Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clothing and suit

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?

Help us find this suit!

a.steele — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:15:05 -0800

Men's Suit Filter: Please help us remember the brand of a suit we saw at K&G! This just happened yesterday while my boyfriend and I were looking for his halloween costume, and we've already forgotten! Details: we're 90% sure it starts with a Z. I seem to remember a double-L but it could possibly be a different double letter. 3 or 4 syllables. Vaguely Italian?

The suit was a 4-button royal blue with subtle stripes, and a slight sheen. It was inexpensive ($80, retailed for around $100-$120?). Not sure if K&G is regional, but it's a discount suit store like Burlingtons. I'm assuming that the fact it's not high quality is why we're not having luck with the Google.

If we have to, we'll go back and look at the label but it's out of our way and they didn't have his size. Hoping the hive can help. Thanks!

Will I turn my fancy suit into a clown suit?

abkadefgee — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:01:13 -0800

I'd like to buy a new suit. I'd also like to lose a lot of weight. Will the suit still look alright if I lose 60 lbs and have it altered, or should I just wait until I lose the weight? I recently started a new job and have some extra money to spend on some upgraded clothing. The suit isn't a requirement of my job, but I'd like to look extra sharp now that I can afford a suit that fits properly.

On the other hand, I'd also like to lose a fair amount of weight. I'm currently about 5'9" and 220 and I'd like to gradually get down to about 160. Obviously, if I lose that much weight, my current suit will no longer fit.

So, if I have a suit altered to fit me after losing 60 lbs, will it still look decent? Would a jacket/blazer/sport coat be easier to alter than the slacks? Or will I look like a mess either way?

If the answer is yes to the latter question, I'll keep my suit money in the bank.

Suitable for the workplace?

Ratio — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:43:30 -0800

Should I wear a suit to work every day? I'm a 40 year old male. I work as a designer for a large software company. The dress code here is very casual and I already dress more formally than most of my co-workers -- they're usually in jeans and t-shirts; I usually wear dress slacks and a dress shirt. The thing is, I want to upgrade to wearing a suit (w/o tie) every day. Is that weird? I love the way I look and feel in a suit, and I already have a reputation as a bit of an eccentric aesthete around the office. But I am well liked and don't want to start coming off as superior or pretentious. I just love to wear suits.

Where to get custom made suit in Bay Area?

Nickel — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:47:43 -0800

Recommend a tailor in the Bay Area to create a custom made suit. I am a 25 year old female about to finish grad school and enter The Real World. I would like to have one good quality power suit for interviews but department store shopping is frustrating and fruitless. I can't find anything that flatters my body type, is a complementary color, and is good quality. I've decided to scrimp and save and use my tax refund to buy a custom made suit that I can use for years. So...where do I go?

Can you recommend any tailors in the Bay Area (Oakland/Berkeley preferred, but I'm willing to travel for quality) with experience in female business suits?

Best New York tailors for alterations?

detune — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:26:09 -0800

Best New York tailors for alterations? I've looked through the (many) previous AskMes on tailors in NY, but most of those posts are a bit old or are not specifically asking about a tailor for alterations. What I'd like to do: have two off-the-rack suits tailored to fit me better, and have 3-5 shirts tailored to cut down the sleeve length and, if possible, cut the back so that it doesn't balloon out so much. What are my options? And, just so I can know roughly what to expect, about how much should I expect to pay?

Thanks, all!

Where to buy a suit that's comfortable when it's warm, in Vancouver?

tiamat — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:05:57 -0800

I'm looking for a nice summer suit that I can wear for an August wedding (outdoors). I'm currently in Vancouver, B.C. Similar to this question I'm looking for a decent suit I can wear in hot weather without dropping dead.

Something that travels would be good; I'm either going to have to wear it to fly or pack it, and either way I'm not going to be able to press or dry clean up upon arrival.

Cheaper is better, since I don't often need suits in my day to day life, but it absolutely must come in under $800.

Looking for Sayeed's suit

bmosher — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:54:11 -0800

Where can I get the suit that Sayeed from Lost was wearing in the recent episode "The Economist"? I loved the suit that Sayeed is wearing in the first 2:30 minutes of this clip. Any ideas where I could get such a suit?

Double the Fun. Where can I find a double-hemmed suit jacket?

barnone — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:00:11 -0800

Sexy Suits: This weekend I saw a woman wearing a blazer with a double-hem at the bottom, kind of like this one. It wasn't that one though - it was sharper, nicer fabric, not as round, with stronger diagonal line from the hip downwards. I so need one of these jackets! It was grey with a pinstripe. It definitely was not double-breasted. I'm pretty sure it had one button, but perhaps it was two. I'm in the US but the jacket definitely could have come from anywhere -- Europe, South America, Asia, etc., because she was incredibly well-traveled. Is this a needle in a haystack situation? Am I stuck trying to get one made for me? What are the other sexy, slightly cool details on blazers or suit jackets? This was a little detail that was noticeable but not screaming 'fashion victim' and was slimming, well cut and it looked sharp. Please help me with my ongoing attire search!

Morning dress - where to buy/rent for a Miami wedding?

Kevin A — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:08:33 -0800

I'd like me and my groomsmen to be clad in morning attire when I get married in Miami a year or so hence. Morning dress is relatively rare in the US, and I was wondering if anyone who has had experience putting together this look for a wedding can recommend any good outfitters. We're probably going to buy for the groom and rent for the groomsmen. Any suggestions? There is plenty of lead time so I would be open to ordering from a non-Miami location. Any other advice on pulling off morning attire greatly appreciated!

I need a big suit, fast...

wibbler — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 09:13:27 -0800

I need a suit quickly by mail order in the UK. I'm a large man. Help! My size is 46" trousers and 48" chest, I'm 6'4", and I need a suit preferably in black-stripe. Does anyone know anywhere to get one? The sub question may well be - where on earth do you get suits and trousers of that size in the UK without paying a fortune? Nearly all mainstream retailers don't go above 42" waist...

Suit retailer in Boston?

bobot — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:43:37 -0800

AskBostonFilter: I want to get a new suit, a shirt or two, and some ties. I want to spend anywhere between $500 and $1000 on this, and would much rather end up on the lower end of the spectrum. That said, I understand that this is an investment worth spending a little money on. If I were a rich man, I'd be getting measured for my bespoke, but as I'm not, where should I go? I already have a Banana Republic tan linen suit I wear quite a bit for summer weddings, but I need the necessary companion grey/black suit for the rest of the year and more formal/solemn occasions.

(Suggestions for online retailers not really welcome- I don't believe you can buy nice clothing without touching)

Where can I buy a good suit in the Twin Cities?

the_W — Sat, 14 May 2005 08:19:19 -0800

After getting by without needing a suit all through college, I'm finding that that dog won't hunt in the real world. And my suits from high school all don't fit. Where can a person buy a good suit, as inexpensively as possible, in the Twin Cities? Are there any secret discount stores I can go to? I know about Mens Wearhouse but that's about it. I walked in there and was shocked to find how expensive they are, and I was baffled by how many choices I had. Which brings me to my second question: what's a normal price range for a good suit, and what should I look for in one?