Business Suit Style?

I've been accepted into Leadership Academy at work. For this training I will need to wear a suit. I only have one suit that I got for graduation from college. Well the damn thing is too small in the chest. It's a 38S and I now take a 40S. Pants still fit fine in the waist, but the jacket is too damn tight. And I've also been informed it is out of style because it's a double breasted suit. :rolleyes:

So I went to a couple stores this weekend to look at suits. I had no idea there was so much difference between suits other than color. Anyway I'm torn on what type of suit to get. Do I go with a classic two-button style or the new three-button style? Will the three button go out of style? :nonono2: What about 0, 1.or 2 vents in the jacket? I'm a fan of pinstripes as long as they don't stick out too much. Finally since I rarely wear a suit can I get a decent suit for under $200.

For me work wear generally entails casual pants or jeans and a t-shirt (short or long sleeved depending on temp.). Hiking boots are nice and rubber boots for when I'm running around in wetlands. So any advise for a Suit Jong other than never wear a suit?

Everyone should own at least one suit (that fits) for weddings and funerals. Buy one in navy so that you can wear it to both occasions; plain suits take decades to go out of style. Go to Men's Warehouse or something and drop $300-$400.

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Originally Posted by Grange

Finally since I rarely wear a suit can I get a decent suit for under $200.

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I'd say forget about the price (within reason) and buy the suit that looks good on you.

You really aren't going to have too much in the way of options if you're looking to spend under $200. The "new" three button style is not "new" anymore and IMO makes short guys look shorter (I wear the same size.) The two button looks much, much better. If you are looking for something modern and cheap check out H&M or, if there is miraculously one nearby, Zara. Both carry some more slim fitting, good looking, but cheap suits. Definitely avoid the double breasted look unless you have a ton of suits already, not something to wear everyday.

If I were you, I would buy a nice gray, two-button suit with no pleats and whichever vent setup you feel most comfortable with. Or sack up and spend some bank to get a nice one. Just avoid getting sucked in by brand marketing.

Only tall and skinny people should ever wear double-breasted - look at a short or fat person donning this style and you'll see how ridiculous it looks. As for myself, pinstripe / 3-button / double vent. On the buttons, it's sometimes-always-never. Pinstripes should be subtle and thin. You can never go wrong with a dark navy suit with light blue stripes or a dark solid brown. Which ever color you choose, just make sure your shoes mirror it (i.e. do not wear black shoes with a light-colored suit and vice versa). Also, belt should match the shoes. For added bonus, throw a white pocket handkerchief on as well or a color that comes close to matching your tie.

Buy a black or Navy suit as these are standard, wardrobe-foundational suits. I would recommend getting a three button suit. Three button suits have become fairly traditional and will not be a fad. Also, a three button suit elongates the torso and gives the perception of making one taller. Just make sure it fits well; any tailor will help you out. Depending upon your waist, suits are usually made such that the pants are 6 sizes smaller than the jacket, i.e. you need a 40 in the jacket, you get a 34 in the pants. You only other choices are cuff/no cuff (I prefer no); how much break in the pant (I prefer medium); whether you want pleats or not (not for me) ; and finally sleeve length. (I like to show some cuff, so I have my sleeves a bit shorter). Good luck

A three piece suit = two suits for the price of 1.2 suits.

Fucking suits. Such a stupid wardrobe item.

I hear rumors that three-button is waning. Which pisses me off, since at this point, all of my recently-purchased suits are three-button.

That said, given your height, go two-button regardless.

In the inexpensive but still looking good range, if you've got an outlet mall nearby, chances are they've got a Brooks Brothers outlet. My last two suit purchases have been Brooks Stretch, via the outlet. These have several advantages, including (a) relatively cheap, (b) sold as separate but matching jacket and pants (saves on cost of alterations), (c) the addition of the lycra or whatever to the wool means that wrinkles will come out overnight or if you put them in the bathroom while showering (great for travel), and (d) they've got a Brooks label, which never hurts.

If you have just one it should be something conservative; that way it won't go out of style and it will be appropriate for all occasions. Navy or dark gray, with minimal patterning/pinstriping; single-breasted; two or three button. Two button is more classic. I agree that a three-button suit makes short dudes look shorter.

As far as how much you should spend- $200 (if not on sale) is pretty low-end. A cheap suit will look about the same as a fancier one when hanging on the rack, but probably won't fit as well and definitely won't last as long. That's pretty key, really; this is stuff that will tear if you catch the pants pocket on the arm of a chair or something so a little bit of extra stitching goes a long way. You don't need to spend $800 though. Joseph A. Bank has some reasonably priced stuff that holds up well, if there's one around you.

I've had good luck at Nordstrom Rack.
I concur with the advice on plain suits in grey and navy. Let your "flare" come from your tie, shirt, shoes, cufflinks, watch, pinky ring, tongue piercing, stretched earlobes, and icy grill.
You'd be surprised with how much you can make your suits look different day to day with your shirts, etc. Also, if you're anything like me you will take off your suit jacket about ten minutes into the day and wear it very little until it's time to go home, so mostly people will see your shirt and tie. Don't spill on your pants!
When I was suiting up a lot, I started by buying my shirts at department stores, switched to TJ Max type shit boxes, then found that every couple weeks some very sharp Brooks Brothers shirts were avaiable in my size at Goodwill of all places. The facy shirts, looked better, breathed better, wore longer, stayed looking good between pressings/cleanings, and were $5 -$8 each, freeing up budget for better suits. The extra $$$ spent on suits is worthwhile.

Yeah the Rack is excellent. I've also found some great quality dress shoes at low low prices there. I think they restock on wednesday nights, so thursday is the best day to go.

Cheap suits look cheesy. Plan to drop a minimum of $500 for a decent suit. If you can spend that amount at an outlet you will get more bang for your buck. Your size leads me to recommend a Hugo Boss.

Don't let the store do the alterations. Every guy should have a tailor he trusts. Find one, reward him, remember him at Christmas. Trust me here.

If you are not going to build a wardrobe of suits, get a two button in a dark blue. Don't leave the store without at least 2 good quality shirts and 2 silk ties.

Your shoes are new right???

Dress well ;)

J Bank has these dealys where you get the suit along with an extra pant (different color) and gain a little versatility. This typically starts at $300 or so. Their higher-priced stuff is or markedly better quality, however


Another nice outlet is Off 5th, Saks Fifth Ave's outlet. Some killer deals can be found there, if there's one close to you.

Agree on shirts- you can never have too many.

Also, also, find a place that offers free tailoring for life, so if you get all fat and shit (or skinny and shit), they'll still take care of you and ensure that your threads fit well. My local Jos Banks WILL NOT do this and I no longer buy shirts there.

My shoes are not new, but since I only wear them with the suit they are still in great condition. They are black leather wingtips. Still shiny but not a prom tux shoe shiny. To me they were the best part about wearing a suit. Sounds like Men's warehouse it the place to go.

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Originally Posted by Viva

Another nice outlet is Off 5th, Saks Fifth Ave's outlet. Some killer deals can be found there, if there's one close to you.

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That is THE place to shop. I have bought over 15 Armani suits there. The savings are huge. Just remember to stick to name brands. They do fill the shelves with some brand x shit to puff the bottom line.

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Originally Posted by mrw

I have bought over 15 Armani suits there.

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What are you, a pimp? NBA player? Donald Trump's personal fluffer?

i just bought my first suit ever since i decided to go to med school and i don't want to look like a tool at pre-selection interviews. i looked at it as an investment instead of an expenditure.

great for job interviews and of course weddings/funerals.

and damn if the ladies don't love a man in a suit, even as conservative a suit as mine.

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Originally Posted by mrw

That is THE place to shop. I have bought over 15 Armani suits there. The savings are huge. Just remember to stick to name brands. They do fill the shelves with some brand x shit to puff the bottom line.

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That is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. If you are dropping money on 15 Armanis, get something worth spending serious cash on. My dad went to Naples and got a Kiton fitted at the factory for less than half of those Armanis, and it's the bar none nicest suit you can find.

The name brands that you see in Saks are mostly crap construction, all taped seams and factory shit. Get something handmade and you'll notice the difference when you're still wearing it in 20 years.

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Originally Posted by 13

i just bought my first suit ever since i decided to go to med school and i don't want to look like a tool at pre-selection interviews. i looked at it as an investment instead of an expenditure.

great for job interviews and of course weddings/funerals.

and damn if the ladies don't love a man in a suit, even as conservative a suit as mine.

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I've had a grand total of three suits in my life. First was my first communion, second was my 8th grade graduation and third was my college graduation. Looks like I'm going to need a fourth. Of coarse this comes at a crappy time. I'm in the process of moving accross the state and didn't really want to spend money on a suit.

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Originally Posted by Viva

What are you, a pimp? NBA player? Donald Trump's personal fluffer?

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:D

prior to getting remarried, I had a very extensive social life. Couple that with a lot of grip and grin trips to keep myself on client's A lists and there you go.

15 suits over a few years is not all that many suits when you are living in them both night and day. At one point I had 3 tuxes.

Having just checked my closet, I am down to 8 suits and 7 sport jackets.

The Mens Whorehouse is the place to go. Good quality, reasonable prices, good staff. I have one wedding and funeral suit that I got there. I walked in told them I am not a suit kind of guy, and what I needed. They set me up with a very conservatively cut navy blue wool suit. Still looks just as good 10+ years later.

I think a navy blue suit is far less versatile than a dark grey one, and don't get a black suit as your only one (and really, you should have brown shoes with a navy suit, and your nice pair are black). Black is too formal in most business settings. And just get a solid color suit as your first one. Listen to this advice apart from the color:

- Don't get a suit in another fabric than wool
- Don't buy a double breasted suit. Just don't.
- Unless you have HUGE thighs, get flat front pants. And typically, you don't want cuffs at the bottom of flat fronters
- The most important fit is around your shoulders. The arm length and pants are easy to adjust.
- Don't buy anything full price. There's sales and discounts to be had everywhere, and outlet stores are great
- Two buttons on the jacket is probably the safest style, but three isn't that far out there either. I think both will work fine.
- Contrary to other opinions here, jacket arm length isn't where you want to play around with lengths. You want to show 1/2 inch of shirt cuff.
- Pocket squares are cool and give you some extra flare, but if you use one you need to make sure you follow it up everywhere else.
- Always hang your suit on a nice hanger at the end of the day.

Shirts and ties are in the next chapter.

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Originally Posted by endlesswntr

That is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. If you are dropping money on 15 Armanis, get something worth spending serious cash on. My dad went to Naples and got a Kiton fitted at the factory for less than half of those Armanis, and it's the bar none nicest suit you can find.

The name brands that you see in Saks are mostly crap construction, all taped seams and factory shit. Get something handmade and you'll notice the difference when you're still wearing it in 20 years.

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And please, Armani might be overrated and a bit overpriced but you're not buying crap if you go with them (same with other brands at Saks). And if you get them at huge discounts, I don't thing there's anything wrong about building your wardrobe with them.

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Originally Posted by runethechamp

Don't buy anything full price. There's sales and discounts to be had everywhere, and outlet stores are great

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I agree with this. Especially if you buy the suit at a department store. Sales knock off a huge % and they are frequent. Only a sucker would pay full price. I imagine places like the Men's Wearhouse sell their suits around what the dept. stores do, but on an everyday basis.

I didn't like Men's Wearhouse much -- weird atmosphere.

Most of my suits are from Macy's. They run sales all the time, lots of selection, prices acceptable to me. It's hard to spend $300+ on uncomfortable, fragile clothing, that isn't even waterproof/breathable.

JoS. A Bank is running a 4th sale. Decent stuff for the price.

Hey, they've got Seersuckers for $99. I hate suits, but I've always wanted one of those.

Ok.. .you have lots of good advice here about suits... I'll give you some advice about the leadership thing.

My first day in two different leadership academy/seminars I was singled out because I was NOT wearing a suit. The guy tried to embarrass me at the one, the other, he just tried to use me as an example for the "rest of the class".

In both cases, I politely listened to what they had to say, and at the end they started down the road to the next lesson, and I stopped them, saying "excuse me... but leadership isn't about the way we're dressed, it's about understanding the impact of our actions on those around us isn't it?"

a gruff "yes" with an undertone "of what's yer point?"

"Well sir, I'm leading a group of artists, who don't respect people because they dress a certain way, if anything they distrust the administrators who are nicely dressed. I'm dressed this way because I know from experience that this group of people respects people who can get their hands dirty, and I've specifically chosen my mode of dress and how I act in order to motivate a certain group of people. After all, Leadership isn't about doing things right, it's about the right things."

Do NOT try to be a sheep.. this is a LEADERSHIP seminar. LEAD.. take risks. State a vision and act on it.

fuck the norm.

What if he is leading a team of accountants for Deloitte and Touche?

Is he suposed to integrate peachtree into his suit with optional 10-key functional pocket?

Lead with what YOU know are YOUR strengths... as I also work as an artist, that worked for me... in the case of Toilett and Douche, well didn't work for them, but for another consultant that rhymes with Hamderson, i wore a suit, but still challenged the dress code regularly, and often challenged the way we did business. My unit pissed off the managers because we did things differently... but made the managers managers happy because we kicked ass on our monthlys.

basically... dream really big, and make it happen, but don't lose your soul. Oh yeah.. and storytelling... which sounds like a load of crap... works, if you relate to your own stories... so my teams learned a lot about moutaineering and skiing. They learn to not question whether you'll take a risk or not!

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Originally Posted by Odin

What if he is leading a team of accountants for Deloitte and Touche?

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He isn't or he would already have suits.



That being said, if you feel you need a suit for the seminars, go buy two from jo s. bank, nordstroms (not "the rack", shirts, belts, cuff links and shoes are fine at "the rack" but you probably dont know shit about what size or cut you need and neither do the staffers at "the rack"), saks, or another nice department store. generally they stick by their product and you can get the same discounts as the outlets. you need a dark charcoal grey and a dark blue (NO BLACK). two or three button. vents, pinstripes and pleats as you like. dont wait until the last minute. plan on spending $300-$500 including tailoring. don't use the pocket hanky (it looks cheesy unless youre at a semi formal dinner/fundraiser/art opening). buy cuff links, shirts that fit, at least two belts and two pairs of dress shoes. and finally, don't count on these lasting you 20 yrs, a 20yr old suit looks 20yrs old. you can do the whole thing for under a grand.

-aaron

cufflinks = lumbergland.

no cufflinks.

go grey and blue no pinstripes. you don't buy suits to be distinctive

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Originally Posted by iceclimb

Ok.. .you have lots of good advice here about suits... I'll give you some advice about the leadership thing.

My first day in two different leadership academy/seminars I was singled out because I was NOT wearing a suit. The guy tried to embarrass me at the one, the other, he just tried to use me as an example for the "rest of the class".

In both cases, I politely listened to what they had to say, and at the end they started down the road to the next lesson, and I stopped them, saying "excuse me... but leadership isn't about the way we're dressed, it's about understanding the impact of our actions on those around us isn't it?"

a gruff "yes" with an undertone "of what's yer point?"

"Well sir, I'm leading a group of artists, who don't respect people because they dress a certain way, if anything they distrust the administrators who are nicely dressed. I'm dressed this way because I know from experience that this group of people respects people who can get their hands dirty, and I've specifically chosen my mode of dress and how I act in order to motivate a certain group of people. After all, Leadership isn't about doing things right, it's about the right things."

Do NOT try to be a sheep.. this is a LEADERSHIP seminar. LEAD.. take risks. State a vision and act on it.

fuck the norm.

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so your vision was to make all of the "suit" wearers look inferior and then you trapped and questioned authority.......good leadership plan.

My $0.02: As somebody said earlier, there's a good chance the jacket won't get a lot of wear. The pants should therefore be able to stand alone. The fit and style should be similar to something you might buy if all you were looking for was a pair of nice dress pants.

edit to add: making an issue out of wearing or not wearing a suit is dumb. I don't know how that's supposed to be "leadership advice," but it sucks. Sometimes, in some lines of work, ya gotta wear a suit. You don't make strong positive statements about your ethos through dress non/conformity. Ever. Save the fight for something that frickin matters. You aren't a revolutionary or a "free thinker," you're an adolescent.

As for storytelling.... wtf?

I ended up going with a dark blue 2-button suit with subtle brown and whitish pinstripes from Men's Warehouse. Not exactly what I wanted, but it was in my price range. The suit came with a vest, but I doubt I'll wear it. I bought a shirt and tie as well. The tie is the best part of the suit. Now to be proper I should buy brown shoes, but I figure as often as I am going to wear this thing my black wingtips will work.

As far as showing leadership. I do, which is why I was selected for this Academy in the first place. We were to specifically to wear a suit, by the director of the Academy. To not show up in a suit would not signal leadership. It would signal disregard for my superiors.

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Originally Posted by Grange

As far as showing leadership. I do, which is why I was selected for this Academy in the first place. We were to specifically to wear a suit, by the director of the Academy. To not show up in a suit would not signal leadership. It would signal disregard for my superiors.

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that made me laugh outloud and blow beer out my nose - where do you people work?

fuck suits - I haven't worn a suit or a tie since jr prom

i'm in the new suit market so i can start interviewing for a new job (for reasons made painfully clear in the ex-gf-new-titty-thread).

in my 15-year career, i've never worn a suit. so i polled a couple metro friends, one queer, and a buddy in the fashion industry and the consensus: Men's Warehouse and get two ties, two shirts (cuz i'll prolly need a new look for a follow-up interview) one pair pants and one suit jacket. the key, they tell me, is to get something that fits, but it certainly doesn't need to be a fancy label.

but i won't be interviewing for any job that requires the daily wear of a suit, so why go through the expense of something really nice that will only lanquish in my closet until the next funeral or wedding.

Sioe more thoughts


Macy's is good. You may not got the3 BEst of the BEST suits, but you can find a decent deal for <$300 ... and something that actually fits right.


Another more pretentious option is the 3-piece suit. There are many facets to the 3-piece suit that make it desireable. One, you look money. Two, it pukes of confidence (good for the interview, but maybe not because it may be seen as over the top). Three, it allows for the ultimate effect of the double windsor in giving you that full look with a wide spread shirt (I guess this may only work for guys that have the built). Four, you can lose the jacket and still look fucking money. Five, no one else dons it so if in a group of 20 cattle waiting to be stripped down (job-wise), you'll stand and most often, it will be in a positive way.

Cheers.


EDIT - shirts are solid, ties are patterned but make sure that your tie doesn't dominate your whole attire. Remember, you want people to look at your face, not your tie (or your mismatching shoes).

I just want to add that the Men's suit department at Nordstroms is excellent. They wait on you hand and foot and they're extremely professional. They'll take you from suits, to shirts, to ties, to shoes, etc. And if you don't want or need any of that, they won't push you. To this day, it's one of the best shopping experiences I've ever had. I have 4 suits from them and consistently get compliments on them all. The tailoring is excellent also.

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Originally Posted by Nick Pappagiorgio

Sioe more thoughts


Macy's is good. You may not got the3 BEst of the BEST suits, but you can find a decent deal for <$300 ... and something that actually fits right.


Another more pretentious option is the 3-piece suit. There are many facets to the 3-piece suit that make it desireable. One, you look money. Two, it pukes of confidence (good for the interview, but maybe not because it may be seen as over the top). Three, it allows for the ultimate effect of the double windsor in giving you that full look with a wide spread shirt (I guess this may only work for guys that have the built). Four, you can lose the jacket and still look fucking money. Five, no one else dons it so if in a group of 20 cattle waiting to be stripped down (job-wise), you'll stand and most often, it will be in a positive way.

Cheers.


EDIT - shirts or solid, ties are patterned but make sure that your tie doesn't dominate your whole attire. Remember, you want people to look at your face, not your tie (or your mismatching shoes).

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Almost in the same way as with a pocket square, a 3-piecer needs to be followed up by everything else in your attire to be pulled off. And it's not fit for all businesses either.

And don't be afraid to have a pattern in your shirt (it's possible to pull off patterns in both suit, shirt and tie at the same time). Just make sure you keep the scale and type of the patterns (if you wear more than one) different.

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Originally Posted by telemike

that made me laugh outloud and blow beer out my nose - where do you people work?

fuck suits - I haven't worn a suit or a tie since jr prom

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I work in the environmental field so the only other time I wore a suit was for my interview to get the job. I've only wore a tie a handful of times when I was giving interviews. What I'm wearing today is Khaki pants and a Lennie's t-shirt. So when asked to wear a suit it that's not something to be taken lightly.

I went to Macy's and the only thing they had that I like was over $300. Too much for me at this time.

Grange, you'll be fine and don't worry about all the stupid little bullshit about a suit. Don't worry about the shoes, don't worry about the knot or the tie or the shirt.

As long as it fits and is clean you'll be fine. People that would think less of you for some silly faux pas on your suit are weenies that have to wear them all the time, do you really care what somebody who made such poor life choices as to be stuck wearing suits for work all the time thinks? Yeah, me neither.