Canali Shopping, Awkward Size

Being my first post, I'm looking for some advice on purchasing a few Canali suits. Living where I currently do, my two options are Nordstroms and Saks. The problem is that I have a 44" chest, and a 33" waist. It's basically impossible for me to buy a dress shirt off the rack, Hugo Boss is about as close as I can get. I resorted to having them tailor made-which turned out great. Anyways, what kind of additional cost should I be looking at per-suit with that kind of sizing? Also, should I avoid Saks? I don't really wanna blow an extra 400 just because it was purchased at Saks...What kind of price range should I be aiming for at these two locations? Any info is greatly appreciated

Welcome to the forum!

Not to sound like I'm brushing you off too much, but searching through the forums, or even just paging through lots of threads will quickly give you an idea of the type of answer you are likely to get. In general, most of the forum members eschew buying from major retailers at full price -- lots will shop at Nordstrom Rack rather than Nordstrom for example. The basic premise is that if you have patience, the same $2000 Zegna suit that you see at Saks will likely wind up at their discount store next season.

So, you'll likely get a "yes" response to the question of avoiding Saks, not because they don't carry quality garments, but that there are better alternatives if your definition of "better" includes waiting, trawling discount options--both in meatspace and online--or just waiting for a killer sale.

Even if you don't have the time&effort to spend on that route, another common opinion is that if you have the money to spend on a full-priced retail suit at Saks, then you should investigate the made-to-measure (MTM) options in your region. There might be skilled tailors in your area that could create custom suit for the same price as that Canali at Saks.

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for the info. I won't have the option of waiting around too long for a sale, but it's a possibility. This is where I have my shirts made http://www.summittailoring.com/

The problem is that it takes 4-5 weeks for a shirt, and I'm guessing probably double that for a suit. I really wanted a Canali-even though I realize there are a lot of other options. Living in Akron I don't many options as far as retailers for Canali...

It seems to me, if you're buying your suits at Saks or Nordstrom's and paying full price, the alterations should probably be thrown in for free.

Originally Posted by Bradford

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It seems to me, if you're buying your suits at Saks or Nordstrom's and paying full price, the alterations should probably be thrown in for free.

They usually are, but I was under the impression that there's an extra charge if a lot of material has to be taken out, maybe not. I haven't purchased a suit there in over a year.

Should I be aiming to stay under 1000 at Nordstroms? I know at Saks they're upwards of 1100-1300. I don't really have the luxury of waiting for a sale, so assume I'm shopping at full price...

Have you had success with off the rack suits with your measurements? I would think that you're looking at custom every time.

Originally Posted by letmebefell

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Have you had success with off the rack suits with your measurements? I would think that you're looking at custom every time.

I have a burberry that I got a deal on from Nordstroms-it fits very nicely. I'm a little confused on one topic, can I get a MTM Canali from Saks or Nordstroms? If so, would the price be enough to justify just going to a tailor and getting a suit made? I'd like to stay around 1000 a piece, but I don't think that's possible with a nice MTM...

at the risk of being called for spamming, I'd recommend mytailor.com. You'll get the suit you want for less than that price, with a five-six week wait (just like your shirts).

I'd think you'd be hard pressed to find a Canali sportcoat for less than $1000 at full retail price, let alone a suit. It sounds like time is of the essence at this point, eliminating many of the savings options suggested. In that case, I'd say buy one suit (you mention Canali suits in your original post) now and take time to explore other, less expensive avenues.

As for MTM, both Nordstrom and Saks here in San Francisco have MTM programs, but I don't know if they cover Canali or not. I've just seen the MTM areas of the stores, but never checked them out in great detail. But, I'd expect the MTM program to be way beyond your $1000 budget.

Originally Posted by binge

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I'd think you'd be hard pressed to find a Canali sportcoat for less than $1000 at full retail price, let alone a suit. It sounds like time is of the essence at this point, eliminating many of the savings options suggested. In that case, I'd say buy one suit (you mention Canali suits in your original post) now and take time to explore other, less expensive avenues. As for MTM, both Nordstrom and Saks here in San Francisco have MTM programs, but I don't know if they cover Canali or not. I've just seen the MTM areas of the stores, but never checked them out in great detail. But, I'd expect the MTM program to be way beyond your $1000 budget.
Well I can spend more than 1000, but I was hoping to stay around there. I was at saks a few weeks ago and their Canalis were going for around 1600. If I were going to get one suit, I could swing up to 2k. I can talk with my tailor about their suits, I believe they start out at 695 MTM.