Suit Input

[greenrebellion]

I’ve read through a bunch of old threads on suits, and have gotten many of my questions answered. My situation is this, I’ll be moving to the Midwest (read cold winters) in a few months and working to obtain a job in the Banking industry. Banking attire is generally conservative and for the most part I’ll be wearing white dress shirts (boring).

The only suits I own I bought right out of college, they are ill fitting, and are low quality, so I need to obtain 2 suits to start off with in the coming months and then I can add more as the finances permit. I’m fairly confident that good starting color choices would be a gray (somewhere between mid and charcoal) and a dark navy suit and at least for the first one I’ll be doing MTM from a reputable source so I have a good sense of what a good fitting suit looks like. But beyond that, I’m lost…so here are my questions.

1) For my first two suits should I stick with plain or get pinstripes. Are pinstripes a lot less versatile?
2) Fabric/weave patterns has really thrown me for a loop, Sharkskin, Worsted, Tweed, Nailhead and I’m sure many others that I’m not sure about. Since initially my budget doesn’t have a ton of room, what are the fabrics/weave patterns that I should stick to that will be conservative and able to survive all seasons.
3) Lapel size – I’m fairly slender, so I want to stick on the narrow side here without straying too far from conservative. Does a 2.5” lapel sound like it would work fairly well here? I know that to a large degree this is personal preference, but just want to see if I’m in the ballpark of reasonable.
4) Is a mid grey suit appropriate for interviews in this industry? Or should I do the Navy suit first to make sure I’m ready for interviews?
5) Since I'm on a budget, at least in the early going, could the suit jacket double as a blazer in the early going or is that a big fashion violation. They'd most likely be worn in completely different occasions so there wouldn't be a mixed audience so to speak.

 

[Quadcammer]

4. Navy first
1. with only two suits, get plain
2. 100% worsted wool only for the first one or two Super 120s/130s should be able right
3. I prefer a 3" lapel really


I would not do made to measure if you have no clue how the suit should fit. I say get a decent OTR suit from a place like Nordstrom rack, saks off fifth, Neiman last call, etc and have it tailored. Wear that for a bit, figure out what you like and don't like, and then get a MTM. especially if you are on a budget.

 

[GBR]



I’ve read through a bunch of old threads on suits, and have gotten many of my questions answered. My situation is this, I’ll be moving to the Midwest (read cold winters) in a few months and working to obtain a job in the Banking industry. Banking attire is generally conservative and for the most part I’ll be wearing white dress shirts (boring).

The only suits I own I bought right out of college, they are ill fitting, and are low quality, so I need to obtain 2 suits to start off with in the coming months and then I can add more as the finances permit. I’m fairly confident that good starting color choices would be a gray (somewhere between mid and charcoal) and a dark navy suit and at least for the first one I’ll be doing MTM from a reputable source so I have a good sense of what a good fitting suit looks like. But beyond that, I’m lost…so here are my questions.

1) For my first two suits should I stick with plain or get pinstripes. Are pinstripes a lot less versatile?
2) Fabric/weave patterns has really thrown me for a loop, Sharkskin, Worsted, Tweed, Nailhead and I’m sure many others that I’m not sure about. Since initially my budget doesn’t have a ton of room, what are the fabrics/weave patterns that I should stick to that will be conservative and able to survive all seasons.
3) Lapel size – I’m fairly slender, so I want to stick on the narrow side here without straying too far from conservative. Does a 2.5” lapel sound like it would work fairly well here? I know that to a large degree this is personal preference, but just want to see if I’m in the ballpark of reasonable.
4) Is a mid grey suit appropriate for interviews in this industry? Or should I do the Navy suit first to make sure I’m ready for interviews?
5) Since I'm on a budget, at least in the early going, could the suit jacket double as a blazer in the early going or is that a big fashion violation. They'd most likely be worn in completely different occasions so there wouldn't be a mixed audience so to speak.

If you have read so many threads then you will surely ubderstand the wisdom here about colours/patterns for small wardrobes and also orphan coats from suits?

 

[Bowtiedlad93]



4. Navy first
1. with only two suits, get plain
2. 100% worsted wool only for the first one or two Super 120s/130s should be able right
3. I prefer a 3" lapel really


I would not do made to measure if you have no clue how the suit should fit. I say get a decent OTR suit from a place like Nordstrom rack, saks off fifth, Neiman last call, etc and have it tailored. Wear that for a bit, figure out what you like and don't like, and then get a MTM. especially if you are on a budget.

+1

 

[hellodocks]

Second Quadcammer about the OTR before MTM. Get a midrange one first before going MTM, use that for your interviews, and when you pull a job (but haven't started working yet) go ahead and get the MTM so you can start work with a bit of depth to your wardrobe. For fabrics, look for either worsted or something in the range of Super 120s or 130s, as mentioned above.

I am in finance as well and wear a 2.5" lapel, quite a slender frame as you mention you have as well. I say own it. If you're confident in it, that's what counts. Remember it's often tasteful to keep your tie width pretty proportionate to your lapel width, I generally wear 2.75" width and rarely over 3".

You will be fine in either color for interviews. At all my superdays, there were kids in plain navy, grays, and charcoal, along with pinstripe, pindot, birdseye, and even a sharkskin (some kid from Yale wearing Boss if I recall correctly). I was so poor at the time I was wearing a monstrosity, an OTR Calvin Klein suit separates black herringbone that wasn't even 100% wool (absolutely broke and 18/19 at the time) ... and I was one who got an offer. At the end of the day as long as you look presentable without giving them reason to question you, you'll be judged more on your interview than your appearance; simply don't give them reason to rule you out for your wardrobe choice.