Need new suit and shoes

GB15

The suit that I currently have is 5 years old now so I think its time for an upgrade. I only wear a suit a handful of times a year but I have an interview coming up so this will motivate me to get it - I don't consider clothes shopping a pleasure so I could do with some advice.

The guy I live with works in a clothes shop and was saying that I should go for something pin striped. This is the last style I would have gone for but apparently they are in fashion. Was thinking just a plain dark navy suit the same as what I have at the moment. Any thoughts? Also any advice on shirts and ties would also be appreciated.

And whatever about buying buying clothes when it comes to shoes I just have no idea. Some of the shoes in mens shops just look ridiculous to me - big pointy toes that curve up in the air type things. I'd prefer something a bit more traditional (or boring/conservative might be another description). I'm in my late twenties though so not even sure if this has any bearing on suit/shoes choices.

So I'd love to hear from you guys that find this stuff easy!

sickpuppy32

marks and spensers have a good selection, good prices too, Dunnes for shoes - thats the cheap but good quality option, even got a few compliments
if more money than sense ( as me with my second last suit), you can go to alexander of saville row outlet in dundrum shopping centre , guts of a grand.

for cufflinks, tiepins and cool ties, mr pink on dawson street or kildare village outlet shop,

4Xcut

Do not go to marks and spencers for a suit. They are grand if your are a student workin in a office for the summer. IF you are only going to have one suit get a decent one. I am not talking about handing over silly money but there's great sales on at the moments. Shops in town like Baulmer, Henry Jermyn and Abrahams to name but a few will have great value at the moment. Suits as with everything ahve a middle range which i have outlined. There's more of a choice than betweenn Dunnes and Saville Row.

As regards the pinstripe maybe go for a faint pin stripe. However, if you prefere a plain suit it will look better on you as you will be more comfortable in it. Just to say here that the general rule is not to wear stripes with stripes, so if you get a pinstripe suit don't wear a stripe shirt.

As regards shirts and ties, most suits will look very well with a crisp white shirt and a strong tie. When i say a strong tie, I don't mean gearish or gaudy but a solid colour, say a nice blue.

With the suit itself, the most important thing is fit, then fit and after that fit. The best bet here is to bring your friend who works in clothes shop(if he works with suits, otherwise maybe someone else who knows men's clothes). He will be able to make sure that you're not being sold something that is slightly off, as the case can arise that its not a size but maybe only a fraction of a size out.

Make sure that when you are trying on the jacket that you wear a shirt and sit down for a sec when you are trying the trousers, this was the one thing I always suggested to customers when selling them a suit.

If the slaesman seems pushy and like they're just out for the commission, go with your gut and take things with a pinch of salt. But do remember that there are a lot of us who do genuinely like to see a customer happy with what they bought, it means they will come back to us.

Above all, and this may be my own thing, enjoy it. If you have time during the week, do it then. If you go in on a tuesday morning at around half ten, you'll get much better service than on a saturday afternoon.

howaya

what good advice from 4Xcut! :-) last of the sale stuff is on offer at the moment, so maybe take your buddy with you around the shops unless he is able to sort you out at his one, or mooch around yourself on the weekday morning as suggested.
If you are more comfortable browsing around without the sales attention at the outset, you might be more comfortable in a department store.
Given the time of year, and its general versatility, I'd go with something in a light grey if you try one that fits.
For shoes, you'll get neat loafers in a selection of basic colours from BillBlass at Boylans in Royal Hibernian Way - see below
http://www.step2style.ie/style/store.aspx?StoreID=607E4359-19A4-4D4A-BC48-116FCE23F0E6
A clinch consideration might be to try to dress the part for the job - which might mean being a little less formal than pinstripe - rather than going over the top in a gordon-gekko suit if you know that people dress casually in that workplace.
all the best

ntlbell

Louis Copeland

caple st

they'll find something that suits you.

4Xcut

Have to second the LC suggestion there, they carry a range of cuts for different builds.

If you do go with a pin-stripe, go with a faint one, its called a chalk pin stripe, it looks well. Don't go for a Gordon Gekko suit. Especially if you prefere a conservative style.

il gatto

GB15 wrote: »

The suit that I currently have is 5 years old now so I think its time for an upgrade. I only wear a suit a handful of times a year but I have an interview coming up so this will motivate me to get it - I don't consider clothes shopping a pleasure so I could do with some advice.

The guy I live with works in a clothes shop and was saying that I should go for something pin striped. This is the last style I would have gone for but apparently they are in fashion. Was thinking just a plain dark navy suit the same as what I have at the moment. Any thoughts? Also any advice on shirts and ties would also be appreciated.

And whatever about buying buying clothes when it comes to shoes I just have no idea. Some of the shoes in mens shops just look ridiculous to me - big pointy toes that curve up in the air type things. I'd prefer something a bit more traditional (or boring/conservative might be another description). I'm in my late twenties though so not even sure if this has any bearing on suit/shoes choices.

So I'd love to hear from you guys that find this stuff easy!

Same way I dress when I have to wear a suit. Went to a church thing last Sunday. Wore a navy Magee suit (single breasted, 2 button, deep gorge and fairly hipped jacket). I wore a plain white shirt and a copper coloured DKNY tie. Shoes were half brogue Barkers in black. In my humble opinion it looked a hell of alot better than the numpties in "trendy" pin stripes, white collared shirts in bold colours and winkle picker/pimp shoes.

GB15

Thanks for all the excellent replies. I'm actually living in Galway so thats where I'll be buying. The guy I live with works in the suit department so he will be able to give me a good deal too.

So I'd say I'll go for either a navy or grey suit as suggested with possibly the light pin stripes if I think it looks ok.

One other thing - are there any don'ts when it comes to shoe colour e.g. brown shoes not going with a navy suit? I'd imagine you can't go wrong with black shoes..

PrivateEye

As regards shirts and ties, most suits will look very well with a crisp white shirt and a strong tie. When i say a strong tie, I don't mean gearish or gaudy but a solid colour, say a nice blue.

Very true.

Nothing kills a suit like a dodgey tie.

Whenever I need to pick something up I go on a Google Image spree, good for colour co-ordination etc.Shows you what works and more importantly...what doesn't!

4Xcut

All i'll say with regard to shoe colouring is that it's probably easier to get shoes for a grey suit. This is just my experience.