This may have narrow appeal, but here goes:
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Know your size. This is not as simple as you think. For the use here, it means "know the measurements of a suit jacket that fits you properly." Find a suit coat that fits you well, then measure it with this format: https://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/clothing/style-tips/how-to-measure-a-jacket/
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Here is why #1 is so important: You don't have a "size". If a Brooks Brothers 1818 Milano in 42R fits you perfectly that does not mean that you are a 42R. It's a little bit more complicated than that. If that 42R Milano fits you properly, then a 42R Brooks Brothers 1818 Madison suit will be way too big and loose. Same maker, same "size", not the same cut. The measurements are the key.
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Now that you know your measurements, you can predict with reasonable certainty whether a jacket listed for sale on ebay will fit you. Most ebay sellers post the measurements of suits using the format above.
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You can save a lot on ebay. Example: A new with tags, made in USA, unaltered 1818 Regent Gray Wool Pinstripe suit for $340. MSRP on that suit is $1298. A new BB 1818 suit typically ranges in price from about $300 to $350.
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Brooks 1818 suits (made in USA or Italy) retail from $998 to $1298. The 1818 line is IMO a sweet spot in the quality / price continuum. Get one of those, have it tailored to fit perfectly and nobody in any situation is going to have you significantly outgunned in the suit department. You have probably heard of a few people who wore Brooks Brothers suits: Obama, Bill Clinton, George H W Bush, Gerald Ford, Nixon, JFK...you get the point. Brooks Brothers has outfitted 40 of 45 US Presidents. (The significance of that 1818 number is that BB was founded then.)
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Get your suit tailored by an experienced tailor. It won't fit perfectly off the rack. Get it perfect.
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If this is your first suit, get a solid navy blue or solid gray. That is good advice, with a satisfactory second tier choice of a navy or gray pinstripe. Most clothes horses say go with the solid. My personal preference is dark gray pinstripe. Sue me.
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If you need to get an idea of how a suit should fit, go to Styleforum.net or askandyaboutclothes.com. There are some very sophisticated posters on those sites, and more info on men's clothing than you will ever want to know.
Good luck.
March 08, 2018 at 02:23AM
