I need a tux

[3eeve]

So once a year I attend this formal thing with my dad. The past couple years I've worn a black Hilfiger suit that fits well and I can spruce up to make look a but more formal. But now that I can afford a tuxedo I've decided I should invest in one.


I really like the J Crew peak lapel tux jacket. Hits all the right notes for me, and their stuff fits me well. That said, J Crew run on the pricey side for not a remarkable uptick in quality, and the thought of spending another $100 to get it properly tailored is disconcerting. On the other hand, maybe I should be spending a bit extra for the right tux.


http://m.jcrew.com/mt/www.jcrew.com/mens_category/suiting/PRDOVR~50678/50678.jsp


Anyway, I could use your collective wisdom about this sort of thing. There's probably options I hadn't considered.

[LesserBlackDog]

SuitSupply sells a peak lapel tux for $469. The lapel is on the wide side, but the quality will be head-and-shoulders above stuff like J.Crew.


Joe on the main site has featured an inexpensive slim-fit tux a few times, available at Macy's. I can't remember off the top of my head if it was Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger. But people who owned it seemed to be satisfied with it.

[scrambledpotato]

Not sure on the quality difference, but Indochino offers a 3 piece Tux:


http://www.indochino.com/product/The-Essential-3-Piece-Tuxedo


It'd be MTM instead of off the rack, and it does come with that adjustments credit (I believe). Maybe someone else can weigh in on Indochino as a possibility?

[j.r.]

Nobody can see the tags on your tux (as long as it is on, at least... at which point, if it is now on the floor, then mission accomplished...)


My suggestion is to try and replicate the look you like, if you want to save some $crilla. I understand wanting to take the affordable route - I am not ashamed to admit it that I bought my tux jacket and pants from Men's Wearhouse and had the sh*t tailored out of it to make it look immaculate(ish). But, I was in-between completing grad school and starting my career and had to use my savings. You would be surprised what a good tailor can do (or maybe you already know)


But, if it fits well enough where you need minimal or no tailoring, just go for it. There is a fine line between having buyers remorse because your purchase was a bit too expensive and having buyers remorse because you bought something of terrible quality that you loathe.

Best of luck to you!

[Cause Moe]

If you only need it once a year, then as long as your size remains the same, this could be an investment that lasts a lifetime. Sportcoats come and sportcoats go, likewise with jeans and other garments. But spending an extra $100 for tailoring to make the fit just right is not really a lot, when amortized over the rest of your life.


If you're a professional classical musician or a film executive, you might buy a tux and expect it to wear out and be replaced, but for most of us, nice formal wear, perfectly fitted, and well maintained, is a long-term investment. So consider that when budgeting for the purchase and alterations.


There's really nothing that can compare to the look of a man in impeccable black-tie attire. I wish I had properly taken care of this essential wardrobe staple earlier in life than I did, especially when old photos surface.

[hornsup84]

Currently use my old JAB tux, which actually works well enough (bought back in school while broke, tailored pretty decently so it looks good). I do plan at some point to get a nicer one--likely SuitSupply if they work out or a custom/MTM here in town (NYC, so I'm lucky on that end). I definitely wouldn't spend $500+ on a JCrew tux, although I generally distrust JCrew suiting (for better or worse, I'm biased on that end).

[Fred G. Unn]

+1 on SuitSupply. I tried one on at the NYC store and it really is nice. I think it had functioning buttons on the sleeves which makes tailoring a bit tricky.

[redbeardedmike]

As far as Indochino goes, I will say that the midnight blue 95% wool 5% cashmere midnight blue tux fabric was one of the nicer ones I touched at the Chicago pop-up suiting event. Much nicer than their black tux fabric.

[3eeve]

So that's a no go on the indochino black tuxes? I thought they'd strike a nice middle ground. I like my essential navy suit from them. The midnight blue one is nice but I think I need something more traditional. I liked the peak lapels on the J Crew tux because they were small and tight but still distinctive. Indochino seemed like a good option because I could customize to get something very similar. But if the fabric isn't that great...


I guess my opinion is that I'd rather spend a little extra for something nicer. I've worn some cheap tuxes in my day and it just seems to me that black tie probably isn't something I should skimp on. The real trick is finding the right quality to price ratios. Not keen on overpaying for a middle of the road tux any more than I would spend little money and get a poor garment as a result.

[somaticmarker1]

Maybe Black Lapel?


http://www.blacklapel.com/suits/one-button-black-tux-peak-lapels-suit.html


Definetly better quality JCrew

[redbeardedmike]

@Jay - I don't specifically remember how I felt about the quality of the Indochino black tux fabric. I just knew after feeling them that midnight blue was what I would choose if I got something from them.

[Josh H]

If you've got your MTM measurements down, I'd try out Magnoli: http://www.magnoliclothiers.com/royale-tuxedo-tuxedos-p-246.html


For $70 more than the J Crew (which has two buttons...not a great look for a tuxedo), you'd get a high quality MTM tuxedo in whatever color you want. I've used Magnoli for shirts and jackets in the past, and I love their work.