Suits etc.....

[Raistlin]

C an anybody recommend some good places to get suits and give me some ideas of what sort of things I should look for when buying please?

Are there any particular names that I should look for?
What styles are good?
Double or Single breasted?
What colour? Black/Dark Grey?
Plain/pinstripe?

This will be for work and I work in a quite formal environment, not stuffy - I just need to look smart/clean etc.

Cheers guys.
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Also fogot to add, what is a good benchmark price? What am I looking at spending?

[Halcyon]

Debehems are quite good for selling packages where you get the trousers, tie, jacket all in one.
They are quite expensive though so if you have some decent trousers already and a shirt, you'd only need a jacket. Thats what I did as it was cheaper.
I think it was around £100 or so if you want the full thing though.

[bmxbandit]

if you're gonna be wearing it every day to work you'll probably want more than one... so a couple of decent jackets could be the way to go.

having said that, i spent a while going round loads of places last year and in the end bought from marks & spencer (and at at a decent price, £100 iirc).

[Raistlin]

Cheers for that guys, anybody else got anything to add?

Prolly gonna be going out in an hour or so and taking the plunge.....

[cookie_365]

Next do machine washable suits - 50% wool, 50% poly. Not as nice as proper wool suits of course but you save a fortune in dry cleaning.

Oh, and always get 2/3 pairs of pants for each jacket.

But yes, Debenhams are really good for good quality stuff at reasonable prices; some good designer stuff there too.

[greencreeper]

If it's for work, then forget the ones with four figure price tags - you'll only end up grubbing about on the floor in it. Buy two pairs of trousers - they wear out faster than the jacket does. If you wait til they wear out, chances are you won't get any to match the jacket. Nothing worse than a nearly-matched suit. Go somewhere that has a bloke to measure you and who knows his business. Avoid the spotty, 18-year-old Saturday morning lad. I would always go for a simple black suit, nothing fancy. Leave pinstripes to the London gents and big cheeses. Grey looks awful, not to mention being difficult to keep clean. I'd avoid anything strange coloured or with a coloured weave - it's work, not a game show.

I got mine from good old M&S - just over £100 and they shortened the trousers for me. My legs aren't the right size :erm: It gets used for special occasions and job interviews, and is still alright after a few years of use, despite me accidentally washing the trousers :disturbd:

[Kliro]

Well, m&s is a good idea, but personally I dont think they are the best quality.

If you have a tk maxx near you they do suits for about 100-150 quid
some nice Daks signature suits, Ive also seen YLS in there armani, versace, etc.

Oh, and remember, waistcoats are making a comeback ;)

[danielf]

You get what you pay for. I only have one suit (which I never wear), but that set me back around £300.

[allieyoung666]

Matalan do the washable ones and I think they are only about £60, Paul wont wear a suit so I do not know much about them!!!

[ikthius]

my last suit was £100 from Slater menswear (Glasgow), not bad, but time for a change.

go for what you feel comfortable in, cause it sounds you are going to be wearing it more than most people.

you don't have to have a name in a suit, as long as it fits correctly, you are comfortable, and you are at ease in it. then nothing really matters then.

also dark suits are a bit easier to keep clean, no pinstripe, you will look stupid, only people like the Duke (David Dickinson) can get away with it properly.

try and get a single breasted suit, you could also mix and match when going out at night, with a nice pair of denims and a suit jacket.

good luck, I know it sounds like a lot of money to part with.

ik

[greencreeper]

I would avoid the washable ones unless you have an A-level in ironing, otherwise you're going to look like you've slept on a park bench.

The other problem with non-black suits is finding matching shirts. A white shirt with, say, a brown suit and you look like a giant biscuit :no:

Slater's (as mentioned by Ikthius) is a good shop, though watch for seconds.

Waistcoats :shocked: The phrase "prized tit" springs to mind. On the catwalks maybe, but in real life, no.

[Flubflow]

For suit-able inspiration you need to go no further than the great Mr.Suit himself, Roger Moore......
http://www.roger-moore.com/gallery/james-bond/JamesBond007/rogerwithjbgirls_JPG.html#anchor
Class!

[Raistlin]

Cheers guys, didn't get a suit yesterday. Off out again this week, armed with your insights :)

[Janusian]

Presently go for single breasted. Avoid machine washable as they look as cheap as they are.

M&S not a bad place to start. Also Moss Bros is also worth considering.

I always think the best way to look smart is to get a reasonable, but plain suit, and spend the money on good shirts and ties.

[bucketbakereturn]

well having just recently become a 9 to 5 monkey i spent £400 on 2 suits 5 shirts and bout 4 ties. Went to Junction 1 (retail park just outside Belfast) and ended up in Suits You (later found out they're a part of Racing Green whose gear i've always liked). Spent an hour and half laying stuff out, swapping ties, shirts and suits to get the greatest flexibility and range from the outfits. Time very well spent. the only thing i didn't do was the two trouser thing, which since they're only recently purchased i have time on my hands. Stick to natural fibres, better heat control (the two suits i have are wool and silk) and keep it simple. Remember this stuff will prob have to work outside work.

Enjoy

[SMHarman]

Some good advice so far. Natural fabrics are more comfortable for extended wearing and don't shine as quickly (if at all).

You will be buying suits to carry you through the spring summer autumn at the moment so make sure they are a bit lighter or you will be too hot in them in the summer, you will probably need another two for the winter.

Over time you should aim to get three winter and three summer suits, you then wear them in rotation, this prolongs the life of all three of them as they get to rest.

I would not worry about getting the machine washable ones, airing an dry-cleaning is the way to go and as someone else said the ironing is a 'mare.

At the moment single breasted is the style to buy, usually 2-3 buttons. 4 button single breasted is a bit 90's, double breasted a bit 80s.

You (reasonably have not commented on your weight) - if you are as they say in the airline industry "height and weight in proportion" then you are sorted and most will look good. If you are not then suits with lower buttons accentuate the stomach and make you look fatter.

Also think about the trouser style, pleat front or flat front. Pleats can puff up on badly fitting suits again making a poor fit.

Trust the measurments of the shop assistant - even if they are not what you want to hear. Suits You are good, they often have good offers etc (I got my DJ from there for £90 when to rent next door would have been £60!). Ted Bakers 'endurance' suit is good. TM Lewins ones are rated by some colleagues and Hackett do some nice expensive ones, but you get in early on the sale. Once you know what style fits well you can buy anywhere though. Think of the difference between the look of Brent (badly fitting suit) and Finchy or the Stains manager (Both well fitting suits).

So I would get two similar suits (colourwise), lighter striped. Then as others have said focus on shirts and ties and create a mix and match on those. Again in time you will need about 10-15 shirts and ties (I didn't believe this when I was first told, but it is true). For me this works as (on a Monday) 10 in the wardrobe to choose from and five being laundered - if you miss a week at the laundry then you are not in a panic.

Good quality shirts are double cuffed (and need cuff links) and you also insert collar stays in so they are washed with them removed (prolonging the life of the shirt as the collar is soft when it is washed).

www.ctshirts.co.uk / www.tmlewin.co.uk are both good for shirts and have year round offers. Their suits are not bad value either. Use offfer code ICA on the TMLewin site. The guys at the suit shop will give you your collar size and sleeve length.

Shoes - again a couple of good pairs. Something I have tried to save money on for years but finally gave up on last year and spent about £250 on a shoe shop. Two pairs of all leather shoes from www.jonesbootmakers.co.uk cedar shoe trees and their cleaning creams. These shoes in time will be like triggers broom, you can take them back and they will re-sole, re-heel replace parts of the uppers, liners etc and you will get many years good service from them and they are lots more comfortable than the £40 shoes I threw away regularly before this.

[orangebird]

If you have the money, go for a Canali suit. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous (but about £600 for a good one).

Whatever you spend, make sure that you get a SINGLE BREASTED jacket. Double is a massive:nono: :)

[danielf]

<snip>

Shoes - again a couple of good pairs. Something I have tried to save money on for years but finally gave up on last year and spent about £250 on a shoe shop. Two pairs of all leather shoes from www.jonesbootmakers.co.uk cedar shoe trees and their cleaning creams. These shoes in time will be like triggers broom, you can take them back and they will re-sole, re-heel replace parts of the uppers, liners etc and you will get many years good service from them and they are lots more comfortable than the £40 shoes I threw away regularly before this.

Good advice on the shoes. People with an expensive suit and cheap shoes stand out miles. Get decent shoes, or you'll look like a cheap person that has managed to buy a suit, but couldn't/wouldn't afford shoes.

[Raistlin]

<SNIP>

Wow, massive post - thanks very much for that, I'll take a look at some of the sights/shops etc that you've listed.
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Good advice on the shoes. People with an expensive suit and cheap shoes stand out miles. Get decent shoes, or you'll look like a cheap person that has managed to buy a suit, but couldn't/wouldn't afford shoes.

Hmm, having looked at a couple of "nice" suits over the last few days I think it more likely that I'm gonna look like someone who "managed to buy a tie, but couldn't/wouldn't afford the shirt."
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And having just looked at one of the links that SMHarman posted above all I can say is :Yikes:

I don't know where you're working but if you can afford to buy shirts that are that expensive then I think I need to ask:

"Got any jobs going?"

Seriously, I'd love to be able to afford to spend that amount of money of shirts, shoes, ties etc but I can barely afford to pay my bills each month as it is. All I want to do is tidy my work appearance up a little (without going so broke that the most expensive items of clothing I'll need will be a hessian sack and a brown paper bag).

Please don't think I don't appreciate the advice, I do (and I know that you're absolutely right and I agree with what you've said) - I just can't quite afford to stretch that far..... Not yet anyway.....

[SMHarman]

Wow, massive post - thanks very much for that, I'll take a look at some of the sights/shops etc that you've listed.
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And having just looked at one of the links that SMHarman posted above all I can say is :Yikes:

Seriously, I'd love to be able to afford to spend that amount of money of shirts, shoes, ties etc but I can barely afford to pay my bills each month as it is. All I want to do is tidy my work appearance up a little (without going so broke that the most expensive items of clothing I'll need will be a hessian sack and a brown paper bag).

Please don't think I don't appreciate the advice, I do (and I know that you're absolutely right and I agree with what you've said) - I just can't quite afford to stretch that far..... Not yet anyway.....
With Lewin the ICA offer code will reduce the price of shirts to £27 and ties to £18. A shirt from Next is £22-£25 and a tie about £17.99 so the prices for a Lewin Shirt (and I have some that are 4 years old) or a Next shirt which will not last as well (as the cotton is lower quality and it is machine stiched in all the wrong places), makes them phenominal value for money.

So on a budget what can you take from the post. Suits You will be a good place to get the suits. They make good suits at good prices. You should be able to get Lewin Shirts for not much more than Next or probably Suits you, as you will be seen in the shirt more than the jacket this is a good buy.

You cannot buy this all at once, if you do you will be sleeping in it because you are homeless - no matter what job you do - but if you plan for a wardrobe of 3 summer / 3 winter suits, 15 shirts , two pairs of shoes over time and work to that strategy spending as you can afford it, over time you will spend a lot less on clothes than if you buy the cheapest all at once.

[Caspar]

I agree with the posts...but when you're starting out as Raistlin appears to be :)...we were all there once, then a I recommend doing what the average Joe does...including me when I first started work :)....go buy your clothes from ASDA/TESCO etc... Whatever, people might say here about this in contary to places such as Suits You, you can get smart for £40, full suit and all....

As I said I agree with the posts, as this is what I do now...but back when the most important thing in my life was bread, water and electricity, I was very happy to kit myself out at my local supermarket :) .... Infact, I still do buy my ties from these places....call be fickle but if I like a tie/cuffs I buy it.... I bought a decent tie for £4 the other week...and cuffs were end of line and got for £2...no thing wrong with them and they'll do :)

Agreed, they might not last you a year...but by then you might be able to shop upwhere ;)

[Raistlin]

With Lewin the ICA offer code will reduce the price of shirts to £27 and ties to £18. A shirt from Next is £22-£25 and a tie about £17.99 so the prices for a Lewin Shirt (and I have some that are 4 years old) or a Next shirt which will not last as well (as the cotton is lower quality and it is machine stiched in all the wrong places), makes them phenominal value for money.

So on a budget what can you take from the post. Suits You will be a good place to get the suits. They make good suits at good prices. You should be able to get Lewin Shirts for not much more than Next or probably Suits you, as you will be seen in the shirt more than the jacket this is a good buy.

You cannot buy this all at once, if you do you will be sleeping in it because you are homeless - no matter what job you do - but if you plan for a wardrobe of 3 summer / 3 winter suits, 15 shirts , two pairs of shoes over time and work to that strategy spending as you can afford it, over time you will spend a lot less on clothes than if you buy the cheapest all at once.

Thanks for that, good points well made :)
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I agree with the posts...but when you're starting out as Raistlin appears to be :)...we were all there once, then a I recommend doing what the average Joe does...including me when I first started work :)....go buy your clothes from ASDA/TESCO etc... Whatever, people might say here about this in contary to places such as Suits You, you can get smart for £40, full suit and all....

As I said I agree with the posts, as this is what I do now...but back when the most important thing in my life was bread, water and electricity, I was very happy to kit myself out at my local supermarket :) .... Infact, I still do buy my ties from these places....call be fickle but if I like a tie/cuffs I buy it.... I bought a decent tie for £4 the other week...and cuffs were end of line and got for £2...no thing wrong with them and they'll do :)

Agreed, they might not last you a year...but by then you might be able to shop upwhere ;)

Got visions of myself in Blue & White striped suits etc now. :LOL:

Know what you mean though ;)

[Caspar]

Got visions of myself in Blue & White striped suits etc now. :LOL:

Know what you mean though ;)

Don't be daft :)... you can look good on a budget .... :)

(just look a KP ;))

[Janusian]

I would just like to second what SHarman said about TM Lewins. I wouldn't wear anything else. They look as smart as they come, and are tough.

[greencreeper]

I think folks are confusing their status a little. If you're a manager, then fine - spend over £1000 on an outfit. For the rest of us, on £200-£300 a week, M&S will have to do. A grunt in a flash suit just smacks of failure and desperation. I won't spend more than £20 on a work shirt. You never know when you might be required to have your arms in a comms cabinet (filthy) or stem an arterial bleed on a muppet versus bus :erm: :D

[edit]

£85 for a shirt - Jesus :Yikes:

[Raistlin]

:LOL:

[SMHarman]

[edit]

£85 for a shirt - Jesus :Yikes:
Indeed - and even the £42.50 for that particular shirt is steep, but did you not see the code I told you to put in the checkout. It changes the price by half.

As I said above a shirt from Next costs £22-£27, a shirt from Lewin £27. I have many lewin shirts in my wardrobe and one Next shirt, the rest all frayed at the cuff / collar or could not be washed at 60 to get blood, dust comms cab dirt out of them.

Now if coms cab dirt is part of the job surely you should be provided with a uniform?

[Raistlin]

Does this code work at the moment, given the fact that they've got a half-price sale on anyway?

Would it be wise to visit one of their London stores and get measured properly (if I did that would I still be elligible to use the code or is that only available for online orders? - Actually, I could get them to measure me and then place the order online couldn't I?)

[SMHarman]

PM Me I'll send you a link with a PDF voucher on it.

[greencreeper]

Now if coms cab dirt is part of the job surely you should be provided with a uniform?
Well maybe it's me but I'm generally called upon to do allsorts. The last job I did I had the side off a cabinet and managed to get grease from the shelf runners all up the sleeve of my nice lemon shirt :(

Interesting tie instructions. Never managed to get the Windsor know to look symmetrical - I stick to the half-Windsor.

[Raistlin]

Tie instructions?

[greencreeper]

Tie instructions?
http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/lewin/guide.htm

[Raistlin]

http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/lewin/guide.htm

Nice one, missed that the first time through the site.

I think I'm gonna have to start buying one a month or something. I'm falling in love with the quality :)

[danielf]

Nice one, missed that the first time through the site.

I think I'm gonna have to start buying one a month or something. I'm falling in love with the quality :)

Your style is showing :)

[Raistlin]

:LOL: Seriously though, there's some nice shirts etc on there and I've always been partial to looking as good as I can.

It's always nice to see the look on people's faces when they're used to seeing you in jeans etc and you turn up in a suit and looking good.

Apparently I "scrub up well" ;)

[SMHarman]

http://www.reed.co.uk/downloads/tmLewinVoucher.pdf

A public voucher with much the same offers on it and valid to the end of 05.