How can a skinny guy find a slim-cut suit?

January 25, 2008 1:09 AM

How can I find a small, very slim-cut suit, either online or in Nova Scotia?

I'm in dire need of a suit or two - ideally, a very slim-cut, two-button, single-breasted suit. But there are two problems. First, I'm pretty thin - 5'9" and 125 pounds. 16" shoulders, 28" waist, and a very thin waist. From trying out suits in stores over Christmas, this would probably mean a 34R, but my overall shape means that the traditional boxy suit just drapes over me. A Hugo Boss 34R was no-go, but a Dior Homme 34R was absolutely ideal (and, alas, about 2000 dollars more than I had). So I need a European-cut suit.

The second problem is, I'm a university student in rural Nova Scotia, and thus don't really have the opportunity to walk into a suit shop. I can travel into Halifax if need be, but I've had no luck in the past finding off-the-rack suits, so I'm reluctant to make the trip unless someone can name a specific place that might help. I have no problems buying online, but I honestly don't know where to start looking.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I'd like to not be too spendy - 750 dollars would probably be my outside limit. Thanks for any help.

posted by ZaphodB to clothing, beauty, & fashion (11 comments total)

I'd recommend Mexx. Their clothes tend to be of a European cut and from what I've seen, their men's clothing seems to be for men of your build. [I am not a man, but I am a small woman and their clothes fit me well.] Their prices aren't exactly cheap, but they shouldn't break the bank, either.

I couldn't find an actual Mexx store listing for Halifax, but this page has a city-based store location search available. You could try finding a store in Halifax that carries their clothing and go from there.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:32 AM on January 25

I don't know if you'd be open to this, but my brother (5'6", 120 lbs) gets his suits from Value Village (Dartmouth) or other vintage stores (there are a couple of others in Halifax).

Oh also, at Mic Mac Mall (Dartmouth), you could try Le Chateau; and on Barrington Street there is Renaissance Clothing (don't know if they have suits, but they have nice men's clothing) and Biscuit General Store. Plus the classic/expensive, Duggar's on Spring Garden Road.
posted by hydrobatidae at 1:39 AM on January 25

This is not a good answer to your question but there is a really good used suit shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

http://www.keezers.com/

Seems like for $750 you could probably get down there for a weekend and get a suit (mine was $75 and I think quite nice).
posted by sully75 at 2:54 AM on January 25

'Scuse all the typos and general what-the-hell-edness of the post. This is what happens when I try to be coherent before breakfast... by very thin waist I meant, of course, the bit just above the hipbones. Thin stomach? Anyway.

I should mention the places that I've checked out. Le Chateau didn't yield anything, as they were strictly 36Rs. Same with Dugger's. I also covered an entire raft of places in Calgary over the Christmas break - Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, H&M, Tristan, any number of boutiques - without any luck. I really am a very hard person to fit. Renaissance and Biscuit I haven't seen, nor have I tried Mexx, so maybe a trip into Halifax is warranted after all.

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks! Any more places or websites I could try? Tailor recommendations might be useful too, from the way my searches have gone in the past.
posted by ZaphodB at 4:46 AM on January 25

Check out Thick as Thieves. They're based in LA but will make made-to-measure suits to your size and ship them to you for about $400-$500, depending on the fabric. (I'm pretty sure they'd make a 34R). Their suits seem to be cut more for skinny guys than the usual sack-type suits in the stores, too. I haven't purchased a suit from them yet (planning to) but they've gotten rave reviews from the folks over at styleforum.
posted by poq at 6:21 AM on January 25

many H&M suits are very slim, check out eBay for "H&M suit slim" or "H&M suit mod" etc, you can even find separate jacket and pants by H&M pretty cheap. Not all of their stuff is that slim, but a lot of it is. Obviously not Dior-slim but almost. Good luck.
posted by matteo at 7:56 AM on January 25

this guy has a comparison of H&M slim fit vs regular American fit
posted by matteo at 7:58 AM on January 25

I have similar suit issues (5'10", 145) and I have found that Calvin Klein cuts tend to be on the slimmer side for American designers. You may be able to find a CK suit for less money than a European designer.

My experience with H+M stuff is that it won't last. Spend the money and get something that will stick with you for a long time.

That said, I live in NYC with lots of options. I was able to find a good seller with last season's designs for a good price. Not sure what you'll find up your way.
posted by soy_renfield at 8:30 AM on January 25

I too would recommend H&M, which are very well cut (and slim), though in terms of quality, you get what you pay for. Zara is similar, but a bit more expensive.

If you want something nice, check out Thick as Thieves. They're a very fashionable, made-to-measure suit company out of LA. They'll gladly take orders over the internet and help you get your measurements right. They're also very inexpensive relative to the very high quality they produce (good fabrics, full canvassing, etc).
posted by YoungAmerican at 8:58 AM on January 25

Esprit has that European slim cut and there is a store at Dartmouth Crossing.
posted by hydrobatidae at 9:19 AM on January 25

I found a great slim-fitting suit from Sisley.
posted by apetpsychic at 1:57 PM on January 25