Need help buying a tuxedo for my wedding

[Chris B]

Hey all,


I'm getting married in September and have decided to buy myself a tux. Since this is a once in a lifetime purchase (hopefully), I want to get something nice, but I can't break the bank buying it.


I don't want to do Tommy, Alfani, etc., again just me being picky. And no Indochino, I bought one suit from there before which was fine, but I want my tux to be something a little nicer.


I've look at the one offered by Suit Supply, but I'm not a big fan of how wide the lapels are.


http://www.suitsupply.com/shop/1.P1109A/Tuxedo?filter_27=736#


I really like this one from Hugo Boss, but it didn't go on sale at Nordstrom's so I can't really afford $900 for it.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/boss-black-the-stars-glamour-trim-fit-wool-tuxedo-free-next-day-shipping/3120300?origin=category&fashionColor=&resultback=5 41


Finally, I looked at the one Bonobos has to offer because I have had good luck with the fit of their clothes, but again I can't afford $900, and the polka dot lining is throwing me off.

http://www.bonobos.com/the-tuxedo-royale


PLEASE, help me here, I'm looking at the $400-$700 price range for the tux, and want it to be something that I'll be able to proudly wear for years.

[Jim A.]

Hey Chris, congratulations on your upcoming wedding!


Have you taken a look over at Charles Tyrwhitt? This one's $599: http://goo.gl/YojvI

[Chris B]

Thanks Jim!


I did look at that one, I would buy it in a second if it didn't have pleated pants. I know I could buy just the jacket, but I don't want to have to run around and try and match a separate pair of pants to the jacket.

[redbeardedmike]

@Chris - I might contact customer service reps to get actual details on each lapel width. I'm not sure if the Suit Supply lapel is really much wider or if the lighting in that photograph just makes it pop more. The Tyrwhitt and Boss tuxes seem to be lighted in such a way that I can't tell if the lapels are satin or grosgain. The Bonobos seems the best lit and most natural in its photographs. The Suit Supply tux seems shiny all over, so I think you may be seeing some sheen in that photo that may not be true to life. The sheen on the left lapel in that photo seems particularly pronounced, so it might stand out more and seem wider.


I could be totally off, but worth just checking the lapel widths with the companies to be sure.


A few years ago, I bought a John W. Nordstrom tux for $500 rather than a better fitting Hart, Schaffner, Marx $800 version. The extra $300 seemed like too much to spend on an occasional use item. I still regret that decision. Better fit is better fit. I wound up putting an extra $100 into my tux to get it slimmed down and tailored anyway once I figured out how fit actually worked - which shrunk the difference in cost. In retrospect, it seems like a moderate upcharge.


In any case, if I were in the market for a tux today, I'd be taking a hard look at the Suit Supply, given how well their other suit fits me.


As a few asides:

-The sleeve length on the shirt and jacket on the Nordstrom model are atrocious.

-The photo of the Tyrwhitt tux is terrible at conveying it's appearance: poorly lit, small/low-res photo, one angle, and a stupid contrast scarf thrown in to further obscure things. How does that make it easy to shop online?

-Bonobos polka dot lining = WTF?

[Bookman]

Peak lapel Jos a Bank signature tux...best tux for the money, and often on sale...

[jonATL]

I got a Ludlow tux from J Crew for my wedding. It looked pretty damn nice. I think it was $700, though.

[hornsup84]

I'll second Bookman's reco. I have the JAB and it's relatively cheap and gets the job done. Just have a tailor work on it for you and you'll probably still come in under $400.


That being said, I'm going to look into a custom tux soon, as I'm starting to get more use out of it for work functions, etc. Hope to pay in the $800-1000 range, but we'll see.

[Chris B]

Thanks all for the recommendations. I bit the bullet and bought a tux jacket from Brooks brothers today during their semi annual sale. They didn't have my size in the non-pleated pants online, so I am going to go look at a few stores to see if thu have them there, this sale is too good to pass up.