How to Buy a great Suit. For under $200

The Sub $200 suit.  A risk worth taking

How to do this without making a $200 mistake.  Trust me, I’ve made them.)

(Great suits… not a huge fan of the ties)

1. Stick with Kenneth Cole - If you’re not too thick around the middle, these are the best suits you can get without killing your savings account.  Grey or Navy Blue.  Black is way less versatile.  Easy on the stripes.  Pin-dot if you can find it.  But back to the fit for a second,   Kenneth Cole Suits are cut slim to start but you WILL NEED TO GET IT TAILORED.  More on that later.  Backup Brands: Alfani Red Label (Macy’s store brand) or Calvin Klein.

2. Two Button Jacket.  Flat Front Pants.  No exceptions – Kenneth Cole places the buttons just a bit higher so you don’t look like some fat banker with his buttons super low on the jacket, but you also show the right amount of shirt which a three button suit won’t allow you to do.  And no pleats on the pants.  They don’t serve any real function and they look weird.  This is as classic as it gets, and if it’s well tailored you’ll get compliments on it every time you wear it.  I prefer notch lapel, but if you want the peak lapel and a little more flash, by all means it’s up to you.  Just make sure the lapels are still relatively slim, and not Charlie Rose-esq ailerons.

3. Macy’s Sale, or… Overstock.com – Don’t pay full price.  Ever.  They go on sale all the time at Macy’s and Overstock.com.  If you don’t have a bazillion credit cards, it’s probably worth it to open a Macy’s card, get the discount, and pay it off right away.  If you’ve never bought a suit before, and the price on
Overstock.com is way better than in the store… try it on in the store first.

4. The Shoulder and Jacket Length should be Perfect - If either of those two don’t fit, don’t buy it.  How to tell if it fits perfect?  Start with the Shoulder.  Wear a dress shirt to the store.  Put on the jacket.  Stand about 6 inches from the wall, facing forward.  It should look like this:
You = -
Wall = |

- |

Slowly lean your body, shoulder first, into the wall.  The shoulder pad of the jacket (which should be thin to begin with) should hit the wall at the same time as your actual shoulder.  If the shoulder pad hits, scrunches up, and then an inch later your shoulder touches the wall… it’s too big and you’re going to end up looking like a linebacker.  They CANNOT change the shape of the jacket in the shoulders.  Don’t buy it.

On to Jacket Length. Let your arms fall to your sides.  Curl your fingers up like you were going to start picking up a wheel barrow.  Does the jacket fall into your curled hands but not bunch up?  Does it barely hit the dip in your fingers?  Good, it fits well then.  If it’s too long, try going with a short size.  I’m 5′9″ – 5′10″ 165lbs and I wear a Jacket size 40 short.  Not regular.  A regular is too long for me.

5. Find a great Tailor - And if you’re buying it at Macy’s… don’t let the salesperson fit you for their in-house tailoring service.  Because it sucks.  (Made that mistake once)  Buy the suit, and find a real tailor.  Ask around at work.  Ask the women at your workplace.  One of them has got to have a good tailor.  Mine is dynamite and she works out of her house.  She’s got an eastern European accent, she’s nice as can be, and she does incredible work for unbelievably cheap.  Found her through one of my wife’s former co-workers.

6. What to ask for when getting it Tailored - Here’s what you’ll want to have done:

- Have them bring it in on the sides so you don’t look like you’re wearing an old potato sack.  It’s supposed to have a shape to it.  You’ve got to be able to move, but it should not, and CAN NOT be loose.
- Have the sleeves brought up so you’re showing a quarter inch of shirt cuff when your arms are hanging at your sides.
- No cuffs on the pants.  Waist on the pants should fit well enough that you could wear it easily without a belt.

7.  Details - I’m a fan of a small white pocket square.  Not one of those billowy silk numbers.  Hard to go wrong with a white oxford shirt as well.  And good ties can be found for cheap just about anywhere.  Shoes, head to Zappos.com and don’t get anything square toed.  Underwear?  That’s up to you.  Bottom line is you gotta stick with what you think looks and feels good… and it’s a bonus if Cary Grant, George Clooney or Barack Obama would wear it.