Suit help

[chinoyboi]

Hey, I need help choosing a suit for prom. My range is about $600-$800 (MAYBE $900). Is there a particular style, brand I should be looking for? I'm mostly looking for an Italian cut suit single breasted, in a solid black with great quality material/design. Does anyone know if Emporio Armani's suits go in sale in April-May? Cause I know RL's suits go on sale around June-July. Or can anyone recommend a good quality suit.

Also, my date is wearing a golden/champagne color haltar top dress. Any suggestions on matching with that? I have a plain blue dress shirt. And this dark Navy blue dress shirt with a particular weaving. Would a navy blue dress shirt go with a gold/champagne tie?

Edited by chinoyboi on Mar 7, 2006 at 08:13 AM

Edited by chinoyboi on Mar 7, 2006 at 08:17 AM

[sonick]

if you want quality, stay away from brand names like Emporio Armani and Boss etc. They're all made cheaply with fused lapels, etc.

http://askandyaboutclothes.com/Forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=14 this place is pretty good to ask

[DJ_Flame]

- Emporio Armani makes lousy suits.

- As long as the colors constrast, its ok. I would take the darker navy because it's dark and muted when compared to the brightness of the tie.

- Black suits are boring. Heather or Charcoal gray are so much nicer. Black shoes should also be avoided unless you have to go with the black suit.

- If you live in a cosmopolitian city like NY or LA, you can visit various flagship stores, or Neiman / Saks, and get suits from Paul Smith, Costume National etc for around $500-600.

Edited by DJ_Flame on Mar 7, 2006 at 10:38 AM

[LA Guy]

I imagine that this is an evening event, so you probably want a slimmer cut suit, and to match your date's outfit, a midnight blue with a champagne (i.e. off white tie) will do the job nicely. I would definitely go with either a solid or a tone on tone embroidered tie. You could either go with a skinny tie to match the slim cut of the suit, or go with a thick sevenfold to constrast. In either case, I would suggest a good, optic white poplin shirt (shirt quality is really easy to distinguish) with a semi-spread collar. If you are a younger guy, go for flat front, slim pants, and no break in the trousers. Dark chestnut or cognac shoes with matching belt would finish off the outfit nicely. I think that burniushed brass accents (in your belt, cufflinks, etc...) would complement your outfit well and that of your date without looking like you tried too hard to match. If you want to go all the way, wear a pocket square, either in a three point fold, or the "stuff", which is more difficult to pull off. I would go with Costume National if you are slimmer with narrower shoulder, and Dolce Gabbana otherwise. There is no way, except maybe at a consignment store or discounter or at sales time (which has passed) you are going to get this stuff under $800. I would try YOOX. It really is your best bet.

I recommend going to the temporary styleforum for more advice on this type of thing,

[ten100switch]

LA Guy, I hope he's a younger guy....he's going to prom

[Guest Fade to Black]

good advice LA Guy...but for a prom type event it might be overkill. Back when I went to prom nobody wore suits like that...hell i'm in college and people still don't dress with that kind of level of attention to detail.

[shoreman1782]

Yeah, but no one was willing to drop nearly a grand on a suit, either. This kid has higher aspirations. Might as well go all the way.

[LA Guy]

Right...

That, or he is "youngish" and that the state he lives in has a "Romeo and Juliet" law.

[nairb49]

i just bought my first suit that was entirely chosen by me, primarily for med school interviews

posted pics in recent purchases, and consulted briefly with LA guy

but i got a not quite as dark as charcoal grey single breasted two button, flat front pant from versus by versace.

i know they're the diffusion line and all, but the fit was the best for what I could afford. I toyed with the idea of made-to-measure, but just couldn't find the cash for it.

pics anyways. goign to take it to get hemmed etc right now.

nairb49

edit: word of warning about AAAC, those guys over there are VERY knowledgeable and definitley know what they're talking about. BUT, they're very picky. Just like superfuturians won't talk about anything but selvage etc etc,

Edited by nairb49 on Mar 7, 2006 at 02:21 PM

[evisu 2000]

because they're trads

[LA Guy]

Quote:

i just bought my first suit that was entirely chosen by me, primarily for med school interviews

posted pics in recent purchases, and consulted briefly with LA guy

but i got a not quite as dark as charcoal grey single breasted two button, flat front pant from versus by versace.

i know they're the diffusion line and all, but the fit was the best for what I could afford. I toyed with the idea of made-to-measure, but just couldn't find the cash for it.

pics anyways. goign to take it to get hemmed etc right now.

--- Original message by nairb49 on Mar 7, 2006 02:18 PM

Looks like a nice suit. Diffusion line, yes, but often Versus is much more wearable than the mainline stuff, and the cut is the most important thing (then fabric, then workmanship).

And yes, AAAC people are very picky. Styleforum (hopefully up soon again) is somewhere in between with regard to the target demographic. There are lots of lawyers, I-banking types, interested primarily in *very* expensive suits, shirtings, and shoes, but also a sizable contingent (see some of you guys here, hi!) interested in Streetwear and denim, although the aesthetic generally espoused definitely appeals to the young 20's-30's than Superfuture.

If you want to know the difference between different buttonhole types, fused vs. half-canvassed suits, goodyear vs. blake welting in shoes, etc..., both AAAC and Styleforum are good resources. Styleforum also has a denim definitions dictionary in the making, but we may be lost some of that info in the server crash.

[nairb49]

yeah, I was itching for styleforum these past weeks to help me with my purchase.

most of the askandy advice i got centered around "buy bespoke"

any word on when it might get back up and running?

nairb49

[DJ_Flame]

Nairb49, bespoke is quite affordable in Asian cities. maybe if you ever visit Hongkong, Kulua Lumpur, Singapore etc, you could take some time off to talk with the local tailors.

Copped is da bestest word ever !

[Guest Fade to Black]

Quote:

Nairb49, bespoke is quite affordable in Asian cities. maybe if you ever visit Hongkong, Kulua Lumpur, Singapore etc, you could take some time off to talk with the local tailors.

--- Original message by DJ_Flame on Mar 7, 2006 04:49 PM

"bespoke" in places such as Hong Kong is also far inferior in tailoring, worksmanship and quality of materials than bespoke in places such as the US and UK...to be honest, yes you can probably get a "bespoke" (more like made to measure, i've seen suits whipped up within the week) suit from HK, wool/cashmere for like $300 US. But I'd rather get some off the rack suits I've seen over one tailored from Asia.

nairb i like the purple lining on that jacket...nice detail, better than a lot of main label Versace stuff I've seen. I probably would've opted for a 2-button myself, but for your money's worth I'd say you got a good deal.

[chinoyboi]

LA guy, well I live in the bay area, so I have the luxury of a Saks and a Nieman Marcus nearby. Can I really get a PS suit for about $600? Or what other suit brands I can shoot for at these places? But so far right now, I have a black belt and black Prada shoes already ready to go. but right now, the issue is the shirt color to go with champagne/gold. Will a navy blue shirt go with it? With a champagne/gold slim tie?

[DJ_Flame]

Like LA Guy said, the sale is already over. normally there is one at year's end and one at summer's end (thats how my workplace operates anyways).

I would suggest a cream or white shirt, to make the tie stand out more, and give a more formal appearance (a blue shirt would seems too "business-sy")

Fade, I know those tailors are pretty inferior, but when you are on a budget and MTM is offered for $300~, I think its acceptable.

Since you have black shoes, I would say go with a medium grey suit to bring out the black more. A waistcoat will also make the outfit more sophiscated.

Copped is da bestest word ever !

Edited by DJ_Flame on Mar 7, 2006 at 08:25 PM

[nairb49]

Quote:

Quote:

Nairb49, bespoke is quite affordable in Asian cities. maybe if you ever visit Hongkong, Kulua Lumpur, Singapore etc, you could take some time off to talk with the local tailors.

--- Original message by DJ_Flame on Mar 7, 2006 04:49 PM

"bespoke" in places such as Hong Kong is also far inferior in tailoring, worksmanship and quality of materials than bespoke in places such as the US and UK...to be honest, yes you can probably get a "bespoke" (more like made to measure, i've seen suits whipped up within the week) suit from HK, wool/cashmere for like $300 US. But I'd rather get some off the rack suits I've seen over one tailored from Asia.

nairb i like the purple lining on that jacket...nice detail, better than a lot of main label Versace stuff I've seen. I probably would've opted for a 2-button myself, but for your money's worth I'd say you got a good deal.

--- Original message by Fade to Black on Mar 7, 2006 06:49 PM

thanks ftb, it actually is a 2 button but the picture looks a bit deceiving the way its layed.

the bespoke options I came across were definitley out of my price range, both in Toronto and Montreal

Holt Renfrew had some made to measure and accumeasure options that were tempting, but for my body type (which is easy to fit) I felt it wasn't really necessary to go that route.

chinoyboy-i'm assuming that there's no Holts in NY, but surely Neiman marcus will have similar options. I was torn between getting a very similar suit to the one I just got, but by Paul Smith, and the versus. But, unless you're getting one on sale from last season, the Paul Smiths are definitely not going to be 600USD.

You're looking more like 1400USD, at least for the ones I saw. Beautiful suits though.

Even though they might not be the best quality suits, Boss has some decent cuts and will be more in your price range. Also keep in mind that althoguh they won't be designer "labels", a real men's suit store will experts there to help you out and fit you, though they will more often than not be of a more "classic" persuasion.

nairb49

edit: although very sleek etc etc, if you don't plan on buying multiple suits in the near future, try to steer away from the solid black. very severe, and can really only be worn in very specific occasions and not very versatile.

Edited by nairb49 on Mar 7, 2006 at 08:31 PM

[cchen]

true, but every guy should own one good black suit.

[shoreman1782]

I believe there are Loehmann's out in CA, but I'm totally ignorant about geography out there, so I don't know for sure.

The DC loehmann's occasionally has some nice Canali and Corneliani suits, which are mildly Italian in cut but not exaggerated or fashion-y. They're well-made and usually use good fabrics. They hover around $500-600, I think. $1000+ full retail.

I can't picture the navy blue dress shirt, but I'm thinking I don't like the sound of it, esp with a dark suit and bright tie. Sounds a little gangster.

Still, you're what, 17? Do whatever you want. This suit probably won't fit you in five years, anyway, and you'll likely regret the prom pictures no matter how well you dress.

I haven't shopped for suits at Nieman Marcus, but their website says they have a nice navy Paul Smith suit for a grand. They have black, too, but I don't recommend it.

[url=" http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod12460050&parentId=cat5300733&masterId=cat000527&index=10&cmCat=cat000000cat000470cat5160747cat000526cat000527cat5300733"] <a href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod12460050&parentId=cat5300733&masterId=cat000527&index=10&cmCat=cat000000cat000470cat5160747cat000526cat000527cat5300733" target="_blank">http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod12460050&parentId=cat5300733&masterId=cat000527&index=10&cmCat=cat000000cat000470cat5160747cat000526cat000527cat5300733</a>

[wild_whiskey]

Quote: "bespoke" in places such as Hong Kong is also far inferior in tailoring, worksmanship and quality of materials than bespoke in places such as the US and UK...

Not always...

and I know of two places in HK off the top of my head that are full bespoke, not just MTM.

[LA Guy]

Whiskey is right. Actually some of the HK places will give MTM places in the States a run for their money qualitywise. The problem is that you have to be very specific about what you want, and be relatively conversant about suits to get it. Also, sometimes you have to be very insistent.

If you are in the vicinity of NYC, Mr. Ned's has MTM starting at ~800 USD, for basic fabrics. But they have some amazing fabrics there, including really interesting deadstock, that you'll be tempted by. I would definitely go for a midnight blue (nearly black, but not). You'll be able to use it more outside prom. Also, choose a more "napped", softer hand fabric, which, especially at night, will look much richer than a hard fabric like gabardine.

[gentleman]

im short (5' 7") so unless its a custom suit, i have a hard time finding a good suit that fits. im also something like a 37 or 38 short.

for me, agnes b suits are perfect. i have 3 of them and they all fit very well.

next suit is mr. ned.

[8destijl8]

hot damn. now that's a suit.