My First Suit

humbert

It's come to that point in my life where I need to own a suit, up until now I've been getting by(with varying degrees of success) with a shirt and some awful looking grey trousers.

I did a search and found a few threads on this before and I'd guess I'll have to spend at least €200 and more likely €300+ which is rather a lot more than I'd usually spend on clothes but I'd prefer to spend more now and get a decent suit than skimp and be stuck with something that looks like it was picked up at a clear out sale.

So my question is where in Dublin should I look and has anyone any tips? (things to look for or avoid. I hear polyester is out of vogue this year...)

Thanks for any suggestions.

tSubh Dearg

Just today we went shopping for a new suit for my other half. We went into Zara and got him a really nice suit jacket and matching trousers and a shirt for just under €250.

The fit was excellent as it was a slimmer fit and he has a narrow build so it looks well at his shoulders and waist, especially compared with his old suit where the jacket was a little on the large size and hangs all wrong. I can't remember what it was made from but the stitching seems fairly strong and it should last him a fair while as he won't be wearing it all the time.

There was a place online (possibly called asuitthatfits.com) there are threads in here about it somewhere, which makes you a suit that is made to measure for a fairly reasonable sum.

Agent Smith

humbert wrote: »

It's come to that point in my life where I need to own a suit, up until now I've been getting by(with varying degrees of success) with a shirt and some awful looking grey trousers.

I did a search and found a few threads on this before and I'd guess I'll have to spend at least €200 and more likely €300+ which is rather a lot more than I'd usually spend on clothes but I'd prefer to spend more now and get a decent suit than skimp and be stuck with something that looks like it was picked up at a clear out sale.

So my question is where in Dublin should I look and has anyone any tips? (things to look for or avoid. I hear polyester is out of vogue this year...)

Thanks for any suggestions.

What Build are you?
M&S have some nice off the rack Suits for €79, Which do look good for the price. The Problem with suits is that a cheep suit, well, basicly looks cheep.

If you need one for a Job interview, then the M&S one's are grand, and if i recall correctly, come in navy and black.

stepbar

You might be suprised at the quality of suits they have in Marks & Sparks. I bought one for €120 and then subsequently bought another pair of trousers for €50. Have to say its a nice suit.

I bought a Bertoni suit last year for €250 and the arse fell out of the trousers after practically 8 months. Got a pair of trousers in Pennies that match the jacket perfectly for a tenner. So I suppose expensive suits don't always wear the passage of time well. Mind you, I wear a suit every day so any old suit would do me.

easyontheeye

damn i just bought a suit in bertoni, i hope same doesnt happen to mine! in saying that, they have lovely slim fitting suits!

humbert

agent smith wrote: »

What Build are you?
M&S have some nice off the rack Suits for €79, Which do look good for the price. The Problem with suits is that a cheep suit, well, basicly looks cheep.

If you need one for a Job interview, then the M&S one's are grand, and if i recall correctly, come in navy and black.

I'm slender, around 32 inch waist if memory serves. I'll have a look in M&S but I'd prefer something that didn't stand out as cheap, unfortunately I'm unlikely to be able to tell.

I'd also prefer not to have to go hunting around for a jacket and trousers separately, half out of laziness and half because there's a reasonable chance of me getting two that for some reason don't match. (I really am pretty useless at this sort of thing)

easyontheeye

humbert wrote: »

I'm slender, around 32 inch waist if memory serves. I'll have a look in M&S but I'd prefer something that didn't stand out as cheap, unfortunately I'm unlikely to be able to tell.

I'd also prefer not to have to go hunting around for a jacket and trousers separately, half out of laziness and half because there's a reasonable chance of me getting two that for some reason don't match. (I really am pretty useless at this sort of thing)

i also got a suit in house of fraser, very good service too

humbert

Cool, well I'll have a look in those three places. I'd be a bit pissed if it fell apart prematurely but I suppose there's no way to tell.

easyontheeye

humbert wrote: »

Cool, well I'll have a look in those three places. I'd be a bit pissed if it fell apart prematurely but I suppose there's no way to tell.

as someone posted earlier, all depends on how much you wear it. I have 6 suits and i say in a year i've had 15 occasions if even that required a suit

il gatto

There's a website called englishcut.com. It's a blog by a tailor who worked on Saville Row and he reckons M&S suits are pretty much the best for the money.
Wait until the sales and look for something in Cleary's, Arnott's or Louis Copeland. Make sure it's 100 wool or 90% anyway. Expect to pay €200+ as a starting point. If it's your only suit and will only come out ocasionally, buy it in navy, black or dark grey. That way people won't remember they saw you wearing it two years ago at a christening. Avoid all stripes except faint pinstripes for the same reasons.
My personal pref is for two button suits with a deep gorge (V at the front). Far more elegant and not as likely to look unfashionable as the usual 3 button suits, who's lapels seem to change depth every season, making a suit look dated very quickly.
Never try to team your suit up with "fashionable" shoes. Only o.k. on a night out, but look hideous at a wedding, funeral, interview or anywhere really. Oxfords, brogues or half brogues might look awful next to a pair of pointy Base or Ikons in the shop, but trendy footwear ruins the overall effect of a nice suit. (Just my opinion(s) though)

stovelid

humbert wrote: »

I'll have a look in M&S but I'd prefer something that didn't stand out as cheap, unfortunately I'm unlikely to be able to tell.

If you have 300+ to spend, try autograph in M & S or Masssimo Dutti and you'll get something nice.

Try TKMaxx too, you may find something there.

Alternatively, wait for the January sales.

Make sure it fits you. Ask a mate, girlfriend or shop assistant if you're not sure.

From my experience, some of the stuff in M and S looks no worse than a lot of suits I have seen in the 5-800 price range.

humbert

il gatto wrote: »

There's a website called englishcut.com. It's a blog by a tailor who worked on Saville Row and he reckons M&S suits are pretty much the best for the money.
Wait until the sales and look for something in Cleary's, Arnott's or Louis Copeland. Make sure it's 100 wool or 90% anyway. Expect to pay €200+ as a starting point. If it's your only suit and will only come out ocasionally, buy it in navy, black or dark grey. That way people won't remember they saw you wearing it two years ago at a christening. Avoid all stripes except faint pinstripes for the same reasons.
My personal pref is for two button suits with a deep gorge (V at the front). Far more elegant and not as likely to look unfashionable as the usual 3 button suits, who's lapels seem to change depth every season, making a suit look dated very quickly.
Never try to team your suit up with "fashionable" shoes. Only o.k. on a night out, but look hideous at a wedding, funeral, interview or anywhere really. Oxfords, brogues or half brogues might look awful next to a pair of pointy Base or Ikons in the shop, but trendy footwear ruins the overall effect of a nice suit. (Just my opinion(s) though)

Thanks a lot, this is the sort of thing that's greek to me. Unfortunately I'll need it long before Jan so it looks like M&S is a strong favourite. Yeah, I'll make sure and ask someone, otherwise I'll look like it(or I) shrunk in the wash.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Sangre

I'm a suave mofo and I'd definitely recommend M&S. Great value for money.

You can often get a great bargain in Best as well on a good suit. They have the odd random reduction or sale.