What makes for a nice suit?

[Monkeyleg]

While I've never had the need to wear an expensive suit, I've always been able to identify one.

Problem is, I don't know what it is about the suit that makes it look good.

Cheap suits are obvious.

But what is it about $2000 suits that makes them stand out? There's something about them, but I just can't quantify it.

I buy my daily sportcoats at Goodwill for $8 apiece. They're going to get stained or torn on the job, so I can't justify spending more.

My one quality suit is a silk blend that's about twenty years old. If I were to buy it today, it would cost nearly $1000. But it still doesn't have the panache that an Armani or other suit does.

So, what makes the differerence?

[charby]

I spend between $200 and $500 for suits. I only have to wear a suit less than a dozen times a year. My latest suit is a Ralph Lauren gray pinstripe I bought for $300 on sale and spent about $100 in tailoring.

What makes a suit look great is a tailor that knows what they hell they are doing, a good tailor can make a $400 suit look like a $1000.

-C

[Manedwolf]

Good tailor, good material. And good construction of the suit itself. The pants should be lined inside so they move with you, not hang and wrinkle. Definitely tailoring, a tailor that knows what they're doing can make anyone, of any form, look like a million bucks.

My personal favorite is a sleek Italian silk/wool blend that isn't ever too warm, and though tapered for form, also conceals a vertical shoulder holster invisibly.

Anything synthetic will look cheap, no matter what. 

My favorite formal coat for serious cold in business attire is a vintage black wool opera coat with silk lining, a heavy greatcoat, really, made in 1916 by a tailor in Grand Central Station, NYC. (I found the thing in a thrift store in mint condition.) Every single stitch is perfectly aligned. All done by hand, all done flawlessly. It must have been a very, very expensive rich man's coat back then. I don't think you could find anyone to make anything like that for less than a few thousand at least, today.

That, and don't neglect the shoes. Good Italian shoes vs. outlet shoes can make or break the look of a suit.

[Monkeyleg]

"That, and don't neglect the shoes."

Oh, I hear you on that one. My dress shoes are all Allen Edmonds. Not the factory tent-sale seconds, but the first-quality. And I give them loving attention.

Years ago, I found a great tailor. He's taken that old suit of mine and adjusted it a zillion times as my waist has grown or shrunk.

Several years ago I did a trade-out (photography for clothing) with a men's store that sells high-end clothing. Maybe it's time for me to cut a deal with them again.

Maybe I'm thinking about this because I did a location shoot at a law office on Friday. The owner of the firm was wearing a really tasteful pin-striped suit. Very subtle pin stripes on an almost black suit. He brought along a bag of ties, all of them top-quality silk. Very classy.

Folks, I ain't getting any younger. And I sure am not getting rich.

Back in the 1970's, I did well by dressing to the nines.

The best I can hope for today is to dress respectably.

Or, as I describe it to the people who knew me then and know me now: back in the 1970's,  I tried to look like Rod Stewart; the best I can do today is to look like Richard Nixon.

[El Tejon]

Threadcount and tailoring.  Heck, even suits from S&K or Men's Warehouse look decent if you take them to get fitted by a tailor who knows what he is doing.  My "office suits" are exactly that, suits from sales at S&K or Joseph Banks.

Not only fit, but you have to know what you look good in.  I am told I look better in charcoal gray, thus I have more than one charcoal gray suit.  I stick with Civil War colors--blue and gray.  I have a black suit for funerals and weddings but do not have it in the rotation.

Be wary of trendy colors, e.g. that awful green color or that khaki tan that was big a few years ago.  One of my friends is African-American and tall and lean.  He may be the only person in the world who looks good in that olive green suit!

I'm a big Hickey Freeman fan.  Wall Street Journal had an article on suits last year (IIRC in September) and they rated very high.

Hickey Freeman:  http://www.hickeyfreeman.com/website/dept.asp?s%5Fid=1&dept%5Fid=4088&WT%2Esvl=deptnav2

[grislyatoms]

El Tejon is exactly right. I haven't had to buy a suit in years, but when I did need one, I went to the men's department at Montgomery Wards. I would ask the guy there to set me up with a "classic business look" suit, and that's what I got. Every one suited me well

[TMM]

I've recently started enjoying wearing sport coats here and there, but i've never let go of enough money for a good coat, hah! but the kids at school don't know the difference. one of my friends thought my $16 polyester coat was tweed.

Goodwill can be great for cheap finds. my uncle found a suede jacket there for about $20. i found a great leather sportcoat there, but the sleeves were just *this much* too short... ah well.

~tmm

[280plus]

Usually a little guy in Hong Kong will but bring your own thread. 

[CAnnoneer]

Good points above. I'd add that selecting a matching shirt and tie is the other half of the battle. Even the best suit will lose its effect if the shirt/tie are out of place or of poor quality.

Btw, I got these Bostonian shoes that look very nice but the hard leather is viciously chafing the sides of my heels. Any ideas how to break in the damned things without ruining them or ripping my skin off?

[Matthew Carberry]

Swing on over to my other haunt thefedoralounge.com and get the skinny from the pros.

It's all about fit and the details.  One thing I've noticed is a lot of guys find suits uncomfortable because they've never had a good one fitted properly.

Today's suits are cut to look good standing still with your arms at your sides, as most people take their coats off as soon as they get inside (due to central heating).  That's also why most suits are made out of fairly light fabrics that just don't drape as nicely, who needs a heavy wool suit when you are going from a heated car to a heated office.

Back in the day, they were cut to be worn all day comfortably without riding up in the shoulders when you raised your arms and the like and you would have summer and winter weights to fit the seasons.

[Manedwolf]

I've recently started enjoying wearing sport coats here and there, but i've never let go of enough money for a good coat, hah! but the kids at school don't know the difference. one of my friends thought my $16 polyester coat was tweed.

Goodwill can be great for cheap finds. my uncle found a suede jacket there for about $20. i found a great leather sportcoat there, but the sleeves were just *this much* too short... ah well.

~tmm

Watch out for bedbugs. They've made a major comeback in a lot of cities, they or their eggs can hide in seams, and thrift shop stuff is a great way to infest your home.

[TMM]

Watch out for bedbugs. They've made a major comeback in a lot of cities, they or their eggs can hide in seams, and thrift shop stuff is a great way to infest your home.

errrgg... thanks for the heads up. only one of my jackets is from goodwill though, and i'm alright so far.

[Brad Johnson]

Watch out for bedbugs. They've made a major comeback in a lot of cities, they or their eggs can hide in seams, and thrift shop stuff is a great way to infest your home.

Take it straight to the cleaners.  The heat of the final pressing and the cleaning chemicals will kill the little pests right off (although I'm not sure about the new "green clean" stuff).

Brad

[taliv]

pay attention to the type of material and the weight, too.  if you're going to wear a suit regularly, get summer suits and winter suits (assuming you live some place that has seasons).   my personal favorite is herringbone material.  i just like the look much better than smooth flat looks. 

before you get a suit, google about tailoring.  there are actually a lot of options and they subtly affect the way the suit looks.  just going to a tailor doesn't guarantee you'll get the right cut.  i mean, it will fit you, but it might not look like you expect. 

personally, i've stolen the top secret military instructions for tailoring USMC dress "A"s and applied them to my business suits.  in particular, the angle and length of the cuffs on the pants.

[doczinn]

in particular, the angle and length of the cuffs on the pants.

I haven't actually done that, since I haven't had any pants tailored since I left active duty, but it's been in my mind and will certainly be done when I need a good suit.

[Monkeyleg]

OK, I was just talking with my wife about this subject, and she pulled out a wool overcoat that was given to me as a gift by my ex-boss over twenty years ago.

It's a fine gray wool coat, and was definitely expensive at the time. Because of some differences between my boss and me (another subject) I only wore it a couple of times.

Amazingly, after all this time, it still fits, even over a suit.

Today I know about as much about fashion as I do about quantum physics.

The coat is a fitted one, meaning that it tapers in toward the waist. Other than that, it looks like a classic overcoat. The length is below the knees.

Is the "hourglass" shape out of style, is it still OK, or should I just wear it unbuttoned?

If it seems like I'm obsessing with wardrobe, it's only because I want to look my best when I show up to watch Governor Doyle's arraignment hearings in federal court.

[Matthew Carberry]

Classic overcoats DID taper in to the waist.

When in doubt, go with a '30s or '40s look.  And buy yourself a fedora, grownups wear hats with brims that go all the way around.

[LAK]

Cloth; the weight, feel and "hang", construction type, stitching and cut make a good suit, jacket or pants.

Thrift stores are the best place to shop IMO; the Salvation Army stores I have seen generally have a smaller inventory and are overpriced. On the other hand, in thrift stores I have seen many like new $500+ sport coats selling for well under $20. Check for inside collar, cuff and general liner, look for wear, stains, moth holes, thread pulls etc.

Between the evilbay and thrift stores I have a half dozen jackets ranging from genuine Harris Tweed to Dunhill label wool/silk. Pants can be found of similar quality and similar checks apply. When you only pay ten bucks for a nice jacket or pair of pants, a major stain or rip becomes a very minor irritation.

Quality silk ties are another favorite of mine. I don't like the wide printed types and instead prefer the narrower woven types with conservative patterns or regimental stripes. I picked up many of these in mint condition for less than $2 a piece at local thrift stores.

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