I am freakishly short and thin - what can I do to look better in a suit?

[caseyfud]



I ended up buying some slim/skinny suits from ASOS

NOOOOOPE

 

[WRAdviser]

Good idea if you earn minimum wage.
Time = money

Or get ties at thrift stores- I've probably got around 40, many of them pretty pricey at retail, and the entire collection probably cost under $100. Perhaps a little more with some that were purchased new, but thrift stores are a great way to fill out a tie collection. Just inspect stuff carefully before you buy.

 

[cptjeff]



Good idea if you earn minimum wage.
Time = money

Only if you would otherwise be working- time is irrelevant if you stop by after work. And it doesn't take long to flick through ties- almost all one size, and the decent stuff isn't too hard to pick out. If you're looking for shirts and jackets, it can be a slog, and pants are horrible. But ties? Ties are quick.

 

[johnvw]

Not having any MTM or bespoke suits and thus being unable to comment on the relative merits of going either route, I will stay out of that discussion. In the case of ties, however, in addition to the ties-at-thrift-stores idea, you should check out two SF members who have high-end ones for sale at really low prices: deveandepot1 and idfnl. There may be others on this forum, as well. Hope this helps.

BTW, welcome to SF!

 

[ajmanouk]



I'm the same height and build as you. Boys 18R fit perfectly. Cheap and often same quality as the men's size in the same brand. I have a few Brooks Brothers boys 18R that were a great price and awesome quality.

Wasn't going to chime in, but some of the suggestions people are making are just idiotic. This poor guy is gonna drop 3k on a bespoke suit...

No shame in trying on a boys suit. Seriously,dont waste all this money on a ******* bespoke suit if boys suits will fit you.Grab a navy, charcoal, and a subtly striped third suit, 2 black pairs of shoes...park avenue and mcallister perhaps, 5-10 white and light blue shirts from online mtm unless OTR fits you...and some ties from the tie bar. grab a cheap simple black leather belt from the dollar store, and if you're feeling bold, a linen PS or two. You will scream conservative business dress and make ceo 10k a day in no time. There is absolutely no need to spend your whole budget when you are so early in your satorial journey.

3 suits = max $1500
2 shoes = max $600 (though if you wait for a 2/300 sale from AE...)
10 shirts = max $600
10 ties = max $150
10 pairs socks = max $100
belt = 1 dollar
_______________________

$ 2951

If boys suits won't fit you, get two MTM suits for around 1k per.Total will then be 3451.

 

[ajmanouk]



Wasn't going to chime in, but some of the suggestions people are making are just idiotic. This poor guy is gonna drop 3k on a bespoke suit...
No shame in trying on a boys suit. Seriously,dont waste all this money on a ******* bespoke suit if boys suits will fit you.Grab a navy, charcoal, and a subtly striped third suit, 2 black pairs of shoes...park avenue and mcallister perhaps, 5-10 white and light blue shirts from online mtm unless OTR fits you...and some ties from the tie bar. grab a cheap simple black leather belt from the dollar store, and if you're feeling bold, a linen PS or two. You will scream conservative business dress and make ceo 10k a day in no time. There is absolutely no need to spend your whole budget when you are so early in your satorial journey.
3 suits = max $1500
2 shoes = max $600 (though if you wait for a 2/300 sale from AE...)
10 shirts = max $600
10 ties = max $150 (thetiebar.com)
10 pairs socks = max $100
belt = 1 dollar
_______________________
$ 2951
If boys suits won't fit you, get two MTM suits for around 1k per.Total will then be 3451.

 

[Despos]



I'm 5' 6" and my weight fluctuates between 115 and 130. I am a runt in every sense of the way. I need to be wearing a suit all summer at a pretty posh law firm. I know slim is hot but this is kind of an old school firm where everyone is Brooks Brothers-ing. Do I even have an option of looking like a box (besides just eating a **** ton of food to get square as hell)? If I do go the slim route, are there any brands I should look into? I have one custom made suit that I don't love (three buttons).

It'd kill me to shop in the kids section. I have heard something about Helmut Lang (?) for narrower, slim suits. Something like the JCrew Aldow in 36s is still too broad for me.

My budget is pretty flexible, maybe around 5 grand to spend on 3-4 suits, a few shirts, maybe some ties.

Hey Bartelby, have a few thoughts for you from reading your question. Congratulations on asking this question, you will do well as I see you are thinking about things that matter and want to get it right.

When you say Posh law firm, what does that mean? Do you know anyone there? If so, I would discuss with them the culture in the office and particularly during the summer and how it relates to you in your position at the firm for the summer. Find out how others dress day to day and build your plans around this but don't go out and invest in your wardrobe around this, go slower. You'll learn more about what you need after being in the office for a few months and observing, then build your wardrobe for your job further down the road. Who knows what office and or city you may end up at. If you find a job in New York you will dress differently than if you end up in Houston. If you see someone in the office who dresses the way you would like to look he can tell you where to shop or who to work with. Listen to the guy with local experience. No one is expecting you to dress and look like a partner at this stage of your career. You do want to appear as professional as possible.

Who made the custom suit for you and why aren't you going back to them? Is the 3 button configuration the only thing you don't like about the suit? In what way was it custom? What causes a 15lb variable in your size? Don't get fitted at your lowest weight and not at the top of your weight range either.

The first person you want to find is a decent tailor who is capable of advising you and altering anything you might need. Don't rely on a sales person to help you in this way.

Experiment with your options for this summer. The city you are in will determine and maybe limit what your options are. MTM is taking your measurements and the maker cuts the suit to your specific measurements. The suit is made in the factory after that. This is offered from multiple ready made brands like Brooks Bros and others. You may have the option of working with an independent, direct seller. Someone with their own business who uses a factory to make clothes from the measurements and cloth they supply. This will aid in getting the sizing you need in proper shoulder width, jacket length, sleeve length etc. They will determine if you have a low shoulder or any unusual posture issues and adjust the suit for this.

If you go this route, only order one suit. Make sure it delivers what you want. It could be the right option for you but the risk is it may look no better than a 36 short you could have bought off the rack. Because of your build it is important to get the proportions right. You don't want a suit to be over fitted and fit too trim and not too big to look oversized on you. I would suggest Samuelsohn over Brooks for this, if it is available to you. Have seen very odd MTM work from Brooks. Hickey Freeman is another good option for you. The person who measures you and communicates with the maker is the most critical aspect of this to be successful.

First I would get the suit you have adjusted to how you would like it. The 3 button could be adjust to roll to the middle button and change the look of the suit. If you go MTM, just get one for this summer and fill in with what you can buy ready made, even if it is from the boys section. If you get a MTM solid navy suit, get a cloth that could be worn as a sport coat. This will expand your wardrobe options. Spend monies on decent accessories, shirts, ties and shoes. Those items will stay with you as you build your wardrobe and add suits. Get what you need, learn now and spend later with more certainty of what you like, what you need and buy from whoever can deliver what you want. You'll be learning and progressing your whole life with how to dress, take in little doses at a time.

 

[Despos]

Sorry Bartelby, I had to go out for a while and couldn't finish my thoughts.

If I were in your situation I would invest most in this order. 2 great pairs of shoes. Great means they fit very well, super comfortable and are built to last. Shoes are always on sale somewhere. Get the best you can afford. Keep a good shine on them and take care of them.

Get at least 6 or 8 made to measure shirts. If you are close to New York go see Carl at Cego or Mike at Geneva. Properly styled collars and a good fit for your torso will do as much for giving off a professional appearance as a suit for this summer job. Don't waste time and money doing this online shirt stuff. Have an experienced shirtmaker measure and advise you. Get two light blue, two blue stripes and two white. Get more if you can swing it. Shirts get laundered after every wear so you want better shirts that will hold up for 3 to 5 years. Find a good place to launder your shirts too. It's worth the price of Starbucks coffee to properly launder and press a shirt or learn to do so yourself.

Sam Hober is active on this forum. He is a tie maker. Order 6 ties, make sure two are solid colored and one of these is dark navy. He will ask a few measurement questions and get the length and width you need. You want ties that hit right at the top of your trouser when you have them tied. Hober will determine the length you need. Getting ties that are the right size in width and length with the properly fitted collars and shirts will make you look better dressed and refined than most of the office you will be working in. So what I'm saying is there is even a proper element of fit to a neck tie to make you look good. If you need help choosing colors and patterns, PM senior member F.Corbera. He's a retired old codger but will know how to help you look right in a posh environment. Shirts and ties are wardrobe staples you can build on.

If you pursue MTM suits, after they tell you how great it will be, ask "what could go wrong" and whoever gives you the most direct and honest response is the guy to work with. Again, don't go overboard or be hasty with suits. Learn your fit issues and be able to recognize what you like and don't like, what works for your build and what doesn't. You want to minimize error along the learning curve path. Suits are expensive compared to how many shirts, shoes and ties you can get for the same money you may spend on a suit. RTW, MTM or even custom/bespoke can be wrong for you if you don't work with an experienced fitter. You want to find the right shop and the right person to work with first.

Focus on the shoes, shirts and ties. The suit is like the front man in the band when your dressing. It's easy to want to be Bono, but in my opinion, Larry, Adam and the Edge are more talented and are the real band. Getting the right accessories is like putting great wheels on your car. It can really enhance the look of an ordinary car to something special. If you buy better accessories that will get you thru the next 3 to 5 years you won't regret it. In 3 to 5 years your body size will be different, you will have better knowledge of suits and what works, you will hopefully be gainfully employed with a better salary to buy better suits than you can afford now. Look long term in your choices.

Oh yeah, and dress coherently. That's the key.

 

[cbbuff]

OP, Listen to the man ^^

 

[Pluripotent]

Or, if you wanted to be really baller...

http://www.newsy.com/videos/new-york-man-gets-surgery-to-become-taller/

 

[Tck13]



I sincerely feel that the bespoke route should only be chosen once you have an idea of your personal stylistic preferences or likes.
Surely, it will fit better but bespoke is not just about fit. It is an experience and a supposedly fun one especially when you know what you want. Blowing a couple of grand on 1 bespoke suit to wear year round without knowing your stylistic preferences and taste is irresponsible money management. When the OP discovers his personal preferences, the few thousands of dollars he have blown on ONE bespoke suit is never going to see the light again.
All of you claim your MTMs were a waste of money but then again it was your MTM commissions that helped you refine your taste and get a clearer picture of your preferences. If you had just jumped the gun of RTW/MTM straight into bespoke you'd be a lost sheep not knowing what works for you and what doesn't. This is probably OPs 2nd suit and he'll do well to stick to MTM til he understands his own style and what complements his body proportions before hoping onto the bespoke bandwagon. Before you run, you need to learn to walk.

+1

It sounds like the OP is pretty inexperienced with buying suits so to go right to bespoke is ridiculous. Especially if buying suits for just one summer? I'd say MTM is a good way to go. There's nothing wrong with Hickey Freeman, Hart Schaffner and Marx, Canali, Zegna, etc. One can get a very good MTM suit from any of them for around $900.

That's three or four good fitting MTM suits, 5 or 10 custom made shirts, several ties, socks, pocket squares, 2 pairs of AE shoes for still under $5k. And all of this will last for many, MANY years.

 

[SirGrotius]

This all sounds like a bit of a hassle. First off, congrats on the job at the law firm.

Second, I'm the same height as you 5'6" and thin but not 115 thin! Haha.

You don't need to go bespoke for your first suit. That'd probably freak some people at the law firm and anyway, do you really know what you're doing at this point?

Are you in NYC? Go to the Burberry near Central Park there. They have a line of "slim fit" suits (don't do modern, wouldn't be slim enough for you) that still look conservative enough for a law firm. They come in mostly solid charcoals and navys and are relatively inexpensive, like $1200 or something. I don't remember. They're made in Italy and half canvassed. Most importantly for guys our height, the jackets are cut very short. You might want it taken up a tad more, but I don't. You'd just need a little bit of the body taken in and of course length off the sleeves and trousers and you'll be golden with two classic suits with a bunch of money to spend on shoes and dress shirts. You probably do a 37 dress shirt which rocks. I'd try on a bunch and see how they work. They have MTM too.

Oh yes, and how many suits do you want to get? You'll probably want a dark charcoal, a lighter charcoal (summer's upon us), and navy. If you think you'll doing after-work evening events that's when you'd want a black suit.

Also, have you ever tried going gluten free? not to get weird on you but if you feel sick after eating a lot.....

Have fun!

 

[Svenn]



You don't need to go bespoke for your first suit. That'd probably freak some people at the law firm and anyway, do you really know what you're doing at this point?

Bespoke suits by their nature are the least likely to freak people out, and are in fact less conspicuous than an ill or even moderately-fitting MTM or RTW. It's a misconception that bespoke suits are somehow some gaudy shiny garment that will turn heads... in fact, they make you look and feel more relaxed, and for a young guy, it will subtly hint that you know what you're doing.

 

[jeff13007]



Bespoke suits by their nature are the least likely to freak people out, and are in fact less conspicuous than an ill or even moderately-fitting MTM or RTW. It's a misconception that bespoke suits are somehow some gaudy shiny garment that will turn heads... in fact, they make you look and feel more relaxed, and for a young guy, it will subtly hint that you know what you're doing.

They are not gaudy shiny garments that turn heads, but bespoke suits from a good tailor are things of beauty, people will notice the perfectly fitting back, the perfect length, the way the jackets moves with you, etc. But you have to take into account that good custom/bespoke outside of chan in HK (which im not a big fan of personally) will start at about 3400ish

 

[Quadcammer]



, in my earlier years I wore the same bespoke suit everyday for almost 2 years

Thats bloody disgusting. And btw, everybody noticed that you owned only one suit.

OP don't do whatever this guy says.