NEW MEMBER INQUIRIES & QUICK QUESTIONS- CLASSIC MENSWEAR: WK OF APR 20, 2015

[Murlsquirl]

New SF member and not sure where to find the answer you're looking for? Have a quick question that doesn't belong in a current thread? Welcome, you found the right place.

This is a weekly thread where new users can ask quick questions and get a solid answer. If a thread already exists that would be more helpful, we will point you in the right direction. The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked.....so ask away!

 

[MarvinsG]

I am going to purchase some fabric for my new suits. As I am about 5'8'' tall, what will be the proper length for a three piece suit. I've heard that a two piece suit is about 3.5 meters. Is 4 meters enough for a 3 piece or more?

 

[Murlsquirl]



I am going to purchase some fabric for my new suits. As I am about 5'8'' tall, what will be the proper length for a three piece suit. I've heard that a two piece suit is about 3.5 meters. Is 4 meters enough for a 3 piece or more?

Welcome to the forum, Marvin. It should be enough, but I would reccomend asking the tailor you're going to use. Differences in how the suit is cut can require some tailors to need more and others less. Best of luck.

 

[shmaltz]

Can anyone reccomend a quality wool pant that is slim but not glued to the leg? I've been shopping around and all I can find are pants that are either to wide or too slim. One pair I found was the Zara basic pant which fit pretty good but the quality was inferior. I'm looking at prices around $70. So where do you get your pants?

 

[Murlsquirl]



Can anyone reccomend a quality wool pant that is slim but not glued to the leg? I've been shopping around and all I can find are pants that are either to wide or too slim. One pair I found was the Zara basic pant which fit pretty good but the quality was inferior. I'm looking at prices around $70. So where do you get your pants?

Welcome to the forum, shmaltz. Check out Spier and Mackay. You can get some of their trousers on sale for around that price. I don't have any experience with, but I've seen and heard good things about them on the forum. Otherwise, the only other brand close to that price would be Lands End. You'd probably want to try their tailored fit. Best of luck.

 

[Production]

Hi, new to StyleForum.

I was originally looking for a pair of Gucci loafers but was told that the premium is for the brand and not necessarily quality, so I took a look on Macy's and found the Stacy Adams Carville. The design impresses me but I was wondering if the quality would be lacking since they're quite cheap $75-100.

I normally wear Timberland's due to the comfort and buy them on a biyearly basis, but these loafers would be used, on average, 10 to 50 times per year. So I was hoping to get three years of use out of them and buy two pairs for when they are ready to be thrown out.

Also, if I were to spend $500+ on a pair of shoes, would it be recommended to have them custom made and tailored to size by my local shoemaker rather than buying a brand-name?

 

[Murlsquirl]

Hi, new to StyleForum.

I was originally looking for a pair of Gucci loafers but was told that the premium is for the brand and not necessarily quality, so I took a look on Macy's and found the Stacy Adams Carville. The design impresses me but I was wondering if the quality would be lacking since they're quite cheap $75-100.

I normally wear Timberland's due to the comfort and buy them on a biyearly basis, but these loafers would be used, on average, 10 to 50 times per year. So I was hoping to get three years of use out of them and buy two pairs for when they are ready to be thrown out.

Also, if I were to spend $500+ on a pair of shoes, would it be recommended to have them custom made and tailored to size by my local shoemaker rather than buying a brand-name?

Welcome to the forum, Production. The quality is on par with the price for those shoes....cheap. You can spend less than $500 and get a quality pair of shoes...Carmina is a good option: http://www.skoaktiebolaget.se/collections/carmina. If that is too much, there are plenty of other quality options on a budget, Loake being one of them.

 

[Gancini]

All,

Just found and purchased a black Samuelsohn Performance "Gable" suit for $289. Sleeves are a little long and have to have the pants tailored, but was this a good deal?

Just to get an idea - if I were to have the sleeves shortened how much should that cost?

Thanks!

 

[Murlsquirl]



All,

Just found and purchased a black Samuelsohn Performance "Gable" suit for $289.  Sleeves are a little long and have to have the pants tailored, but was this a good deal?

Just to get an idea - if I were to have the sleeves shortened how much should that cost?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum, G. I have to be honest, black was not a good choice unless it is for evening or formal wear. Navy or grey would have been a better choice.

Having sleeves shortened will vary depending on the tailor...I've paid anywhere from $20-40.

 

[HansderHund]



Hi, new to StyleForum.

I was originally looking for a pair of Gucci loafers but was told that the premium is for the brand and not necessarily quality, so I took a look on Macy's and found the Stacy Adams Carville. The design impresses me but I was wondering if the quality would be lacking since they're quite cheap $75-100.

I normally wear Timberland's due to the comfort and buy them on a biyearly basis, but these loafers would be used, on average, 10 to 50 times per year. So I was hoping to get three years of use out of them and buy two pairs for when they are ready to be thrown out.

Also, if I were to spend $500+ on a pair of shoes, would it be recommended to have them custom made and tailored to size by my local shoemaker rather than buying a brand-name?

To repeat what has been said, yes, they're likely going to be cheaply/poorly made. Going from Gucci loafers to Stacy Adams is a pretty big jump and there is plenty in between. Carmina is a good start and Loake is also a great value (price:quality) option. You can also go with a US maker such as Allen Edmonds, which is often recommended across the board. If you can narrow your budget down a bit to a number you'd be comfortable spending, we can point you in the right direction.

A couple of other things to consider:

A blake/Goodyear welted shoe can be resoled. This does not necessarily put the price on par with some of the sub $100 shoes over time, but something to consider. You won't necessarily need to throw away those $200-500 shoes after they've been worn for a couple of years.

Buying a couple of pairs that you like at one time is a great idea. Instead of wearing one continuously and then moving on to the next pair, you may be able to get a bit more life out of the two pairs of shoes by rotating them. This gives one pair a chance to take a break while you wear the other.

Shoe care can do loads to extend the life of a pair. Much like basic car maintenance, a few simple steps of preventative maintenance can go a long way. Such things as investing in some shoe trees and polishing your shoes will really extend their life and usability. Many on here don't think of shoes with a "throw-away" mentality.

All,

Just found and purchased a black Samuelsohn Performance "Gable" suit for $289.  Sleeves are a little long and have to have the pants tailored, but was this a good deal?

Just to get an idea - if I were to have the sleeves shortened how much should that cost?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum, G. I have to be honest, black was not a good choice unless it is for evening or formal wear. Navy or grey would have been a better choice.

Having sleeves shortened will vary depending on the tailor...I've paid anywhere from $20-40.

Agree on pricing, but you'll see a considerable range depending on tailors. There is a difference between a tailor and someone that does alterations. Make sure the chosen person is capable of doing the job you require. Differences in price will also be seen in the method used to shorten the sleeves. I assume you would be going from the cuff, which is simpler and therefore cheaper. I pay a bit more than @Murlsquirl, but my tailor bills by time rather than a job (which is odd).

I've paid considerably more to have sleeves shortened at the shoulder. This required removing the sleeve entirely. More complicated and can lead to other issues, but a competent tailor will tell you when/if it is advisable. I have done this when taking from the cuff would mean an issue running into buttons on the sleeve.

 

[SimpleStyle]

Greetings,

I have almost no need for a suit. My profession is casual contemporary styling. My body also changes size every 4-6 months. I gain weight, I lose weight, I bulk up, I slim down.
It feels like every time I have to wear a suit to an event, I have to buy a new suit.

My question is, is there any difference between buying a "Black Suit" and going to a store like Theory and buying a black jacket in the same color and material as their black slacks and calling it a suit?

Are suits cut differently than jacket + pants? Or is it pretty much the same thing?

Thanks.

 

[Murlsquirl]

Greetings,

I have almost no need for a suit. My profession is casual contemporary styling. My body also changes size every 4-6 months. I gain weight, I lose weight, I bulk up, I slim down.
It feels like every time I have to wear a suit to an event, I have to buy a new suit.

My question is, is there any difference between buying a "Black Suit" and going to a store like Theory and buying a black jacket in the same color and material as their black slacks and calling it a suit?

Are suits cut differently than jacket + pants? Or is it pretty much the same thing?

Thanks.

Welcome to the forum, Simple Style. To answer your question, yes, there is a difference. Some brands sell "suit separates", but other than that, doing what you are suggesting is not ideal. There will be differences in fabric/color and it will likely be noticeable.

What's the black suit for? Formal and/or evening wear?

 

[SimpleStyle]

Thanks

It's for a wedding party.

That is why I'm suggesting that companies like Theory, which specifically make matching pants and jackets... Same fabric and colors..
Is that not a suit?

 

[Murlsquirl]

Thanks

It's for a wedding party.

That is why I'm suggesting that companies like Theory, which specifically make matching pants and jackets... Same fabric and colors..
Is that not a suit?

If it's the same fabric, then they are suit separates.

 

[Ladders]

Hello All,

I am new to the forum and have come to you looking for some advice in purchasing my second suit... that is worth admitting to... now that I have a couple years of gainful employment under my belt since getting my degree. Although most of my work is behind a desk, working in an engineering field it is still a bad idea to wear a suit to work, so my suits will not see daily use. That said, I would still relish opportunities to wear them.

An obviously important factor to consider is that I am overweight, not comically fat, but it is evident from looking at me that my waist size is closer to my height than is healthy.

I bought my first suit... that is worth admitting to... off the rack for my graduation from university, it is a wool-polyester blend (I didn't go for the cheapest option, my size forces certain compromises) but mostly wool and the synthetic content is not obvious on close inspection unless you're well-acquainted with wool. It's a plain charcoal grey single breasted three piece. The jacket has two buttons, notched lapels, a central vent, flap pockets and three sleeve buttons. The waistcoat has 5 buttons and a welted pockets. The fit is decent but not ideal, the shoulders could be better.

Buying off the rack and getting it tailored is not really an option for my second suit; the material quality in larger suits seems to have taken a nose dive since I got my first suit... that is worth admitting to... and for the same price I'd be lucky to find anything with even 40% wool. So I have been looking into made-to-measure and have found a company I have a reasonable amount of confidence in; an existing company selling with actual stores, hiring and altering suits off the rack, with no polyester or fused jackets to be seen, the reviews online are mostly positive and there is a distinct lack of customer service representatives leaping on every single forum discussing their products.

I visited one of their stores today to discuss the options, and a pure wool half canvassed three piece suit made to measure will cost twice as much as my first suit... that is worth admitting to... so I've made an appointment to be measured for next week. Assuming my cheapskate instincts don't kick in and I back out, I was thinking of getting something similar to my first suit... that is worth admitting to... obviously in pure wool this time, navy blue with peaked lapels and maybe jetted pockets.

To those of you kind enough to indulge my ramblings this far, thank you. Do you have any advice for me? Any thoughts on the planned suits styling? Any other comments you feel like expressing? With the obvious exceptions of "lose weight" or "save up and go bespoke".