When is an Abboud not an Abboud? (And does it matter?)

Are the Joseph Abboud suits one finds at Nordstrom's the same as those found at Lord & Taylor? And are those the same JA suits that are being sold at Men's Warehouse?

I just ordered an attractive JA suit at Nordstrom's on impulse because it was on sale for $475. (They didn't have my size in the store but I could still get the lower price by ordering one during the sale.) I may return it when it arrives, however, depending on what kind of reviews JA suits receive here, and also based on what my tailor thinks can be done with it.

From the searching I've done so for, it appears that there's not a lot of love on these boards for JA suits. On the other hand, it also appears that not many guys here have first-hand experience with them. Does someone who actually owns one or two have anything to say about their quality? Even if they're not worth full price ($700), I'm wondering if they might still be a good value at, say, $475?

Abboud by Joeseph Abboud is not a Joseph Abboud.
JOE by Joeseph Abboud is not a Joseph Abboud.
Joeseph Abboud is a Joseph Abboud.

I think that Joseph Abbouds fall into the Hugo Boss (for suits) and Johnston and Murphy (for shoes) category on style forum. This means that they are of decent quality but because they are rarely found on deep discounts they just don't seem to recivie a lot of love.

I've got no recent experience with Abboud, but some years back I had one or two for work and I found that the fit was better than Boss... less boxy... and the fabrics were often better. It was more a no-nonsense, decent workwear sort of suit (where Boss often tries to be more "powersuit" but just looks, often, rather odd).

Nevertheless, quality obviously isn't up to the level of what we can get around here on SF for the same price, generally. BUT, if you find one at deep discount, it makes a good workhorse or random suit. It won't stop traffic, but it also won't look BAD. It's sort of good when you just need to "blend in" but still look passable.

I actually like the ties, though... very simple and well made and, at TJ Maxx for $19.99... a bargain (retail is usually $90 or so, maybe?)

Originally Posted by yo!

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Abboud by Joeseph Abboud is not a Joseph Abboud.
JOE by Joeseph Abboud is not a Joseph Abboud.
Joeseph Abboud is a Joseph Abboud.
So the Joseph Abbouds at Nordstroms really ARE the same as the Joseph Abbouds at Men's Warehouse? That just seems wrong somehow.

but because they are rarely found on deep discounts they just don't seem to recivie a lot of love.

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Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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BUT, if you find one at deep discount, it makes a good workhorse or random suit.
I guess I don't really know what would constitute a deep enough discount to make this particular suit a good value. At first, $200 off the regular price seemed like a pretty deep discount to me, but if I could get the same suit at Men's Warehouse, then that $200 discount is little more than the removal of Nordstrom's basic markup.

Personally, $475 seems way too high to me and I personally would pass. Here in the sales area at SF, you can get a really great Polo RL, RLBL, or lots of other much nicer suits than Abboud at that price.

I'd pay $250 MAX for Abboud, and that would only be if it was the perfect color and fit me right off the rack well enough that I could wear it the next day, if need be.

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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I'd pay $250 MAX for Abboud, and that would only be if it was the perfect color and fit me right off the rack well enough that I could wear it the next day, if need be.
Yeah, that's another problem. I've got a big drop, and the slacks on the Abboud will almost certainly need to be recut. It's looking more and more like the suit's going back to Nordstroms.

^Yeah, if you'll be in for more than $500 altogether, I'd absolutely wait and find one here in the sales area or from YOOX (or some of the other forum-approved retail sites).

An Abboud suit is an entry level suit with entry level details (certainly fused, so-so fabrics and buttons, and such). So, for $500, I think you could do far better with a little patience and luck.

As well, with a big drop, some of the Euro-cut suits with a drop 8 or something might be better for you.

Abboud is no longer an Abboud because he has no relationship to his namesake.

His current line is called Jazz or something.

always been suspect of someone who offers different grades of quality.
how can you be sure your getting what they claim? that goes for rtw,m2m, and custom.
when you are told its their top grade is it really? or are the same people making the all the grades? all you can judge by is the label, and a few details here and there.

I have two of the Joseph Abboud suits from Nordstrom.

Of course, I purchased mine from an Ebay seller who seems to specialize in this brand so I didn't pay anything close to retail. In fact, I was in the range of which even Prof. Fabulous would approve

While not as beloved on this forum as other brands, I find them to be excellent suits of good quality.

I agree with being suspect of someone who offers different grades of quality. "Joseph Abboud" label ties and accessories end up in places like Marshall's quite frequently

The company that currently owns JA, offers different suits to different retailers. Actually, the retailer (Macy's, Mens Werahouse, Nordstrom) defines what they need and JA builds the suits to their specification, all being labeled JA.
It is a form of diluting the label to the lowest form. Same thing was done with DKNY, CK, etc.