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

[chrisbru]

gold ties were the power ties of the 1990s. you don't really see them anymore, particularly with the younger professionals

Yeah, I tend towards the navy, but it seems so monochromatic with the charcoal and black.

[romothesavior]

Either would be fine. The one on the left is the more conservative choice.

Agreed. I'd probably wear the navy.

[chrisbru]

Either would be fine. The one on the left is the more conservative choice.

Agreed. I'd probably wear the navy.

Will do, thanks everyone!

[kryptix]

With that suit I would have gone with gold but that's just personal preference. I don't like navy tie white shirt black suit. If it was a blue shirt or a navy suit maybe

Then again if it works its good if it doesn't then it's bad.

Personally I switched between two charcoal suits (brooks brothers and hickey freeman), blue and white shirts, button and French cuffs, and like 5 ties, red, navy/teal two tone depending on angle (had the most success with this one), purple, blue/gold, grey/blue.

Got a couple of compliments from people on the outfits so couldn't have gone all that wrong. Just go in what your comfortable with.

[romothesavior]

I seriously hope you weren't wearing french cuffs to an interview. Sounds like some extremely loud attire.

[SaintsTheMetal]

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

[Lincoln]

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

For bespoke suits in NYC:
http://michaelandrewsbespoke.com/menswear/suits/
http://www.craigrobinsonnyc.com/
http://duncanquinn.com/
http://www.brooklyntailors.net/ (Friend of mine got several suits from here. They are great quality and very decently priced for being bespoke)

[LeDique]

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

For bespoke suits in NYC:
http://michaelandrewsbespoke.com/menswear/suits/
http://www.craigrobinsonnyc.com/
http://duncanquinn.com/
http://www.brooklyntailors.net/ (Friend of mine got several suits from here. They are great quality and very decently priced for being bespoke)

Dear lord, unless you're rolling in the money, do not bother with bespoke. There's a lot of online made to measure sites of quality that ranges from decent to go for literally half or quarter the price of those bespoke folks linked. However, you need to do two things. One, have someone else take your measurements - ideally a tailor. Two, make sure it fits after you get it. One way to do this is to take it to the tailor after. If you want the balance of something that fits while not being too expensive, look at sites like indochino (they are known for getting shit wrong all the time and being the lowest quality option available), black lapel (I have one from them and would recommend), etc. But you have to be willing to send it back if it doesn't fit and can't be fixed by a tailor. You may have to do this multiple times until you get what you want. IMO, these places are worth about their price point.

I also know a lot of people ITT love suit supply who also does made to measure that might be cheaper - I've got no idea.

[patrickd139]

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

Whatever you do, don't go get a bespoke suit made just for OCI. The price is likely not worth it. Are you in or near New York City?

[kryptix]

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

Whatever you do, don't go get a bespoke suit made just for OCI. The price is likely not worth it. Are you in or near New York City?

Well at the cheap end, your talking about the same price as an off the rack from BB, so its not THAT expensive, depends on your budget though. I'm not a huge fan of the fabrics at the low end though and I'm not so hard to fit that I can't just alter an off the shelf suit, so I'll wait to get something custom until I'm not paying law school tuition any more and I can put the $$$$ a month I set aside for tuition into a new wardrobe... Wife might want a new wardrobe first too though...

[romothesavior]

If you just need a suit for OCI/law school, JAB is a fine option and not that expensive. Not my favorite place in the world, but I think you could find something that fits you there, and you really don't need a 1k suit for law school. And don't most actual suit places have like Big and Tall lines?

[kalvano]

If you just need a suit for OCI/law school, JAB is a fine option and not that expensive. Not my favorite place in the world, but I think you could find something that fits you there, and you really don't need a 1k suit for law school. And don't most actual suit places have like Big and Tall lines?

50" chest and 38" waist is basically a medium for a JAB suit. Also, Nordstrom Rack tends to have a lot of Big & Tall sizes.

[chrisbru]

Either would be fine. The one on the left is the more conservative choice.

Agreed. I'd probably wear the navy.

Will do, thanks everyone!

The tie must have been fine - Offered. Thanks again everyone!

[romothesavior]

Congrats!

[kryptix]

Hmmm... actually I like JAB for business casual slacks... under $100 for 2 pairs usually when on sale and they look decent, I'm not a huge fan of their suits though, when I actually need to wear a suit I like something that looks a bit better and has a bit nicer fabric. Full disclosure, wearing JAB slacks to work right now.

[20130312]

Hmmm... actually I like JAB for business casual slacks... under $100 for 2 pairs usually when on sale and they look decent, I'm not a huge fan of their suits though, when I actually need to wear a suit I like something that looks a bit better and has a bit nicer fabric. Full disclosure, wearing JAB slacks to work right now.

I bought a JAB tailored fit suit and was downright impressed with the fit off the rack (full disclosure: I still got it tailored). The suit looks great though. Not sure how noticeable it is that it's not great quality. Maybe the way it drapes gives away that it's a sub-$200 suit, but honestly who would notice that?

[kryptix]

Hmmm... actually I like JAB for business casual slacks... under $100 for 2 pairs usually when on sale and they look decent, I'm not a huge fan of their suits though, when I actually need to wear a suit I like something that looks a bit better and has a bit nicer fabric. Full disclosure, wearing JAB slacks to work right now.

I bought a JAB tailored fit suit and was downright impressed with the fit off the rack (full disclosure: I still got it tailored). The suit looks great though. Not sure how noticeable it is that it's not great quality. Maybe the way it drapes gives away that it's a sub-$200 suit, but honestly who would notice that?

I guess the easiest way to tell is the feel and look of the fabric for me, for example, my JAB charcoal slacks are rather dull with some visible imperfections in the color and weave on close inspection (the dye isn't completely even throughout), and they also seem to collect lint. I don't mean that there's patches of different colors, but looking at the thread, a few individual threads would be lighter than others, but not in a pattern so I assume its not on purpose.

Compare that to the slacks, very similar color, in my BB suit, the feel is much smoother and the color is more consistently even on every thread and doesn't seem to collect lint. There's also an subtle almost reflective sheen because of the tighter and smoother weave. Also the lining feels better on the inside. The cut also fits me a bit better when sitting.

Then again we're talking what, 5-6x the cost? That's why I think the JAB ones are perfectly fine for every day wear to work

[20130312]

I own a MTM suit that contains the occasional odd colored thread. The tailor said it's because the wool is 100% natural (not synthetic) and it just happens that way sometimes. So I'm not sure that the odd colored thread is a knock on the quality since my highest quality suit has a few.

[Lincoln]

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

For bespoke suits in NYC:
http://michaelandrewsbespoke.com/menswear/suits/
http://www.craigrobinsonnyc.com/
http://duncanquinn.com/
http://www.brooklyntailors.net/ (Friend of mine got several suits from here. They are great quality and very decently priced for being bespoke)

Dear lord, unless you're rolling in the money, do not bother with bespoke. There's a lot of online made to measure sites of quality that ranges from decent to go for literally half or quarter the price of those bespoke folks linked. However, you need to do two things. One, have someone else take your measurements - ideally a tailor. Two, make sure it fits after you get it. One way to do this is to take it to the tailor after. If you want the balance of something that fits while not being too expensive, look at sites like indochino (they are known for getting shit wrong all the time and being the lowest quality option available), black lapel (I have one from them and would recommend), etc. But you have to be willing to send it back if it doesn't fit and can't be fixed by a tailor. You may have to do this multiple times until you get what you want. IMO, these places are worth about their price point.

I also know a lot of people ITT love suit supply who also does made to measure that might be cheaper - I've got no idea.

First, the big guy said he'd be willing to pay for quality. Second, the last link, which I recommended, is not any more expensive than Brooks Brothers, which everyone here wets their pants over. In my experience, you get a lot more for your money in getting a $1000 bespoke suit than a $1000 Brooks Brothers one. But then I wouldn't wear the latter in any case.

[SaintsTheMetal]

Thanks a lot from the advice everyone, from both sides.

Where would you guys recommend getting a higher quality suit for a bigger guy? Most of the talk I've seen in this thread seems to (obviously) be for small to average height/weight people..

Looking for something to use for OCI and beyond. I'm about 6'4 260 retired football player. My shirt size is something like 19.5" collar (if that even exists? my 19" brooks brothers is a little bit uncomfortably tight,) and 37" sleeve. Pretty huge shoulders/chest (about 50" chest as measured by myself with a towel,) and about 38" waist.

When I went in to brooks brothers the saleman told me I'd probably have to get it custom cut or something, I guess he meant made to measure? I think the 1818 line was their cheapest "real" line, and I have no idea but I'm sure this is $$$$$. I believe these custom or whatever suits are not eligible for any of their normal sales either..

I'm willing to spend the right $ for the right quality suit, but frankly I have zero idea where to go to get these. Is there any similar quality alternative to a Brooks brothers custom made to measure suit, and how much exactly will these run?

Any advice appreciated I'm just very frustrated and clueless!!

For bespoke suits in NYC:
http://michaelandrewsbespoke.com/menswear/suits/
http://www.craigrobinsonnyc.com/
http://duncanquinn.com/
http://www.brooklyntailors.net/ (Friend of mine got several suits from here. They are great quality and very decently priced for being bespoke)

Dear lord, unless you're rolling in the money, do not bother with bespoke. There's a lot of online made to measure sites of quality that ranges from decent to go for literally half or quarter the price of those bespoke folks linked. However, you need to do two things. One, have someone else take your measurements - ideally a tailor. Two, make sure it fits after you get it. One way to do this is to take it to the tailor after. If you want the balance of something that fits while not being too expensive, look at sites like indochino (they are known for getting shit wrong all the time and being the lowest quality option available), black lapel (I have one from them and would recommend), etc. But you have to be willing to send it back if it doesn't fit and can't be fixed by a tailor. You may have to do this multiple times until you get what you want. IMO, these places are worth about their price point.

I also know a lot of people ITT love suit supply who also does made to measure that might be cheaper - I've got no idea.

First, the big guy said he'd be willing to pay for quality. Second, the last link, which I recommended, is not any more expensive than Brooks Brothers, which everyone here wets their pants over. In my experience, you get a lot more for your money in getting a $1000 bespoke suit than a $1000 Brooks Brothers one. But then I wouldn't wear the latter in any case.

Sorry for being clueless, but I really have no idea how one even tells a "quality" suit from a "cheap" suit.. Are the low end suits (~$1000) on these websites a similar quality to the BB 1818 or whatever that everyone here raves about? Also, being in the midwest nowhere near NYC, are there similar options or would it be just as good to just get my measurements somewhere here and send them over?

[chrisbru]

Thanks a lot from the advice everyone, from both sides.

Sorry for being clueless, but I really have no idea how one even tells a "quality" suit from a "cheap" suit.. Are the low end suits (~$1000) on these websites a similar quality to the BB 1818 or whatever that everyone here raves about? Also, being in the midwest nowhere near NYC, are there similar options or would it be just as good to just get my measurements somewhere here and send them over?

I personally think $1000 is overkill, especially if you're looking in midwest markets that aren't Chicago. All of my suits are off the rack separates that I have tailored to fit. I like Men's Warehouse (which will probably be laughed at here) because you can usually get two suits plus tailoring for around $650. I have four suits from there, and all fit great after tailoring, look nice, and seem to be pretty good quality.

[Anonymous User]

how often does one need a suit in NYC biglaw v10ish, assuming its a biz casual office? (I SA'd in a different city). From reading this thread, I'm getting the feeling I'll need to be a bit dressier in NYC than a smaller market. Is it common to wear a sportcoat most days int the winter?

I'm in Asia and I have gotten a few incredible suits / Sport Coats custom made, and I can't decide whether to get a couple more before I leave. I think it might be worth the investment now, since I'd pay three times as much for this stuff back in the states.

[SEngland]

What is the consensus on suits with a peak lapel? It is a subtle charcoal suit, great brand, great price, only thing is peak lapels instead of the notch.

[20130312]

What is the consensus on suits with a peak lapel? It is a subtle charcoal suit, great brand, great price, only thing is peak lapels instead of the notch.

Not until you make partner.

[chrisbru]

What is the consensus on suits with a peak lapel? It is a subtle charcoal suit, great brand, great price, only thing is peak lapels instead of the notch.

Not until you make partner.

This seems extreme to me... But I'd avoid it in interviews at least.