Looking for suit advice
I'm interesting in buying a new suit. I have a couple suits already, but all are hand-me-downs or purchased a very long time ago, none ever fit particularly well. The only one I still wear is a black with subtle pinstripes.
For this new suit, I want it to fit me very well, and be a little more interesting / fun without being really attention drawing. I'm not trying to peacock, but I'm interested in something that would stand out a bit as unique or sophisticated under closer inspection. I plan to wear this to a bunch of (not my) weddings over the next few years, and I hope it'll also be a long serving and reasonably flexible piece of my wardrobe. If it matters, this wouldn't be something I wear often; most of my life is lived in very casual clothing.
I have a few specific questions, but please add any and all advice you think I could benefit from. I have very little experience in this domain, but would like to sponge up as much relevant information as possible. I've read https://malefashionadvice.substack.com/p/guide-the-first-suit.
About me: Blond hair, short beard with a hint of red, blue eyes, very white, 5'8", 145lb, athletic build, mid-30s.
Budget: Not strict, but I'd hope to keep it under $1200. If I can get what I want for half that, even better!
Location: Southern California
1. Color - from what I've read, some shade of blue seems like it would be appropriate for me. Should I just be going for a standard navy blue, or would some type of mid-blue work? Any other suggestions relating to color?
2. Should I be looking mainly at custom suits, or would something like off-the-rack with alternations likely work for me? A good fit is very important to me, but I'm wondering if my proportions may lend itself well to premade. Apart from being a bit short, I think I have a fairly ideal men's body structure.
3. If I end up going custom, do either of these places seem promising?
https://cuttingroombespoke.com/
https://www.trutailorcocustomsuits.com/
43 Replies
I don't think bespoke is a good idea until you've had a lot more experience, especially if mtm or otr+alterations works for you
Oh really, why's that? I thought it would be useful to have someone help me figure out what works for me since I lack that experience
True bespoke is expensive and also really about small details / fit. There are a lot of websites that say they're bespoke but they're really just MTM. MTM is a really good option that will get you 95% of the way there anyways.
I think a Navy suit is a great idea for a first suit. You could look into some slight variation with the color but I wouldn't veer too far from navy. With your budget you could look into Suitsupply MTM. But it may also just be worth it for you to try some on OTR and see if you fit well into those models
Ok, I didn't realize custom and MTM were different!
I'm worried about knowing if I actually do fit well, or about all the other choices that go into a suit. Last time I went to a nice clothing store they were clearly just telling me everything looked amaaaaaaaaazing on me
Just think of it as three "tiers" of customization - OTR, MTM, and Bespoke (and remember, a lot of merchants use that term but are really MTM). True bespoke usually requires several fittings (at least two but more likely three)
Feel free to go to a store, try on a few suits, and share pictures with us
What doesn't fit on the current suits you have?
Shoulders have slight dimples, pants are too long, sleeves are too long I think as my shirt cuffs don't show, overall they feel boxy. I'm a pretty lean guy but with broader shoulders
Hemming pants and sleeves is one of the easiest tailoring fixes
Shoulders however are usually not worth it or possible to tailor
Post pics of you wearing the suits you have and people here can assess the shoulders and other aspects of the fit
And what size are the suits you currently have?
If you think your current suits are dated and don't fit well then it's ok to buy a new suit. Often it doesn't make sense to spend a fortune on a tailor for something you won't feel comfortable in
The first link I shared seems to be pretty clear that they are actual bespoke, and the price is within my range. Seems maybe too good to be true but I'd appreciate if you could take a quick look and verify if they'd be worth checking out
Yea I definitely want something different rather than trying to fix what I have
I'll have to get back to you on that later today
I'll be honest with you, actual bespoke usually runs $3000+. I've never done it. If someone is saying they do bespoke for $1,250 then they are cutting corners somehow.
"We created a proprietary way of measuring and fitting that allows us to skip the baste fitting stage without sacrificing any of the custom fit. This allows us to speed up the process, keep the price of our service affordable while recreating the traditional feel of a well-made bespoke suit." this is prob not bespoke jsyk! esp at that price... with apparently LA labour????? wtf??? anyway just dropping in to say that I think you'd probably be a great candidate for suitsupply custom
If it seems too good to be true then it probably is
What would be the benefit for him of suit supply MTM vs spier & mackay (or suit supply) off the rack?
I've never heard of either of the services you linked to. That certainly doesn't mean they're not legit but I think the pricing, descriptions, etc. make me think that they are offering you an inaccurate product
Def need to see some fit pics to know if he can fit nicely into something off the rack
They live in Southern California. They can go to a SS in person.
hold on I'll find a somewhat older pic, should still be mostly accurate
I really think your best bet is to try some new suits on in person and if you feel like the sales people are trying to upsell you, then take some pictures and share them so we can give you honest feedback
In addition to suit supply, reading on styleforum that el segundo tailors are a good option for MTM and off the rack in SoCal
I'll check out both those places, thanks
Yeah I think you nailed the issues with this suit in your first post
I also think Nordstrom, Sak's, and Bloomingdale's are decent places for off the rack (and made to measure?).
Does that pic help know if OTR is likely to work for me?
I'm not a tailor by any means but based on that pic I don't see any major differences that would prevent OTR from being a good option
I'd say the heavy downside to remember with MTM is that you're in the hole for that garment even if it doesn't work out.
With something off the rack, you can try it on in store or even at home and ask people here if it fits. And if it doesn't, it can be returned with no harm done. Obviously you can't return an off the rack suit once you alter it
With off the rack, what should I be making sure fits immediately vs what is reasonable to get altered to fit?
The shoulders are key imo
shoulders are the main thing obviously. waist of the trousers shouldnt be more than like, two inches off? sleeves with buttons that work (i.e. can be undone) cant be shortened or lengthened much.
Easy and inexpensive things to fix are sleeve and pant length. Taking the jacket or waist in usually doesn't cost too much either. Fixing collar gap or jacket length can be done but can be pricey. And like has been said, shoulders will always be so expensive and difficult to fix that it will never be worth it
Will be important to determine whether you fit best in the R or S version of suit sizes I think?
And yeah @Wonky is right about sleeve length. One issue with Suitsupply is that many of their suits have working buttons. You can usually take in an inch or so from the sleeves with those but it's a limiting factor
Got it. Ok thanks everyone
If you're 5'8" you're very likely a regular in jackets
yup. but their custom is so very in your price range lol.
Totally agree. I think SS custom is an extremely good value and fits within your price range
A benefit of MTM is more fabric selection. Personally if I was in SoCal, I'd do a year round suit in draper's four ply
have nothing but good things to say about my experiences at SS. I'm a 5 6 afab woman and so is my partner and we've both had suits made there, so for an average height amab guy i'm sure they'd do a great job.
excellent
They're new to MTM they don't need to get into fabric mills
Based on your general info and pics OTR and then tailoring is going to be your best bet imo. Good MTM is going to push your budget and you don’t really need it anyway. As others have mentioned suit supply will be v good. Go there, try on a bunch of cuts and sizes, get pics of the ones you think fit the best and you can post them here to get more specific feedback.
In terms of style I’d stick with a classic navy. Nothing wild. Maybe some texture to the fabric so it’s not super business-y but it will be very wearable and look great.
No offense, but 172cm, 65kg is a fairly normal (slightly slim I'd say?) build. OTR will most likely work for you if you check out some good stores. So agree with @ll.beansandrice🫘