Joseph A Bank

[mathis]

What thoughts do you have on Jos A Bank? Sometimes their suit sales are ridiculous enough to get me in there but I've never managed to actually purchase anything. My tailor says that he's done some work with guys who have bought suits from there and they are hit or miss, mostly.


Any anecdotes or advice?

[alan]

I've owned a suit there that I was satisfied with but ultimately outgrew. I don't think they are ALL duds.


However, their wild pricing scheme makes it very difficult to a judge a suit on its own merits unless you're a suit expert. With other brands that are sold through multiple retail outlets you can get lots of reviews and compare prices to get a general idea of their quality. You have to throw that all out the window when you go to Jos A Bank. You may still find a good suit for a good price, but you'll really have to know your stuff to make that determination in a vacuum. For that reason, I don't really shop there anymore.

[j.b.]

Their sales always make me want to check out their stuff too. I usually go online, just to see what's available first, before going to the store. Unfortunately they have one of the worst websites ever...so I just lose interest.

[Ounce]

The general consensus (at least in regards to actual "good suiting")is stay away. I guess anything can be worth it if the price is low enough but I certainly wouldn't expect too much from a JAB suit. They're able to have these wild sales because their suits are grossly overpriced at retail in attempt to give some perception of actual quality. In reality the suits are barely worth the bottom dollar sale price.


As long as you're viewing it to be worth the 70/80/90% off price and thus expecting that level of quality, I can't see anything wrong with it. If you actually want a solid suit and are willing to jump up a couple bills from typical JAB prices, J Crew or Brooks Brothers 1818 on sale are much better alternatives (from a styling and quality perspective).

[jordan]

Their sales are a gimmick. Notice how they ALWAYS have an ongoing sale? They produce inferior clothing and pretend to mark it down to spur sales. I ordered a few different shirts from there and they were the most ill fitting, crappily made things ive seen. I ordered a medium shirt, which all brands at least somewhat fit me in medium, and this thing was like wearing a moo-moo.

[hornsup84]

Angry, angry people. I think it's amusing that so many people hate on JAB prices, but then are fine with JCrew suits being expensive as all get out and on sale every other week as well.


It's pretty popular around here to hate on JAB. I'd definitely never get anything there even close to full price. However, a majority of my current suit lineup are from JAB. I went there because it's one of the only places that offers a good selection of suit separates (for my shoulders, apparently every store thinks I'm supposed to be super fat).


That being said, I bought their higher end lines (Signature or their Sig Gold) when they were running one of their more ridiculous sales. Overall I haven't had an issue with them, although they are a more conservative cut than a majority of guys on here like. My first 'adult' suit was from JAB and was one of their cheaper lines, and you could definitely tell it was cheap, so I'd stay away from their really cheap offerings.


As for their shirts and other offerings, I don't think they're worth it. Go get some BB non-iron slim fits on sale and you'll be a lot happier (and may not even need to go to a tailor).

[jordan]

Its not so much to do with their pricing but the fact their clothes felt cheaper and less well made than stuff i'd get at JCPenney for 1/4 the cost, even at the JaB sale prices. I dont think they make anything slim fit, and their regular fit stuff is atrociously huge. I don't mind J.Crew, but i only own one shirt from them which feels very soft and well made. I tried on a chino sportcoat there and it fit great off the rack (minus arm length, which all coats are long on my arms). and it just feels like better quality. I do think jCrew is proud of their stuff, but not like JaB is. They pretend to be a premium retailer when their stuff is some of the worst quality i've seen.

[mathis]

Thanks, that sums up pretty well what i've been thinking. It just seems a little good to be true. Went in the other day and found a camel/poly sports coat for $700. I thought it was crazy.

[OldSchool33]

I purchased a total of 6 pairs of paints from JAB over the last 2 months. I was even offered a steady 75% off anything in the store by the sales associate (pricing is very odd). Not the most stellar quality though... I am going to be looking at BB pants now. Still looking for the Holy Grail. Any recommendations for business pants?

[TheMeInTeam]

"I don't think they make anything slim fit, and their regular fit stuff is atrociously huge."


Quoted for truth. JoS. A. Bank is where middle-age men with beer guts go to buy giant shoulder-padded jackets and baggy pleated pants. Unfortunately because of their advertising they also get a lot of young guys who don't know any better and just trust the salesman to find them a good fit (Men's Wearhouse is the same way). You've probably seen these guys before at weddings, etc., looking like they're wearing their dad's suit.

[jason_carreira]

Nothing at JAB is canvassed, it's all fused. The same can be said of Alfani, Hilfiger, etc. I'm not sure about J Crew's suiting. JAB is not bad for the price, but it's not good, ifyaknowwhatImean.


It could be worse. It could be Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss uses a bit better fabric but just as cheap construction and sells at a premium price comparable with Hickey Freeman, etc. but without the quality.

[Bookman]

that's not true....Sig Gold is half-canvassed.

[Madaoua05]

I'm a novice to suits and will confess that I've bought several at JAB and Mens Warehouse. In my defense, all have been on sale.


If you all are of the opinion that the quality is not that good at these retailers, then where can I get a better quality suit for the same price? Or is that just impossible? And what price rage (including tailoring) would a 29 year old man with a sufficient income be looking to pay?

[jason_carreira]

How easy are you to fit off the rack? Do you have a suit that fits well that you can measure and compare? If OTR fits pretty easily eBay could be a good direction for you and you could get a nice Hickey Freeman suit for under $125.

[Madaoua05]

At 6 ft, 170lbs, I'm between a 40R and a 40L. So Hickey Freeman is a good brand. Thanks for the info.