Need a suit but clueless about them

Associate
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London(ish)
Defo don't go super cheap if you can afford not to. I'd look at places that specialise in formal clothing like TM Lewin (if you can find a physical store, as they've gone pretty much online exclusively), Charles Tyrwitt (never bought a suit from them but have a few overcoats which have been decent) or Moss Bros. Boss is my personal choice for suits, mainly because they fit me pretty well off the peg which is definitely not the case with most places. That brings me to the most important point - any suit will look rubbish if it doesn't fit well. A good shop will help you with fitting and offer alterations. If hiring then the shop will do all the fitting anyway.
 
Soldato
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(do cheap ones look cheap)

Yes. A good suit is an investment and will last you decades. So get a decent one and have it tailored to fit you. Speak to your prospective sons-in-law and find out where they buy their suits. Then you have an excuse for a couple of trips to London.

my youngest's wedding must be pushing 30k now

:eek: :eek: :eek:

There's something wrong there.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Sep 2007
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4,621
I know nothing about suits but i need one for my daughters summer weddings both this year.
material ,is it best to avoid synthetics and get woollen ones ? (do cheap ones look cheap)
any good retail outlets ? been to tk max next and m&s so far
or online maybe ?
also is it better to have jacket a different colour to trousers ?
confused in Cornwall

I am far from a weddings expert, but FWIW, I say get a little guidance from your daughter re colour, so it's going to fit in with her vision. For a summer wedding I would generally say lighter colours are more popular, so probably a mid-grey or lighter grey.

The main benefits of synthetics is that they are cheaper, and if they are full polyester, you can put them in the washing machine instead of with woolen or wool polyester mix where you have to get them dry cleaned. However, a lot of polyester suits can look "cheap", as they don't sit as well as wool, and can have a rough texture. However, a few polyester suits do not look cheap, and M&S is the place to find these in my experience. Otherwise, if you aren't going to wear the suit every day, you can spend a bit more and get wool or wool mix, which are usually a bit "posher" suits.

You can often find independent menswear shops that have quite a nice range of suits, if you are prepared to spend a little more than in department stores, and you will get more assistance and advice, if that's what you want.
 
Man of Honour
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Yes. A good suit is an investment and will last you decades. So get a decent one and have it tailored to fit you. Speak to your prospective sons-in-law and find out where they buy their suits. Then you have an excuse for a couple of trips to London.



:eek: :eek: :eek:

There's something wrong there.
The "average" wedding these days is over £20k iirc
 

Deleted member 651465

D

Deleted member 651465

20k average price for a wedding?!? How are people affording that
We paid over £30k for ours. It was NYE, so things cost a bit more than normal but it’s surprising how quickly things add up.

Cars
Photographer
Venue

…you don’t get much change out of £5k. Then you’ve got the dress (call it £1200), the rings (£1000)…. You get the point.

We both contributed and saved like crazy for 2 years. Was it mental? Yes. Could it be done cheaper? Yes… but it was amazing and I wouldn’t change it.

On the subject of suits, I had a made-to-measure suit and it is light years beyond anything you’d get in Asda. Please don’t go to a supermarket if you’re father of the bride :cry:
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Jul 2010
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3,098
Given it's your daughter's wedding you probably don't want to go down the cheap route.

You can get something mid range from TM Lewin or Charles Tyrwhitt I'd say.
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Oct 2004
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5,797
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London, NW1
If you are on good terms with your future son in law you can always ask if he will be wearing a morning suit (will appeal to his London class) or if not whether alternatively the gentlemen will be wearing suits of a particular colour.

if not on good terms with him ask your daughter these questions.

Hold off buying it until you find out. Unless you’re going to Savile Row you can get a suit off the peg and adjusted within a fortnight.

Recommended for modest Budget:
M&S or Charles Tyrwhitt. Both will do you a smart suit and it can be adjusted to your measurements. You don’t have to pay more than a couple or a few hundred quid all in for a three piece.

Much will depend on what stores you have on offer and what your body shape is like. Boss and Armani nice for the slimmer builds at a higher price point.

Reiss are decent enough.


Even if you don’t do any of this just one piece of advice-
If it is within your means, please do not buy an Asda suit or supermarket suit. Also do not hire one from Moss. They are the pits and if you will wear a suit one more time in your life by then you’ll have spent enough to buy a new one on a budget which will be far better quality.

I just hope generic blue suit and brown shoes isn’t the plan :(
 
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