OCI/callbacks/etc Men's Clothing Mega-thread Forum

[03121202698008]

A few questions (forgive me I haven't read through all 39 pages):

I have only one suit currently and it's a cheap black one from a department store. I obviously need to buy more.

How bad are the suits from Men's warehouse or Joesph A. Banks? Is the disdain on the pages I did read ITT from the look/cut/or merely the quality? Am I better to just drive to a Brooks Brothers when they are having a sale? Better to order MTM off the internet?

To further complicate, I'd ideally like to lost another inch or two off my gut. Should I wait or this not going to make that big of a difference?

Terrible, even for what you pay. It's a $250 suit worth $75 on sale for $190.

For both MW and JAB? Pufer's post a while back suggests the JAB suits aren't that bad if acquired on sale.

[GodSpeed]

MW. I've never owned a JAB suit.

[03121202698008]

MW. I've never owned a JAB suit.

I just don't want to drop $1,000-1,200 on two suits and then get fat/skinny during LS.

[GodSpeed]

MW. I've never owned a JAB suit.

I just don't want to drop $1,000-1,200 on two suits and then get fat/skinny during LS.

I wouldn't wanna get fat either.

[eth3n]

MW. I've never owned a JAB suit.

I just don't want to drop $1,000-1,200 on two suits and then get fat/skinny during LS.

I can't really speak to quality or fitting of JAB suits (while I hate mine, the bad shoulder fit is my own fault), but you won't be spending 1.2k on two suits on sale, generally on sale you can pick them up for ~$200 or less. Be very sure you like the fit of the suit, they tend to make epic sized shoulders.

[03121202698008]

MW. I've never owned a JAB suit.

I just don't want to drop $1,000-1,200 on two suits and then get fat/skinny during LS.

I can't really speak to quality or fitting of JAB suits (while I hate mine, the bad shoulder fit is my own fault), but you won't be spending 1.2k on two suits on sale, generally on sale you can pick them up for ~$200 or less. Be very sure you like the fit of the suit, they tend to make epic sized shoulders.

Yeah, that price was if I went to Brooks Brothers or ordered online MTM

[eth3n]

.

[elmagic]

A few questions (forgive me I haven't read through all 39 pages):

I have only one suit currently and it's a cheap black one from a department store. I obviously need to buy more.

How bad are the suits from Men's warehouse or Joesph A. Banks? Is the disdain on the pages I did read ITT from the look/cut/or merely the quality? Am I better to just drive to a Brooks Brothers when they are having a sale? Better to order MTM off the internet?

To further complicate, I'd ideally like to lost another inch or two off my gut. Should I wait or this not going to make that big of a difference?

What is your size?

JAB is usually pretty low quality with the only exception being their signature gold line. But like Brooks Bros were talking sack suits made more Americans. Other similar brands are Joseph Abboud, Hickey Freeman, and Hart Schaeffer Marx.

So if you are a big guy who needs these types of suits a JAB on sale isn't the worst option.

But if you are looking for something a bit more modern but still conservative, ie not a sack suit but not Emporio Armani either, then there are a few good options out there.

There are a few Arnold Brandt suits here in charcoal/navy. If you are a 42-50R US the Loro Piana suits are a steal at those prices.

If you are odd sized, or can spend a bit more, look into MTM especially Thick as Thieves. As I already mentioned their suits are fully canvassed and pretty good quality, I'd say better than most Brooks Bros suits save for the real high end, but those are expensive.

[03121202698008]

A few questions (forgive me I haven't read through all 39 pages):

I have only one suit currently and it's a cheap black one from a department store. I obviously need to buy more.

How bad are the suits from Men's warehouse or Joesph A. Banks? Is the disdain on the pages I did read ITT from the look/cut/or merely the quality? Am I better to just drive to a Brooks Brothers when they are having a sale? Better to order MTM off the internet?

To further complicate, I'd ideally like to lost another inch or two off my gut. Should I wait or this not going to make that big of a difference?

What is your size?

JAB is usually pretty low quality with the only exception being their signature gold line. But like Brooks Bros were talking sack suits made more Americans. Other similar brands are Joseph Abboud, Hickey Freeman, and Hart Schaeffer Marx.

So if you are a big guy who needs these types of suits a JAB on sale isn't the worst option.

But if you are looking for something a bit more modern but still conservative, ie not a sack suit but not Emporio Armani either, then there are a few good options out there.

There are a few Arnold Brandt suits here in charcoal/navy. If you are a 42-50R US the Loro Piana suits are a steal at those prices.

If you are odd sized, or can spend a bit more, look into MTM especially Thick as Thieves. As I already mentioned their suits are fully canvassed and pretty good quality, I'd say better than most Brooks Bros suits save for the real high end, but those are expensive.

I'm a 38R.

[Thomas Jefferson]

Thoughts on wearing an American flag pin lapel pin for an interview, for general office/business wear, or any other situation worth opining on?

Note: not baiting some sort of 'support Emmerica' / 'dey turk r jobs' flame war or some shit; I was just wondering about whether it would be toolish or whatever at an interview, and figured I might as well ask generally as well, and not just for interviews.

[Pufer]

Other similar brands are Joseph Abboud, Hickey Freeman, and Hart Schaeffer Marx.

Keeping in mind, of course, that those are sub-$200, $900+, and $400+ suits, respectively. They're similar only in their cut (and I might even dispute that - I could definitely see someone looking much better in a Hickey Freeman off the rack than a JAB with its shoulders, or a Joseph Abboud with its general dowdy overratedness, or vice versa if you're a particularly portly fellow; really, they're similar only when compared with skinny modern stuff).

If you are odd sized, or can spend a bit more, look into MTM especially Thick as Thieves. As I already mentioned their suits are fully canvassed and pretty good quality, I'd say better than most Brooks Bros suits save for the real high end, but those are expensive.

Everything TaT makes looks like you put your suit through the wash and it shrunk.

This (not even being the worst example from their website) is a stupid look for the office:



There are plenty of top-notch modern and slim cut suits out there that are acceptable for the law office (not an interview). TaT is not a place to find such suits.

Thoughts on wearing an American flag pin lapel pin for an interview, for general office/business wear, or any other situation worth opining on?

I worked for four years with a bunch of ultraconservative flag-wavers in a nuclear weapons lab on an Air Force Base. There was no occasion in which it was appropriate to wear a flag pin there, so my guess is that such an occasion doesn't exist anywhere, unless you're running for office.

-Pufer

[eth3n]

.

[03121202698008]

Everything TaT makes looks like you put your suit through the wash and it shrunk.
This (not even being the worst example from their website) is a stupid look for the office:

There are plenty of top-notch modern and slim cut suits out there that are acceptable for the law office (not an interview). TaT is not a place to find such suits.

The owner is apparently quite accommodating to making more traditional cut suits if you specifically request it, I know since its MTM there is like a base he works from, but I know friends who aren't aneorexic and have good looking TaT suits, which while not baggy, are definitely not the super tight look shown in the TaT house cut. Then again if my suit comes in and it doesnt end up looking shrunk ill def let you know

Did you specify a different cut? How'd you decide which one you wanted?

[vamedic03]

A few questions (forgive me I haven't read through all 39 pages):

I have only one suit currently and it's a cheap black one from a department store. I obviously need to buy more.

How bad are the suits from Men's warehouse or Joesph A. Banks? Is the disdain on the pages I did read ITT from the look/cut/or merely the quality? Am I better to just drive to a Brooks Brothers when they are having a sale? Better to order MTM off the internet?

To further complicate, I'd ideally like to lost another inch or two off my gut. Should I wait or this not going to make that big of a difference?

What is your size?

JAB is usually pretty low quality with the only exception being their signature gold line. But like Brooks Bros were talking sack suits made more Americans. Other similar brands are Joseph Abboud, Hickey Freeman, and Hart Schaeffer Marx.

So if you are a big guy who needs these types of suits a JAB on sale isn't the worst option.

But if you are looking for something a bit more modern but still conservative, ie not a sack suit but not Emporio Armani either, then there are a few good options out there.

There are a few Arnold Brandt suits here in charcoal/navy. If you are a 42-50R US the Loro Piana suits are a steal at those prices.

If you are odd sized, or can spend a bit more, look into MTM especially Thick as Thieves. As I already mentioned their suits are fully canvassed and pretty good quality, I'd say better than most Brooks Bros suits save for the real high end, but those are expensive.

FWIW - Brooks Brothers hasn't made a sack suit in over a decade... and I don't think Hickey Freeman or HSM ever made them (or at least not in our lifetimes).

[eth3n]

.

[Pufer]

Everything TaT makes looks like you put your suit through the wash and it shrunk.
This (not even being the worst example from their website) is a stupid look for the office:
<img>
There are plenty of top-notch modern and slim cut suits out there that are acceptable for the law office (not an interview). TaT is not a place to find such suits.

The owner is apparently quite accommodating to making more traditional cut suits if you specifically request it, I know since its MTM there is like a base he works from, but I know friends who aren't aneorexic and have good looking TaT suits, which while not baggy, are definitely not the super tight look shown in the TaT house cut. Then again if my suit comes in and it doesnt end up looking shrunk ill def let you know

From what I've seen of his traditional cut stuff, the jackets are still too short for my tastes. Sounds like you probably have some idea of what you're doing, though, so it'll probably be fine. I just don't know about recommending his stuff to everyone, as the average man on the street would be pretty likely to come away from TaT looking like either a dweeb wearing a shrunken suit, or a hipster, neither of which is really proper for the average law office. They'd probably be better off looking shapeless in a traditional OTR suit.

-Pufer

[03121202698008]

Another question, if I buy a Mens Warehouse/lower end JAB suit, can it be tailored to fit better in the torso area so it's less of a "sack"? I'm not worried about it lasting 15 years so much as not looking like an idiot right now...

[Emma.]

Another question, if I buy a Mens Warehouse/lower end JAB suit, can it be tailored to fit better in the torso area so it's less of a "sack"? I'm not worried about it lasting 15 years so much as not looking like an idiot right now...

Hell yeah. ANY off the rack suit is probably going to need to be tailored for you, and even a cheap suit can end up looking pretty sharp with good tailoring. Taking the jacket in in the torso with back darts is pretty simple.

[03121202698008]

Another question, if I buy a Mens Warehouse/lower end JAB suit, can it be tailored to fit better in the torso area so it's less of a "sack"? I'm not worried about it lasting 15 years so much as not looking like an idiot right now...

Hell yeah. ANY off the rack suit is probably going to need to be tailored for you, and even a cheap suit can end up looking pretty sharp with good tailoring. Taking the jacket in in the torso with back darts is pretty simple.

Any idea what this normally costs?

[eth3n]

From what I've seen of his traditional cut stuff, the jackets are still too short for my tastes. Sounds like you probably have some idea of what you're doing, though, so it'll probably be fine. I just don't know about recommending his stuff to everyone, as the average man on the street would be pretty likely to come away from TaT looking like either a dweeb wearing a shrunken suit, or a hipster, neither of which is really proper for the average law office. They'd probably be better off looking shapeless in a traditional OTR suit.

-Pufer

I think its good to warn people so they know what they are getting, no fault there, I dont think I would want to wear the house cut to work every day. You are making me worry about jacket length again, but I'm short so hopefully it wont be too bad

[03121202698008]

From what I've seen of his traditional cut stuff, the jackets are still too short for my tastes. Sounds like you probably have some idea of what you're doing, though, so it'll probably be fine. I just don't know about recommending his stuff to everyone, as the average man on the street would be pretty likely to come away from TaT looking like either a dweeb wearing a shrunken suit, or a hipster, neither of which is really proper for the average law office. They'd probably be better off looking shapeless in a traditional OTR suit.

-Pufer

I think its good to warn people so they know what they are getting, no fault there, I dont think I would want to wear the house cut to work every day. You are making me worry about jacket length again, but I'm short so hopefully it wont be too bad

Didn't it say you could make the jacket length longer? Thought I saw that on there.

[Pufer]

Another question, if I buy a Mens Warehouse/lower end JAB suit, can it be tailored to fit better in the torso area so it's less of a "sack"? I'm not worried about it lasting 15 years so much as not looking like an idiot right now...

You can (and should) definitely get it tailored to fit less like a sack, but most modern suits aren't going to be particularly sacklike anyway. Virtually everything off the rack is a modern sack suit of one variety or another, and virtually every one of your classmates will be wearing a suit off of the rack. You won't look like any more of an idiot than any of them.

Anyway, don't ever buy at Mens Wearhouse. You will always be able to find a better deal on whatever they have someplace (anyplace) else. Don't ever pay list at JAB (unless you're getting another suit, three shirts, six ties, a cummerbund, and a bag of shoe horns with it for free). Their Executive line is typically the most egregious on the shoulders, so go Signature (which dips well below $300 all the time) or Joseph (their modern cut line).

If you're looking primarily for cheap but decent stuff, get a Joseph Abboud for under $200 on overstock, or, better yet, a Lauren off of Sierra Trading Post on one of their newsletter sales (typically $150-164).

-Pufer

[03121202698008]

Another question, if I buy a Mens Warehouse/lower end JAB suit, can it be tailored to fit better in the torso area so it's less of a "sack"? I'm not worried about it lasting 15 years so much as not looking like an idiot right now...

You can (and should) definitely get it tailored to fit less like a sack, but most modern suits aren't going to be particularly sacklike anyway. Virtually everything off the rack is a modern sack suit of one variety or another, and virtually every one of your classmates will be wearing a suit off of the rack. You won't look like any more of an idiot than any of them.

Anyway, don't ever buy at Mens Wearhouse. You will always be able to find a better deal on whatever they have someplace (anyplace) else. Don't ever pay list at JAB (unless you're getting another suit, three shirts, six ties, a cummerbund, and a bag of shoe horns with it for free). Their Executive line is typically the most egregious on the shoulders, so go Signature (which dips well below $300 all the time) or Joseph (their modern cut line).

If you're looking primarily for cheap but decent stuff, get a Joseph Abboud for under $200 on overstock, or, better yet, a Lauren off of Sierra Trading Post on one of their newsletter sales (typically $150-164).

-Pufer

Thanks, I was looking on JAB. Most are full-price for the first suit, $100 for second, and third free. So 3 suits for ~$500-800. Three for ~$1100 to go up to Signature Gold.

[Emma.]

Another question, if I buy a Mens Warehouse/lower end JAB suit, can it be tailored to fit better in the torso area so it's less of a "sack"? I'm not worried about it lasting 15 years so much as not looking like an idiot right now...

Hell yeah. ANY off the rack suit is probably going to need to be tailored for you, and even a cheap suit can end up looking pretty sharp with good tailoring. Taking the jacket in in the torso with back darts is pretty simple.

Any idea what this normally costs?

$30-$40 depending on how much work you need done?

[Stanford4Me]

BR employee discounts are amazing. Friend got me 2 suits, one charcoal and one grey with hints of brown, for $540. Amazing.