Let's talk suits...

I've used these people for my last couple of suits: http://www.kingandallen.co.uk/

bespoke suits, your fittings are in the UK (their head office is near my house) but the suits are couriered back and forth to Asia for talioring which keeps the prices down. I have a couple of overcoats from them too. My last suit was double breasted, me and Prince Charles keeping it old school.
 
Nix said:
Being the commoner I am, I haven't had much use for suits lately but due to recent events (namely upcoming weddings) I feel it's probably time to give myself an education.

Where is a good place to buy a suit from and what is a typical budget?

Earlier today I bought a very nice wool suit (blazer and trousers) for job interviews and weddings in sale from Moss, for about £200. The belt, shirt and ties were obviously additional and it came to a total of £299, which obviously isn't to be sniffed at.

I've since been informed that dry-cleaning deteriorates the clothing quite quickly? This information obviously makes me want to wear the suit less frequently which is slightly counter-productive to owning it in the first place!

Are there any tips for keeping a suit long-lasting? Indeed, what do you tend to purchase for your everyday business attire? Rather than 'expensive' wool suits, is it better to go for something machine washable for example?

As you can see, I'm just generally lost in the dark here. Any light is appreciated! :)
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Debenhams, Debenhams, Debenhams http://www.debenhams.com/men/suits-t...&storeId=10001

  • Jeff Banks Stvdio
  • St. George by Duffer
  • Jasper Conran
All three makes fit me like a glove (im slim, 36R) and actually have a relatively tailored look... for the money (theyre always in the sales) you cant beat them imo, and they look much better than the dross you get from Moss Bros et al. Get an extra pair of trousers, you'll thank yourself in the long run.

Always buy wool, never buy Polyester, and NEVER buy a suit from River Island or Top Man, or you risk burning in the fires of hell for all eternity.

kaffe said:
I'm operations so although I don't have anything to do with the design of the clothes, I put them in the right place and make them look appealing to customers.

And on the till sometimes, lol.
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Ahh, so you work in retail then. Putting clothes on rails, and sometimes on the till. You fashion mogul you. :p
 
Minimum spend for a suit Jacket £150, Trousers £50, Shoes £70, Shirt £50.

Quality speaks for itself, worked for a suit company that did the suits for Burtons and Debenhams they where £80-£150 a suit and they where crap. M&S, Moss bros, Suits 4 you etc are the places to go, dont skimp on a suit, and wear it as much as you can :)

PS always get 2 pairs of trousers.

EDIT

just seen a post above about Debenhams suits, yes to the designers no to Debenhams own.

If you can afford it

http://www.asuitthatfits.com/shop/index.php

Im saving for a custom suit :D
 
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I wear a suit every day so I tend to buy cheap as I am always on my knees (yes - lol) I spend around £15 on some trousers from Matalan :eek: then wear them to death. Normally last a year or so (dont wear one over summer). Jackets I just buy one that matches the trousers (again Matalan/Tesco) for cheap £20 -£30.

Fashion is not important at all to me, comfort and wear is. I hate the thought of coming to work in a £200 suit just to get it dirty in the first hour and a half.

I do have 2 nice suits (thin/summer one and thick/winter one) they were around £150 each from River Island as they were the best fitting. That included 2 pairs of matching trousers for each Jacket.

Shirts I replace annually with M&S/Debenhams semi cheap ones. But sometimes get me mum to buy some for Birthday/Xmas.

Ties I have around 50 :D:D I pick a different one each day as long as it matches the shirt.
 
Richdog said:
Did you read the OP and his budget requirements? No, I thought not.
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Yes, but I flagrantly disregarded it so you could all know how sophisticated I am... :rolleyes:

Since other people have mentioned bespoke suits in this thread I thought it might be of use to some, that okay with you Adolph?
 
It's not just about fashion. Can you imagine the working conditions and rates of pay for Tesco or Matalan to sell a suit jacket for £20? I used to work for DAKS when they were contracted to supply M&S with suits, jackets and trousers. Even here in the UK I was shocked at how hard the women worked.
 
If you can still get the suit you purchased, I'd go back and get a second pair of trousers, since they will wear and the jacket won't. That way you can continue to enjoy your suit for a very long time.

I had always worn off the rack suits, but for my wedding in June I decided to have one tailored for me and the best men. We had a relaxed wedding, so I got a lounge suit tailored, and honestly, a properly tailored suit that has been designed to fit you is honestly something else. I can't describe how well it fits and how good I feel when I wear it. I purchased a really high quality material supplied by Holland & Sherry on Savile Row in London, and was measured and fitted for the suit in York. Took about a week and a half and then we had our suits. Purchased an extra pair of trousers so the suit will last me a long time. I now wear it to work everyday, and one of my best men wears his too and loves it. I am going to go back and get another made next year.

It was expensive as a one-off, but 100% worth it. Definitely give a tailored suit a try. You won't regret it :)
 
sicknote said:
It's not just about fashion. Can you imagine the working conditions and rates of pay for Tesco or Matalan to sell a suit jacket for £20?
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I appreciate what you are saying however at the rate I wear my suits it would not be worth working if I bought a really nice one. Especially as I machine wash them every week. Dry cleaning would "clean" me out completely.

Also I watched a doc a few months ago, had to lol as the cheap £10 matalan stuff (jeans in the case I watched) was made in the same factory as the £200 "designer" jeans.

Hand made/tailored might be the only way to be "safe".
 
Another vote for M&S, they do quite a nice range of slim fit stuff as well. I find that a lot of off the shelf stuff seems to expect you to have a massive gut.
 
I picked up a couple of Reiss suits for 198 quid each when I was back in London last month. Had a few M&S suits when I used to live there & found they fell apart after a few months.
 
Which shops will adjust it for you? I often find suits are tight across my back. I'm looking to spend around £300 without shoes.

Also, is it true that some designer suits are rebranded cheap ones (like Matalan)?
 
Skidder said:
I've used these people for my last couple of suits: http://www.kingandallen.co.uk/

bespoke suits, your fittings are in the UK (their head office is near my house) but the suits are couriered back and forth to Asia for talioring which keeps the prices down. I have a couple of overcoats from them too. My last suit was double breasted, me and Prince Charles keeping it old school.
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Very interesting and bookmarked that myself thanks
 
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