I'm hoping I can get some feedback on the fit. Both are 36R, the Sienna has a soft shoulder. Obviously sleeves and pants will be shortened. I like the Sienna more but I am concerned that the jacket is a little tight. There is puckering in the back, which the guy said would work itself out because of the canvas, and a slight "dreaded X" I think.

Please advise

Thanks

Sienna:







Ludlow:

 

[anginaprinzmetal]

your shoulders are too narrow, the siena doesn't look good on you.
would go with a ludlow

 

[revanus]

I'll bite. I'm not a professional--I just wear suits a lot.

That being said, I typically shop at this price point.

Off-hand, I definitely prefer the Sienna on you.

Positives;
1) The shoulders are great--much better than the Ludlow.
2) Arms hang very nicely.
3) The lapels have a flattering width without being too skinny, and sit very nicely. There's also no noticeable kinking from the front/side pictures.
4) Back/Neck look pretty good off the rack.

Negatives:
1) There's some slight pulling at the top button--but it looks like the Ludlow has more tension than the Sienna at the same point.
2) Ticket pocket might be a bit of an affectation.
3) Back might need a bit of alteration to smooth it out--I'm assuming it's simply a fit issue that would fade with tailoring.

My own ignorance:
1) Does Suitsupply have an on-site tailor who can handle minor alterations and adjustments, so you could talk some of these things through with someone who knows their suits? Or are you going to have to rely on your own tailor?

If I were in your shoes:
I might try on a few of the other cuts at Suitsupply. The shoulders look to be spot on--I definitely wouldn't size up to a 38. But a slightly roomier cut might do away with the issues of tightness and give you some room to play with when it comes to tailoring to your liking. Alternatively, letting out your SIenna a smidge might cure the tightness/pulling issues--but I'm not a tailor and I don't know if it's a viable solution for your suit.

Price/Frugality:
If you aren't in any urgent need, you might be able to wrangle a better purchase out of Brooks Brothers. You just missed their summer sale, but you can frequently catch good half-canvas suits at ~$500-to-$600 on sale--with in-store tailoring. Their big sales are christmas and mid-summer--things drop to about 50% off. In years past, they've also done steep Labor Day sales--so if you can wait about two weeks, you might come out with some nice savings.

When it comes to BB, I'm partial to the Fitzgerald cut. However, the SuitSupply suit fits you nicely and the Fitzgerald is closer to the Ludlow than the Sienna.

Conclusion: Off the rack, the Sienna looks much better on you.

Still, all suits need tailoring. Both the Ludlow and the Sienna could shine in the hands of a decent tailor. Given that this is your first suit, you might come out better at a merchant that also offers in-house tailoring/alterations, so as to minimize the stress and hassle.

Additionally, if you can wait until Labor Day, you might catch a break on the prices.

 

[cornholio]

Thanks revanus!

Unfortunately I am running out of time and can't wait until after Labor Day.

Suit Supply does have an on-site tailor.

I did try a Napoli and a York? and this was the best fit. Maybe the York fit pretty well but they didn't have it in grey.
I'm not thrilled about the ticket pocket either. I plan on wearing this to friend's weddings and maybe dressed down a little to gallery openings.
I will go back and talk to them about letting out the Sienna and see if we missed anything as far as other cuts in grey.

 

[revanus]

Sounds reasonable.

Other things to consider:

1) Is the ticket pocket a dealbreaker? Definitely not. In fact, if I I owned a suit with a ticket pocket, I wouldn't hesitate to wear it for a friend's wedding or gallery opening--they're fun occasions where a bit of style and flair is perfectly appropriate. A ticket pocket might even be useful at a gallery opening.

However, if I needed a suit for a job interview, I don't know that I'd be comfortable wearing a jacket with a ticket pocket and/or hacking pockets. To a lesser extent, the same is true for client meetings/work environments. I say this even though I think hacking pockets are nicer and more elegant than straight pockets, and I happen to like the Savile Row nod to which hacking/ticket pockets allude.

Why?

In my experience, it's very important not to raise red flags in job interviews and work settings. You don't want to be off-putting, or stand out excessively for things unrelated to your capacity to perform the job for which you're interviewing/performing. In other words, you don't want to outshine/outdress your interviewer/client/boss--and at times, that can be a very low bar.

Additionally, you want to feel confident when you're interviewing/working. To some extent, knowing that you are dressing well breeds confidence. But there's a fine line between dressing well and evincing vanity--you don't want to be constantly fidgeting with french cuffs at an interview for an entry-level position. You don't want to be wondering if the middle-aged executive across from you thinks your slanted suit pockets look off, because he's never seen anything like them before.

To this end, more traditional cuts and fits work better. If you need suits for work and/or job interviews, I like to be confident that what I'm wearing is unquestionably correct for the setting.

If you had other suits in your wardrobe, I wouldn't bother to raise these points. But given that you're going in for your first piece of formal wear, you might benefit from having something that'll work for any occasion you throw at it. That way, you get more utility from your first purchase.

That being said, I own a tuxedo. I don't wear it very often--the use I get out of it is essentially equivalent to how you've described your upcoming needs. In other words, I've worn it to those few weddings where my friends made a point of black tie dress code and to the occasional opera. If this is the extent to which you see yourself needing a suit--basically fun occasions, then the Sienna is a great look and I think you'll get a lot of pleasure from it.

2) I just did a quick search of SuitSupply's website. I noticed that you mentioned the Napoli cut. To my eye, I think the Napoli's straight flap pockets might make it a better choice than the Sienna--as a first suit. Another suit that looks sharp seems to be the Lazio cut--it also has the more traditional straight flap pockets.

I think you have a good eye for what looks good on your body. How much worse was the Napoli on you, in your opinion? Did you see anything in a Lazio cut?

Lazio: http://us.suitsupply.com/en_US/suits/lazio-grey-plain/P4737I.html?cgid=Suits

3) I think grey/charcoal is a perfect color for a first suit. I get a lot of use out of my greys, they're very flexible/versatile, and I find they're a better canvas for playing with colors--blues and reds work equally well with grey, where a navy suit can put a damper on some shades of blue shirt/tie.

Still, I also own a few navy suits/blazers. They're a wardrobe staple. If you can find a better fit/cut in navy, I'd consider it--unless you really despise navy, you'll eventually have navy clothes in your closet, anyway.

example: http://us.suitsupply.com/en_US/suits/lazio-blue-plain/P4258I.html?cgid=Suits


Summary of all my points:
If you only need a suit for non-work settings, the Sienna looks like a great choice. It's very good that Suit Supply has tailors on-site--that puts them solidly above J.Crew, in my opinion.

Prioritize fit, but if there's a chance you might need a suit for job interviews/work, I would err on the side of a more traditional style. Also, if you can swing a better-fitting suit in blue, it might be worth considering--though I'm with you on the charcoal/grey preference.

Look forward to hearing about your next trip!

 

[cornholio]

Thanks again revanus, very helpful.

Maybe they didn't have a Lazio in grey or 36 but I will ask about it when I go back. The Napoli was a slimmer fit and the main problem I think was the vents popping because of my "seat", I have a sports background that involved tons of squats and still have an athletic lower body, even though I have a 30 waist I can't wear skinny jeans. Actually that reminds me that the Napoli pants were too tight, it's just a slimmer cut I guess.

This will be my only suit for the near future but I would say there is 0 chance I will need it for interviews/work.

I'm pretty set on grey.

 

[cornholio]

Maybe I should mention that I am an artist and that the openings would be my openings or group shows that I'm in. So your thoughts on the interview scenario are relevant becasue I dont want to distract from the work with a sartorial statement.

 

[revanus]

Short answer given the hour--ignore my comments regarding ticket pocket/hacking pockets.

For your needs, it's a non-issue--the Sienna is perfectly appropriate and won't be a distraction. The pockets are a small detail. When I made my comments, I was thinking along the lines of my own work, where interviewers actively look for reasons not to hire you and business is conducted with very formal expectations.

A gallery opening for your own art is more of a social setting--I imagine the Sienna will simply leave a positive and stylish impression. In fact, if the dress code for a gallery opening might involve dressing down your suit, then you absolutely shouldn't lose any sleep over hacking vs. straight pockets.

In short, I'd say to simply focus on fit for your next outing.

P.S. I own a suit that has side tabs instead of belt loops. It's among my nicer suits--while someone might wonder why I'm not wearing a belt, I happily wear the suit to social functions that have a business-component. I'd put the Sienna in a similar category--appropriate for everything but the most formal of occasions.

 

[cornholio]

So I went back, tried the napoli jacket again and it seemed fine. They had a Lazio that came in since my last visit, and it fit very well off the rack. It does have a very subtle glen plaid but I like that it's a mid grey since I may wear it year round. Anyway I decided to get it. They are taking the jacket in a little, sleeves were perfect, and hemming the pants. Total cost: $530, which is about $200 less than the sienna would have been not that it was a factor.

 

[revanus]

Success!