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The $500 Suit Thread

unbelragazzo

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If you're like me, you feel conflicted whenever you see one of the legion "I just graduated, now I need a suit, my budget is $500 what do I get?" threads. On the one hand, this person is making an effort to dress professionally. On the other hand, how many times can you rehash all the options for a suit at $500? We've got the Styleforum 101 articles, but they're light on brand information. Let's make this thread a reference for various options at or below $500, both RTW and MTM. Note that this is only the price of the suit itself. Most RTW suits will need to be tailored. Hemming the pants and sleeves will cost another $50 or so. If you need more complicated operations performed, your bill will be higher. Sales tax may be an additional cost, depending on where you live and how you buy.

As people put up information on various brands (let's keep it minimal and not too editorial), I will update the OP. Entries should look like this:

Ready To Wear

Suit Supply
B&M stores: New York, DC, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, other countries
Online shopping: free shipping both ways
Main SF thread: http://www.styleforum.net/t/250682/suitsupply-nyc
Style: There are several cuts, but generally it's young, short, slim
Construction: Half-canvas

eHaberdasher, Benjamin Line suits
B&M stores: Online only
Online shopping: US (see UK site for Europe)
Main SF thread: Official Affiliate
Style: Typically only 1-2 models, but ever evolving/improving.
Construction: Full Canvas

Charles Tyrwhitt, Black Label and the Luxury line
B&M stores: Online and in several us cities...unsure of selection in B&M
Online shopping: worldwide
Main SF thread: dozens, most focused on shirts
Style: conservative business dress primarily, with some sharkskin, DB, and GP/Houndstooth thrown in. Slim and regular fits
Construction: half canvass

TM Lewin
B&M stores: UK cities
Online shopping: Worldwide
Main SF thread: None (several threads on their shirts)
Style: There are several cuts, but generally british styling
Construction: Fused and Half Canvassed

Marks and Spencer
B&M stores: UK cities
Online shopping: Worldwide
Main SF thread: None
Style: There are several cuts, but generally british styling
Construction: Fused and Half Canvassed

Hickey Freeman (diffusion) and Hickey
Stores: OffFifth, Nordstrom Rack
Online shopping: Discount sites like Gilt, RueLaLa, STP, MyHabit
Main SF thread: None (several threads on their shirts)
Style: Traditional HF and modern HF
Construction: Half Canvassed
Almost always under $500. There are several on sale right now on MyHabit.

MJ Bale
B&M stores: Australia cities
Online shopping: Worldwide
Main SF thread: None
Style: Various
Construction: Half Canvassed


Made to Measure

Elite Suits
$299 for a fused canvas
$399 for hand made full canvas
available in standard sizes or MTM whichever you prefer
SF thread: Affiliate thread


Also, when new posters start threads asking for options, send them to this thread so that we don't have to go over this again and again. I hope this will turn out to be a good resource for the community.
 
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Holdfast

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Excellent thread concept; hope it gets people chipping in with their recommendations. I feel exactly the same way you do about the aforementioned legion of threads; it would certainly be good to have a thread to refer them all to.
 

archibaldleach

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Great idea for a thread. Are we looking only at suits that retail for $500 or less or can we also include suits that can be had on sale with a reasonable degree of frequency (not talking the extreme clearance deals that maybe one lucky SOB gets but something that one could expect at a semi-annual sale / friends and family type sale) for $500 or less?
 

steveabdn

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For UK chaps I'd throw TM Lewin into the mix,

You know what you're getting for the money although I do wonder if anyone has ever bought a single shirt from them, they retail at £80 for a single shirt or £100 for 4

Also they are a little bit the DFS of the tailoring world, there are all sorts of prices dotted around the place before being reduced that I doubt anyone has ever paid

If your budget is around £300 though and you're in the UK they are definitely worth a look



Edit - As an aside to this, how about a $1,000 suit thread, $1,500 suit thread and an above $1,500 thread, these same guys (myself include) could still do with advice about these price ranges as well as we graduate through the bands
 
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Slippybee

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Add the Charles Tyrwhitt Black Label suits to the list. The semi canvassed slim fits are reasonable work horse suits. You can normally pick something up towards the end of the season for £250 or so. Nothing spectacular but reasonable value/quality.
 

Wayward

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eHaberdasher, Benjamin Line suits
B&M stores: Online only
Online shopping: US (see UK site for Europe)
Main SF thread: Official Affiliate
Style: Typically only 1-2 models, but ever evolving/improving.
Construction: Full Canvas

I think that information is correct. Check the Official Affiliate page for more details.
 

Quadcammer

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Charles Tyrwhitt, Black Label and the Luxury line
B&M stores: Online and in several us cities...unsure of selection in B&M
Online shopping: worldwide
Main SF thread: dozens, most focused on shirts
Style: conservative business dress primarily, with some sharkskin, DB, and GP/Houndstooth thrown in. Slim and regular fits
Construction: half canvass
 

aravenel

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Unbel, great idea for a thread. Should be very useful.
 

Simon at Elite

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Easy one for us

http://www.elitesuits.com/two-piece-mens-suit-bc-p-274.html

$299 for a fused canvas
$399 for hand made full canvas with the suit made by real tailors instead of slapped together by machines in a factory and although these prices are about to rise (so get in early for a real bargain) the full canvas suits will still be well under USD$450
available in standard sizes or MTM whichever you prefer
MTM is guaranteed to fit or we will either pay to have it altered or remake the suit
over 50 different fabrics in various colours and patterns

Want to know how your suit is made then READ THIS

We believe this to be the best value suit under $500 available anywhere and we have lots of happy Elite Suits customers who agree and have come back for more suits time and time again.
 
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