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Starting the Custom Wardrobe

Hyped31

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Hey all- I searched around and have not found anything that really answers all my questions.

I will be a new analyst entering what is left of Wall Street in the summer. I will be working in NY but it seems the firm I will be working with is fairly conservative. I will need to dress professional everyday (except possibly no jacket/tie on summer Fridays)

I wanted to start with 3 custom suits, I am leaning toward Mytailor.com because of convenience and reasonable price. I don't have a solid navy suit so that is an easy one. I also don't have anything light grey so I am looking to add that. The 3rd color is up in the air because I do have several quality dark suits (dark charcoal, and navy pinstripe).

My questions are:

1. Does anyone have a good light grey color that they would suggest (that Mytailor happens to carry).

2. Does anyone have a suggestion for the navy pinstripe I should go with on Mytailor.

3. I really have no knowledge of what I should ask for with a custom suit. I know I like a quarter inch of cuff to show and that is about it. What are the important things I should ask for (buttons, cuffs, etc.). Again I want to stay pretty conservative but look good. I don't plan on wearing cuff links yet, I have a lot of quality shirt and tie combos. If someone had a run down of the essentials of a good suit that I should ask for, that would be great. I know this is very vague, but think if you were a young Wall Streetian looking to start off strong.


Any help is greatly appreciated.
 

SlamMan

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What's your budget per suit or total? You might want to consider MTM by someone local if you're not sure what you want or need. Start with one suit. Don't buy 3 based off your first measurements.
 

the.chikor

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Originally Posted by Hyped31
Hey all- I searched around and have not found anything that really answers all my questions.

I will be a new analyst entering what is left of Wall Street in the summer. I will be working in NY but it seems the firm I will be working with is fairly conservative. I will need to dress professional everyday (except possibly no jacket/tie on summer Fridays)

I wanted to start with 3 custom suits, I am leaning toward Mytailor.com because of convenience and reasonable price. I don't have a solid navy suit so that is an easy one. I also don't have anything light grey so I am looking to add that. The 3rd color is up in the air because I do have several quality dark suits (dark charcoal, and navy pinstripe).

My questions are:

1. Does anyone have a good light grey color that they would suggest (that Mytailor happens to carry).

2. Does anyone have a suggestion for the navy pinstripe I should go with on Mytailor.

3. I really have no knowledge of what I should ask for with a custom suit. I know I like a quarter inch of cuff to show and that is about it. What are the important things I should ask for (buttons, cuffs, etc.). Again I want to stay pretty conservative but look good. I don't plan on wearing cuff links yet, I have a lot of quality shirt and tie combos. If someone had a run down of the essentials of a good suit that I should ask for, that would be great. I know this is very vague, but think if you were a young Wall Streetian looking to start off strong.


Any help is greatly appreciated.


1. Vitale Barbaris, Charles Clayton, Fintes
2. Vitale Barbaris, Charles Clayton, Fintes
3. Too vague to answer, but ask Joe-he is good to help you.
 

SkinnyGoomba

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Hyped,

I'd go for 2 Navy, 2 Charcoal, Navy Pinstripes, Charcoal chalk stripe.

I'd further this by saying you also need:

2 pair of Tan Slacks
2 pair medium gray flannel slacks

The reasons being for wearing a suit every single day, you need more then 3 of them, you need alot, if you want them to stay in good shape for a long time (i'm assuming you dont want to replace them after a year or so of use).

You can pair the tan slacks up with the navy jacket for an additional look in your rotation during the summer, and the same idea with the gray flannels in the winter.

Medium grey looks great with a navy sportcoat (or in this case a suit jacket, and no one will know).

The positive side of this, is that it keeps it simple.

Most conservative firms frown on anything outside of white, light blue, or light pink for shirts. And all of those shirts match with all of the above combos.

No need for a pocket square, though i'd throw in a white linen for the odd occasion you need one (cocktail party or maybe a presentation).

Black Cap toe shoes - go with everything (except the tan slacks arguably).

I'd also go with a pair of Brown Cap toe shoes, and if you want them to last, 2 pair of each +shoe trees.

buy matching belts, and a about 20 pairs of socks, and you're all set.
 

JLibourel

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Whether you start with Hemrajani/MyTailor, W.W. Chan or any other tailor at whatever price point, by all means start out with just one suit. If you are really disatisfied with their work, you are not out too much (assuming you are using a moderately priced tailor like the aforementioned), and the tailor will almost certainly tweak the pattern for a better fit on subsequent endeavors.

Unless your physique has peculiarities that preclude a good fit with ready-to-wear clothes, it might be a good idea to get a few moderately priced RTW suits to give you a decent starter rotation and gradually phase them out as you build your custom wardrobe.
 

bc78

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Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba
Hyped,

I'd go for 2 Navy, 2 Charcoal, Navy Pinstripes, Charcoal chalk stripe.

I'd further this by saying you also need:

2 pair of Tan Slacks
2 pair medium gray flannel slacks

The reasons being for wearing a suit every single day, you need more then 3 of them, you need alot, if you want them to stay in good shape for a long time (i'm assuming you dont want to replace them after a year or so of use).

You can pair the tan slacks up with the navy jacket for an additional look in your rotation during the summer, and the same idea with the gray flannels in the winter.

Medium grey looks great with a navy sportcoat (or in this case a suit jacket, and no one will know).

The positive side of this, is that it keeps it simple.

Most conservative firms frown on anything outside of white, light blue, or light pink for shirts. And all of those shirts match with all of the above combos.

No need for a pocket square, though i'd throw in a white linen for the odd occasion you need one (cocktail party or maybe a presentation).

Black Cap toe shoes - go with everything (except the tan slacks arguably).

I'd also go with a pair of Brown Cap toe shoes, and if you want them to last, 2 pair of each +shoe trees.

buy matching belts, and a about 20 pairs of socks, and you're all set.


That pretty much covers it.
 

MatthewClarke

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Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba
Hyped, I'd go for 2 Navy, 2 Charcoal, Navy Pinstripes, Charcoal chalk stripe. I'd further this by saying you also need: 2 pair of Tan Slacks 2 pair medium gray flannel slacks The reasons being for wearing a suit every single day, you need more then 3 of them, you need alot, if you want them to stay in good shape for a long time (i'm assuming you dont want to replace them after a year or so of use). You can pair the tan slacks up with the navy jacket for an additional look in your rotation during the summer, and the same idea with the gray flannels in the winter. Medium grey looks great with a navy sportcoat (or in this case a suit jacket, and no one will know). The positive side of this, is that it keeps it simple. Most conservative firms frown on anything outside of white, light blue, or light pink for shirts. And all of those shirts match with all of the above combos. No need for a pocket square, though i'd throw in a white linen for the odd occasion you need one (cocktail party or maybe a presentation). Black Cap toe shoes - go with everything (except the tan slacks arguably). I'd also go with a pair of Brown Cap toe shoes, and if you want them to last, 2 pair of each +shoe trees. buy matching belts, and a about 20 pairs of socks, and you're all set.
Hyped, I'm in a similar situation to you, albeit on the other side of the pond. I'll be entering one of the banks in London as an Analyst in July and am looking to build my wardrobe accordingly. There are a couple of comments I'd pass on to you, garnered from my experience thus far:- 1) Don't use an online tailor. It really has to be done properly: my suits took several fittings and a surprising amount of one-on-one time between me and the tailor in order for me to communicate exactly what I wanted and for my wishes to be realised. You'd be surprised how affordable tailors are outside the large cities and it's worth paying more for a quality suit that will create an excellent first impression at work and which will last you longer. 2) I'm not 100% au fait with the dress code in NYC banks but, in London, you'd never see tan/grey slacks with a navy sports jacket: I'd recommend you focus on simple two-piece suits. Colours should be dark navy - with either chalkstripe, subtle pinstripe, or Prince of Wales check - or grey, again with chalkstripe, subtle pinstripe, or Prince of Wales check. 3) You don't often see pocket squares on the trading floor etc. in London. I took some abuse for mine - but, then again, I'm not sure you ought to be taking fashion cues from Joe Banker. If you like them (I do) then wear them. Same goes for brown shoes: they're often eschewed in favour of black Oxfords although, when matched well, they look great. 4) Shirts should be white, various shades of blue, or various shades of purple. French-cuffed and neither too tight nor too baggy looks best, in my humble opinion. 5) Three suits is fine for your first year; most people will only have two or three. It goes without saying that you should be sure that you like your first suit before ordering more from the tailor. 6) Don't get a super tight suit - it just looks awful and is the standard mistake to which youngsters like us, getting their first suit made, fall prey. 7) My personal preference for a suit? Unpadded, roped pagoda shoulders; relatively high, medium-width notch lapels; relatively low button stance; two-button jacket; slim fit around chest and on arms; high arm holes; slight bootleg cut on the trousers; double-vented jacket; small ticket pocket. Perhaps have a browse through Zegna.com to give you an idea of suitable styles.
 

SkinnyGoomba

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You lost me at roped pagoda shoulders....but other then that i think you're spot on.

I see you disagree with me about flannel pants and tan wool slacks, and thats fine, but I live/work in America and I've never been dinged for slacks/sportcoat as business formal dress.

If you own only two suits, be prepared to replace them in short order, as they wont live long.
 

Hyped31

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Guys this is all great stuff...

I have three a few MTW suits (Hickey, Michael Kors , and Valentino). I picked them up from a Saks off 5th at different times before interning. Unfortunately I was an idiot when I bought the Valentino and the jacket just doesn't fit well on the shoulders. I think I went too big and listened to a sales person doing their job of selling.

How many alterations can be made to these suits before it starts hurting the actual suits? I am not sure if there is a number to how much changes that can be made before you f' up the suit. And I think that Valentino might just be too big too fix.

Also, I used the same tailor for all of those suits but wasn't terribly happy with him. I live in the New Jersey area and will be moving to NYC so I am sure I can find one, but does anyone have any tips. I just felt the suits were a little loose and the length was not optimal on the jacket. I want a suit that fits like those on the Zegna website, is that unreasonable? (and it definitely could be)
 

Falstaff

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I used Hemrajani for two suits last winter and was relatively pleased with the results. I'd second the recommendation for the Vitale Barberis fabrics. The first suit I ordered from them is a charcoal Super 110's VBC, and I like it alot. It's held up well so far. For my second suit, I foolishly decided that I needed a higher Super number, and ended up with a Super 130s fabric from a fabric company whose name I can't recall right now. This fabric was higher priced and is not noticeably better than the VBC; in addition, it seems to wrinkle more easily than the VBC. Long story short, I think the VBC fabrics are a good value, although obviously there is much nicer stuff (including Loro Piana, Zegna, and some good English brands, if you're willing to pay more).

That said, I wonder if you've considered WW Chan at all. The consensus on this forum seems to be that they represent an improvement over Hemrajani, albeit for a slightly higher price. While I am not displeased with the fit of my Hemrajani suits, some of the Chan suits I've seen on this board seem to fit signficantly better than my Hemrajani suits.
 

jasonsun

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Originally Posted by Hyped31
Guys this is all great stuff...

I have three a few MTW suits (Hickey, Michael Kors , and Valentino). I picked them up from a Saks off 5th at different times before interning. Unfortunately I was an idiot when I bought the Valentino and the jacket just doesn't fit well on the shoulders. I think I went too big and listened to a sales person doing their job of selling.

How many alterations can be made to these suits before it starts hurting the actual suits? I am not sure if there is a number to how much changes that can be made before you f' up the suit. And I think that Valentino might just be too big too fix.

Also, I used the same tailor for all of those suits but wasn't terribly happy with him. I live in the New Jersey area and will be moving to NYC so I am sure I can find one, but does anyone have any tips. I just felt the suits were a little loose and the length was not optimal on the jacket. I want a suit that fits like those on the Zegna website, is that unreasonable? (and it definitely could be)


I think when buying a suit, as important as to get the size right , it's also important to feel comfortable in the suit. I once bought a english suit, where multiple tailor has said everything is tailored to the T, should, sleeve, pitch, collar, drape, gorge..........except i just don't feel comfortable in it. The arm hole was too small for me, although in english standard it was quiet fine..... On the other hand, i had a BB Fitzgerald suit that i was in between size, i'm 39S, but in today's world it's either 38 or 40; but somehow i just felt right and coworker compliment on it a lot....

I would say, it you button the suit, and can fit a fist between the belly and the suit, it's too boxy.....on the other hand if you were try to hug someone and can feel the fabric behind you is pulling when buttoned, it's too tight; ....the length of the jacket should be around your knuckle;a lot of the sizing is actually more intuitive than you would imagine, you just have to find a trust worth tailor that you can communicate what you like/dislike about your current suit, and he will explain to you what he can/can't do to alleviate/accommodate your request.

Don't bother think you will fit in a suit that's on the runway.....they are 1. fashion suit, which will outdated in a season; classic gentlemen wear lasts for years; forget fancy colors/pattern/narrow lapels/3-4 pockets..... 2. the suit are usually tailored for the model or heavily darted to fit the physique of the model, so unless you are extremely abnormal i would suggest you find a cut you like: Italian/English/American and find a brand within and go from here....this means a lot of department store visit; trying on......don't buy unless you feel everything is right when you put on the jacket & keep in mind a 38 in American can mean 40 in English, and 38 in Ralph Lauren Blue label translates into 40 in Ralph Lauren Black Label; so size doesn't mean a lot.
 

CasinoRoyale

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Good info on this thread, actually helped me a lot. Thanks guys.
 

Shirtmaven

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since you will be in NYC.
why don't you check out some of the tailors who are based in NYC. where you can go to if there is a problem, and not wait for a tailor to return months later.
Carl
 

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