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Where to buy?

jrocker

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I'm 6' 130 lbs. Where should I go to buy a suit? I've spend countless hours trying on 'off the rack' suits and the only place that has anything that doesn't look like a sack on me is H&M. The quality seems poor and I'd like to get something wool. Any tips?
 

jrocker

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I have one suit from H&M; I know that it is too short so I am embarrassed to wear it. I could post pictures but I'd like to keep the self-esteem that I have left. The main thing I don't like is how thin/wrinkly it is. When I was in the Army my 'class a' uniform felt thick.

I know that for some of you, money is no object. I work for a non-profit and the object is no money. I can't afford to spend a ton but I meet with donors and city leaders daily so I would like something decent. If anyone has any tips I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.
 

AdamWill

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sounds obvious, but just in case - you know you can get 'long' versions of many off-the-rack suits, right? Any bigger place that sells off-the-rack should have at least a few. You'll see '40L', '42L' etc on the tag. If you see '40R' that's "regular" (just normal), '40S' is "short".

If you're lucky, you might be able to find something in your size "L" that will fit you at least well enough, and then have it tailored. If even "L"s don't fit you, you might be struggling; someone else may have some advice for that case. I'm trying to think of brand names I've tried on that fitted very tight on me, but coming up blank. Possibly some stuff at Zara; it's still not great quality, though somewhat better than H&M, but you can sometimes pick up suits very cheap there in sales. Their house style isn't great for tall guys, though. Topman stuff is another 'brand' that fits me horribly, but I don't think it's particularly cut for tall/thin guys.

I think the forum would agree with your instincts re H&M - their materials and construction are pretty poor. You're right to want something better.
 

Simplex

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First, we need to know your budget. Second, it's going to be hard to find a suit that fits you nicely OTR from the brief description of yourself (tall and very skinny). I'm about 5'7" at 125lbs and it's hard enough to find suits that fit me (34R). Really, it's going to be hard to find a suit that fits and is cheap. You're going to need a tailor to help make a suit fit better.
 

Simplex

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Yes. Your only options new OTR are H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, Topman, and maybe a few other fast fashion stores. For quality, all of those places will be mediocre at best and should not be considered longer than the near future (also they're more trendy and will look out of date). $200-300 on a suit is really bottom of the barrel but in order for it to pass by, you need it to be tailored.

Also, when you get a suit, you need to tailor it. If it fits, it'll look a whole lot better than an expensive suit that fits poorly. So, you should factor in this when purchasing suits.

The other option is to go thrifting, the B/S/T section in this very site, or ebay and get a better suit on the cheap (or a cheap suit even cheaper). But, for someone that does not know their own measurements, buying online will most likely end in disappointment.

So, depending on how soon you need a suit, will alter your choice. If you need a suit ASAP, then buying a cheap suit now then tailoring it will at least give you something that looks okay. If you can wait and save, then do so and it would avoid you from buying a suit you'll end up hating.
 

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