Help: Buying my first suit

I'm graduating in a few months and for Christmas I got a gift card to Jos. A Banks to buy a suit. It was the only thing I asked for this year from my parents and they were generous, giving me $250.

I went into the store and saw some of the prices and immediately walked out.

Is $250 really not enough to buy a decent suit? Can I haggle over prices? Do I tip the guy who measures me up? Help me I'm dumb

pulling69 wrote:

Peanut butter and jam

StylesGShmooth wrote:

I don't understand how I've been a boner. Nothing makes sense anymore.

Wait until they run a Buy 1, Get 3 free sale.

Then you will have 4 suits! Friday can be casual day...no suit needed!

NigelUno wrote:Wait until they run a Buy 1, Get 3 free sale.

Then you will have 4 suits! Friday can be casual day...no suit needed!

But how much should I expect to pay for that single suit? I feel like they're $800, a bit out of my immediate price range...

Go to JC Penney. When you are established you can go higher end.

Check out Jos A Bank. They probably have a 10 for 1 sale.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:Check out Jos A Bank. They probably have a 10 for 1 sale.

OK you obviously didn't read his post.

LoneWolfSparty wrote:Go to JC Penney. When you are established you can go higher end.

I think he needs to piece something together from Walgreens.

Ass Dan wrote:



But how much should I expect to pay for that single suit? I feel like they're $800, a bit out of my immediate price range...

Brooks brothers has their annual winter sale. You can have that suit for life. Expect to pay around 800-1000. Shoes and a good belt are about 400 and a watch can get up there as well.

steveschneider wrote:

Brooks brothers has their annual winter sale. You can have that suit for life. Expect to pay around 800-1000. Shoes and a good belt are about 400 and a watch can get up there as well.

I never went to Brooks brothers or spent anything near that even when I was making real money for a job that required it.
I got my first suits at Jos A Banks myself. I don't think $250 is that far off although fortunately I haven't been in that market for 10 ot 20 years.

LoneWolfSparty wrote:

OK you obviously didn't read his post.

True! But it was more of a joke. Jos A Bank always has some ridiculous fake sale going on.

You can get a suit for under $500 at any department store. I don't really ever have a need to wear high end suits but I think I got a couple of nice/designer brand suits at Nordstrom on sale at Somerset a few years back for $600 or so. I'd go there, find the best looking sales associate and do whatever she tells you.

Look at the fabric. Here in Michigan, wool or a blend that is mostly wool is what you want for year round.

Losers wear suits. Go to grad school, get awesome at something you love, make great money, and wear what the fuck you want. Suits are for funerals and servants.

Cym Jim wrote:Losers wear suits. Go to grad school, get awesome at something you love, make great money, and wear what the fuck you want. Suits are for funerals and servants.

What's truly weird is he doesn't already have one for weddings. No wonder he never gets laid

Herbie Green wrote:

I never went to Brooks brothers or spent anything near that even when I was making real money for a job that required it.
I got my first suits at Jos A Banks myself. I don't think $250 is that far off although fortunately I haven't been in that market for 10 ot 20 years.

I've always believed good business clothes are good investment to make. It sucks dropping that cash and fresh out of college I HATED the idea but when it comes time for interviewing, meeting with clients or whatever I'm not scrambling last minute to buy that crap.

Also, the nice stuff lasts a long time.

Nobody ever pays full price for anything at Jos. A Bank (not Banks). Their business model is to put outrageous prices on everything so you feel like you're getting a good deal when you buy a $595 suit for $139. In fact, there's a class-action lawsuit against them for deceptive advertising.

That said, I've bought a lot of stuff there there last few years because it's close and convenient and the quality if pretty good for the (sale) price. Most recently I got two suits and three shirts for about $370 (full price $1300).

styleforum.net is a great resource for this type of question.

Search around there and I'm sure there's already a thread on best bang for the buck type of suit.

The Pantry wrote:What's truly weird is he doesn't already have one for weddings. No wonder he never gets laid

I think this is what he wears to weddings...

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:

I'd go there, find the best looking sales associate and do whatever she tells you.

Actually, I might take this advice myself.

LoneWolfSparty wrote:

Actually, I might take this advice myself.

Grow a pair. Go there, find the best looking sales associate and have her do whatever you tell her.

Men's warehouse is all you need. Walk out of there with a 150 dolla suit

The Pantry wrote:What's truly weird is he doesn't already have one for weddings. No wonder he never gets laid

Weddings? All my friends are 22 and 23 years old and still in college. No one is getting married this young, we're not from the south...

You can find nice suits at Nordstrom Rack once in a while, just depends on what they have in store (limited selections, sizes).

Use your JosABank credit for shirts and ties when they have their 3 for 1 sale.

Brock Middlebrook wrote:Use your JosABank credit for shirts and ties when they have their 3 for 1 sale.

Might be the best option, go to Macys now while they have their insane after Xmas/New Years clearance sales. They carry suits and separates from all the major brands and their house brand Alfani is pretty good as well.

PS Make sure you get your suit tailored/fitted after you buy it...Nothing looks worse than a suit that isn't fitting your frame right. You can buy the best suit you can afford and you will look like you spent 50 bucks.

I had a few friends that would go to Tux shops and purchase old suits from them.

Truthfully, you can get a decent suit at just about any department/mens clothing store. Upgrade to high end down the road. Or just a get a cheaper suit and have it custom tailored.

Ass Dan wrote:

Weddings? All my friends are 22 and 23 years old and still in college. No one is getting married this young, we're not from the south...

No family weddings? No chicks asking you to accompany them to weddings they were invited to?

Blanch32 wrote:Men's warehouse is all you need. Walk out of there with a 150 dolla suit

The stuff at Men's Wearhouse is every bit as shitty as JA Bank.

Brock Middlebrook wrote:Use your JosABank credit for shirts and ties when they have their 3 for 1 sale.

This is great advice. Just don't buy a suit there

The Pantry wrote:No family weddings? No chicks asking you to accompany them to weddings they were invited to?

I have never been to a wedding. Small family, my girlfriend also has a small family so she's not really been to any weddings either.

Did you only ever get laid at weddings? seems like an odd thing to get hung up on.

The Pantry wrote:
This is great advice.  Just don't buy a suit there

Jos. A Bank sales tend to be multiple-for-one OR deep discounts on a single item. With $250 you can wait for their $700 suits to go on sale (which they will), or you can put it toward two or three of their $300 suits. Neither should take more than a month or two.

Ass Dan wrote:

I have never been to a wedding. Small family, my girlfriend also has a small family so she's not really been to any weddings either.

Did you only ever get laid at weddings? seems like an odd thing to get hung up on.

Not hung up on weddings. Just find it unusual you don't have a suit at your age. Or do they only sell sweatsuits in Ann Arbor?

Today's email from Jos. A Bank says that their $650 suits are on sale for $198. Just an example of my earlier comments.

Dupe.

Get yourself a tweed jacket, the kind with the patches on the elbows, and a dozen turtlenecks in assorted colors. And a pipe. Chicks dig it.

Department store -> Big Sale -> Name brand (Hugo Boss, etc.) -> win.

Specialty Store -> Sucker "Sale" -> House brand -> lose.

Bottom line is you have to know what you're buying. If you're buying your first few suits, don't be a dumb ass and try to be stylish. Just buy some conservative, good old boy uniform stuff that will perpetually stay in style. Unless you have 0% body fat, are good at interior design and listen to a lot of Streisand, just don't go there.

Remember, you think you look like this:



But you probably look more like this:

The Pantry wrote:Not hung up on weddings. Just find it unusual you don't have a suit at your age. Or do they only sell sweatsuits in Ann Arbor?

That's why I'm buying one now.