Where do I find a somewhat cheap and well-made black sport coat (in the Washington DC area)?

March 15, 2009 6:14 PM

Where do I find a somewhat cheap and well-made black sport coat (in the Washington DC area)?

I'm looking for a black sport coat that I would wear out to the bars for happy hour or on the weekends. I own a few suits but I'd rather not use their suit jackets for this purpose in case something gets spilled on them.

How cheap can I go without buying a piece of garbage? And where should I buy it? I don't want to buy something that is cheaply made but still $100. I want quality for my money but at the same time not buying a jacket from Nordstrom for $500 or something.

I live in the DC area but I could very well end up buying something from a chain store anyway.

Any help would be fantastic. Thanks!

posted by decrescendo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

There are reasonably cheap sportcoats at Kohl's. How well-made they are is debatable, but for occasional happy hours they should be fine.
posted by jayder at 6:22 PM on March 15, 2009

I get some of my dress shirts at Kohl's. They fit my 6' 4" 190lb frame pretty well, are reasonably-priced, and seem to be fairly well-made.

Good call with Kohl's.
posted by decrescendo at 6:32 PM on March 15, 2009

There is a Syms department store about two blocks from the Twinbrook Metro station on the red line. It's a hike but it is very very worth it. I was there on Saturday and got a black tropical weight wool Nautica blazer for $50 and the alterations were done while I waited for $12 more. Totally worth the effort of going to Twinbrook, which I would not recommend for any other conceivable reason.
posted by parmanparman at 6:36 PM on March 15, 2009

Dollar for dollar, I tend to favor Men's Wearhouse (location map.) And they're having a sale. :)

I haven't been happy with Kohl's purchases for a while now... they appear to be rapidly garbaging their product lines.
posted by deCadmus at 6:40 PM on March 15, 2009

Considered Goodwill or the Salvation Army shops? You're paying in time as opposed to money, but I've found that cities associated with formal dress offer pretty good pickings, especially if you're only looking for a blazer or sports coat as opposed to an entire suit.
posted by holgate at 11:31 PM on March 15, 2009

Club Monaco always has super sexy blazers that go well with jeans for drinks, brunch, dinner meetings, etc. I know everyone says they've gone downhill since Polo bought them, but really, they still do this little niche well.

And Zara.
posted by barnone at 1:02 AM on March 16, 2009

You should also consider Filene's Basement (Conn Ave or Friendship Heights). Their prices are often quite reasonable for good quality merchandise.
posted by hawkeye at 2:47 AM on March 16, 2009

They sell dark blazers at places like Urban Outfitters and H&M as well, though I wouldn't call those well-made. Also, I hope to god you're not wearing a t-shirt under that blazer, or else I am here to shun you. SHUN.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:29 AM on March 16, 2009

TJ Maxx is usually a good option as they sell overstock and last season's clothing from many major retailers.
posted by JJ86 at 7:32 AM on March 16, 2009

You can't really buy something cheap that's also well-made. Try Brooks Brothers. They will probably have something for under that $500 range. And buy navy blue- not black. Black is for people who don't know how to dress properly.
posted by Zambrano at 9:51 AM on March 16, 2009

I definitely will not be wearing a t-shirt under it. No worries there.

And why is black for people who don't know how to dress properly?
posted by decrescendo at 11:23 AM on March 16, 2009

Men's Wearhouse! My fiance bought a suit there last year that's held up well for under $200 so I imagine the sportscoats cost less than that. Everything looked really nice and they had brands like Calvin Klein in addition to things I'd never heard of.
posted by echo0720 at 3:29 PM on March 16, 2009

I disagree with Zambrano, Navy yells "cheesy prepster who wears pink shirts and Vineyard Vines ties" to me. Black is fine, or maybe look into gray or gray with a pattern, that always looks nice with dark jeans if that's the look you're going for. Of course if vineyard vines is what you're going for, then yes, navy :)
posted by echo0720 at 3:32 PM on March 16, 2009