OT: Buying a suit | Page 2 | The Boneyard

OT: Buying a suit

Chin Diesel said:
If you're in Florida, Dillard's department stores have good selections and tailoring.

Over the weekend, Mrs Diesel, my daughter and myself were talking about some outfits we'd need for an upcoming vacation. All three of us agreed Dillard's is our go to first stop looking for clothing.
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Good to know. I have multiple Dillard's close by. Thanks for the info.
 
Here’s a suit horror story. I need a suit for my nephew’s wedding in Albany New York so I walk into Brooks Brothers at West Farms Mall and they are having a sale. I try one on and it fits nearly perfectly but the waist is a bit tight. They say no problem, small adjustment, they’ll let it out but the alteration won’t be done until late the Friday I’m leaving. After working Friday I rush to the store, pick it up and we start the drive to Albany where there is a dinner we will be late to.
Next day I put on the pants to go to the ceremony and it’s apparent that they didn’t let the waist out but TOOK IT IN. Now I can’t close my pants. Now I’m at a wedding with my pants open.
I’ll spare the details.
Go back to Brooks Brothers and they fixed it but offer no compensation, nothing. Will never go there again.
In the meantime now I can’t find the pants to the suit. They have disappeared! Only explanation is that this suit was cursed by the devil.
Lesson learned, always try on the suit no matter what.
 
Suits were my work uniform for too long. Fit and color worked for me. Macys/Dillards/Lord and Taylor/Joseph Banks were reliable at a decent price/value. Another consideration-Is the suit for biz or family events? Or both? Pleats/no pleats? Cuffs/No cuffs? Tight fit/loose fit? Trends come and go.

Had some biz meetings with a 40ish biz partner employed at a Florida firm-Meetings in Boston/NYC/Saratoga Springs a year or so ago. He never wore anything other than biz casual no matter who we were meeting with. Finance Bro footwear. Board room presentations with attorneys/private bankers/ private equity guys. So I asked him after one of the meetings -When was the last time you wore a tie to a biz meeting? He says-About 10 years ago.
 
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Umami Zen said:
Suits were my work uniform for too long. Fit and color worked for me. Macys/Dillards/Lord and Taylor/Joseph Banks were reliable at a decent price/value. Another consideration-Is the suit for biz or family events? Or both? Pleats/no pleats? Cuffs/No cuffs? Tight fit/loose fit? Trends come and go.

Had some biz meetings with a 40ish biz partner employed at a Florida firm-Meetings in Boston/NYC/Saratoga Springs a year or so ago. He never wore anything other than biz casual no matter who we were meeting with. Finance Bro footwear. Board room presentations with attorneys/private bankers/ private equity guys. So I asked him after one of the meetings -When was the last time you wore a tie to a biz meeting? He says-About 10 years ago.
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I find them archaic, especially ties and leather soled shoes. A vestige of the last century. Ties evolved from napkins. They serve no purpose other than a splash of color. You can do that with shirts or socks. Leather soled shoes were the best we had in 1940, but we have new technologies now. Then there's the wool jacket that is too hot in summer and which is uncomfortable and restricts motion.

A nice collared shirt, well fitting pants that aren't jeans and shoes that aren't sneakers is about as dressy as should ever be necessary. I see the same thing your friend does. I'm in tech, which is more casual still, but even in sales and with execs, you never see ties, the shoes are the modern comfortable kind and jackets are rare.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
Ties evolved from napkins. They serve no purpose other than a splash of color.
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Ties, like a cummerbund, are the best friend of overweight men.

Personally, I always found business clothes to be pretty comfortable, as long as they are well tailored. And a quality men's leather shoe is extraordinarily comfortable, like a slipper. My wife and I occasionally laugh how woman's fashion is uncomfortable. High heels? Ridiculous. Body hugging gowns or dresses? Give me a break. Men got the better end of that deal by a huge margin
 
Fellas, what's stopping you from dressing like this

5e4da589a27fc55b961a2112
 
I was just informed that people are no longer wearing black suits to funerals as much. True?
 
HuskyHawk said:
I find them archaic, especially ties and leather soled shoes. A vestige of the last century. Ties evolved from napkins. They serve no purpose other than a splash of color. You can do that with shirts or socks. Leather soled shoes were the best we had in 1940, but we have new technologies now. Then there's the wool jacket that is too hot in summer and which is uncomfortable and restricts motion.

A nice collared shirt, well fitting pants that aren't jeans and shoes that aren't sneakers is about as dressy as should ever be necessary. I see the same thing your friend does. I'm in tech, which is more casual still, but even in sales and with execs, you never see ties, the shoes are the modern comfortable kind and jackets are rare.
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I hear you. Have new suits hangin' in closet I've never worn
 
CL82 said:
Ties, like a cummerbund, are the best friend of overweight men.

Personally, I always found business clothes to be pretty comfortable, as long as they are well tailored. And a quality men's leather shoe is extraordinarily comfortable, like a slipper. My wife and I occasionally laugh how woman's fashion is uncomfortable. High heels? Ridiculous. Body hugging gowns or dresses? Give me a break. Men got the better end of that deal by a huge margin
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So true. I'm always very comfortable in a suit which is probably due to the fact that I rarely wear them anymore but now I enjoy the experience. My wife, on the other hand always comments that men don't know what women go through to look good. She favors the uncomfortable shoe with the three inch or higher heel. That certainly help explains why multiple women run around in stocking feet at weddings while men keep their shoes on.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
I find them archaic, especially ties and leather soled shoes. A vestige of the last century. Ties evolved from napkins. They serve no purpose other than a splash of color. You can do that with shirts or socks. Leather soled shoes were the best we had in 1940, but we have new technologies now. Then there's the wool jacket that is too hot in summer and which is uncomfortable and restricts motion.

A nice collared shirt, well fitting pants that aren't jeans and shoes that aren't sneakers is about as dressy as should ever be necessary. I see the same thing your friend does. I'm in tech, which is more casual still, but even in sales and with execs, you never see ties, the shoes are the modern comfortable kind and jackets are rare.
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SAS has some nice and comfortable, and very supportive shoes that can be worn on almost any occasion. Good for those with foot problems and good for walking outdoors.

Viyella shirts have some cool patterns that fit for mostly any ocasion.
 
HCCForever said:
Good to know. I have multiple Dillard's close by. Thanks for the info.
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Dillards really is the best option. They run that store like they did things in the good old days. The sales people know what they are talking about, they tailor and they offer a good cross-section of brands so you can get into a decent suit for a reasonable price, but have it properly fitted or you can buy a higher end suit. Beware though, it will cost more than Jos A Bank and the like. Dillards’ after Christmas sales are outrageous if you like good deals on Ralph Lauren and other higher end brands, it is awesome.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, Joseph A Bank is perfectly acceptable. I’ve had a few. I needed a suit while I was traveling about two years ago. I got invited to a wedding that I happened to be in town at the right time for. I had no idea about the event, but ran into some old friends and ended up with an invite. One of my buddies advised me to go to Target and and see if they had Haggar suit separates in stock because he had put a suit together there in a pinch. I was lucky to get a nice blue jacket and pants for under $120 and it fit me pretty well. I got a lot of compliments on it and have used it a couple times since. Nice having a suit you can put a beating on and throw in the washer, especially living in the heat.
 
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jibsey said:
I was just informed that people are no longer wearing black suits to funerals as much. True?
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I dress more nicely for a day at work (shirt, tie, leather-bottom shoes, either a sport coat or quarter zip) than I do to funerals. Last I went to I'm pretty sure I wore a polo shirt.
 
UCTitleTown said:
Has anyone bought a suit recently? I haven't bought one in over 10 years and it's time to get a new one. All of the places I would've gone have closed. Looking for tailoring when buying. Has anyone bought one recently and have any good experiences/recommendations to share? Thanks.
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Valentinos is the best. I’m going tomorrow to have my tix fitted. They have great suits. Connecticut Tailors
 
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Hoophound said:
Dillards really is the best option. They run that store like they did things in the good old days. The sales people know what they are talking about, they tailor and they offer a good cross-section of brands so you can get into a decent suit for a reasonable price, but have it properly fitted or you can buy a higher end suit. Beware though, it will cost more than Jos A Bank and the like. Dillards’ after Christmas sales are outrageous if you like good deals on Ralph Lauren and other higher end brands, it is awesome.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, Joseph A Bank is perfectly acceptable. I’ve had a few. I needed a suit while I was traveling about two years ago. I got invited to a wedding that I happened to be in town at the right time for. I had no idea about the event, but ran into some old friends and ended up with an invite. One of my buddies advised me to go to Target and and see if they had Haggar suit separates in stock because he had put a suit together there in a pinch. I was lucky to get a nice blue jacket and pants for under $120 and it fit me pretty well. I got a lot of compliments on it and have used it a couple times since.
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I get real good use out of Dillard's Travel Smart brand of slacks for work. I mostly work from home but I also have plenty of customer facing time on the road where business casual slacks and polo shirts are the norm. When I'm working customer facing it's a lot of standing and moving and it's real easy for shirts to come loose or untucked. The Travel Smart slacks have the inside elastic to help keep tension and have the triple fastener in front to minimize slacks sliding down, twisting and shirts coming untucked. Bonus is the slacks travel well in a suit case.

I just finished a trip where Day 1 was slacks, polo shirt and a sports coat, and that level of dress fit in perfect. I am very glad to not need a full suit, or even a button up shirts and a tie.
 
husky429 said:
I dress more nicely for a day at work (shirt, tie, leather-bottom shoes, either a sport coat or quarter zip) than I do to funerals. Last I went to I'm pretty sure I wore a polo shirt.
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I consider it a win if no one is wearing NFL gear.
 
HuskyHawk said:
I find them archaic, especially ties and leather soled shoes. A vestige of the last century. Ties evolved from napkins. They serve no purpose other than a splash of color. You can do that with shirts or socks. Leather soled shoes were the best we had in 1940, but we have new technologies now. Then there's the wool jacket that is too hot in summer and which is uncomfortable and restricts motion.

A nice collared shirt, well fitting pants that aren't jeans and shoes that aren't sneakers is about as dressy as should ever be necessary. I see the same thing your friend does. I'm in tech, which is more casual still, but even in sales and with execs, you never see ties, the shoes are the modern comfortable kind and jackets are rare.
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You're in tech. I'm a lawyer. What is considered appropriate is quite different (although among firms and companies in the legal industry people can dress very differently as well).

But beyond that, I have a fundamental disagreement with your take on fashion. They're both opinions. But I consider what I wear and note what others are wearing. And I reject the notion that it's never appropriate to be dressy. What's popular (puffer vests) is often not cool. Zuckerberg used to wear hoodies. I don't care he's rich. He was a bad dresser. Now he gets fashion advice from a stylist and he looks better.

Also, everything is a vestige of something. We could all walk around wearing t-shirts. What do collars do, after all? Why laces on shoes? Let's wear Allbirds. There's nothing wrong with tradition. I think it's cool that people wear tuxedos to special events. It's a connection to the past.

And if we're talking about what looks good, I'll put on a well tailored suit and an Hermes tie and put myself against someone wearing a colored shirt, khakis, and loud socks, and we'll see who looks better.

Also, linen is your friend during the summer! I have some very comfortable linen suits and sport coats. Cotton also.

Pre-COVID, I wore suits 4x a week. Now, it's only when I have have to appear before a judge or I'm taking/defending a deposition--or on rare occasions with new or prospective clients. I certainly don't miss having to wear a suit all the time, but I don't mind when I do.

Just my two cents. The poor suit needs someone to stand up for it.
 
jibsey said:
I was just informed that people are no longer wearing black suits to funerals as much. True?
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Depends on the relationship to the deceased. Typically for someone who's not a close family member I will go with a gray suit and a black pattern tie. Close family member? Black suit, black tie, white shirt, black belt, black shoes.

That's still held up for the funerals I've been to, recently. Too many, sadly.
 
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nomar said:
You're in tech. I'm a lawyer. What is considered appropriate is quite different (although among firms and companies in the legal industry people can dress very differently as well).

But beyond that, I have a fundamental disagreement with your take on fashion. They're both opinions. But I consider what I wear and note what others are wearing. And I reject the notion that it's never appropriate to be dressy. What's popular (puffer vests) is often not cool. Zuckerberg used to wear hoodies. I don't care he's rich. He was a bad dresser. Now he gets fashion advice from a stylist and he looks better.

Also, everything is a vestige of something. We could all walk around wearing t-shirts. What do collars do, after all? Why laces on shoes? Let's wear Allbirds. There's nothing wrong with tradition. I think it's cool that people wear tuxedos to special events. It's a connection to the past.

And if we're talking about what looks good, I'll put on a well tailored suit and an Hermes tie and put myself against someone wearing a colored shirt, khakis, and loud socks, and we'll see who looks better.

Also, linen is your friend during the summer! I have some very comfortable linen suits. Cotton also.

Pre-COVID, I wore suits 4x a week. Now, it's only when I have have to appear before a judge or I'm taking/defending a deposition--or on rare occasions with new or prospective clients. I certainly don't miss having to wear a suit all the time, but I don't mind when I do.

100% my personal views.
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Well, I'm a lawyer in tech. And yes, my required attire has changed from suits all the time, even in KC summer when walking to the courthouse, to super casual in Silicon Valley (shorts were ok if not common) to jackets and ties in suburban Boston to now, just about anything (business casual) if the shirt has a collar (COO regularly wears t-shirts but they are probably $100 t shirts). Sadly I couldn't afford linen suits when I was an associate in KC walking outside in the heat. I do wonder why the unstructured Don Johnson Miami Vice jacket, but with more fitted pants, hasn't come back in style.

But I'd quit tomorrow if they told me I had to wear a jacket and tie again. Allbirds are my dressy shoes, they look nicer than the running shoes I usually wear.

Some of this is possibly just time of life stuff. I simply do not care to impress anyone. Senators, Presidents, CEOs, Judges (I go to breweries with a few of them), don't care. I'm done with that. I was uncomfortable for every minute I ever wore a tie and jacket. Ties are torture devices.
 
I have an interview in Cali next week but they frown on suits. It amazes me how uncommon wearing a suit has become.
 
jibsey said:
Place looks awesome. What does a suit set you back there?
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I just bought a higher-end navy-blue suit there for ~$800 but there are less and more expensive options. I figured if Im only going to have one suit, it may as well be really nice.
 
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