Toronto question re: Tom's Place pricing

[tradernick]

Hi guys

Continuing the quest for my first decent quality suit. I went to Tom's Place in Toronto today. I tried on a Strellson or two and found that these particular suits seemed to fit me best (initially) of all the OTR suits I have tried.

I have read quite a bit about Tom's Place online and almost everyone says that haggling is encouraged. My questions is this - if a Strellson is priced at $650 on the rack, what should I expect in terms of the bottom line price I can expect to pay? I don't really want to ask this question there and I don't want to start haggling if I don't intend to buy the suit.

Tom's had a Kenneth Cole, identical to one I saw the day before in another shop where it was on the rack at $475. At Tom's place it $650!! Will Tom's come down below the $475? If not, then it doesn't seem like Tom's is as good for price as this other shop, which surprised me. Tom's does have a large selection.

Any comment is appreciated.

 

[EL72]

If you like Strellson, it can be found at The Bay (Queen St. or Bloor) often at good discounts. For the stuff on the 2nd floor at Tom's, you can probably get Tom to knock $50-$100 off the suit.

Tom is a pretty good guy but you have to know what you're buying when you go there. The best deals are on the beautiful one-off sample pieces that he acquires from Zileri, Corneliani and a few other good Italian makers (I've bought some amazing pieces there over the years but I usually shop during the warehouse sales). He had some nice Corneliani suits on the second floor last time I was there but expect to pay $1,000+ (better deal than Rosen though). The rest is all fused stuff so rather than spend $600 on a Strellson or KC, get a $250 Jack Victor, Empire, S. Cohen suit in a nice fabric on the first floor with the so-called 4 or 5 for 1 sales.

 

[tradernick]

Originally Posted by EL72

If you like Strellson, it can be found at The Bay (Queen St. or Bloor) often at good discounts. For the stuff on the 2nd floor at Tom's, you can probably get Tom to knock $50-$100 off the suit.

....all fused stuff so rather than spend $600 on a Strellson or KC, get a $250 Jack Victor, Empire, S. Cohen suit in a nice fabric on the first floor with the so-called 4 or 5 for 1 sales.

Exactly what I was looking for! You clearly know of what you speak as I saw the exact labels you mentioned on the first floor on the so-called 4 or 5 for 1 racks. That was after spending some time upstairs. I tried a few of them on as well

I'll be going to the Bay this weekend - I think I read somewhere else that I should go the the 'West End Shop'.

EL72, since you took the time to type that out, would you be able to help a beginner by answering one question?

When you say 'in a nice fabric', would you be referring to a specific type, i.e. specific thread count (is that the right term? Super 110's etc?) or specific blend? Or do you basically mean 'a fabric that you like the look and feel of'? I'm just trying to figure out if I should be looking for something specific when I go back to check out those downstairs racks.

Let's face it, for a couple of hundred bucks, they're all going to be pretty much the same but I'm keen on learning and also getting the best deal I can on what I buy.

Thanks for any further info you can give.

 

[EL72]

A nice fabric means something that has a nice hand, drapes nicely and is not too stiff. Forget the super numbers. Some of those suits use relatively nice fabrics while others are stiff and look cheap. Stick to all wool (or wool/cashmere blends) and stay away from anything synthetic. You won't get be getting top quality but a nice, soft fabric makes a fused suit look a lot better. Of course, make sure it fits well and has whatever details, color, pattern... you are looking for.

 

[tradernick]

Originally Posted by EL72

A nice fabric means something that has a nice hand, drapes nicely and is not too stiff. Forget the super numbers. Stick to all wool (or wool/cashmere blends) and stay away from anything synthetic.

Perfect, thank's for taking the time. That info about the Super numbers is particularly helpful, since I saw 'Super 140's on a $200 Issac Mizrahi suit (on Orfus Road... yes, I went there before I found this site) and then 'Super 110's on a $700 suit upstairs at Tom's. I was wondering how that worked..