Advice needed to buy my first suit.

[hardykoye]

I've been trying to purchase my first suit lately. But the problem is I can't make a different in between full canvassed and fused or even quality of the fabric.

I went to Saks of 5th, and I tried some HF and Canali suits. I like them and they are the only one can fit me perfectly while I'm 5.4 short.

On the other hand when I ask them or even on their online descriptions it says fully lined. But when I did some researches I found out they are not fully canvassed.

When it comes to price, I'm willing to get something in between 700-1000$ depending on quality. I wear 40s and I'm looking for navy or charcoal. Maybe both if I can find something on saks of 5th for "buy one get one free".

Thanks.




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[Paxonus]

Get thee to Brooks Brothers. For a first suit you can't go wrong.

[winghus]

If they fit you perfectly and it's your first suit in a basic color, I would just go ahead and buy it. HF and Canali are high-quality brands and they are most likely half-canvassed or fully canvassed, but with those 2 brands I wouldn't hesitate to buy a fused suit if it fit and looked great on me. The suggestion for Brooks is also a great one and I think they have a 2 for $899 summer suit sale right now. It's mostly Brookscool and cotton suits but at the very least go to a BB and have a good SA fit you. If you get one that acts condescending or inattentive, go to the manager and ask for a different SA and tell them why.I've had one bad and many good experiences in BBs but the bad one put me off of them for almost a year before I gave them another chance.

To tell if it's fully canvassed, go to the bottom of the jacket between the pocket and the lapel and pinch the lining in one hand and the outside layer of wool in the other and see if you feel a third layer of cloth in between the two. Sometimes the canvas sticks to the outer layer but you can get them apart unless it's fusing. For half-canvassed that's a little harder as even most fused suits have a small canvas chest piece but if you feel a large chest piece that extends down to the neighborhood of the bottom of the inside pocket across the entire front panel, it's probably half-canvassed.

[theplayerking]

I've been trying to purchase my first suit lately. But the problem is I can't make a different in between full canvassed and fused or even quality of the fabric.

I went to Saks of 5th, and I tried some HF and Canali suits. I like them and they are the only one can fit me perfectly while I'm 5.4 short.

On the other hand when I ask them or even on their online descriptions it says fully lined. But when I did some researches I found out they are not fully canvassed.

When it comes to price, I'm willing to get something in between 700-1000$ depending on quality. I wear 40s and I'm looking for navy or charcoal. Maybe both if I can find something on saks of 5th for "buy one get one free".

Thanks.




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That is a substantial budget for a first suit. My advice is, unless you have an immediate need (like and interview or a wedding), slow down and do a lot of research. Almost everyone makes mistakes when buying a suit for the first time so you may want to start with something less expensive. Also, if you are 5'4" and wear a size 40, it may be difficult finding something off the rack. You might want to choose a store like Brooks Brothers or Suitsupply and has people that can help with alterations.

Finally, check out The Modest Man blog. It has a lot of advice on brands and tips for shorter guys.

[Volador]

Curious: Why would you spend 700-1000 on your first suit? If quality and fit are the issue, most people on mens' style forums seem to agree that SuitSupply or BB would be a good choice, and their suits are about $400-$500, i think. If you live in NYC you could go to a store and get fitted.

[Evenflow]

I bought a Saks 'Black' label suit from Off 5th a couple years ago ($279.00) and it's great. Half canvassed, Zegna cloth, made in the US. If I had one of those stores closer to me, so I could go try on jackets, I'd probably buy most of my suits there.

[CJMichaelRay]

On the other hand when I ask them or even on their online descriptions it says fully lined. But when I did some researches I found out they are not fully canvassed.

When it comes to price, I'm willing to get something in between 700-1000$ depending on quality. I wear 40s and I'm looking for navy or charcoal. Maybe both if I can find something on saks of 5th for "buy one get one free".

These are the two points I want to address.

Regarding lining vs canvasing. Canvasing is the interlining of the suit, which is made up of a canvas material (cotton/horsehair/wool mixes) that give the jacket shape while lining is the material that covers the inside of the suit to hide imperfections in the stitching on the inside, protect the fabrics, etc. Most suits are going to be fully lined. If they're canvased at all (even if it's just half canvased), then it's going to hold shape better than a fused suit. A fully-canvased suit just means that the canvas reaches all the way to the bottom of the suit's front-side instead of just to around the top button, and will hold shape just a bit better. Nothing wrong with staying half-canvased. Fused suiting means that the interlining and suit's shell fabrics were glued together and I'd personally suggest to stay away from it, even with higher-end brands.

Regarding your budget, you're in great shape with being ready to spend up to $1,000. Including tailoring, you can get a fantastic suit. As mentioned already in the thread, Brooks Bro's is a great company, but their sizing can be really "generous" and I'd suggest to size down to possibly a 38S. SuitSupply is another great brand in your budget range as well. You could even get into some nice online MTM (made-to-measure) to get one built to your measurements and get an almost-bespoke fit if time isn't tight. Brands like Indochino, Black Lapel, and some of the more affordable options from Knot Standard.

I'd personally suggest navy since you're in the USA. It's a great color that provides function for interviews, weddings, business, etc. It's easy to have some fun with, too. I feel like colors play a lot better with navy suits than charcoal and if you do go all-black with black shoes & a black tie, navy looks less stuffy.

[hardykoye]

These are the two points I want to address.

Regarding lining vs canvasing. Canvasing is the interlining of the suit, which is made up of a canvas material (cotton/horsehair/wool mixes) that give the jacket shape while lining is the material that covers the inside of the suit to hide imperfections in the stitching on the inside, protect the fabrics, etc. Most suits are going to be fully lined. If they're canvased at all (even if it's just half canvased), then it's going to hold shape better than a fused suit. A fully-canvased suit just means that the canvas reaches all the way to the bottom of the suit's front-side instead of just to around the top button, and will hold shape just a bit better. Nothing wrong with staying half-canvased. Fused suiting means that the interlining and suit's shell fabrics were glued together and I'd personally suggest to stay away from it, even with higher-end brands.

Regarding your budget, you're in great shape with being ready to spend up to $1,000. Including tailoring, you can get a fantastic suit. As mentioned already in the thread, Brooks Bro's is a great company, but their sizing can be really "generous" and I'd suggest to size down to possibly a 38S. SuitSupply is another great brand in your budget range as well. You could even get into some nice online MTM (made-to-measure) to get one built to your measurements and get an almost-bespoke fit if time isn't tight. Brands like Indochino, Black Lapel, and some of the more affordable options from Knot Standard.

I'd personally suggest navy since you're in the USA. It's a great color that provides function for interviews, weddings, business, etc. It's easy to have some fun with, too. I feel like colors play a lot better with navy suits than charcoal and if you do go all-black with black shoes & a black tie, navy looks less stuffy.

Thank you so much. I get better ideas for what I'm going to get. And I definitely considered BB but the problem is when it come to jacket length, they look big for me. And the reason I mentioned HF and Canali is because they are the only brand they fits me well. Because they have length in 28-29in length.


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[hardykoye]

Get thee to Brooks Brothers. For a first suit you can't go wrong.

I agree and I tried their suits. But the problem is their jacket length look to big on me.


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[hardykoye]

Curious: Why would you spend 700-1000 on your first suit? If quality and fit are the issue, most people on mens' style forums seem to agree that SuitSupply or BB would be a good choice, and their suits are about $400-$500, i think. If you live in NYC you could go to a store and get fitted.

The reason for my budget range is, I would rather not have any or buy something can be worth buying. I agree with you but if you look at the numbers, 500 is not a small amount as well. I think my budget is within middle if you look at really good quality suits at NM or Nordstrom for over 1500$.


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[hardykoye]

I bought a Saks 'Black' label suit from Off 5th a couple years ago ($279.00) and it's great. Half canvassed, Zegna cloth, made in the US. If I had one of those stores closer to me, so I could go try on jackets, I'd probably buy most of my suits there.

Hmm. This is very interesting. I was avoiding all the Zegna suits at Saks. Because what people talking about, how to not buy in house products. Or any brand made specifically for department stores. Like Zegna for Saks and so on. But I will definitely give it a try.


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[MTH]

I think you would do well to avoid the urge to spend that much on your first suit. I know you want to get something good, but you can get extremely high quality suits for $500 or $400 - indeed, the difference between most $1000 suits and a Brooks Brothers or Suitsupply is mostly the luxury label. HF and Canali are lovely clothes, but SS and BB are probably similarly good quality in terms of their fabrics and construction, for a non-connoisseur a range of fits is more important that any difference in handiwork you might find. If I were you, I'd go into a SS and a larger branch of BB and try on a bunch of different fits and styles to find out what you're most comfortable with. Then, once you've worn it over half a year and found out what you like and don't like about it, get a second suit in the same price range (adding in a few other options, such as Benjamin Sartorial).

[MNJ83]

For a first suit i would go with Brooks Brothers. I would not recommend SS.

[MTH]

For a first suit i would go with Brooks Brothers. I would not recommend SS.

Interesting! Why? I have both BB (1818 line) and SS, and I much prefer my SS suits and sportcoats - greater range of fabrics and cuts. But I don't work in a very formal industry.

[MNJ83]

Interesting! Why? I have both BB (1818 line) and SS, and I much prefer my SS suits and sportcoats - greater range of fabrics and cuts. But I don't work in a very formal industry.

Well, I am not a big fan anymore. I have three of their suits, including a "super 150" Hartford, and to me, if I am going to buy a well made in China suit, I might as well pay a lot less and go with Spier and McKay.

I also think that Brooks Brothers 1818 and above (none of their outlet trash) if by far superior in cut, quality, and drape than either SS or S&M as a made in the USA suit. I think a well tailored Brooks Brothers suit is in a different ballpark altogether and probably the best value when they go on sale for two for 1200 or so.