Suit buying

Agree that TML quality for everyday use is not great. 6 months to a year of everyday use and I need to replace.
But.... if only for special acc/interviews etc then should be fine.
Ted Baker I would avoid, great cut/style - terrible quality!
 
if you are in london then plenty of charles trywitt stores - would suggest go in and try a few suits on. Their slim fit is a good fit for the cuddlier - always make me look slimmer - i go from being a size 20 without suit to a size 0 in the suit :) - make sure you buy online as you can get discount codes/cashback etc.

pablo - Ted baker in the past have had quality issues - i bought some suits from them back end of last year and they have worn perfectly. I did speak to the UK manager and they did confirm that they had just changed cloth suppliers etc.

i would also pop into House of Fraser - they have a great selection of suits - and i think recently had a 50% off - if you want something different then look at the new & lingwood range in house of fraser or peter worth. they do some off the wall suits and designs
 
Yeah they're mainly in Central I would imagine, need to look up some stores and go in to try some out. I always like to make sure it fits before parting with any money.
 
One thing I do remember about suit buying that I do recommend is ... A good, reasonable tailor. I found that buying a suit a little on the "generous" size and having it altered by a profession add to its useful life.
A good tailor will alter it so it can be "let out" in the future! As you chg with age, the suit can 'grow' with you.
 
Johnus said:
One thing I do remember about suit buying that I do recommend is ... A good, reasonable tailor. I found that buying a suit a little on the "generous" size and having it altered by a profession add to its useful life.
A good tailor will alter it so it can be "let out" in the future! As you chg with age, the suit can 'grow' with you.
Click to expand...

A good tip from Johnus - and aside from simply making alterations to a ready-to-wear suit, consider going bespoke (if you can find an affordable tailor).

However, I've said it before and I'll say it again - for good quality, reasonably-priced off-the-peg suits, good old Marks and Spencer have it covered. Their new Savile Row Inspired line, a collaboration with expensive menswear designer Richard James, is excellent in both quality and styling. Unfortunately you just missed a 20% flash sale last night!
 
If you're planning to buy off the peg and alter (definitely the way to go unless you're very oddly shaped or want the full bespoke experience) then concentrate on getting the shoulder fit right - that's the hardest to correct later. If your shoulders are right, but it won't button up, go looking for another cut of jacket. If you go up a size on that one, you'll end up with dodgy shoulders and you really don't want that. If the shoulder is right and it buttons up, but there's an 'X' coming from the button (Three buttons? Middle button and maybe the top, never the bottom. Two buttons? Top button only. The bottom button should never be fastened) then see if you can get a feel for how generous the seams are - a good alteration tailor might be able to sort you out.

Even if everything else fits, you'll probably want the sleeves shortened - you want to be showing about half an inch of shirt cuff. I can't remember the last time I saw someone in an unaltered OTP suit that had sleeves that weren't too long.

A good check for the shoulder is to lean against a wall - if the shoulder pad hits substantially before your actual shoulder and especially if it rides up, then that's not the fit for you.
 
Ok, so first go at trying out some suits today, starting at Debenhams looking at the Red Herring range. This is a charcoal suit, which is a slim fit, felt comfortable, suit is £99 for a 2-piece, 3 piece with waistcoat is extra £36.

http://i61.tinypic.com/oa6gz9.jpg

Its a good 3 months before the wedding so no pressure to get anything today which is why I'm still going to look around.

Is £99 too cheap?
 
Went to Moss today and tried on a grey coloured tailored fit suit:

http://i59.tinypic.com/73jmkx.jpg

Seems to be the "in" colour at the moment, and I like this fit alot. £199 for suit, so an extra £100 from the Debenhams one I tried on Monday.

Tempted to go for this one as I can put down a deposit so they keep it aside and I can pay off the balance in instalments.
 
Haha!

Out of the two though I prefer the Moss suit (2nd pic). Both are comfortable however and I don't intend to wear them regularly, maybe 3-4 times a year?
 
Three or four times a year sounds regular enough that you want one you actually like, rather than just something that will do the job..
 
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