Clarebabes

Interfacing is what's used to make the collar etc feel stiff and thick. It is also used in waistbands of skirts and trousers. It can be thick or thin and obviously makes it stiffer the thicker it is.

I use the iron on stuff when I'm making clothes as it's easy to work with, but have had experience of the non-ironed version too. If it's supposed to be posher, then perhaps I'll have another go at using it

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

If your over 38in waist (ok a fat barstewaed) don't go to next, cos they do not cater for the lager blokes, cheeky gits
Cheers
Colin

Clarebabes

Is that why you've got a 38in waist???

Tiggs

if you are 38+ you will look like a fat bloke in anything you wear so why bother dressing up in a pricey suit?

im 6'6 and never had problems getting a suit of the peg at marks.

Luan Pra bang

I usually buy hugo boss or jaeger suits from bicester village. There are loads of designer suits there at half the original cost but sometimes only rubbish styles are left over Its the luck of the draw. Oswald Boatang really do make first class quality suits and they make some other desinger lables feel cheap in comparison but they tend to have some very ostentasious designs and fat *******s like me need not apply. They also have a little shop at bicester village.

dsmith

So when the say the interface is glued. what does that mean ?

Clarebabes

The interfacing is glued onto the fabric, whereas the more expensive suits have interfacing which is not.

I know nothing about it being better that it is not glued..... I just know about interfacing

GC8

With regard to Oswald Boateng: Oswald Boatend English Couture is excellent the suits branded 'Boateng' are made by another company and arent anything like as good. They cost half as much as the best OB suits but for that £500-odd you can buy much better suits...

Simon

chrome

how much do tailored suits go for these days? (on average)

I always have the problem that the jackets that fit me at the chest are always massive around the waist...

one day I will get myself together and get a tailored one...

GC8

A 'good' suit costs anywahere form £1,800 upwards. Thats for a 100% three fitting bespoke suit. A 'Gieves & Hawkes' off the peg is a compromise at about £1000+

This site explains the differences between 'good' and 'bad' suits very well.


Simon

Jonathan Davies

Depends what you want...

The Boateng/Smith type place will get you a modern suit - good for weddings and stuff if you like that sort of thing but a bit flash for business purposes (at least in my rather old fashioned industry).

Trad English tailors like Gieves will give you a different style - bit more traditional English cut. Hackett are actually ok, but personally I refuse to buy anything from a shop full of St George's crosses and pictures of Johnny Wilkinson.

Lewin are good value now - v cheap for a decent suit. I like Roderick Charles - Jermyn Street and a few others around town.

Moonloops

John Lewis do a good range in the London stores, I got a New & Lingwood for about £500

DJ140

2 years from an M&S suit is fine for 99.9% of the population, I didn't realise there are "Suit snobs" frequenting Scoobynet

The upper end of the M&S range is made from decent quality material and the fact that it's fused not interfaced!!! is hardly going to worry the majority.

2-3 years is long enough for anyone to be wearing the same suit and I assume that the "quality" suits will still suffer with wear to the trousers by regular wear?

GC8

'Fused' suits are crap; saying this doesnt make me a 'suit snob' though. A knowlegable buyer can find a decent suit for sensible money (£200) if they know what to look for. A fused interface, rather than a hand stitched in full or part canvas, is used because it is very cheap and very easy. This alone stops a suit made in this way from being anything other than poor. An experienced tailor recently told me that £80 BHS suits were noticably better than M&S suits at double the price... It makes you think doesnt it?

Why is this thread full of people saying that cheap suits are plenty good enough, when the thread starter has asked for suggestions as to where he can buy a decent suit for £1,000. Its like the expensive watch threads; a Timex will tell you what the time is just as well, but not having a £4,000 watch doesnt needle me enough to tell everyone they only need a Timex.....


Simon

Deep Singh

Personally I think OB and Paul Smith suits are ****e. Boss are quite good but I had one that 'bubbled' badly after I got soaked in the rain once.

My fave has to be Canali. I love the cut and material. I bought two which I've worn alot over 3 years and they still look crisp.

Another fave is Crombie for pinstripe. So cool and British

Luan Pra bang

Because of style or quality ? In terms of quality OB are miles ahead of hugo boss I buy Jaeger suits now and before it was always Hugo Boss but they both tend to be rubbish after a year or 2 of wearing so I save myself a couple of hundrd quid and get Jaeger instead. Not sure I could pull off the style of OB but in terms of quality they are streets ahead of any thing from Boss I have seen. They do come with some nice price tags though.

GC8

I have to agree; if youre talking about the quality. I have an OB and its superior in every respect to a Hugo Boss suit; twice the price though so it should be.... Style is subjective. Canali suits are nice, though not that common.

Simon

Dieseldog

Ciro Citterio by a mile!

Deep Singh

Have I got the OBs mixed up with something else? The ones I've seen have been in horrible bright shiney colours

GC8

Some are very bright, but theyre beautifully tailored. The one I have is blue and quite restrained; the lining is very loud though.

Simon

kwaky

Suits...

If you're going for an off the peg I'd go through the following list, which is in ascending price order.

Austin Reed - good quality off the peg. Massive range in the store round the corner from Piccadily.

Aquascutum - good quality off the peg. Not my best preference.

Ede and Ravenscroft - My favourtie. For sub-1k you get 2 pairs of trousers and a jacket. Excellent material, excellent service (they'll tweak it to fit you.) They're at the bottom of Saville Row.

Gieves and Hawkes - Excellent off the peg. Good store at 1 saville row.

Don't forget the other things. There's no point in wearing a 1k suit with Clarkes shoes, it'll look silly. Budget for a pair of Crocket and Jones et al with a good shirt and tie.

Just my 2p!