Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Suits

Toby Chew? Toby Wong? Movies w/ gangsters?

beautifulcheese — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:44:13 -0800

I'm on a gangster movie binge. Reservoir Dogs, Boondock Saints, RocknRolla (basically all of Guy Ritchie's stuff). I need more in this vein to fulfil my craving for cool men doing violence in innovative ways. I'd like recommendations for modern movies preferably without the Italian mafia. Bonus points for United Kingdom focused films.

Call it "Tailor Tourism"

rileyray3000 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:52:19 -0800

I'm thinking about taking a suit holiday. As in, going to a country where not only can I have a fun vacation, but I can get a bunch of suits made for a good price. Where should I go? When I was teaching in Korea back in 2001 I got a few suits made for me on a lark. Some were the kitschy kind of fun suits that you get made when they're 70 bucks American and you think "what the hell." In my case that was one red satin number and five iridescent sharkskin suits in colors ranging from blue to yellow to brown - all as shiny as a marine's dress shoes.

Goodfellas was one of the only American movies I saw over there. I think it left a mark.

But in addition to those suits I also got one charcoal gray suit made and one light brown one. Those two have been my standby suits ever since. I get compliments every time I wear them, they fit me perfectly and I worry about the day they finally fall apart.

Thus I've been considering a "Suit Holiday." Something where I go somewhere like South Korea, have an exotic trip, and get a bunch of suits made to take home and last me another decade.

But I'm wondering if South Korea IS the way to go here. Maybe Hong Kong? Or Taiwan? Or the Philippines? Or Indonesia? I'm totally open.

Where is the place I can get the best bang for my buck and get 5 or ten suits made to take home with me? Where would YOU go on a Suit Holiday?

The film itself shaved points off my IQ...but the wardrobing was good.

Mike Mongo — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:16:28 -0800

Who makes the suit Ryan Reynolds wears in the wedding scene in the recent film The Proposal? Alright, this is embarrassing to ask because in doing so I must admit I sat all the way through The Proposal "starring" (haha) Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. That said, at the end of the "film" (hoho), Reynolds attends a wedding and is in a really great suit.

Simple, austere, black, stylish, tasteful, and light. (Note: it is NOT the suit worn earlier in the film during the movie's eponymous proposal moment. That's an sort of drab office number.)

Is the a repository of such information? Is there a way I can find out?

Where do I find a suit that fits me?

decoherence — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:45:23 -0800

I need a really nice suit for upcoming law firm interviews. Where do I go for one that actually fits me? I'm 6'1.5", 180 pounds, in my mid-20's. I work out quite often, so I have a thin, fairly athletic physique, though obviously not "jacked" at 180 pounds. I've had a series of suits over the years that I've picked up at various department stores, none of which have fit me very well. Typically the pants are too big for my chest size (I'm a 39 or 40 in the chest, with a 31 waist), and even when altered, the legs are too baggy. I'm tired of lame suits and want a really nice, well-fitting one that I can wear for years to come.

I've found most that American suits don't fit me well. I do like the way British and the slim Italian suits seem to fit on people of my body type -- fairly unstructured jacket (minimal padding), high arm holes, high rise on the pants, etc. What are some designers I should be looking at, and what stores would carry these (ideally, at a somewhat discounted price)? I'm in the NYC and DC areas. I'm willing to spend around $1,000, though I would of course prefer less. Obviously I need a fairly conservative suit for firm interviews, so no crazy high-fashion makes, but rather, just something elegant that actually fits my body type (i.e., no Brooks Brothers "sack" suits).

Note that I'm already pretty well-versed in things like vents, collar style, colors, etc., so I'm really just looking for advice on particular makes and stores, not the whole rundown on what a proper "interview suit" should be.

Looking for a tailor in Chicago.

wfrgms — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:20:06 -0800

Chicago-filter: Can you recommend a competent and not too expensive tailor? (Bonus questions about alterations inside.) Looking for a tailor, preferably one near UIC / Greektown / Little Italy, but one in the Loop would be good also. Will travel for the right place.

As for the alterations:

I've realized the sleeves on one of my suit jackets are too short by about an inch. Luckily* it's a cheaper suit so there aren't faux button holes, just buttons which can be moved without weirdness. What should this alteration run me, money-wise?

The other issue concerns some dress shirts. I have three that are too long. I wear a 33 sleeve and these are 35. Can yo take in dress shirt sleeves? It's probably a lost cause, but I did pay a lot for these shirts and they fit fine in the neck and shoulders...

Thanks for any advice!

*Then again if I had paid more it probably would have been altered right the first time.

Help me figure out how to keep my dress shirts nice in the office for a bicyce commute.

onalark — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:39:35 -0800

Help me wear a dress shirt at work while doing a bicycle commute, or, tell me what your favorite garment bag is. I'm trying to transition to a train/bicycle commute for work. My work place has showers and I have an office to store stuff as long as it looks reasonable. My main concern right now is how to keep nice-looking dress shirts and pants available at work to change into after the ride. My best current idea is to keep a travel garment bag at work hanging from a over-the-door hook, and store my weekly wardrobe there. I don't own a garment bag, but am willing to invest in one. What recommendations do you have for a garment bag or other way to store clothes?

Men's suits in Vancouver Canada?

thewalrus — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:11:30 -0800

What is the best place to buy ready-to-wear or slightly altered men's business suits in Vancouver BC? Bonus points if the place sells both ready to wear and provides custom tailoring services at reasonable prices.

Help me buy some suits

saslett — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:24:36 -0800

Help me buy some reasonably priced, high quality suits I've transitioning into a job that requires that I wear a suit almost every day. I own only a few suits. Those suits from a time when I worked at a much higher paying (though lower quality of life job) that didn't require a suit very often. To give you an idea of their quality, one's a Zegna and the other's an Oxxford.

Yeah, I spoiled myself.

But my new salary is such that I can't go out and buy half a dozen $1,500+ suits to get myself started, and I'm going to need a fair stock of them soon. I know I can't approach the quality of an Oxxford without shelling out some major cash, but I don't want to feel like I'm wearing glued together cardboard or pay $800 for something that will fall apart in a few years.

So where should I buy them? I'm looking for well-made suits in the $500-$800 range. I've visited a bunch of stores that carry such suits (Brooks Brothers, Jos A. Bank, Nordstrom, Dillard's, etc.) but I'd like input on which store has the highest quality suits in this price range.

I'm particularly interested in your opinions of Brooks Brothers vis-a-vis Jos A. Bank. From what I could tell (and I'm no suit expert), the nicer Jos A. Bank suits seemed to be of the same quality as the Brooks Brothers suits but far, far cheaper.

If you feel you need more info about the new job to recommend suits, I'm transitioning from private practice legal to government legal.

What brand(s) of suits does Agent Scully wear in the X-Files TV shows and movies?

Jacqueline — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:49:11 -0800

What brand(s) of suits does Agent Scully wear in the X-Files TV shows and movies? My Google-fu has failed me. Thanks.

A suit a day....

greytape — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:32:50 -0800

Do suits wear out quicker if you wear them on alternate weeks rather than alternate days? My brother says that his tailor told him you should let your suit rest every other day or it will wear out faster. This sounds like the very purest nonsense to me but, hey, the man's a tailor, he should know what he's talking about.
Any thoughts?

Will not covering up this tattoo negatively impact me at my upcoming job interview?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:17:45 -0800

I have a job interview on Wednesday for a very interesting non-profit organization involved with animal research (for good purposes). All of my suits are skirt/jacket combos. I'm very short...too short for pant suits, and no time for alterations. The skirt suits wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have a huge tattoo on my leg. In my former career in creative arts, tattoos were acceptable and even commonplace. I'm not sure if this is a big deal with the new field. Nylons look silly over the work, and tights make me look like a little girl. Plus, it's very hot out. Is showing the tattoo something I should worry about? Do you think it will be viewed negatively? Any suggestions to help make me look more professional? FYI, the work covers my shin/ankle/foot and is water, leaves and flowers. This is in California.

Where to buy a suit that's comfortable when it's warm, in London or San Francisco?

adrianhon — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:13:01 -0800

Where to buy a suit that's comfortable when it's warm, in London or San Francisco? I'm looking to spend up to £400 (that's $800) on a suit that I can wear in summer for business occasions; I already have a good dark wool suit, but it's basically unbearable to wear when it's warm. What sort of fabric should I be looking for?

I'm based in London, but I'll be travelling to San Francisco in July, so I'm also wondering if I should take advantage of the strong pound... but I have no idea where to go in SF.

(BTW, I have seen the old thread where everyone recommended M&S - would people still repeat that recommendation, given the recent drop in quality in stuff like socks and underwear?)

off the rack, or tailor made

TigerCrane — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:02:30 -0800

Which is better, a Hong Kong tailor made suit, or a high-end off the rack suit? My friend has access to a wholesaler that sells really fine suits for deep discounts. He can get a thousand dollar name brand suit for 2-500. He could also go to a Hong-Kong tailor and get a custom suit for around $150.

Which will be the better suit.?

Why isn't there a petite sophisticate for men?

woolylambkin — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:32:38 -0800

Suit filter: I'm looking to buy my first suit but I'm having trouble finding anything off the rack. Can anyone point me to somewhere that has 34R jackets and 28x30 trousers on their store floors in Tucson or Phoenix area? I'm not looking for anything too fancy just: Grey or Charcoal pinstripe, 3 button notch, single vented, fully canvassed, 100's wool. My price range is ~$500-$600. I'm 5'7" and weigh 110lbs on a good day. I usually wear a 34R jacket and 28x30 trousers.

So far I've tried places like Nordstrom, Dillard's, Macy's, Men's Warehouse, Banana Republic, etc. but they never seem to have anything smaller than a 36R. I'm not above shopping in the kids' section but I find that most of the stuff there is not up to the quality standard I'm looking for (most of the kid stuff is polyester, yuck). I'm also not above shopping used if you have any good places like that in mind.

My last plan of action will be a mail order MTM suit so if anyone has had any experiences with places like Nicholas-Joseph or Thick as Thieves I'd be more than happy to hear about them. I'd prefer to see a suit on myself before buying but I guess I could trust a tailor without doing a proper fitting if other mefites have had success with it.

I guess I should probably also ask, but what can my local tailor do? Would they be able to alter a 36 jacket down to a 34? Would they be able to make a suit from scratch? Would either of those break the bank on my budget? And of course does anyone have any recommendations for tailors in Tucson or Phoenix?

How to tell if a suit is good

Autarky — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:59:27 -0800

How can you tell if a suit is good quality What are the easiest ways to see if a suit is well-made?

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

ZaphodB — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:09:16 -0800

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.

Lady Looks Like a Dude

Liosliath — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:01:01 -0800

Help me find a particular type of women's suit... I'm looking for this type of women's suit - men's styling, but tailored for a woman. Having a vest is important, and the blazer should be fairly traditional, too.

I've Googled like crazy, but I end up with stuff that looks like a bad JCPenney item from 1986, or it's nice, but doesn't have the vest/jacket combo.

It doesn't matter if it's with a skirt or pants - but I'm tall, so I'd have to be able to let the pants out.

Find me a great suit jacket, quick!

logovisual — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:12:54 -0800

I'm tall (6'4"), I'm skinny (195lbs), and I need a black suit jacket before the end of the day today (I have the pants, but I'll buy new ones if need be). Obviously the time constraint eliminates any kind of custom garment. Basically, I need to know what stores I should be looking at in New York City -- I like a closer, more European fit, and I don't want to break the bank. First stop is H&M, but I'm not optimistic about what I'll find there. Other suggestions?

Why are suits so baggy?

BigPicnic — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:31:27 -0800

Where can I find a thin-fitting suit? I'm about 5 10" and 140 lbs; I find it's impossible to find suits that fit. I am completely swamped in American suits. The ones I find in stores (which rarely even have size 38', let alone smaller) tend to have enormous shoulders and super baggy pants.

I understand European suits have a much better cut, but I have no idea where to buy them without going to Europe.

This thread was helpful, but I need similar advice for suits specifically because I'll have to wear them exclusively at my new job.

Thanks

Nice, but not expensive, suits in NYC

blueskiesinside — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:26:55 -0800

My fiance needs a nice black summerweight pinstripe suit for our wedding. Where can we find one in NYC without breaking the bank? Luckily, off the rack suits look good on him and he has a 33" waist and 32" inseam. He'd like to have the suit altered to fit better after he buys it, so places that either do their own alterations or can send us to a good, cheap tailor are preferred. Also, he's going to need a light purple dress shirt and tie, so anywhere that has a wide range of colored dress shirts would be great. I'm looking for something nicer than the Macy's sale section and our budget is $600-$700, but preferably under that. We're not interested in traveling tailors, so recommendations for stores in NYC is really what we're looking for.

Help me buy a work wardrobe for my new job in Germany.

barelylegalrealist — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:24:56 -0800

I'll be starting a new job in Germany soon. Conservative dress (read: a suit) is expected. AskMe Germans, expats, and/or fashion mavens, please help me figure out what I can buy online or in the USA that won't look too out of place in Deutschland. Danke! Even in settings where international standard business attire is the dress code, I've noticed that work wardrobes can vary greatly from country to country. Suits are cut differently, colors have different meanings, shoes look different....you get the idea.

I'm leaving for Germany soon. I need to shop for a work wardrobe before I get there. I won't be able to go shopping until at least a few weeks after I arrive, and I need appropriate clothes to wear immediately.

If you've ever worked in a German office, or if you've spent time in Germany and have seen people wearing suits, or if you've never been to Germany but happen to know about international differences in dress, please help me figure out what I should be looking for. (Note: I'm female.) Do women wear pantsuits? What colors and patterns are common? How long are skirts? Shells or shirts? Flats, low heels, or high heels? Googling hasn't yielded much for me, but if there's info out there that I haven't found, links would be appreciated too.

Some specifics:
* I don't want to spend loads of money, as I'm not likely to be wearing these clothes years into the future.
* I like to be as comfortable as possible. I don't have any other major constraints--I don't need a hard-to-find size, I don't have a deep hatred of or affinity for any particular color, etc.

Thank you.

Where to get a business wardrobe?

phaedrus441 — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 05:24:14 -0800

Where can I load up on *cool* business clothes? I am moving overseas for a year and need to be wear suits to work EVERY DAY. Right now I have one suit (charcoal color), and probably two dress shirts and ties that I am not embrassed to wear (as well as one pair of nice Kenneth Cole shoes to wear).

My company says that three suits is the minimum (I'll be in Japan and perhaps I could just buy more there-- drop a line if you know much about that). They also said that it's best to have shirts/ties to last two weeks.

Where should I go to load up? Money, of course, matters, but I want quality, too. I thought about Jos A Banks or something like that and I think I could get everything I need there, but it'll be too expensive (plus I'm a 24 year-old and want to be fashionable, unlike the middle-aged golfers that all work at my office).

Also, bonus points for the shirts that don't need ironing ;)

Where should I go? Should I just buy some cheaper suits someplace that I could replace if they wear out? Should I spend more and get better quality/style? How many should I buy now vs. waiting?

Since it's Tokyo, it'll be hot in the summer, but not *too* cold (not much snow) in the winter.

My time frame is...Now. I leave in early May and want to get this nailed down.

Thanks!

Bespoke suits in Eastern Europe?

Marquis — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:58:09 -0800

Bespoke suits in Eastern Europe? I'm in Krakow, Poland for the next little while and am interested in buying a new, tailored suit at a good price. Whenever people talk about cheap bespoke stuff online, both Asia and "Eastern Europe" come up, but I can't actually find any recommendations for where in this part of the world to go. Are there any recommended Polish tailors (maybe who understand some English)? Or even outside Poland, so long as it's not too far? Google's not being any help at all.

Thanks so much!

Who will buy my suit?

Drexen — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:13:17 -0800

I live in London. Where should I sell my suits? I recently inherited about 20 suits from my step-dad, and for the past few months they've been hanging in a cupboard while I figure out what to do with them. I've picked out about half a dozen I want to keep, and I'd like to get rid of the rest.

My step-dad was really into his suits. Some were made especially for him on Savile Row, some are tailored, and some are just by good labels. They mostly date from the mid-seventies, but there are no unfortunate zoot suits or similar - just typical plain or pinstriped business fare. I know some of them cost in the hundreds of pounds when they were bought. Some of them could do with cleaning, some with pressing.

So, do I have any chance of getting a decent price for them, and if so, where? Do I try my luck on e-bay, or are there any shops or traders who'll buy them from me? I live in East London and I have no car, so it's kind of difficult for me to transport them, but I'm willing to find a way to lug them about if it'll help me sell them.

Buying a suit in London

Ira.metafilter — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:58:49 -0800

Can you recommend any good places to buy a suit in London for work/interviews? I'm pretty clueless about this, so any advice/suggestions very much welcome. Hoping to spend no more than £200-250. I know Marks&Spencer, Zara and Next do suits for men, but that's about all I know. And if it matters, I'm 24. Thanks!