Where to buy first blazer?

[gamelan]

Originally Posted by amdi8

I'm in North San Diego County.


i haven't been there in awhile but what about the outlet stores in Carlsbad? have you checked those out for deals on sportcoats?

-Jeff

 

[amdi8]

Originally Posted by gamelan

i haven't been there in awhile but what about the outlet stores in Carlsbad? have you checked those out for deals on sportcoats?

Yeah, that's 5 minutes from my house, and the mall I was referring to earlier. I spent a couple of hours there yesterday and it was very much hit and miss. Still, it was fun searching and looking for a sports coat that I liked. I'm learning a lot in the process too.

 

[amdi8]

Originally Posted by Carey

StevenRocks is right. Find a fit in the shoulders and make sure the chest is not too full. The waist can be taken in by a decent tailor, and the same for the sleeve length.

How does one go about finding a tailor? Do stores recommend them (or have them in house), or do I just go the yellow pages route? If anybody has some recommendations, I'm in North County San Diego (Carlsbad).

Originally Posted by Carey

Your $150 - $200 budget is the greatest challenge.

That's not at all a hard limit. More of a self-imposed limit this being my first sports coat and all If $300 gets me a much, much better deal, that's fine. I just don't want to go overboard and then realize I don't use it much. I'd rather first learn the limits of a $200 sportscoat and then wish for something better.

How much will waist adjustments on a sports jacket through a tailor cost? I have no idea what to expect. $50? $100?

 

[Carey]

Originally Posted by amdi8

How does one go about finding a tailor? Do stores recommend them (or have them in house), or do I just go the yellow pages route? If anybody has some recommendations, I'm in North County San Diego (Carlsbad). That's not at all a hard limit. More of a self-imposed limit this being my first sports coat and all If $300 gets me a much, much better deal, that's fine. I just don't want to go overboard and then realize I don't use it much. I'd rather first learn the limits of a $200 sportscoat and then wish for something better. How much will waist adjustments on a sports jacket through a tailor cost? I have no idea what to expect. $50? $100?
Look in the yellow pages. Find someone nearby. My best experiences are with those who have had extensive experience in the clothing industry, not just some lady or man who knows how to sew. Really, no offense, but how old are you? If you are young (teens) and still growing, then it is not worth it to blow a grand or even $500. If you are in those in-between years college and just after, then spending more makes more sense, since you will get four or five years out of a better garment. My first half-way decent navy blazer took me from Sophmore year in college through about age 26. It saw almost weekly use. With major alterations (waist, back, and sleeves) expect to drop at least $50 or better. To take in the waist, they have to open up the whole jacket which includes removing the lining. This is more labor intensive than just shortening the sleeves or moving a button.

 

[StevenRocks]

Originally Posted by amdi8

How does one go about finding a tailor? Do stores recommend them (or have them in house), or do I just go the yellow pages route? If anybody has some recommendations, I'm in North County San Diego (Carlsbad).
I'm not in your area, so i cant vouch for anybody specific, but there's always at least one good alterations place in each city, if not more. Check your Yellow Pages and ask around. If you buy your jacket at a store that has a tailor or alterations department, make use of their services.

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by Carey

What are your sources for styling influences? If they are the usual suspects of men's fashion magazines, check the prices on what you like. You can't expect to get a $1,000 blazer for $200.00.

That's probably true in his particular case, but not in general. A lot of people have gotten stuff here NWT at $0.10 to the dollar, on a fairly frequent basis.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by amdi8

Gamelan,

Thanks for the suggestions. I had in mind "semi-formal" occasions, like going out to dinner or to a classical music concert. Something that you don't have to wear a sports jacket, but I thought it would be neat to.


Sorry to be picky but "semi-formal" strictly speaking means black tie (ie dinner jacket - aka a "tuxedo" in the US). I assume that isn't what you intended?

 

[Jared]

Stuck in mid-town Canada, I'm wondering whether it's worth looking at blazers in local department or menswear stores over Boxing Week or whether a visit to Nordstrom Rack et al in Seattle at another time of year is my best option? Or if I watch the affiliates, eBay, etc, do even these staples eventually appear? (Yoox last call? Next Polo sale?) I'm 25, and I can't imagine being happy with a fit that wasn't fashionable. For that matter, I'm not really comfortable with navy - my tastes lie with Goblin's - but I'll bow to overwhelming opinion and hope I grow to appreciate it. Therefore, I find the forum prescription of buying "the highest-quality blazer I can afford" hard to swallow.

 

[dah328]

I think the "buy the highest-quality blazer you can afford" philosophy comes from the realization that in many wardrobes, the blazer will be the most often-worn piece. It makes sense that one would want the highest-quality, best-fitting piece possible and since it would be frequently worn, a higher initial cost would be recouped in the form of greater longevity and lower cost per wearing. I also think you are wise to recognize the forum's overwhelming opinion in favor of navy. I suspect your taste in clothing (including your preference for black over navy) will evolve significantly over the next few years so I would recommend you buy something you like now at a lower cost and see how you like it over the next few years. My blazer choices have progressed from low-end RTW to mid/high-end RTW to bespoke. I'm glad I didn't spend a lot upfront because my tastes and knowledge definitely progressed over the years.

dan

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by amdi8

I found one that fit me well, but the sleeves were too large.
If by too large you mean too long, that's easy and relatively expensive for a tailor to fix (unless it's one of those ridiculous OTR jackets with functional buttons on the sleeve).
I'd say if you find a blazer you like the looks of and it fits you well in the shoulders and body, grab it and get the sleeves adjusted at any decent alterations tailor.