stevencotton

I'll be going to two weddings in August, so I need to get a suit. I want something nice but not too formal (two piece is fine) so I can wear it when I need, and it must fit well so tailoring/modification isn't off the cards. Anyone got any good recommendations of places to go in central London? I guess my budget will be up to say, 1k tops including a shirt and tie or two.

Cheers,
Steve.

GC8

Oswald Boateng turn out a nice suit one can do one within your budget. A number of (other) Saville Row suits arent out of your price range either; it all depends what catches your eye. I particularly like Cerutti suits but what catches my eye might offend yours...

Simon

Scooby Snacks 23

If you want a good quality suit without spending stupid money, check out the T M Lewin website - they are excellent shirtmakers but do suits at £500, currently reduced to £200 for a special offer.

Check them out.

GC8

Irrespective of price (although Im confident that you can not get a good suit for £200 or anywhere near...) you need to check how a suit has been made. Look for full or at least half canvas; disregard any suit that has a glued interface; its ****e. Working cuffs would be nice too although many good suits dont have them (many of those could be easily converted though).

To start Id suggest looking around Selfridges and Harvey Nichols: Armani; Boss; Gucci; Dolce & Gabbana; Versace; Prada; Paul Smith... Im not suggesting buying a suit from these shops but youll be able to see a lot of nice suits and get an idea of what you like.

Simon

stevencotton

Cheers chaps, lots of good info. What's a "full canvas"?

Steve.

lawson101

Im an advocate of the Paul Smith suits, just got one for my forthcoming wedding, very nice fit after a little tinkering with the sleeves and trouser leg length.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

its the stuff under neath between the lining and the actual suit material. its waht they use to build up the profile..interface or interlining should be sewn and not glued (as per last comment).

dosent matter if you dont know what you are talking about, just being in the know somewhat helps you in sorting out the choice..plus you can sound informed to the sales guys

dont forget to get spare buttons, look for little details inside, decide wther you want no split or vent at back of suit..it depend son current fashion, but if you want a suit to wear later then get one you like and not be dictated by sales guys or current fashion.
1 or 2 button always looks classy..gone are the days of 4-5 button suits, they look ****e anyway.
make sure the lapels are notched and have lining unnderneath them..nothing worse than a ****e suit is when you chuck up the lapels in cold weather to see poor workmanship underneath.

apart from all that, just use your common sense

GC8

Half canvas and full canvas refers to the interface. This is the thick material that forms the breast of the jacket.

Ive just bought a Paul Smith suit and its lovely and it only cost half of what a decent Oswald Boateng would cost. An OB is a better made smarter suit though; you pay your money and you take your choice.....

stevencotton

Good stuff, thanks

paulr

So much bull$hit when it comes to names.Selfridges down Oxford Street has a huge range.If its made of decent material,fits nice,looks nice and makes you feel good who gives a $hit who makes it.

Agree about Cerutti suits.House of Fraser do those.

Tiggs

bought every suit i have ever owned from MandS......always fit perfect and look fine, job done.

AudiLover

Just go to bluewater and you will have a big enough selection there.

GC8

Actually Paul; theyre a House of Fraser own brand, but they use Cerutti cloth, which is very good. They cost about £250 which is one quarter of the cost of a Cerutti 1881 suit; Cerutti Basic suits are cheaper and cost about the same as an Armani entry-level suit. Cerutti suits are only sold in a couple of places now; the best being the Cerutti shop in Chester (I think that the Birmingham shop has closed).

Who makes the suit isnt the issue, although it can be for some people. Its how the suit is made that matters. Most commonly available suits are actually ****e, made with glued interfaces. Going for a well known name usually ensures that youre actually getting a decent suit, whereas paying a certain amount, say £400, doesnt. Ive seen beautiful suits and suits worth about £79:99 all sold for £400. The more you know the less likely you are to spend strong money on a poor suit...

Simon

paulr

What about Simon Carter suits,also at House of Fraser.Any good?

MattW

With you there Tiggs, along with Next. Wear a suit every day for work, usually run 2 in my wardrobe and change them regularly. They get thrown over chairs, worn eating tea when i can't be arsed changing.

"you pays your money"

GC8

They sell for about £400 dont they? Im not convinced that theyre any good; I looked at one out of curiosity in another shop the other day (because the cufflinks are quite smart). I couldnt lift the breast material off the interface so I think that it was glued... Id save another £100 and buy a Paul Smith London from Harvey Nichols or Selfridges. For 25% more money its a hell of a lot more suit, very smart too.

Simon

paulr

What do you mean? and why is it important?

(they sell for £200 btw)

GC8

Cheaper suits are made using a glued-in interface (thatll include Next and M&S -which are truly ****e now-). Better suits use a stitched in interface that it made of canvas. This is an indicator because a suit with a proper interface will be better cut, made and finished in every respect. A full canvas suit in a super 120 will last for years and years; theyre much cheaper in the long run than cheap suits... A cheap suit wil look shabby after a few cleans and its not uncommon for the glue on the interface to come away giving a bubbly effect.

Simon

Brendan Hughes

I think this "glued canvas" thing is my problem. Am I right, that's when the suit gets to 2-4 yrs old, and bubbles start to appear on the breast? Even my Carolina Herrera did that eventually - thank heavens it was bought in Jan sales for 70% off.

Edit - aha, thanks Simon, I was right.

How do you find out if it isn't glued? I thought you go for 100% wool, but it's happened to me even then. Perhaps they get two sheets of wool and glue them

Chris L

Just trying to get my head around the thought of seeing Steve in a suit

Must admit to not having anything too special for every day use - although the upper end of the M+S range at around £250 are not bad at all - a distinct improvement on what they had a year ago. Beyond that, always liked Paul Smith.

paulr

"Glued interface"?
Do you mean the arm are glued to the body.I dont understand.

KiwiGTI

Got to go with M&S suits, from £129, they can't be beaten. Tried the expensive ones but they really do not last as long and are not as hard wearing. (possibly because they use finer materials?)

And seriously, who wears the same suits for years? (apart from from Grandfathers)

GC8

The interface is the material that gives bulk and shape to the breast area of the suit. It is between the cloth and the lining.

Threads asking about good suits always end up full of 'buy cheap suits like me' threads. I would expect a good suit to outlast a cheap suit in every respect. What a person buys is down to their preference, priorities (vanity) and the depth of their pockets but I can not accept that cheap suits are better, they plainly are not, although they suit some people better.....

Simon

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Downstairs in Fenwicks...

...Ted Baker, Boateng, Smith, Strenson...to name but a few.

Jasper Conran makes lovely suits although not seen them recently.

Baker performance do wear very well.

Smith makes suits for men with a smaller **** than me

KiwiGTI

Possibly, a well tailored suit from Gieves and Hawkes will probably be better quality, but sadly these days luxury brands and names do not equate to quality anymore.

It's a reality that Boss, Valentino etc will often contract out the manufacture of their products to a factory in Hong Kong that may well have just finished a consignment for Asda.

Plainly there are horribly cheap suits, but i think those in the £200-£400 range are both good value and good quality.

mart360

And they all suffer form one BIG oe should I say SMALL problem

they all think a bloke is 6 foot tall and tailor them accordingly.

so whenever i try a suit on. i look like a f*ckin hobbit as the cut is all over the place.


i usually have to mix and match on jacket tousers and waistcoat

one day i will get a tailormade one if i can ever afford it


mart

GC8

I was actualy trying to remember Gieves & Hawkes in my first post; where I said 'other Saville Row tailors'... Gieves & Hawkes still make damned good suits, you can buy them in Selfridges as well as Saville Row, but be prepared to pay in excess of £1,200.

In my experience companies always use the same manufacturers; Cerruti use a firm called Hitman for example, for both their 1881 and basic suits. Versace/Versus; Dolce & Gabbana and other Ittierre brands (Roberto Cavalli etc) all use the one massive company owned factory.

Brendan, yes the bubbles are caused by a glued interface coming away. In order to tell, try pinching the cloth over the breast and attempting to lift it away from the interface below. If its glued fabric itll be stuck down but a stitched in canvas interface will be attached at the edges only.


Simon

paulr

Does anyone buy 2 pairs of trousers with each jacket?

Mick

iTrader: (1)

for the money you are looking at spending I'd take a holiday to Thailand and pick up a couple of hand made suits there! - get a holiday and 2 suits for that sort of money...

Just a thought...

carl

So what's a glued interface then?