My fiance needs an awesome suit for our wedding and beyond!
July 14, 2010 10:17 PM Subscribe
My fiance needs a suit for our wedding and beyond. Please help us sort through the myriad options. Special snowflake details: He wears a boys size 18 and won't really need to wear a suit after the special day but will be transitioning from a jeans and t-shirt job environment to a business casual one. Help us figure out if he should get an off the rack boys suit or an internet made to measure or if we should go somewhere in person for custom (we're in NYC).
Our budget isn't huge, and we'd like to stay in the $300-500 range for the suit. However, we could go up to around $800 for something really amazing. Ideally our $1400 budget will cover at least 1 suit, 5 dress shirts, shoes, tie(s), and anything else he would need for both our wedding day and a new business wardrobe. (It's a daytime wedding and we figured he'd get a charcoal suit that could double for wedding and NYC non-profit interview duty.)
These are the options we're currently considering. We would really appreciate any first-hand experiences you can relay.
1) Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren both have boys sizing. We could get an off the rack suit from them. Pros: Cheap and easy. Cons: He wears a jacket size boys 18 but a pants size 30 adult and quality is not necessarily great.
2) Internet made to measure sites: Indochino is cheap and seems to have good guarantees. Are they actually decent quality though? Thick as Thieves seems good, but is it silly to go through them when we could do made to measure in person?
3) Made to measure in NYC, either from a local tailor or a Honk Kong guy who's set up shop here. How do we choose who to go to? How do we know if we're getting ripped off?
Personal experiences appreciated.
TLDR: My fiance needs a suit for our wedding and for job interviews. We are in NYC. He wears a boys size 18. Where should we get his suit?
Our budget isn't huge, and we'd like to stay in the $300-500 range for the suit. However, we could go up to around $800 for something really amazing. Ideally our $1400 budget will cover at least 1 suit, 5 dress shirts, shoes, tie(s), and anything else he would need for both our wedding day and a new business wardrobe. (It's a daytime wedding and we figured he'd get a charcoal suit that could double for wedding and NYC non-profit interview duty.)
These are the options we're currently considering. We would really appreciate any first-hand experiences you can relay.
1) Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren both have boys sizing. We could get an off the rack suit from them. Pros: Cheap and easy. Cons: He wears a jacket size boys 18 but a pants size 30 adult and quality is not necessarily great.
2) Internet made to measure sites: Indochino is cheap and seems to have good guarantees. Are they actually decent quality though? Thick as Thieves seems good, but is it silly to go through them when we could do made to measure in person?
3) Made to measure in NYC, either from a local tailor or a Honk Kong guy who's set up shop here. How do we choose who to go to? How do we know if we're getting ripped off?
Personal experiences appreciated.
TLDR: My fiance needs a suit for our wedding and for job interviews. We are in NYC. He wears a boys size 18. Where should we get his suit?
Do not bother with H&M if you're looking for a suit that lasts longer than a year of regular wear. I highly recommend Syms, which has locations at 400 Park Avenue and 42 Trinity Place in the city. They constantly have a great selection of men's and boy's suits in many many sizes.
posted by parmanparman at 12:42 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by parmanparman at 12:42 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I recommend giving Macy's and the like a shot. My boyfriend is also on the lean side at a size 36, and we found a fantastic three piece suit (Tommy Hilfiger -- don't judge us, it's surprisingly well constructed and very classically good looking,) for around $350 after tax during a ~50% off sale. We opted for suit separates as his pant size didn't jive with his jacket size, and that totally eliminated the need for tailoring in his case.
posted by biggity at 3:31 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by biggity at 3:31 AM on July 15, 2010
Century 21 would be another good choice if a men's 36 is an option. They carry a lot of European clothes that tend to run smaller anyway. If not, I'd suggest looking at Land's End , which would allow you to do separates for the suit, possibly even across boy's and men's sizes. I would call and ask about how well they would match, but their phone salespeople have always been great. And you could do their made-to-measure dress shirts as well, which I can't recommend enough as a hard-to-fit person in the opposite direction.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:07 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:07 AM on July 15, 2010
Syms has designer labels on the cheap, usually from last season. They carry boys' suits as well. In-house tailors who are usually rather competent.
There are two locations in NYC. I swear by this place.
posted by adamdrici at 5:59 AM on July 15, 2010
There are two locations in NYC. I swear by this place.
posted by adamdrici at 5:59 AM on July 15, 2010
As a datapoint: All told, the Hong Kong tailor will charge between $550-$700, the range is due to your fabric options (exterior and lining).
Of course, it will be the best fitting suit you ever own and not need any tailoring like an off the rack suit.
posted by 2bucksplus at 6:08 AM on July 15, 2010
Of course, it will be the best fitting suit you ever own and not need any tailoring like an off the rack suit.
posted by 2bucksplus at 6:08 AM on July 15, 2010
Mr. Ned. $850. More custom than MTM, not true bespoke. Better then the HK guys. Great guys. Google him. Can't speak highly enough about him. Without seeing your fiance it is impossible to tell you though if this is a needed expense or not. For me it is as I am built like a welsh corgi.
posted by JPD at 6:40 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by JPD at 6:40 AM on July 15, 2010
ETA - if he is a suit Newb and it is a wedding suit I really really really wouldn't do online stuff. If you know your measurements and how you want things tweaked then maybe you can get something good.
posted by JPD at 6:46 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by JPD at 6:46 AM on July 15, 2010
Made to measure in NYC, either from a local tailor or a Honk Kong guy who's set up shop here. How do we choose who to go to? How do we know if we're getting ripped off?
Hong Kong tailors are much less expensive than domestic tailors, but the good ones -- the ones whom you know are going to do a good job -- still aren't cheap. If you're willing to do everything online, my friend, who's always very fashionable and wears nice suits (he's a lobbyist), sends his measurements to Nickermann's, a Bangkok-based tailor that unfortunately no longer does US visits to take your measurements, so you're stuck doing them yourself.
As far as domestic MTM, I've heard good things about Thick As Thieves, which is a tailor based in LA who will make you a suit to your measurements for about $500.
Since you're in NYC, I've always been a fan of Century 21, but I'm not sure that they will carry the right size for your financé. It's worth checking, though.
posted by deanc at 7:05 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Hong Kong tailors are much less expensive than domestic tailors, but the good ones -- the ones whom you know are going to do a good job -- still aren't cheap. If you're willing to do everything online, my friend, who's always very fashionable and wears nice suits (he's a lobbyist), sends his measurements to Nickermann's, a Bangkok-based tailor that unfortunately no longer does US visits to take your measurements, so you're stuck doing them yourself.
As far as domestic MTM, I've heard good things about Thick As Thieves, which is a tailor based in LA who will make you a suit to your measurements for about $500.
Since you're in NYC, I've always been a fan of Century 21, but I'm not sure that they will carry the right size for your financé. It's worth checking, though.
posted by deanc at 7:05 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers so far everyone, and please keep them coming.
Just to clarify, 36S is not an option. The issues is less chest size than shoulder width. We've gone to a lot of places and there is just no way he can wear a 36. Also yes, this is a first (and only) suit for him.
posted by (Over) Thinking at 9:11 AM on July 15, 2010
Just to clarify, 36S is not an option. The issues is less chest size than shoulder width. We've gone to a lot of places and there is just no way he can wear a 36. Also yes, this is a first (and only) suit for him.
posted by (Over) Thinking at 9:11 AM on July 15, 2010
Do not under any circumstance allow him to be talked into having a tailor "fix" the shoulders. That is the one area the suit has to fit.
posted by JPD at 9:31 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by JPD at 9:31 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
You should DEFINITELY check out Thick as Thieves. They'll custom make it to your fiance's size. The guy who runs it, Jason, is super-nice, American-based, and will answer all your questions. He might have increased his prices since I got mine, but the suit is almost as good as bespoke - and a higher quality than the Hong Kong tailors.
Go to the website and look through the lookbook - the suit has a very slim aesthetic which will fit your fiance's proportions well.
It usually takes about a month to get the suit made.
posted by unexpected at 9:33 AM on July 15, 2010
Go to the website and look through the lookbook - the suit has a very slim aesthetic which will fit your fiance's proportions well.
It usually takes about a month to get the suit made.
posted by unexpected at 9:33 AM on July 15, 2010
One thing to consider - if he's going to be wearing the suit frequently (as in, every day at his job), get two pairs of the same trousers and rotate them daily. They wear out far quicker than the jacket.
Also, suit best practice: when he gets home, he should let it air for a bit before popping it back in the wardrobe. This is especially so if he doesn't wear it that frequently, and stores it in a suit carrier such as this, which is the type you commonly get suits in when you buy them (rather than the businessman's suit carrier, which takes everything bar the kitchen sink). Ideally, the suit carrier will be fabric as well.
posted by djgh at 10:24 AM on July 15, 2010
Also, suit best practice: when he gets home, he should let it air for a bit before popping it back in the wardrobe. This is especially so if he doesn't wear it that frequently, and stores it in a suit carrier such as this, which is the type you commonly get suits in when you buy them (rather than the businessman's suit carrier, which takes everything bar the kitchen sink). Ideally, the suit carrier will be fabric as well.
posted by djgh at 10:24 AM on July 15, 2010
I just received my first Thick as Thieves suit yesterday. I'm skinny with a size 35 chest and size 30 pants, which seems close to your fiance's size. It fits perfectly.
I didn't have any trouble ordering and, as noted above, Jason is a really helpful guy.
posted by poq at 12:05 PM on July 15, 2010
I didn't have any trouble ordering and, as noted above, Jason is a really helpful guy.
posted by poq at 12:05 PM on July 15, 2010
There's a place in times square called MySuit that does custom suits for cheaps (relatively speaking). Check them out!
posted by blue_bicycle at 7:03 PM on July 15, 2010
posted by blue_bicycle at 7:03 PM on July 15, 2010
Sorry, that should read *near* Times Square, not actually in it -- thank god.
posted by blue_bicycle at 7:06 PM on July 15, 2010
posted by blue_bicycle at 7:06 PM on July 15, 2010
Response by poster: We ended up buying a suit from the Ralph Lauren Children's store on the Upper East Side. I think M2M or Custom may make sense in the future, but fyi for all you short and small guys out there, the staff there was incredibly helpful and professional for everything.
Thanks for all the answers and insights. I'm not marking a best answer because everything was helpful.
posted by (Over) Thinking at 9:30 PM on August 14, 2010
Thanks for all the answers and insights. I'm not marking a best answer because everything was helpful.
posted by (Over) Thinking at 9:30 PM on August 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
He should go to a store that has 36s and try one on. If he can get adult clothes, even if he has to go to a tailor to have it taken in an inch, that would be better than mixing kids' clothes in.
posted by oreofuchi at 11:06 PM on July 14, 2010