Where to buy my next suit: Singapore, Australia (or online)?

[David8]

After getting educated a bit by reading through all kinds of topics on SF for several weeks, I came to the conclusion that I should get serious and go out to get my first proper suit.

Until now I only have in my wardrobe what I could find at the local shops around town and matched these few criteria: up to 400 Euro, ok fitting, brand which name I heard before. I did not went to the tailor with any of them, except for shortening the pants.

Now I would want to have something a little bit nicer, even though work does not demand the wearing of suits a lot for me - mostly dress pants and a shirt will do.

So now we come to the question which I would need some advice for. I am currently still working in Singapore, but my contract here is almost over, after which I will go back to Australia.

I have read (or at least some part of it) the thread 'Australian Members' and therefore started to worry about missing a potential opportunity when waiting after I arrived in Australia before buying my suit (even though I would not need it here in Singapore).

I have checked the local Brooks Brothers stores (which are not available in AU afaik) and found that one of the 1818 suits would seem to be a nice start. The only problem is that they are quite unreasonably priced: all roughly 1950SGD which equates to around 1575USD. Which, when I compare it to the BB.com website, seems to be almost double the price than in the US.

The options I have:
1) Buy something local in SG (BB or something different)
2) Buy something later in Australia
3) Try on a BB suit locally and then order online (I already feel guilty

)

What would you recommend?

 

[California Dreamer]

I don't quite understand why you are concerned to but a suit from a "brand which name I heard before". There's nothing greatly special about a BB 1818 suit, especially at that price. For that money you could get a suit MTM for you in Melbourne by a tailor that comes highly recommended on the Australian Members forum (P. Johnson). You could also pick up a Herringbone suit, which is of pretty good quality, even if you may not be aware of them.

I'm surprised you couldn't find a better deal in Singapore, but I don't know the market there that well.

 

[David8]

The criteria I listed above where the ones I used to apply in the past. Today I am less concerned about the brand name, but more about quality and fit.

I actually wouldnt say I know the SG market at all, it just seems to me that all the european and american names have a big surcharge on it. But I have to little knowledge to be able to assess if anything local/asian that I can find in the stores is of decent quality.

Thanks for your two recommendations, I will certainly look into them. Even though I will be living in Sydney and it might take some time till I will be in Melbourne again.

 

[GBR]

Iris tailor in Singapore. See Gerald Shen's threads here which show this to be a good option.

 

[Lightbringer]

Yeah, Iris tailor is where you should definitely go.

 

[Fang66]

Australia sucks for buying suits. I know some aussies who travel to Singapore/H.K. to buy suits.

 

[dbc]

Iris is very good.

But you're 3.5 hours away from Hong Kong... go to WW Chan over a long weekend or something.