4/25/2013 9:06:03 AM

Quote :

"Did BobbyDigital ever try Combatant Gent? I want to get some customer stories from people who've used it."

not yet.

i need to get on it.

4/25/2013 10:03:23 AM

The verdict is in.

Everything was 50% off at Banana Republic Factory at Tanger Outlets this weekend plus I had an extra 15% off coupon. Got a charcoal suit (blazer with pants) for $140 that fits very well! Add in two shirts, two ties, cufflinks, a belt and three pairs of socks from there, the Van Heusen, and the Brooks Brother stores and I got away with everything for $330. Getting it tailored tomorrow.

4/28/2013 7:31:20 PM

Just got in two pairs of slacks (tan and gray) and three more dress shirts from Tom James. I now have two suits, two slacks, five dress shirts, and three ties from them. Never thought I'd be the "tailored clothes" kind of guy...but I'm fucking hooked. I'll stand by the mantra that you really don't understand how much better you feel and look in tailored clothes until you actually have them. I always felt comfortable in all types of clothes...but I feel like a fucking pimp when I have my tailored shit on.

It can be pricey, but you should have at least one professionally tailored suit. I'm attempting to do my whole dress clothes wardrobe piece by piece. Started with two good suits. Now building my casual business attire with the slacks and more shirts. Next will probably be an all black suit and a good navy blazer. If I was rolling in it, I'd probably get all my clothes this way. One day...

7/18/2013 3:02:19 PM

rocking any 3-piece options?


i just don't work in an industry that requires that kind of attire. but if i did i would spend a ton of money to have everything cut to suit.

7/18/2013 3:20:59 PM

Don’t let your work dictate your style. Start small and build your collection. Much more fun to wear suits and the like out on the town instead of in an office environment, anyway. Beats the polo/jeans/boots combo every time.

7/18/2013 3:33:07 PM

^^ Just in my standard tux and the tux I have for my upcoming wedding. I'm not opposed to a vest, but I'm really picky with them. And I like vests without the jacket. When I'm wearing a tux at a wedding, I immediately take off my jacket, put it at the table, and go run around like an idiot.

I also don't wear my suits that often, but I wear the shirts and slacks all the time. I save my suits for court and I try and avoid court as much as possible. I do, however, go to a shit ton of weddings. Once you settle down, you need to beef up your nice clothes collection. You don't want to be the ratty one at the wedding.

Would also like to add that it keeps you in shape. You don't want to spend a ton of money and on clothes and not be able to wear them because you're a fat slob. Get to your ideal weight/size...then put a couple grand into some suits and shirts. Money is motivation.

7/18/2013 3:41:32 PM

These things right here are lifesavers:



I dress up for work everyday, but I try to avoid ties unless I have court or a really important client meeting. I don't wear shirts with collar buttons anymore and these things keep the collars in just the perfect position I want them. An example:



They are a little pricey...I think one set cost me about $25...but if I don't lose them for a year, they'll be well worth it . My tailor did offer me a pack of three for $40...but you could probably get better bulk deals somewhere.

[Edited on September 26, 2013 at 10:55 AM. Reason : .]

9/26/2013 10:53:29 AM

how are they better than cheaper collar stays? or the ones that come with the shirt when you buy it?

9/26/2013 11:04:12 AM

They're magnetic.

9/26/2013 11:14:51 AM

That pic is one of the most misleading marketing propaganda pics I have ever seen. Yes, those things work, but if I simply popped them inside the collar as seen on the left without touching anywhere else, it will not magically become like on the right. They have purposely flared and squashed the collar on the left to make it look like that.

9/26/2013 11:17:02 AM

Quote :

"Yes, those things work, but if I simply popped them inside the collar as seen on the left without touching anywhere else, it will not magically become like on the right."

They actually do.

And my shirts aren't as dramatic as the pic on the left (well, some older cheaper ones are), but they lay flat enough to where they bother me. The magnet stays are fucking wonderful.

9/26/2013 11:22:16 AM

so the magnet holds it at the top? if you press your collar they will stay tight at the top correctly and the cheap plastic collar stay is more than sufficient

also, some shirt collars are designed to be spread open more (although I think it looks terrible)

9/26/2013 11:33:44 AM

Quote :

"so the magnet holds it at the top?"

No...it holds it at the bottom part. Metal stays, little circle magnets go on the inside of your shirt wherever you want the collar to the stay. It's adjustable.



This picture is a better representation of what my shirts look like (on the left) sometimes.

[Edited on September 26, 2013 at 11:49 AM. Reason : .]

9/26/2013 11:36:32 AM

I agree about having stuff tailored. I have had certain items tailored - mainly shirts.

However, also don't underestimate the value of finding those one or two brands that fit you 95% perfectly "off-the-rack." (especially for a work wardrobe). Everyone's body-type is different, so it's one of those things where you often have to try *several* brands, cuts, and sizes and be extra picky but it is worth the time in my opinion. You can get some help by talking to other people on forums or in person who have a similar build and see where they shop, but even then it is going to vary so that is just a starting point.

I love the shirts that are tailored to me, but I also don't want to spend the money on every single shirt I buy. Don't be afraid to bolster your wardrobe with some shirts that fit you really well, just not "perfectly", especially when buying a fabric, pattern, or color that may be trendier. I mix in some more "classic" styled shirts that are tailored with shirts from brands that fit me well, just not perfectly.

For example, Banana Republic's Tailored Slim Fit shirts are a 9/10 fit for me, other than the arm opening being maybe 1/2" larger than I'd prefer and some minor adjustments on the back. I'm very picky but the fit is above my threshold of acceptance. There are only 2-3 brands (specific cut and specific size within that brand) I have found that work like this for me, but it is nice to have those in my back pocket and know that I can pull the trigger online on a deep sale and be comfortable with the fit.

Anything part of a suit I would always have tailored though.

[Edited on September 26, 2013 at 2:16 PM. Reason : ]

9/26/2013 2:10:01 PM

i always thought a striped shirt wouldn't look good with a suit, and that it was a fashion faux paus, but i really love how this looks:



plus it pairs a patterned tie with a striped shirt, also usually frowned upon by the fashion police.

and i really like the color of that suit, but not everybody can pull that off. i think you would have to be tall and good looking and with fair skin to wear a suit of that color.

10/8/2013 12:51:25 AM

mixing patterns is perfectly acceptable, as long you coordinate the colors and generally match a smaller pattern with a larger pattern.

10/8/2013 9:35:00 AM

I need to get some of those magnetic stays. I hate a misbehaving collar but unless you press the collar every time you wash it (which I'm not going to do) they do tend to get lazy.

10/8/2013 10:02:55 AM

Maybe I'm weird, but I always hang my collared shirts with the top button buttoned and I've never had an issue with misbehaving collars.

10/8/2013 5:35:47 PM

question on blazers. I am not much of a blazer guy. In a situation where a blazer might be appropriate, I tend to wear a suit without a tie (and am obviously not alone as many other people are dressed like that as well).

However, my manager and mentor have mentioned to me several times to keep a sports coat or blazer in my cube at work for the times I randomly have to present something that might "require" a jacket. I dress very intentionally so I personally cringe when I see business people that throw on a random blazer that doesn't mesh well with their outfit and looks like they threw it on simply to have a jacket (usually not cut well either). That seems worse to me than just wearing the outfit that I deliberately wore that day. If I already know I'm speaking, I wear the suit jacket in with no tie and throw that on before attending an event to speak at.

Regardless, I was looking for picking up a blazer that would go reasonably well with my general style. I wear a wide-variety of grey dress pants (variety of materials and patterns shade etc.) so I was thinking either a dark grey blazer or a navy blue blazer. There are positives and negatives to looking for each. I wear grey a lot, so I'd have to get a blazer that I felt was noticeably darker than 90% of my pants I might wear to work so it didn't look like I was trying to "suit-up" and failed. On the navy side, a navy blazer can look decent with grey but I have a very narrow spectrum of navy that I like in a blazer to go with grey. I also don't like very traditional blazers (I would tend to shy away from metallic buttons on blazers and like a more modern cut). This obviously leans me toward blazers that are nearly indistinguishable from suit coats.

Since I'm trying to save money since this would be a very occasional wear, I was looking at Express since their Photographer series fits me like a glove off-the-rack. The only navy jacket of theirs that I like right now is this: http://www.express.com/catalog/product_detail.jsp?productId=6071013&categoryId=cat560005&commerceitemId=CI1538038961&selectedColour=NAVY&selectedSize=36S&selectedQuantity=1&selectflag=true

However, it is a suit jacket. Any thoughts on breaking the rule of not orphaning a suit jacket and wearing it with a different pair of dress pants? Or does the navy and grey dynamic make it OK as it is indistinguishable from a lot of more modern blazers imo.

[Edited on October 24, 2013 at 1:45 PM. Reason : ]

10/24/2013 1:44:57 PM

just an aside...how's the quality of Express suits? do they hold up well?

10/24/2013 1:52:40 PM

I had to shop at Express recently because I was in Virginia Beach for a wedding and left my suit jacket at home. I got a blazer there and it was around $260, and after getting a feel for it a little bit I am not really that satisfied. I have all my other stuff MTM, though, so that may be as much of the reason I wasn't satisfied as anything else.

I recommend to everyone to do some research online or through friends and find a good Asian tailor who makes trips to the United States. My last two tailors have been from Hong Kong and Bangkok and I have been very satisfied with their work and the prices, and they come in person several times a year, and have excellent customer service if you need adjustments.

As for ^^, it's funny how there is some fear of "orphaning" a suit jacket. There is no rule about that, and it's encouraged to make your clothing as versatile as possible and combine different things. In essence, a blazer is merely a suit jacket without pants, although there is some tendency recently to make blazers more informal or unique, and sometimes of heavier or slightly different materials.

http://www.wellgroomedblog.com/2013/05/q-is-orphaned-suit-jacket-ok.html

The standard go to is navy, and that works well with most things, including most grays you would wear. I don't like the brass buttons and have always stayed away from those, preferring to go with bone or other buttons that compliment the jacket. The key is to go with what you are comfortable doing. Wear what you like. If you are going to have to keep a jacket in the office for presentations and have some concern about it not matching the pants, why not just keep the pants there, too?

[Edited on October 24, 2013 at 2:14 PM. Reason : df]

10/24/2013 2:04:30 PM

^^ quality is decent for the price. I have a couple because they fit me really well and I don't wear full suits all that often so they "hold up" well because they don't get a lot of wear and tear. If you're lucky enough to find a brand that fits you off-the-rack, sometimes you can get good deals and keep some variety on hand.

If I wore suits every day to work, I wouldn't say their quality is good enough for that. But, I like having a couple really nice and tailored suits for when it is extra important and then find something off-the-rack that fits me (and Express Photographer just happens to be nearly perfect for me). I use these OTR suits to feel comfortable adding some extra variety that I wouldn't want to spend the money on. Maybe trendier items or just bolder patterns or just to add variety in general with more traditional patterns. I can't justify having a bunch of high-end suits when I don't wear them often, but I like that I can go for several after-work functions where a jacket is expected and take awhile to wear the same thing twice but I don't need a top-notch suit.

^ thanks! your outlook is exactly how I feel too. I just wanted to see if others felt the same way. I think the 'orphaned' idea comes from some more traditional roots but I think some of those are eroding as I see more variety and experimenting with guys' dress clothes these days (which I personally like). And I guess you are right - I could just keep one of my Express suits at work for something quick. I might still go look at that navy jacket in person again and wear my darkest pair of grey dress pants to see how it looks (I think it would go fine with any of my medium or light pairs). If it looks fine with those, I might get that to keep at work for a last-minute jacket.

[Edited on October 24, 2013 at 2:25 PM. Reason : ]

10/24/2013 2:15:18 PM

Sometimes I try things with my fashion just to see how it goes over. The other night I was going out to a whisky bar and wore a chocolate brown suit jacket with my brown Bruno Maglis, a pair of pinstriped black suit pants, a white fitted tee with gray horizontal stripes, and a gray newsboy cap with white pinstripes.

It was really out there and I'm torn between thinking it worked and it was way too much. I was breaking all sorts of rules. When I was out I seemed to get positive feedback, but I just like to try different things and see what works at times.

10/24/2013 2:24:13 PM

Quote :

"Sometimes I try things with my fashion just to see how it goes over. The other night I was going out to a whisky bar and wore a chocolate brown suit jacket with my brown Bruno Maglis, a pair of pinstriped black suit pants, a white fitted tee with gray horizontal stripes, and a gray newsboy cap with white pinstripes."

That sounds impressively built to fail. The number of striped items, just in theory, sounds, uh, interesting.

CalledToArms honestly your thoughts on blazers are kind of strange. It's much more outside the norm to dress down a suit by not wearing a tie than it is to put a blazer on a contrasting outfit. And you should definitely never wear a suit coat like a blazer. But anyway, despite where your personal comfort level ends up being, from a purely advice perspective, I imagine it would be hard for you to go wrong with a charcoal or navy blazer. Personally I go-to a navy blazer but my outfits are conservatively colored and structured, so almost no combination wouldn't work together. As far as a specific retailer to get a blazer from--if you like a modern cut, J. Crew is nice but maybe a little expensive. J. Crew Factory and Express are pretty close in price and quality if you want a step down. If you like a cheap modern cut, JC Penny had some fantastic blazers BUT I'm not sure if they've been phased out yet. They were on sale like a month ago and if they're still around, they're probably on sale. These are blazers from when the previous CEO (Nick Wooster) was still kicking, and he tended way towards the modern side of things.

[Edited on October 24, 2013 at 6:58 PM. Reason : f]

10/24/2013 6:55:14 PM

thanks. And in terms of "It's much more outside the norm to dress down a suit by not wearing a tie than it is to put a blazer on a contrasting outfit.", I definitely understand that. It's one of those personal style things though. I just don't think/like the way I look good in blazers and tend to get a lot of compliments on my suits (even the cheaper Express ones) when I dress down the suit without a tie at semi-formal work socials and dinner parties and such.

It's not that I don't think Blazers look good on anybody, because I definitely see guys who pull that off (more so in catalogs than in real life haha); rather it's just one of those areas where it doesn't really suit my personal style much - too preppy or nautical. I'm pretty confident with the way I dress but just never feel I look right in a blazer. Not sure if that makes sense. Another similar thing for me is loafers. They just look terrible on me and with my dress style. Not for me haha.

I appreciate the heads up on other places to look for modern cut blazers. What do you say about the difference in what are considered modern blazers vs suit coats. In more traditional blazers it is a little more obvious especially with the metallic buttons, but those are not my style really. Other than the fact blazers are "often" found in materials like tweeds or corduroys and "often" have a patch pocket, there basically becomes a blurred line between a modern-style blazer and a suit jacket even though I've seen plenty of people saying not to wear a navy suit jacket with grey suit pants.

For example, from Brooks Brothers:



Besides the fact that the pants give it away, what's the difference in this suit jacket vs their modern blazer? Both wool, both without a patch pocket, both with their exact same cut profile, etc.

Just playing devil's advocate here. It seems like if I have an OTR suit jacket that I know fits me well I have a hard time justifying searching for something else solely because the tag says blazer.

[Edited on October 24, 2013 at 8:59 PM. Reason : ]

10/24/2013 8:57:43 PM

There are some "rules of thumb" when you're talking suit jacket v. blazer v. sportcoat--and it's important to remember that blazers and sportcoats aren't the same thing either. In the picture you posted, which is not a great example by the way because Brooks Brothers is often mocked for their marketing promos being ridiculous but works here, you can see some basic differences.

A suit jacket is more structured (thicker lining, shoulder pads, full canvased or half-canvased), is almost always made of wool with a sleeker texture, and doesn't have contrasting buttons. A blazer can be heavier (OR lighter) materials including blends, is more likely to be patterned or textured, usually has contrasting buttons, and usually has less structure in the shoulders and lining. I say USUALLY because a blazer is a loser definition than a suit jacket. They CAN be used interchangeably (a suit jacket as a blazer) but situationally and depending heavily on the style and material of the jacket. Sometimes people say a suit jacket orphaned from it's pants still looks like it has a matching pair somewhere, and blazers don't look like they would have a match, but that's just a generality based on materials/texture.

So rule of thumb, a really general one, is that a blazer has a more coarse texture (less shine too), contrasting buttons, less structure, non-matching.

Sportcoats are... another matter.

10/24/2013 9:27:16 PM

A few years ago I got in on a Jos A. Bank deal. Buy 2 suites, get 3 free. I used to wear suits 5 days/week, so rotating 1 suit every day for the last 2.5 years they've held up pretty well. Mine were tailored to fit for no extra cost either and this was their entry level stuff. Its not a perfect tailored fit as they took 6 measurements or so, so don't expect a tight fight like you would went all out on a $800-$1500 suit where they take a dozen measurements. However, it's not an off the rack generic fit where one size fits most either. I think it was ~$550 total for all 5 suits and it's a professional look. I haven't seen their buy 2 get 3 free in a Long time though.





[Edited on October 26, 2013 at 5:59 AM. Reason : .]

10/26/2013 5:53:46 AM

thick as thieves LA

kent wang

indochino

11/3/2013 7:27:45 PM

i'm curious what you guys think about this..

i have a really nice wool peacoat that i really really like. However, it's now too big as i've lost some weight in recent months. I really don't want to stop wearing it or drop that much money on another one in a smaller size. Do you think there are enough competent tailors out there that could alter a coat like this or am i going down a path of ruining a perfectly good coat?

Edit. It fits fine in the shoulder and length. it's boxy under the arms and fits loose in the chest.

11/8/2013 9:28:10 AM

Shoulders are always the expensive part of tailoring anything. Taking in chest is easy even on a blended wool peacoat. Not so sure about "boxiness under the arms" but that might just be taking the sides above the ribcage? I would definitely look up a good tailor (I dunno if you're in the Triangle anymore) and just go speak to them. For expensive items with more than one change being made, I admit that I look for a tailor with good English (not like... Wang's on Gorman, which I still go to for hems).

If the tailor quotes a price you don't like, consider selling it on eBay. Wool peacoats, especially nice ones, always seem to sell. If it's military surplus and you don't have much invested in it, you may not care what price it gets I guess.

EDIT: Wool pea coats CAN be tailored but again you should just ask a competent tailor if they think they can comfortably alter the garment.

[Edited on November 8, 2013 at 10:26 AM. Reason : f]

11/8/2013 10:25:25 AM

Thanks! i'm in Charlotte. Taking it by Myers Park Tailors today which seem to be the most preferred and experienced tailor around the city.

11/8/2013 10:28:26 AM

^If you do end up going that route, let us know how much it runs you. I have a wool topcoat that has similar issues (though, unfortunately, I didn't lose weight, it's just always been too big) and I wonder if tailoring it would be more cost-effective than buying a new one. I only paid something like $125 on an end-of-season sale though so it seems silly to approach spending that much.

11/8/2013 10:34:33 AM

I had a softball tournament that lasted all Friday and Saturday so I wasn't able to take it in. Going to try and swing by after work either today or tomorrow.

11/11/2013 10:42:19 AM

How big did you get?

11/12/2013 6:28:56 PM

i just had a beer belly, but i was probably hovering just under 200 when i finally changed my diet. but it caused me to wear size 36 in pants and large shirts. now i'm back around 170, under 34 waist and my mediums fit again.

11/13/2013 8:14:27 AM

So I picked up some of those metal collar stays on Amazon (though I didn't want to spend for the wurkin stiffs, got a cheaper brand (NeoStays) and a pack of separate magnets) and I'm pretty impressed. I was in a hurry this morning so I didn't even use the magnets, just put the stays in place of the cheap ones that came with the shirt, and it's a big improvement. The weight of the metal stays causes the collar to hang much better than it did with the plastic ones in place, and I'm sure the magnets will be ideal to keep it exactly where it needs to be.

11/13/2013 9:23:53 AM

I'm 5' 10" and slim. I need to find some suits that actually look fitting on me. And advice?

11/13/2013 12:26:21 PM

Can you afford custom tailored suits?? If so...go that route.

11/13/2013 12:36:24 PM

dbl post

[Edited on November 13, 2013 at 12:42 PM. Reason : .]

11/13/2013 12:42:00 PM

^^^see above, decent success with J. Crew Factory or Express if you are on a budget.

11/13/2013 1:39:36 PM

Can't afford custom tailored. Is JC Crew Factory the same as JC Crew at the mall?

11/13/2013 3:24:04 PM

J.Crew Factory is like Gap Outlet or Banana Republic Outlet.

You can find them at the Tanger outlets in Mebane, Smithfield, or Nags Head.

11/13/2013 3:27:41 PM

Quote :

"decent success with J. Crew Factory or Express if you are on a budget."

If you are on a budget, can't get something tailored, and are tall and slim these are definitely options. Express offers a couple different fits. Photographer is traditionally their slimmest and they sell suit and jacket separates of course.

11/13/2013 4:20:13 PM

Quote :

"^If you do end up going that route, let us know how much it runs you. I have a wool topcoat that has similar issues (though, unfortunately, I didn't lose weight, it's just always been too big) and I wonder if tailoring it would be more cost-effective than buying a new one. I only paid something like $125 on an end-of-season sale though so it seems silly to approach spending that much."

$45 to take in the wool peacoat. The gentleman knew exactly what I wanted and said it would be a pretty easy task. There is only so much material you can take in before you begin to interfere with the structure and set of the pockets. But the way he had it pinned looked so much better on me than it ever did before. Plus, the coat was a Christmas gift a few years ago so this is all the money i've put into it.

11/13/2013 5:46:57 PM

Quote :

"If you are on a budget, can't get something tailored, and are tall and slim these are definitely options. Express offers a couple different fits. Photographer is traditionally their slimmest and they sell suit and jacket separates of course."

to second that...I'm 5'11, 170lbs pretty slim build and i have 2 express suits that I've got many compliments on looking tailored

11/13/2013 7:30:07 PM

Has anyone ever bought a suit from J.Crew? How competent are there in-store tailors?

11/13/2013 8:01:08 PM

Macy's Alfani suits are where its at. They are fitted/slim and you can get for a ~$130 (if on sale, which they usually are). I have 2. Highly recommend.

11/14/2013 9:56:27 AM

You're gonna like the way you look, but because of a pending civil suit I cannot guarantee it.

11/14/2013 9:58:07 AM

Quote :

"Has anyone ever bought a suit from J.Crew? How competent are there in-store tailors?"

I have. I wear a 36S and a 28x30W. The pants they only had in 28x32, so I just got those. I had the pants tailored by Connie Taylor in Cary. The suit in general is the best fitting suit I've owned in a long, long time.

It just fits.

Most suits everywhere else I would look like David Byrne from an old Talking Heads video in.

11/14/2013 10:49:00 AM