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travelergypsy

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 15, 2016
246
0
I have been toying with the idea of getting my first suit for a long time now. My issue is money, rather the lack thereof. What are some quality suits for an affordable price? I know there's going to have to be some give and take on the quality the lower the price goes. I just want to get an idea of some place to start; and given the quality of gentleman on this forum, I figured I would inquire here.

 

jefff

Lifer
May 28, 2015
1,915
6
Chicago
I have 2 suits I got them both at Jos A Banks.
They probably wouldn't stand up to dayley use but for the 4-8 times a year I need a suit they are fine. The reason I have 2 is because it was buy 1 get 1 free.
The most important thing is the fit. Take them to a taylor and spend a few bucks on serious alterations.

 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,092
11,008
Southwest Louisiana
Travel guy if there is a Goodwill by you scout it out. My wife dresses the old guys for the nurseing home she does hair at. It's for Pagents, dances and they have some really nice men's clothes that are donated , some are brand new. Check it out.

 

gmjabsky

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 3, 2015
152
0
I have suits from both the recommended Macy's sale and Jos A Banks. They are great.
If you're like me and "extra medium" you can sometimes find thrift shop deals. If you're well dressed and dead, you only need one suit

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
Good luck, my friend. The only suit I'll be wearing this scorching summer is a guayabera and chinos!

 

winton

Lifer
Oct 20, 2010
2,318
771
I still fit in the charcoal grey suit, I bought shortly after getting married almost 25 years ago. Since it is only worn to weddings in funerals, it last a long time. I used to use it each month to serve communion, but our church has changed policy.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
Brad is spot on. I gave 12 suits to GoodWill that cost me $800 each. Pick a good zip code and check them out. Jos. A. Banks deals sound good until the tailoring and other stuff comes into play. My wife dragged me their because they had a deal on 3 suits for the price of one. $2,000 later I left the store in a daze.

Men's Warehouse is another outlet worth looking at if they are in your area.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
There are some strategies required in each of these recommendations. Goodwill moves higher quality items fairly quickly, so you have to stop by every week or two for a month or two, maybe, to catch something that's good quality. You might hit it the first visit, or it might take you several. Then I'd have it dry cleaned. But examine it thoroughly, and have it hemmed or taken in a little as needed. Some re-sale shops have low prices but are more selective with their inventory, so you may have a better chance of finding something higher quality.
Department stores have great sales, but you have to catch the old season. Summer suits will go on sale after July 4, and you can often get them half price. Likewise, winter suits go on sale after New Years, but on even deeper discounts in February.
I like J. Banks, but I'd buy only on sale, and be careful about the two-fer or three-fer sales. You usually end up paying approximately the cost of that number of suits on sale; that is, the prices are set to you don't get as good a deal as you'd expect.
Goodwill is the best deal, but you'll have to work at it, probably in repeated visits. Don't get anything that is conspicuously outdated. Check out all zippers, buttons, and make sure the lining is in good repair. Sometimes a sports jacket is a better workaround than a suit, unless you need it for weddings or funerals; today they even work for those, since people show up in chinos and sports shirts these days -- you'll look dressy in comparison.

 

jmatt

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 25, 2014
770
74
What do you need a suit for, and how often will you be wearing it? Know your size, and don't be afraid of ebay.

 

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
I've been putting off the new suit thing for quite a while. I'm going to try out Goodwill. There are several of them in my area. My wife is a huge buyer/donator of skirts from them.

 

iamn8

Lifer
Sep 8, 2014
4,248
14
Moody, AL
I'm a poor snob... I've purchased a few Armani suits used for a couple hundred per that are in absolutely perfect condition.

 

gtrhtr

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 2, 2016
224
3
I buy all my suits at Brooks Brothers. If they didn't exist, I'd get most of them from Jos. A Banks. Plan b would be to hit the outlet mall.

 

dochudson

Lifer
May 11, 2012
1,635
12
A $200 suit correctly tailored will look and feel much better than a sloppy $1k suit.
IMO, if the suit's duty is weddings, funerals and church.. go black or charcoal. 2 or 3 button depends on your height and waist.

 

dochudson

Lifer
May 11, 2012
1,635
12
A $200 suit correctly tailored will look and feel much better than a sloppy $1k suit.
IMO, if the suit's duty is weddings, funerals and church.. go black or charcoal. 2 or 3 button depends on your height and waist.

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
"2 or 3 button depends on your height and waist."
Ditto. I'm just above average height and I wouldn't think of going with three buttons. Two buttons are more "standard" in any case, if that matters to you. Is this for a job or for interviews? Go with two buttons unless you're ridiculously tall. Even then, go with two buttons if it's your only suit.

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,270
4,261
Don't know if they have one near you but I went to K&G Fashion Superstore in New Orleans last September to buy the suit I wore for my daughter's wedding. I found a name brand designer suit on sale at the time for $125 and the only alteration needed was hemming the pants. I think they have 3 locations in the Houston area.

 
May 3, 2010
6,423
1,461
Las Vegas, NV
I'd suggest hitting the outlet malls. You're guaranteed quality work at a better price point.
I got a really nice three piece suit from Kenneth Cole for right around $200 at the local outlet mall.
Another option is TJ Maxx. I see A LOT of dress slacks and blazers in there at very reasonable prices. We're talking Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, etc. slacks for around $30 and blazers for around $75. The benefit there is you can use them multiple times/ways. Grey slacks go very nicely with a navy blue blazer aside from a matching grey blazer.

 
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