Wedding suit advice please: Best value off-the-peg designer?

[Poacherjake]

Hello, some help please for one who knows little about couture.
I was at first going to get a MtM from Richard James, but they pointed me towards their off-the-peg range and said 'you may as well get one of those and get it altered as you're a fairly standard 38short'.
That would have come to £1,200 incl. alterations for a super 160s navy - but then I thought I'm not sure I like the design (long jacket, slanted pockets).
And also wondered whether I was really getting value buying OTP in Savile Row? Surely I could get just as nice a suit for a few hundred less on the High Street?
So I have been looking at Hugo Boss, whose suits I've always quite liked, and discovered I fit well in 38S - so have ordered a Huge4/Genius3 for £600, which was one of the only designs they have in short fitting.
Are Hugo Boss suits well made, a good choice at that price point?
Do any other designer (or 'non-designer') brands stand out in the £600-£800 range?
I have big cyclist thighs and bum that prevent me wearing anything *too* slim fit.
Thank you.

 

[Murlsquirl]

Hello, some help please for one who knows little about couture.
I was at first going to get a MtM from Richard James, but they pointed me towards their off-the-peg range and said 'you may as well get one of those and get it altered as you're a fairly standard 38short'.
That would have come to £1,200 incl. alterations for a super 160s navy - but then I thought I'm not sure I like the design (long jacket, slanted pockets).
And also wondered whether I was really getting value buying OTP in Savile Row? Surely I could get just as nice a suit for a few hundred less on the High Street?
So I have been looking at Hugo Boss, whose suits I've always quite liked, and discovered I fit well in 38S - so have ordered a Huge4/Genius3 for £600, which was one of the only designs they have in short fitting.
Are Hugo Boss suits well made, a good choice at that price point?
Do any other designer (or 'non-designer') brands stand out in the £600-£800 range?
I have big cyclist thighs and bum that prevent me wearing anything *too* slim fit.
Thank you.

Moving this to "Menswear advice", where you may get more advice...sorry, but most Hugo Boss suits are not great quality. Most of them are fused (two pieces of fabrics bonded with adhesive) and the fabrics are not good quality. We have a thread here that will be helpful http://www.styleforum.net/t/140387/the-styleforum-working-hierarchical-suit-quality-list-sfwhsql/420. I'll save you the time and post the list ...

-Oxxford (Highest Quality)
- Brioni
- Cesare Attolini Napoli
- D'Avenza
- Isaia
- Kiton
- Luciano Barbera Sartoriale
- Luigi Borrelli
- Sartoria Castangia
- Sartoria Partenopea
- St Andrew
- La Vera Sartoria Napoletana

Very Good[****] (IE: Few suits match the quality of the ones in this category.)

- Oxxford (1220)
- Belvest mainline
- Borrelli Luxury Vintage
- Canali Milano
- Corneliani Linea Sartoria
- Pal Zileri Sartoriale (I think there is another line higher than Sartoriale: The custom made one--IIRC "Abito Privato"--has excellent quality)
- Ravazzolo
- Sartoria Attolini Napoli
- Raffaelle Caruso: Sartoria Parma
- RLPL
- Zegna Couture
- Tom Ford

Good[***] (IE: Quality is superior to most suits.)

- Brooks Brothers Black Fleece
- Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece
- Brunello Cucinelli (very nice fabrics)
- Canali mainline
- Canali Exclusive (higher end fabrics)
- Cantarelli mainline
- Corneliani
- Dunhill
- Ermenegildo Zegna
- Faconnable Tailleur
- Hickey Freeman Mainline
- Kei by Canali (full canvas, but very soft)
- Pal Zileri mainline
- Paul Smith Mainline (fully canvassed)
- Paul Stuart
- Raffaelle Caruso mainline
- RLBL
- Samuelsohn
- J. Press Presstige (full canvas)


Satisfactory [**] (IE: The "average" brands. Quality is acceptable.)

- Belvest Silver Label (half canvassed line)
- Brooks Brothers 1818 (half canvassed)
- Cantarelli Tailor
- Charles Tyrwhitt
- CC Cornelaini (half canvassed)
- Etro (if you can find the half canvas ones; some fused)
- Boglioli (if you can find the half canvas ones; some fused)
- Giorgio Armani (Black Label)[/U] (alot of their pieces are fused)
- H. Freemann
- Hackett (half canvassed)
- Hugo Boss Selection[/U] half canvassed and some premium fabrics
- Hickey Freeman LTD (half canvassed)
- J Crew Ludlow (half canvassed)
- Lardini (half canvassed)
- Marks and Spencer (any of their "Pure Wool" collection)
- Paul Smith London (half canvassed)
- Polo Ralph Lauren (half canvassed, excellent fabric)
- Suit Supply (half canvassed)
- Valentino (half canvassed)
- L.B.M. 1911
- Piombo


Mediocre to Poor[*] (Suits that are mediocre to poor.)

- J. Press mainline (fused)
- Hugo Boss (fused)
- hickey (now fused and made in China)
- Joseph Abboud
- Zara
- H&M
- Calvin Klein Collection (now fused)
- Z Zegna
- Alfani
- DKNY
- Donald Trump
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Michael Kors

 

[Poacherjake]

Thank you very much for that.

 

[Poacherjake]

Interesting list.
None of the Saville Row names on there - Gieves & Hawkes, Kilgour, Huntsman etc?
Timothy Everest?

 

[Murlsquirl]

Interesting list.
None of the Saville Row names on there - Gieves & Hawkes, Kilgour, Huntsman etc?
Timothy Everest?

The list is made up of ready to wear (RTW) brands, but you are right, some SR tailors now offer RTW....they would be high on that list.

 

[Poacherjake]

I see yes - am now going to head to Harvey Nicks as they stock some of the Italian brands that appear in the Good / Very Good lists.
Bit more ££ than HB but probably worth it.
Thanks again.

 

[Poacherjake]

Can anyone advise which if any of the better designers on that list offer suits in non-regular lengths, i.e., short in my case?
I think I saw a Canali suit online somewhere in 38S but it was, of course, sold out.
(I don't mind paying a grand or more for a suit but if I then have to start paying a good tailor substantial sums to shorten the jacket, on top of other alterations needed, it starts to get out of hand....)
Thanks

 

[ElizabethKimbro]

Thanks for the details! Can anyone suggest which will be the best designer under $1500? Thanks in advance.