Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Suit saga

Okay, so can anyone explain to me why there are whole shows dedicated to wedding dress shopping, when wedding suit shopping is clearly much more difficult? I mean, a suit has a minimum of two pieces that have to fit perfectly. There are endless variations on color and fabric blends and weights. There are different cuts and then controversy over said cuts.

D has a suit and it's fine. But not amazing. And not what he wants to get married in. D is not a big guy and he's an architect, so design matters and he knows what he wants. Slim, European cut, with a shorter jacket than you usually see, something confusing about the lapels that I don't understand. Nothing that looks grandpa-esque or like you might suddenly decide to go yachting for god's sake.

d - suit shopping
{d - suit shopping}

We tried a couple of routes. D ordered one online at Indochino, after seeing good reviews on the interwebs. He had a Groupon, so it was a decent deal ($300 all told). I took the measurements carefully and we double checked everything. When the suit arrived, it was beyond bizarre. The pants fit, albeit somewhat wonkily. The vest was perfect. But the jacket. The jacket was an unmitigated disaster. It has enormous armholes and is so nipped at the waist and flared at the hips that it somehow manages to create the illusion of an hourglass figure. D took it to his tailor and she laughed hysterically (and confirmed that our original measurements were correct). There is no way to fix it other than completely remaking it.

And the really annoying part? I'm pretty sure we won't be able to return it. We didn't read the fine print and apparently you have ONE WEEK to ask for a refund. Who even has time to pick up a package and try something on and get a second opinion in one week? D is going to try to call and plead his case, and hopefully he'll be able to re-coup something.

To sum up ... I won't say that Indochino is a waste of your time, because the deals are pretty good and plenty of people have had it work out. If you decide to try it, please do yourself a favor and try on the suit the minute it arrives and then initiate the return right away if it doesn't work out. $300 is a good price for a suit you love, but it is a colossal waste of money for a suit you'll never be able to wear.

After that mess, we tried one more online option. Bonobos has a great reputation and I triple checked the return policy (whenever you want, free shipping both ways!) because we were feeling a little gun shy. D picked out three of their suits and had them in a week. After an at home fashion show, I was completely convinced - the man looks great in a suit. They're a little more expensive than Indochino, but still affordable ($560 for the ones D ordered). D was happy-ish, but worried that the fit around the torso could be a little slimmer and they were out of his size in the pants he really liked.

So on Saturday we hit up Nordstroms (fail) and Bloomingdales, where we found a Theory suit that looked pretty sweet. It's this style, but in a different fabric. $895 was a big step up from $560, but the pants were crazy good and a bit of tailoring could have solved some of the jacket issues.

We continued on towards Opening Ceremony. Which, let me tell you, is terrifyingly hipster. As in, finding your way in is awkwardly difficult and when you get in you realize that you probably don't belong there because you're wearing F21 jeans and a wrinkled J.Crew sweater and absolutely nothing ironic and you've definitely eaten sometime in the last week and you just pray that they can't see the crumbs and frosting from the cupcakes you scarfed in the car. (This is probably overly mean - the salespeople were perfectly nice and helpful, but I have never felt so out of place and I was a little afraid of touching anything)

And there, against all better judgment (once we'd seen the price tag), D tried on a suit that blew everything else out of the water, completely. There was no more comparison. Except for the fact that the jacket alone cost more than the entire Theory suit and once you add in the pants it would be almost a month's rent. It isn't available online and I was too intimidated to take pictures in there, so I can't give you a look, which is a shame because it was a thing of glory.

As penance, we stopped at Loehman's, which I despise (specifically, I hate the one near the Beverly Center, which happens to be the only one near us). Luckily we didn't get trapped in the crazy parking structure and we were able to quickly flip through the few available options and rule it out. 

We retreated to Mozza to recuperate and discuss the feasibility of buying an outrageously expensive suit. For the record, I'm game to try figure out a way to make it work, especially because it's commonly accepted that women will spend that much and more on their wedding dress, which you can't use again, and D will be able to use this suit regularly. D is still horrified over the cost (which I totally get - it's a shocking amount of money for us).

I'm at least relieved that we have three options at all different price levels. If D were taller, we'd probably be hitting up vintage stores as well, but vintage shopping for men under 5'8 takes up more time than it's worth, in my opinion. Did I mention that I'm not a patient shopper? This was probably the most epic trip I've ever been on and I only survived because I got fed twice and no one made me try anything on.

So here we are, in suit dilemma land. We're still considering a custom made suit, but from a local source. We're kind of running out of time, guys.

52 comments:

  1. a well made suit that he loves and will be worn time and time again is worth every penny. i'm sure no matter what he picks though, it will be perfect for the wedding.

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  2. have you tried j crew suits? also topman has some great cuts at affordable prices. best of luck xx

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  3. my husband went for a custom suit, made downtown. it still looks good - and we've been married 12 years :)

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  4. Find out how much a custom made suit will cost, and then I would choose between that and the Theory suit. No suit is worth a month's rent. No wedding dress is worth that much either. :) Hope this works out for you - I'm sure he will look amazing!!

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  5. what about Macy's? I know on first glance, it seems like they wouldn't have the style you're looking for, but their Macy's Red line is a slim fit, European style, w/ vest.

    And their bargains are unbeatable. My husband got his wedding suit there last summer, and we took advantage of their 4th of July sale, and opened a store credit card. We paid less than 1/2 the sticker price for the whole 3 piece suit + tie (i.e. around $300 total).

    Might be worth checking it out...

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  6. We had the EXACT same problem last year. I went dress shopping and three dresses later, I hand found "the one". We spent TWO MONTHS looking for a suit. First, we thought we would go the kilt route, but MDH is 6'2", has super broad shoulders and a tiny waist, so that did not work (he looked like he was trying to wear his dad's kilt + jacket).
    So then we started suit shopping and after (I kid you not) 4 cities, 20 + stores, we were about to head out to Montreal, but decided we'd check Harry Rosen's in Ottawa, and as soon as we walked in, this super helpful clerk spoke with us, looked MDH over, and pulled out the *PERFECT* suit. I nearly cried, and I do remember hugging the clerk because MDH looked great, felt great and the drama was over. The suit ended up costing 3x what we were hoping to pay, but now he has a kick-ass suit for whatever occaisions come up. Pay the extra money. Soooo worth it.

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  7. Uh oh. My future husband is going suit shopping this weekend. Hopefully he'll find something! WHat a mess.

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  8. The Theory suit looks pretty good, from the picture. Maybe that one? The thought of a month's rent for a suit kind of scares me, but it might be worth it; especially since he'll actually be able to wear it a million times after the wedding. I wish I had something more helpful to say!

    Where's esb when you need her?

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  9. If the expensive one blows all other suits out of the water, he loves it, and you love it on him, I think it can be justified. Like you said, he'll be able to wear it forever, and if there's ever a time to splurge, it's your wedding. (But I've never been good at helping people justify the cheaper option when the more expensive is clearly superior.)

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  10. Before you go with the Theory suit, PLEASE have him try a Ted Baker. My husband sounds very similar (size wise but also in the architect/design area as well) and he tried two suits on, went with one, and were done. There is one on Robertson... if you can get past that bit alone, its WORTH it.

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  11. If the suit was a classic style and cut, I would say without hesitation to buy the more expensive one and enjoy it for years. But, because it is on trend and has particular details about it that make it so fashionable right now (the lapels, a shorter jacket, etc.) I am leaning towards the mid-range Theory suit or something custom made (but cheaper than OC).

    I know some people will say the style is classic, but no. That style was popular in the 60s and is just in the last 5 years showing a resurgence. Before that, it was boxy and pinstriped. Before that, three buttons and black. Before that, double breasted and olive. I've been through 20 years of suit fashions and, more so than woman's fashion even, an out of fashion suit looks obvious.

    It would suck for you to look in the closet a few years from now and cringe at the style and at the price, especially since you are both cautious with money to begin with.

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  12. Not very hipster but an option ... Brooks Brothers custom suits ... they have a lot of more modern options now, you can customize and have it tailored perfectly. If you are going to spend that much money at least get EXACTLY what you want. And it will last for years, so you'll get your money's worth.

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  13. my husband is physically much like yours. he is a ropey guy, not tall, and without a slim fit suit he looks like he is dressing up in his daddy's clothes. we found a great looking suit from JCrew for him for our wedding. I know it can be expensive, but we had a gift card and they offered us a crazy discount for signing up for a JCrew card, so in the end it only cost $100 or so.

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  14. I wish you weren't so far away! A dear friend of mine owns an Italian custom suit shop in Old Town Alexandria and it sounds like he could create exactly what D is looking for without all of the hassle (but probably a decent portion of the price tag...unfortunately). I will tell you that Victor does say two things - the suit is all about the tailoring and not necessarily about the fit the first time you put it on (a cheap suit can be expertly tailored, but an untailored expensive suit looks sloppy) AND always buy your tie when you buy your suit. It's the only assurance you'll have the tie and suit will look dapper together. Victor would also say that the European style is ALWAYS classic.

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  15. You made my day. Again!
    I feel you, but I couldn't help laughing.
    xxx from Greece

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  16. You should definitely look at custom suit options. My fiance, who is also around the 5'8" mark and likes his suits slim, gets all of his custom made, in prices ranging from $500-3000 (he works in finance and thus needs to look good all the time - I am an architect and thus like him to look good all the time. ha ha).

    Each one of them, no matter what price, look infinitely better than any suit he has ever bought off the rack at any price. I'm sorry that I can't give you any suggestions on where to go though. We live in Toronto!

    Good luck!

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  17. Did you try J. Crew? They make a nice slim, tailored suit. Call your local store to see if they have them in stock, if not ordering is easy, and the return policy is 60 days. Plenty of time to decide if it works :)

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  18. I feel your pain! A well tailored suit is a game changer and a great investment (just look at the men at the Emmy's and you can totally tell who took time for tailoring and who didn't!). But yeah, I'd be scared by Opening Ceremony too. Is there no chance of getting one of the Bonobos ones tailored? Fingers crossed for you guys!

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  19. Yes, in schools they'll make you do a complicated suit at some point and I hear it's killer.

    - Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

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  20. oh lady. suit shopping can be the worst, and i have never been any good at it. at the risk of being unhelpful, joe got a theory suit a year or so ago and has since sworn a blood feud with the company, saying that his suit's fabric is falling apart. it's possible that he simply got a cursed suit, but since one splashes out when one pays for that sort of thing, i mention it.

    he got his wedding suit (prada, for which i think he paid about $1000 - a lot, but he's worn it to work for the last five years and still loves it) at barneys, where the suit dudes were wonderfully helpful, despite the fact that he did his shopping at the last minute and needed tailoring at crazy-speed. i think they're having a big sale at the moment, and the groom of the wedding i'll be in this weekend also found his suit on short notice at barneys, so i feel confident D would be in good hands there (for the pro advice if not also for the suit itself).

    ps: rag & bone for the win.

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  21. Jason loves his Theory suit, which he bought 2 years ago and wore to the wedding. After tailoring, it was perfection. We also love Bonobos, and would highly recommend them for any and all men's shopping needs (amazing pants.) So now, I am happy we didn't try Opening Ceremony. Because there's no way we could have spent that much on a suit.

    However, the Theory suit did work out to near $1000 after tailoring. He dot a discount by getting the store credit card (which we then cut up.) But it's a fancy work gala suit, wedding suit, business meeting suit and others. It's an investment suit so we bit the bullet. Worth every penny. Don't feel bad about the suit purchase, but remember that you don't need something perfect perfect, just great. (Like designer dresses. You don't need the $5K option, even if it's perfect. Because no one will ever know about it when you're wearing the kick-bum $1K option.)

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  22. we looked EVERYWHERE for my husband's suit. we finally decided on a last try to brave the outlet malls. we stumbled in a suit shop and were amazed at the prices (I think he got a quality suit and shirt for less than $400), they tailored it for him and it was ready within a week.

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  23. @ all of you - You guys have such good suggestions! We'll definitely be looking over all this info later, as we ponder.

    re: the J. Crew suits - D tried several (we're lucky that we have a few stores around that actually carry them in store) and he wasn't thrilled with the cut (said it made him feel grandpa-ly, even with their slim option), so even with tailoring, I don't think it will work out.

    re: Barney's - that's next on the list! He's planning to hit it up soon.

    @ rachel - I haven't heard of Ted Baker! We'll definitely look into it. Robertson isn't so far away that I can't be lured there by the promise of a good meal.

    @ lauren - rag and bone is on the list - we've been stalking them a bit. They aren't, however, the company that made D's dream suit. You would die if you saw this suit - I'm not a suit expert and I nearly had a heart attack when he put the jacket on.

    @ becca - We were thinking about going the Theory route and opening up a store cc and looking for any kind of discount we could get. My only concern is that once we're spending $1000 on a suit (which I think is totally reasonable) that he likes, then it's hard for me not to understand why we wouldn't just spend $1500 on a suit that he's obsessed with ($1500 is what it would come out to after tax and minimal tailoring). This is what big ticket shopping does to me - if I'm in for an obscene amount of money already, what's an extra $500? Sigh. It's a slippery slope.

    Currently, he's talking to Bonobos because it sounds like they might have managed to track down the pant size he needs in the fabric he likes best. And he's trying one more pair of pants from them. If we end up with something great at their prices, I'll be thrilled (although I may secretly mourn the loss of the handmade suit of glory).

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  24. "Did I mention that I'm not a patient shopper? This was probably the most epic trip I've ever been on and I only survived because I got fed twice and no one made me try anything on."

    I literally laughed out loud. I'm this way too.

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  25. my husband who is also 5'8'' and slim also had a hard time - in the end we lucked upon the perfect suit in a toronto shop when we weren't looking (!) that also happened to be the only one on the rack. he ended up finding a sweet crazy striped ben sherman shirt & a pink tie to funk it up and it was perfect. best of luck to you two!!

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  26. tyler and i JUST went wedding suit shopping as well. he's 6'-4", beanpole skinny, and lives in slim levis. we needed a suit that felt like his normal clothes and didn't make him look like his uncle. we struck out at department stores, suit specialty stores, and topman. finally we went to the j.crew men's shop in soho, the salesman was BEYOND fantastic, he answered all of our obscure suit questions and fitted tyler in a beautifully slim ensemble suited for 20-something year olds. they saved my life...

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  27. I'd first suggest you look into a bespoke or made to measure suit. For the prices you are talking about this is an option and D gets to pick out every detail down to the color of the thread.
    If that falls through go with ESB's advice.
    A well constructed suit that you really like is worth every penny you pay for it.

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  28. i bought the bf the camden suit from ben sherman... extremely slim, with shorter jacket and sleeve lengths. comes in a great dark blue-gray color.. not cheap, but not bank-breaking either!

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  29. dude. i so, so, so feel your pain. in fact, i had to write to ESB about this issue last year for our september wedding. my husband is a designer and so the design and fit of his wedding suit mattered to him. buuuut we also had a budget. and what we discovered is that it is very tough to get a great suit on a budget.

    we finally just sucked it up and bought a beautiful three piece by billy reid (pic of it in action: http://twitpic.com/58sdet). it was worth every penny, because he felt like a million bucks on our big day.

    it's just as important for the groom to feel amazing in his suit as it is for the bride to feel amazing in her dress! so when it came down to it, for us, it was worth the money to get exactly what we wanted. we sold our motorcycle to make up for it. :)

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  30. have you checked out propersuit.com? They do custom made-to-order suits. My friend raves about them.

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  31. I have nothing to add other than this was fascinating to read. I never knew suit-shopping was so complicated! Still, I'm a little jealous you got to see your man trying on different suits all day - I love a man in a good suit, but my husband has no reason to wear one. =)

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  32. @Rachel - Sigh. Suit love is a rare and important thing. If he loves the suit and you love it and you have the money... then it may be worth it as an investment in hotness. I'd say our $1000 investment was well worth it. He doesn't have a suit job and wears it a few times a year. It would work at award shows and galas, if it came to that. So long as the Opening Ceremony suit feels versatile enough to grow into and wear for the next 5-10 years... it's really worth considering.

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  33. "I only survived because I got fed twice and no one made me try anything on." Love this so much I laughed out loud. I read each comment and was swayed back and forth between opinions but I think I've come up with my own. And that is if nothing else works out, then something he will wear again and again and feels amazing in might just be worth the cost! Good luck with Bonobos though and now treat yourself to another mini cupcake for being such a wonderfully supportive shopping partner!

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  34. We went with a designer suit via Haute Look for about $200 (it retailed for $600), and we had it tailored locally. My husband looked smoking hot. If you know his measurements, try the sales on Gilt Groupe (which by the way is having a "Suit Up" sale) or Haute Look. 'Cause we're in the boat with D when it comes to "one month's rent" is a lot of freaking money. GOOD LUCK. xo.

    P.S. @ESB: Gilt Groupe currently has your Pierrepont Hicks ties on sale. Score!

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  35. Bloomingdales is having a Private Sale, $25 off every $100 (up to a total of $100 off) June 14-16. Just ask your sales associate about pre-sale for the sale.

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  36. I say buy the suit he is obsessed with. My husband dropped $2K on his wedding suit and it was money well spent. He has worn it heaps of times in the 2 years since we were married and there is something in having a well tailored, perfectly fitting suit.

    Much better than my wedding dress which cost almost double the suit and now lives in a box at the top of my closet, never to be worn again.

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  37. Amazing article, very well-written. Tailoring is a must!

    For those interested in saving money, save $50 off at Bonobos.com when you sign up for their mailing list:
    http://www.bonobos.com/invite/abcd3fg15789

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  38. i adore you. my brother-in-law got a suit made for him for his wedding. but i'm pretty sure the price was somewhere in the month's-rent range, unfortunately. oy. wishing you lots of luck. happily from this end, we still can't even nail down a date, let alone shop for anything! xo.

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  39. Spend the big bucks on the amazing suit! Most likely it will fit him for years, and unlike a wedding dress he'll have lots of occasions to wear it again, always feeling thrilled when he does. Think of all the time you'll free up...you can go on to the next decision. It will be emblematic for living your dreams. (I'm in rural Maine, been married nearly 30 years....fashion around here is non-existent or local farmerish. I find myself envying that you could invest in such a suit and wear it among those who even notice how awesome it is!) Posted anonymously only because I couldn't figure out how to choose from the posting options, sorry, Gail.

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  40. someone else already said it but jcrew.com is where we found my fiance's suit. He is very lean and about 5'9 ish and likes his clothing to be slim and his jacket cropped. We got the suit during a 30% off sale on menswear so it ended up being in the $400-500 range and apparently if you have a jcrew credit card they will alter for free at the grove. I have to say the quality and fabric were pretty darn good.

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  41. have you tried brooklyn tailors? we used them for our wedding. amazing bespoke suits that are super affordable! http://www.brooklyntailors.net/

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  42. Oh heavens. P. wore his dress blues so I'm afraid I'm of no help, but the story, the story. Made me adore you two even more, if that's possible.

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  43. Ben Sherman! Seriously - try their suits! They tend to be very english and hipster-y, so they're very slim fitting and they tend to have very good sales.
    Have you tried any of the British menswear places? Charles Tyrwhitt has very slim fitting very dapper suits and I swear they have sales all the damn time. They are also the only mens clothing store I've been to that doesn't seem afraid of color, very Saville-row styled ties and such.

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  44. You are a trooper! My husband looked for a suit for our wedding for five months, gave up, and rented a tux. Keep on!
    Acj

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  45. wow what a hassle.....good thing my BF already has suits galore and tux. I couldn't do all that running around.

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  46. I didn't read through all the comments (sorry) so if someone mentioned Uniqlo forgive me. My boyfriend has a similar build, height, and occupation (industrial designer) and he LOVES their suits. Very slim fitting, European cut, PERFECTION. And I mean, this is a guy that can't buy clothing off the rack, and he's found a whole wardrobe there. So I would suggest them for your suit shopping, and BONUS, they are very reasonably priced. Free tailoring on pants, too!

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  47. This made me laugh so hard! I am likewise shopping shy, thank goodness for the interwebs...sort of.

    I like your attitude to the expensive suit, you're entirely right that no one would blink twice at a dress that pricey.

    Hope the decision comes easy enough over the course of the week.

    PS - I'm still deperate for a paper flower tutorial once you're wed. Pretty please?

    http://kartepaper.blogspot.com/

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  48. O gosh, I remember this dilemma. My husband ended up going with a charcoal three piece J.Crew suit. he didn't absolutely love it in the store but more than any of the others and afterwards we took it to the a local little italian tailor who worked MIRACLES! Sounds like you know what you want and I hope you find something after all that trying on...it does get frustrating but a good tailor can be such a lifesaver in the end.

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  49. You probably already got a suit by now but my fiance is tall and slim and looks divine in the Fitzgerald cut by Brooks Brothers. We took advantage of a holiday sale and walked away with a perfect fitting suit for about $500. They make half sizes which is a big help for the tall broad type. Good luck!

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  50. I didn't read all the comments above so I apologize if this is repeat advice. My fiancee and I just went through the same experience two weeks ago. He is thin and wanted what everyone called an "European fit". The two best affordable picks we found were the Bar III line at Macy's and the Monogram suits at Banana Republic. He ended up buying the latter. Good luck!
    Now on to finding a dress for me.

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  51. It seemed that you had met something unlucky...I once worried about the lengthiness of making custom suits, but luckily, owing to decent chunk of time, i had a try on upunique.com last month, and i had got my garment in only 14 days. What's the most, it's perfect fit and i never have to remake it. Quite a nice shopping online, i think.

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