VulcanVulcanVulcan wrote:emciosn wrote:Mola Ram wrote:emciosn wrote:The color is fine and overall the suit is mostly fine but I'm not so sure about the patch pockets on the jacket for a business formal occasion. I like patch pockets on blazers/sportcoats but not so much for suits. I think the standard flap pocket is the safest bet. Is there any reason you don't want to go for the Napoli cut from SS? Better price, no patch pockets, and probably negligible difference in quality. Will have a similar grey as well. The Napoli from SS is pretty much the standard law student interview suit from SS. Just my thoughts
I shop at SS. I can spot the Napoli because it looks cheap compared to the Sienna. Tons of kids on CBs were wearing the Napoli. Spring to get the Sienna. It's a nicer constructed suit and will look better on you assuming you are not a total porker. It is worth the delta.
I've tried on the sienna as well and its definitely a decent suit but if we're talking about a few hundred more dollars there are some other options to consider as well. Also, the ticket pocket is not credited for an interview suit IMO (for the reasons stated by the poster above). It is just safer to find something with standard flap pockets. Spring for the sienna after you've been on the job a few weeks. The Napoli looks like a cheaper suit (although it's better than other suits in the same price band) but its fine for LS interviews. I don't think interviewers necessarily expect you to be rocking a $1,000 suit, they just want to see that you know how to exercise judgment in the way you present yourself.
Also you don't have to be a porker to not fit into those skinny SuSu pants.
I'm a big fan of the Sienna line. What else is good in that price range?
I mean, that's kind of a tough question. SuSu is easy to point to because pricing is reasonable, most will agree that the quality is solid, and you don't have to worry about waiting for/missing a sale (because there are no sales). If you have $700 to spend on a suit but are not on a tight timeline, your options open beyond SuSu, though. For example, it is conceivable that you could find a main line Hickey Freeman suit within shouting distance of that price and I think a main line HF is quite a bit better than a Sienna in terms of quality and styling (and I don't think the quality part is really even debatable). There are a ton of threads out there in style forums discussing suits in particular price ranges. Just google "best $700 suit" or something similar (add forum titles too--focus on "StyleForum"; "Ask Andy About Clothes"; and "Dappered Threads").
If you wait for a sale, you can get Brooks Brothers 1818 suits in the $700 price range (probably have to buy two, though) and depending on how you feel about the lapels, you can get J. Crew Ludlow/Crosby in that price range all the time (people have differing views on quality w/r/t J Crew, but people in this thread have given it decent marks--I have seen the Ludlow in person and it looked good, better IMO than the Sienna).
Take a look at this thread:
http://www.styleforum.net/t/140387/the- ... whsql/1335Scroll down until you see the latest version of the list. Bear in mind that the people posting in this thread are intolerable suit snobs, so just skip right to the Good/Satisfactory sections. They focus on some brands or a price range and just read up. You will find some pretty good advice on those forums. Once you settle on a brand/price, find a place you can get the suit for the price. I went on a suiting odyssey earlier this year and ended up snagging a couple Hickey Freeman main line suits on sale for less than a $1000 each in staple charcoal/navy. Obviously my price range was a little higher, but they are great suits at a pretty good price (if I had more time and wasn't looking for staple colors I probably could have done better w/r/t price).
One other piece of advice I have for you if you are interested in hunting for a deal: be sure you know exactly what you are getting. For instance, Nordstrom Rack/Nieman last call/Off Fifth/etc. sell suits branded as Hickey Freeman, but they are not main line and are not worth the $1,500 fake retail price listed on the sticker (they are not fully canvased like Hickey main line for example). These are made specially for the discount stores and are of lower quality (but still may be a decent deal for like $400 or something). If you are ok with that and comfortable with the "sale" price then go for it, just know what you're getting. FYI main line Hickey Freeman will be called "Addison" or "Beacon" or some name starting with a "C" while the cheap-o version are "Lindsey" or "Milbank."
Obviously I'm a HF apologist. And or good reason. It's a solid suit, especially if you find it on sale, with the right kind of styling--just know you will likely have to spend some money on tailoring to slim the jacket down and will want to look for the Beacon cut. You should be spending money on tailoring anyway, though (tailoring is the single most important factor for any suit). You may find another brand you like. The point of all this rambling is that if you put in the time, research and are willing to look for the right deal you can get a great non-SuSu suit when the budget gets into the $700 to $1000 range. I tried on the La Spalla (I think) and didn't like it as much as HF. I thought there was a noticeable difference in quality.
