Help a 22 year old guy buy a suit.
December 29, 2009 11:35 AM   Subscribe

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.
posted by chris p to Shopping (27 answers total) 36 users marked this as a favorite
 
A two button, charcoal (or navy) suit is a good choice for versatility.
posted by maishuno at 12:03 PM on December 29, 2009


Best answer: Buying online is not a good option, since you should have the suit tailored. Go to a decent suit store (e.g. Men's Wearhouse or Brooks Brothers in Chicago) and ask an employee to help you. Tell them you're looking for a charcoal (dark grey) or navy (dark blue, almost black) suit. Definitely avoid actual black or anything flashy for your first suit.

Subtle pinstripes are OK, but a solid color is more versatile and safe.

If -- and only if -- the pants are pleated, they should have cuffs. (The tailor can decide whether there are cuffs or not, but you're stuck with pleated or non-pleated based on how they were manufactured.) The standard advice on Metafilter is that non-pleated is better. I try to follow this advice, but if I find a suit that's perfect in every other way I'll just live with the pleats.

Beyond that, the employees will be happy to help with everything about buying a suit. They'll point you to the right size, tailor it so it'll fit right, etc. When in doubt, defer to them.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:03 PM on December 29, 2009


Another thing ... I regretted getting expensive suits for my first couple suits. Remember that suits wear out, especially from repeated dry cleaning (which will be necessary). You'll need to get new ones eventually if you wear them even semi-regularly.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:05 PM on December 29, 2009


Best answer: These are some basic basics:

Don't buy online; always try on the suit before you purchase it. Don't buy suit separates - the suit should include both the jacket and the pants together in one package.

The suit must be made of wool. Wool looks fantastic, and won't leave you looking badly wrinkled after wearing it all day.

If it's your primary suit, most people will recommend black, although I think you could go with a darker gray or a black suit with very subtle pinstripes. Stay away from khaki suits and brown suits for now, or herringbone. I don't like blue suits, but they might work for you in your region.

There should be two buttons on the jacket, not three, not double-breasted.

The pants will have to be tailored, meaning that you will have to have them hemmed to the proper length (don't do cuffs). However, you shouldn't buy a suit where you have to tailor the jacket, and preferably not the waist of the pants if you can help it.

Try any department store - Macy's, Nordstrom, etc. Don't buy a suit from someplace like Banana Republic.

What's your budget?

(On preview, I don't think it makes a difference on the occasion you plan on using it, per se - generally, a good suit is universally good for all occasions where you need to wear a suit.)
posted by jabberjaw at 12:06 PM on December 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Regarding stoneweaver's queries, I think we can take certain things for granted and the OP will correct us if necessary: If this is a 22-year-old's "primary suit," then it's going to be serving for job interviews, weddings, funerals, and fancy nights out, though frankly few of the 22-year-olds I've ever known have gone on any dates in a suit that weren't something along the lines of an anniversary dinner. It'll be for all seasons; and I think we can probably assume that he won't need to wear it to work.

The safe default is a charcoal or navy two-button suit; I'd recommend double or single-vented, because it'll make the suit look better when you're sitting down, and I say that as a guy with two similar suits, one of which is unvented.

The good news is that your needs are very standard - walk into a Men's Wearhouse, explain what you need, and they'll happily guide you to a good result. I'm assuming you're looking for a Standard Hey I'm An Adult Now And Need a Suit option, and that's one of the primary suit-buying circumstances any menswear store will be used to.

Don't buy online, and consider tailoring mandatory.

Oh, and while you're at it, make sure you have ties that go well with whatever color you end up buying, assuming a white shirt. You may already have all the ties you need, just something to think about when you're dealing with all this.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:12 PM on December 29, 2009


Best answer: I would suggest for your first (real) suit that you'll probably want an all-purpose, middle-of-the-road, go-everywhere, do-everything type suit. Here are my suggestions:

Material: Worsted wool. Avoid blends. Save the linen and silk for a later suit.

Color: Solid, charcoal gray. It should be dark enough for nighttime, but not too dark for daytime. I would save black for your second or third suit, since it can be a little severe for daytime (thus limiting its all-purpose-ness). Also, save the pinstripes and checks for a later suit.

Lapels: Notched, not peaked. See Wikipedia for a description. As for size, this is a matter of taste, but I would aim for something medium. You can compare among the various suits in the store. Small lapels are kind of 60s mod, large lapels are more 40s and 50s.

Opening: The opening is the V-shaped space where your tie goes. Again, I would suggest going medium here, but you do want to play to your body shape. If you're big and tall, I recommend going for a bigger opening; small and short, smaller opening.

Buttons: Two vs. three? I think two might be more standard, but I personally don't see anything wrong with three. More than three? No thank you. Also, avoid double-breasted.

Pants: I would recommend avoiding pleats unless you're on the husky side. I don't have an opinion on cuffed vs. uncuffed.

Also, when you go to the store, make sure to wear some nice shoes (i.e.: not sneakers). You'll need the shoes so that they can properly measure out the pants. You should also wear a long-sleeved, collared, button-up shirt (e.g.: like a dress shirt) so you can make sure the jacket looks right with a proper shirt (e.g.: jacket sleeves shows off some cuff). Some stores will have dress shirts you can use if you're not already wearing one.
posted by mhum at 12:22 PM on December 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Notched lapels on that single breasted jacket unless you want to make more of a statement.
posted by cazoo at 12:24 PM on December 29, 2009


Seconding everything everyone else has said regarding color and style and alterations.

If you're in the Chicago area, check out Suits 20/20 in Niles. Brand names, deepdeep discounts, knowledgeable and friendly staff, tailor on premises, plenty of shirts and ties and etc., to go with.

Well worth the trip.
posted by Work to Live at 12:26 PM on December 29, 2009


Go to a place that specializes in suits. Talk to the sales guy, he'll be able to answer your questions and direct you in the right direction.

I've personally found that Men's Warehouse is a great combination of price, quality, and excellent customer service, but your mileage may, of course, vary.

And, the most important thing is fit, so, yes, you have to have it tailored.

Finally, in case you aren't aware, the rule on which buttons (on a three-button) to keep buttoned is, from the top button, sometimes, always, never.
posted by General Malaise at 12:33 PM on December 29, 2009


Talk to the sales guy

Note: you can't assume this person will be male.

As for the buttons, my understanding is that either 2 or 3 is fine. 3 is more conservative, 2 is more stylish.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:45 PM on December 29, 2009


Best answer: I am going to agree with majority of the advice in here, with some exceptions (where I will strongly disagree):

Do not buy a black suit. For your first suit, go with a dark charcoal or a navy. Pinstripes are fine, as long as they are subtle and you like them.

DO NOT buy from Men's Wearhouse. They are on the absolute bottom of the ladder as far as men's suiting goes, mostly because as a rule they do not hire anyone who has the foggiest idea about the finer points of looking good in a suit. Instead, go to Brooks Brothers, or if you want to go cheaper, Jos. A Bank is a great middle ground.

Absolutely buy wool. Maybe a cashmere blend. Maybe.

Notched lapels only. Save the peaks for formal wear.

Buy a good pair of shoes. Look into Allen Edmonds... they can be found for a great price with some minor searching. Or, for an easier and cheaper option, go to a Johnston & Murphy retailer.

In regards to pleats/cuffs: do what you are most comfortable with. Personally, as a slim man, I wear uncuffed flat front trousers.

Consider suspenders or side adjusters, and get pants with no belt loops. It just makes things look nice and clean.

As far as tailoring and wearing a suit well, there a few things to keep in mind:

Make sure the break on the trousers is to your liking. First time suit buyers have a tendency to want more length and break in their trousers than is necessary or nice looking. With no cuff, a good rule is to tailor with basically no break.

Be absolutely certain to show some cuff under your jacket sleeves. This is maybe the most important thing of all.

Take the time to learn how to tie a good knot, and try to have a little dimple in your tie.

Pocket squares, kept to a tasteful minimum, are nearly essential.

Socks should basically match the trousers, in color or tone.

Last, but not least, take time in selecting a shirt that fits you well and is comfortable to you. I prefer a spread collar, french cuff white herringbone shirt, though french cuffs are not always appropriate.

A really good way to get a jump start on all of this: Take a trip to the Ask Andy About Clothes forum and either register or just poke around. There is a massive amount of advice for people with questions exactly like yours, and the vast majority of those people know what they are talking about. Maybe even look at some of the picture threads there to get an idea of what you like and do not like...
posted by broadway bill at 12:47 PM on December 29, 2009 [6 favorites]


One more forgotten thing here:

Bringing a female friend along may not be the best idea. In my experience, women tend to look for different things in a man's suit than a man does. Advice from a female companion could land you in something that might look great for social situations, but not be very versatile or usable in a business/interview scenario.

Just something to consider.

Also, do not forget that a LOT of the people working in retail do not really know or understand what they are selling. Arm yourself with some basic knowledge before you go into a store, and it will make a world of difference! Plus, men's fashion is really pretty fun once you get into it!!
posted by broadway bill at 12:51 PM on December 29, 2009


I recommend solid navy over charcoal; I think it's a little more elegant. I encourage you to avoid temptation into even subtle stripes or patterns, which I believe reduce versatility.

I agree you must have it tailored, but don't buy something unless the fit is pretty darn good to start with. (If they don't have your size, don't let them sell you a size too large with claims that they can alter it).

Make sure you wear a shirt that fits well with the collar buttoned, and which has long enough sleeves. Have the jacket cuffs altered to show at least a quarter inch of your shirt sleeve.
posted by monstrouspudding at 12:51 PM on December 29, 2009


Pocket squares, kept to a tasteful minimum, are nearly essential.

This particular point I'm not sure I'd agree with - I haven't ever seen a pocket square "in the wild" except on some middle-aged and older men at weddings. (I'm speaking as a mid-20s guy working in the not-especially-formal tech industry, who's in the middle of the usual Everybody Gets Married phase of life, with a 20s/30s social circle that does like a good excuse to dress up.)
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:53 PM on December 29, 2009


Pocket squares, kept to a tasteful minimum, are nearly essential.

This is really not true, especially if you want a suit mainly for interviews (which seems likely since you're 22 and asking Metafilter about how to buy your first good suit in the next couple weeks). I actually have seen a guy in his late 20s pull off the pocket square thing in a normal professional setting, but this is rare and it's basically saying, "Look at me, I have extra panache." That's cool, but you probably aren't at that point yet.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:59 PM on December 29, 2009


Both points above are entirely correct. In an interview, do not wear a pocket square, french cuffs, or anything else "flashy"...

I do wear a white square with a sharp fold (no "poofing" squares!) almost every day, but looking back on things that would have been a mistake in the years before I really figured out my own personal style.

Although, as a 31 year old man, I say that for anything non-business related that calls for a suit, a little extra panache is a good thing!
posted by broadway bill at 1:21 PM on December 29, 2009


Best answer: When you get a suit, you will need a tailor. Most stores will offer tailoring in-store which might even be free.

On size, the jacket MUST fit in the shoulders.

In order to get the right size, try on smaller and smaller jackets until you feel uncomfortably constricted, then go one size up. ( I like to think that you should be just able to swing a baseball bat or punch someone while wearing the jacket).

Also, the jacket must not be too long. If you put your arms at your sides and make fists with both hands, they should be about equal with the length of the jacket. It can be about an inch or so higher or lower if you are very short/tall respectively. If the jacket is perfect in all other aspects, but does not come in other lengths a tailor MIGHT be able to fix it.

In most cases, you are stuck with whatever pants come with the jacket. The tailor will make those fit for you.

Also, if you pick up any old issue of GQ, it will have at least one photo spread of men's suits. They will tell you what to look for in a suit's fit and you can take the pictures to the store to get something as close as possible.
posted by AtomicBee at 1:32 PM on December 29, 2009


Best answer: I'll disagree with jabberjaw here: You *can* buy suit separates that go together, and they'll look just fine if they fit. Just make sure that they're intended to go together - same manufacturer and style. The salespeople will know, if it's not obvious from the tags.

Also, you *will* need to have the suit altered. Department stores will always have tailors in-store for this reason. You'll be correcting for length on the pants and/or the jacket sleeves. You can not tailor your way into making a suit fit if it's too small. The idea is to match on the jacket shoulders, jacket waist, and pants waist before tailoring.

If you can find the guy/gal in the store who has a tape-measure around the neck, ask that person to measure you for suit size. It will be of the form [$number_of_inches][short|regular|long]. Remember this number as you shop - it's the first size you want to try on in a style. It might not fit, but I find that usually it does.

As for color, black and gray go with everything except earth-tones (olive, tan, brown). Don't worry too much about the pattern/style, just make sure that it looks good on you. You can even ask the salespeople for help. Surprisingly, they will usually tell you if a suit doesn't work for you. (After all, they want you to come back to them and buy more suits in the future.) If you don't trust just going with the salespeople, bring an objective observer along with you.

Good luck!
posted by Citrus at 1:57 PM on December 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


How to buy a suit
Suit your shape

GQ is pretty hit-or-miss on realistic fashion advice, but they generally give decent tips for what type of suit to buy and how it should fit.
posted by AtomicBee at 2:24 PM on December 29, 2009


Response by poster: Different suits are appropriate for different situations. Are you working in a conservative field (finance, etc.) or in a more liberal one? Is this suit for business, dates, weddings, funerals or all of the above? Is it for winter or summer?

I'm a journalism student and will be doing local television news for my campus TV station next semester. Most situations don't necessarily require a suit. I'll primarily be a reporter, but I will also anchor sometimes. Also, job interviews, weddings, funerals. Except for the older suit (and maybe some separates eventually) this will be my only suit for a bit. Versatility is key.

What's your budget?

I don't really know. What should I be looking to spend as reasonable for what I need? I look at this as a bit of an investment into something that I ought to have.
posted by chris p at 3:13 PM on December 29, 2009


What's your body type? Is it reasonably average? I ask because I'm a pretty skinny guy, and department stores and suit stores sold me suits that were too big for years.

I eventually had a suit made on a vacation to Thailand, and I was surprised at the extent to which I had been wearing tents.

I realize that a trip to Thailand is probably not in your budget, but a trip to a local tailor probably is. In Houston, I could get a custom-made suit for less than $1000, which is roughly the price of a Brooks Brothers suit. I imagine that you probably have that option in Chicago as well. Check Citysearch for highly-rated tailors, and see if you can find one that will make a suit.

If you don't go that way, then just be careful that you don't end up in a sack. A properly fitting suit might be a little snugger than what you expect. It's a lot snugger than anything I was wearing when I was 22.
posted by Clambone at 3:50 PM on December 29, 2009


Response by poster: Thanks for the great answers. It was hard to pick a few to mark as favorites because they were all really helpful. I feel a lot more confident about this now.

Sorry I didn't check in sooner to answer the questions. I posted the question right before I got on a train.
posted by chris p at 3:50 PM on December 29, 2009


Response by poster: What's your body type?

I'm about 5'10" and 165 pounds, not very muscular.
posted by chris p at 3:52 PM on December 29, 2009


For what you need it for, I would say go for a 2 piece, 2 button charcoal suit. Single vent, flat front, uncuffed would be my preference, but that is up to you. Try things out, and see what looks the best and feels the best.

I would strongly suggest a trip to Jos. Bank for this first foray into suiting. $300-400 should set you up quite nicely, as they always have a lot of "sale" pricing going on. You may even be able to walk out with 2 suits for that price.

Brooks Brothers also does a LOT of deep discount stuff after christmas, and they have some of the best OTR suits in a mid range price point, so look into that. Both stores also carry some quality shoes (Allen Edmonds and Alden, respectively) and that is just as important as a suit.

If you buy a suit or 2 from Brooks Brothers, or even JAB, you can count on a long wearing and good looking suit. Just take your time picking one, and do not get intimidated by the salespeople. Either of those companies should get you in a suit (and shoes, for that matter) that you can wear for 20 years if you treat it well and rotate.

For shirts, try on as many styles as you can. Try some slim fit stuff, some English cut stuff, whatever... find what works and what feels best.

As for tailoring, I generally do not trust retail stores to have good tailors. If you feel confident in them, go for it. But, if it were me, I would ask around and find a good local tailor. Hell, when you are shopping, if you see someone looking at clothes and they look sharp, ask them for a tailor recommendation.

Above all, though, a suit adds to a man's outward projection of confidence, and that confidence is boosted immeasurably when you feel like you look good. If you feel good, and do not look ridiculous, you are fighting on the winning side.
posted by broadway bill at 3:54 PM on December 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


As far as where, you might check out Morris & Sons in Chicago. They're slightly off the beaten path and not cheap, per se, but they get some amazing selection and discounts, and their service is usually quite good.
posted by asuprenant at 6:04 PM on December 29, 2009


I have worn a suit every day for years, and my default source has been Joseph A. Bank.

I'm getting pretty skeptical of Joseph Bank as a source for a "good" suit. Their workmanship and materials seems to get shoddier and shoddier. I don't know if the constant sale pricing, which their customers have come to expect, has led them to lower their quality --- but I've been really disappointed lately. The suits just seem to fall apart.

One brand that I have always been satisfied with is Hart Schaffner and Marx. They tend to be sold at more high-end men's stores, and their suits are several hundred dollars higher than at Joseph Bank. But I have some Hart Schaffner and Marx suits that my dad wore for years, which I now have, and they are incredibly well made.
posted by jayder at 7:46 PM on December 29, 2009


rule of thumb for suit quality -- half or no lining on the jacket. A linign can hide a multitude of sloppy needlework. Finer jackets don't need lining.
posted by cross_impact at 9:21 AM on December 30, 2009


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