Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with suit

Help a 22 year old guy buy a suit.

chris p — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:35:22 -0800

What should I be looking for when buying a men's suit? I'm a 22 year old guy. Right now I have a cheap-ish polyester suit. I'd like to buy a nice new one. I don't really know what I should be looking for. This will be my primary suit, so it should be flexible. My strategy is usually just to go to a store that I know sells suits and just grab what might look good. This can be overwhelming, as I don't know what to look for. I'll probably bring a female friend along to help me once I've narrowed it down, but I need a starting point.

So, I know there are choices in material, style, and color. What are they? What other things should I be considering. Are there differences in stitching? Do I need to have it tailored?

Any help on where to buy would be helpful too. I'm going to be in the Northwest Indiana and Chicago areas for the next couple of weeks. I'm fine buying online too if that is a good option.

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!

What color tie with a Dark Plum Suit?

NYScott — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:40:51 -0800

My brown suit looks more like a dark plum color; need suggestions for shirt & tie colors... I bought the suit several years ago for $75 on Overstock.com, put it in a closet, and forgot about it until recently. The labels and tags say it's brown, but it looks like a dark plum color. I didn't realize that until after having it altered & dry cleaned, and saw it in sunlight this afternoon. It's still a nice suit, and I do like the color, but when I took it outside & tried to match a tie to it, I came up empty.

SOOO, I'm looking for tie suggestions (colors, patterns). A white shirt can always be worn with any color suit, but I'm open to shirt-color suggestions, too.

The suit looks like this one (mine is also a CK, but I don't think this is the exact same one).

Thanks!
.

Determining suit size and measurements.

Unsomnambulist — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:40:20 -0800

Is there a down and dirty way to determine my suit measurements without going to see a tailor or using anything other than a normal tape measure? I'm selling my soul to Central Casting (film and TV extras casting) to help pay some bills through this unemployment lull. In addition to an ID, I9, and other documents, they want measurements for a suit. Any suggestions on how a bachelor can get these numbers (or roughly the right numbers) in the comfort of his own home?

Looking for a stylish, slimfit suit

cascando — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:26:18 -0800

I am in Vancouver. I can never find suits that fit me. I am around five ten and very slim. Most suits, even at their smallest size, fit me like a refrigerator box. I am looking for something in slim fit suits, kind of like the brand Tiger of Sweden (seemingly unavailable via the internet purchasing route). Does anyone know of any brands I should look into? Price range around 750 max. Should I look into getting one made? Any advice is appreciated, after years of looking I still don't own a suit I am happy with. Thank you for any advice you have.

Replace my pants

Jaltcoh — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:54:49 -0800

The pants for my suit (men's) have been ruined, and I'm trying to replace them. How should I go about doing this, preferably online? This is a Hugo Boss, navy-blue, wool suit. I've been wearing it at least once a week for the past year, and there's a major tear in the side of the pants in addition to the fabric being thinned out. (I showed it a tailor, who told me it couldn't be salvaged. In addition to the tear, he said I've just worn them too much.)

I'd prefer to buy these online, but I don't know if that's possible.

I bought the suit at a brick-and-mortar Macy's. They sell either the same or a very similar suit online, but I can't see a way to buy just the pants.

I found this discussion that makes it sound hopeless to try to replace a suit's pants, since the jacket will be more faded/worn than the pants. Well, I don't know about that -- I've rarely dry-cleaned the jacket.

I've searched Amazon, MensWearhouse, and Bluefly but haven't found anything (though it's possible I'm missing something). The Hugo Boss website apparently doesn't include an online store. I should add that I'm in the US.

Any ideas?

Suit Double Duty

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:35:41 -0800

GroomFilter: I'm getting married soon (the groom), and I need two different outfits for the wedding: one for the day and one for the night's dinner. Can I use the same suit for both outfits? In general I never have to wear suits in my daily life (I wear jeans to the office), so I'm not really sure I'd want to spend money on getting two different suits. Instead I've been wondering if its possible for me to use the same jacket and pants for both outfits, but differentiate them in other ways. For example in the day I might wear a white dress shirt with a pleated front and a black bow tie (almost a tux), and at night I'd do a waistcoat and a cravat. The suit will be black.

Will this be pretty much okay, or will it be immediately obvious to everybody that I recycled the suit and am commiting some huge faux pas?

Note that I'm in Asia where Western dress codes and etiquette are less strictly observed (i.e. "formal" usually means tie and a jacket). I guess its okay if some people notice, but not if everyone goes "hey all he did was change his shirt and tie!"

Additional notes: As is customary in my culture, the bride wears her wedding gown during the day's events (solemnization, traditional ceremonies, etc.). A big dinner will be thrown at night and she will first show up in her wedding gown before changing into an evening gown a little into the dinner. I basically need to match her two gowns with outfits of my own. I'm also considering renting a tux, but reusing the suit just seems so much more clever (or potentially stupid).

And yeah I'm aware that usually nobody looks at the groom anyway.

suit or no suit?

zennoshinjou — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:04:18 -0800

Should I wear a suit to an interview when the dress code is casual? I have an interview Monday with a clothing company and the dress code is casual and sounds relatively liberal. The position I am interviewing for is relatively senior (reports to the person beneath the CIO). I feel like wearing a suit is appropriate for the position but perhaps out of touch with the culture of the organization. I don't want to seem tone deaf. Suggestions?

Being sued in LA, live in MS

anansi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:41:15 -0800

YANML, but . . . I received a summons today for Los Angeles. I live in Mississippi. What do I do? OK, here's the deal. As a chronically broke grad student, I became unemployed the year before last and was unable to pay off a credit card to the tune of about $1300.00. They canceled my account and sent it to collections. During this time I was living in LA. I have recently moved to Mississippi. I received a piece of forwarded mail today from a law office. It contained a summons for LA Superior court for the debt that I owe the credit card company. The summons was remarkably void of information concerning who to contact and what to do, other than to get various forms from the courthouse to respond to the summons and the phone number for the law office that is suing me. I will be contacting the LA Superior Court this week, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this for me? In particular, Does the LA court have jurisdiction over me? I don't have money for a lawyer, are there any orgs that might be able to help me out with this?

Poor student doesn't want to buy new suits for his new job

demagogue — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:09:29 -0800

Men's suit-filter: Went to the tailor to get a couple of my suit jackets looked at. They told me that it wasn't that the shoulder was too tight (which I'd thought was the problem), but it was that the there wasn't enough room in the sleeve, in the area around my triceps. And upon opening up the inside of the sleeve, the tailor pronounced that there wasn't enough fabric to make the sleeve significantly bigger. Is there any way around this? Thanks MeFites!

Would an household all-purpose cleaner ruin a suit?

gttommy — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:38:40 -0800

Would an household all-purpose cleaner ruin a suit? To my dismay someone tried to remove some stains from my suit using an all-purpose cleaner (for bathroom, sinks, kitchen, etc), and claimed that it worked on his own clothing without any damage.

My common sense tells me that the liquid would be too harsh on clothing and may be bad for it in the medium-long term.

What are your thoughts? Is it possible to repair any damage that was caused?

The suit is shiny blue made from wool and appears to look like it is in very good condition.

Looking for reasons to suit up in San Francisco

razorfrog — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:59:00 -0800

Suit up! 20 year old guy looking for inexpensive formal locations/events in the San Francisco Bay Area. I recently acquired a three-piece suit for various reasons (weddings, interviews, looking awesome, etc), and I'm looking for excuses to wear it in the SF Bay Area and have a good time. Any ideas for special events, locations, reasons in general to suit up?

I'm single, but could likely find an equally-formally-attired lady to drag along with me if need be. Ideas at the moment consist of ever-pricey musicals, the symphony, or the ballet. Of course formal events tend to be expensive, but ideally something that didn't cost an arm and a leg to get into would be great. Oh, and did I mention I'm not 21 for a few months? That complicates things usually.

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.

Men's suit in Chicago

echo target — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:33:30 -0800

Looking for a men's suit in Chicago. I have an idea what I want, but I don't know where to look. Any pointers are appreciated. I haven't found quite what I'm hoping for at my local Men's Wearhouse, so I'm going to Chicago this weekend to look. I'd like to get a dark gray or charcoal two-button with flat-front pants. Peaked lapels would be kind of cool, but I won't insist on them. I'm afraid that pinstripes look a bit pretentious on a guy my age (late 20s), so I'd prefer a solid color. I'm tall & skinny and need a 36L, heavy on the L.

I'm hoping to spend $300-400 for an off-the-rack suit. If it's going to cost much more than that, I figure I could get a made-to-measure from Thick As Thieves (recommended elsewhere in MeFi) for the same money.

Have any favorite suit stores? Or anything else you think I should know?

Recommend a very experienced tailor in Boston/Cambridge area to make my suite look awesome on me.

seanmhobson1988 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:25:48 -0800

So I just bought this suit from MACY's. I already have a tie and pocket square in mind to match, and I want to meet with someone who can take my measurements and make the suite bring out my best features. I'd also like to have them suggest the size French cuff shirt I should wear as well. Preferably this person would have tons of experience and would not be too pricey. I'm thinking this should be under $60, as this is an off the rack suit and only slight alterations are being made.

Thanks for any help

Is it possible to make a solar-powered air-conditioned dark suit?

Sully — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:36:27 -0800

So I'm going to a wedding in August out by some lake, and I got to thinking how I'm going to be wearing this dark suit, under the sun, for hours. Now, I know there's such a thing as a drinks cooler that's solar-powered - do you think it would be possible to cover a dark suit in solar panels such that you could rig some kind of air-conditioning unit underneath? Enough to counteract having to wear a dark suit under an August sun? I recognize that this question is kinda theoretical (and vaguely silly) but I was wondering if the more tech-minded of you all might be able to provide some idea how something like this might be possible. Thanks in advance!

Best choice for a suit?

semp — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:12:06 -0800

Best choice for a suit? I'm a female that will be starting my sophmore year of college this summer. I had been using an older, well-maintained suit that I found at a thrift store in the past, but recently I was selected for a student position that has me freqently interviewing, doing group presentations for large companies, and attending networking dinners. I'm on a college student's budget, so the best choice for me would be one that can be used and changed up to fit any of my needs. I am also the only female in the group of 12 doing this, and so I have already been getting a lot of (positive) attention from the companies that have been visiting. I would like to find something that doesn't make me stand out, but still sets me apart (maybe a different color or style?), so I can continue making these valuable contacts.

The problem is, I have never done anything like this, and it seems that I every site recommends a different style or color. Which would be the best? Skirt or pantsuit? Black or some other color? Where would I look to find one? What is best worn underneath? With or without hosiery? What is the best type of heel/flat? Is there a Men's Warehouse for women? I'm pretty much starting with no knowledge whatsoever here, so any help would be great. Thanks!

Suit Overkill

Big Fat Tycoon — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:17:26 -0800

Can I wear a tuxedo shirt with a normal suit jacket? I'm attending a reception being thrown for me in another city, a little while after my actual wedding ceremony. I have a black suit with subtle white pinstripes (from a distance the suit looks black) that I wanted to wear instead of buying a whole new suit, so I bought a black and white tie that looks fairly formal. All I needed now was a different shirt.

I wanted to get a new white shirt to go with it, like a normal office-style shirt but maybe of slightly better material, but ended up picking up a tuxedo shirt (with the vertical pleats) and cufflinks, based on the saleswoman telling me that some people wore tuxedo shirts with normal suit jackets if they wanted to have a get-up that wasn't fully formal, but now I'm wondering if anyone actually does this. I've tried to find some reference on the web to wearing tuxedo shirts with a typical suit jacket but haven't really found much. What's the dapper man's take on this? Am I going to look like a clown with this mix of clothes?

I still have the option to return everything, so I'm not too worried but it'd be nice to have more of a clue about this.

Dyke seeks suit.

Anonymous — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:34:30 -0800

Lesbian seeks men's (or men's-like) suit in Montréal ASAP. Other non-location-specific genderqueer shopping advice appreciated. I need a suit by the weekend and am a terrible shopper. Where can I get something that will fit nicely and not make me look like a kid playing dressup in her father's closet? Can I get something tailored that fast? What (preferably) Canadian retailers are good for androgynous but sexy women?

(Anon because I'm pretty out, but not entirely out.)

Make me a REAL jester!

fearnothing — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:19:33 -0800

UKCostumeFilter: I want a jester suit. I have the most marvellous jester hat, but no suit. Where can I get one in the UK? I've already done a good few google searches and come up with plenty of red and black deals, but those are definitely not my style. I need something brighter. Red, yellow and green would be ideal.

This pattern would be perfect if it wasn't for a woman, and this one would be acceptable if I could find it anywhere in the UK. I'd rather not have to ship from the states.

Help!

He can't go to work naked...

Meg_Murry — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:15:19 -0800

Can anyone recommend a tailor in Pittsburgh, preferably not downtown? My SO has a suit in need of some tailoring (he bought it at a discount place without an on-site tailor). We're living in Bloomfield and he works in Oakland, so the closer to home or work the better. We do have a car, but not a lot of free time, so a short drive would be fine. Thanks!

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.

Running out of time to buy a suit.

SpringAquifer — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:55:26 -0800

LA/ClothingFilter: So I need a suit, which is a concern that has been discussed to death in previous threads. But the catch is that I need to be fitted by tomorrow afternoon (Sunday), and I need to pick it up by Monday at noon in Los Angeles. The situation: I'm flying into LAX tomorrow afternoon, and I'm flying out of LAX Monday afternoon, and I need to buy a suit sometime in that window. If I buy one now, I want something nice. I'm also short and skinny (5'5" or so and a 32-inch waist, so I'd be looking at a 36S or 38S), so good sizes can be hard to come by -- the rest of my cheap suits are far too big, far too small, far too long, etc.

But I'm willing to forgo sales and just stop at the Nordstrom at the South Bay Galleria tomorrow. I called the La Brea location today, and they said that fitting and tailoring are doable in my short window of time, and I assume it'd be the same at South Bay.

Does anyone have any better ideas for getting a good suit on such short notice in the LA area, however?

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?