1 Fitted Suit for all Occasions

[Lord Pikey]

'morning all,

As the masses of ph are generally very opinionated on matters of suits i feel this is a good place to ask some dumb questions.

Im getting married at the end of December and I’d like a new tailored/fitted suit for the occasion. It’s only a registry office so nothing flash is needed.

I own two suits, both are off the peg and neither fit particularly well. Im a strange shape so in general the only way I can find clothing that fits over my shoulders is to buy XL and then in a slim-fit style so that it does not hang like a tent around my middle. I only every wear a suit for weddings, funerals and interviews so buying 1 every 5 years is all I ever do.

So, my questions are

1. What style do I choose? I don’t want something on trend, just something that looks good and normal. I don’t want to look like today’s Esquire/FHM style kids and their Hitler-Youth haircuts. What should an overweight mid thirty’s engineer that wears hoodies and jeans 99% of the time dress like? The soon to be Mrs said dark grey. So its dark grey.

2. How much to spend? My last suit was bought in 2010 and cost around about 200 from a Cheshire outlet place. I don’t really care about the cost, but as I won’t be wearing it very often I have to be sensible. Im estimating 400? Maybe 470 with two shirts as well?

3. Where should I go? As an expat, we are flying back into Gatwick in a couple of weeks. The wedding is in December so I need to be measured up in the first trip so it can be made and ready for December. Any recommendations for a tailor/suit dude around Guildford.

Any advice would be awesome.

[dojo]

Theres a little road between high street and north street (I think its Jefferies passage) which has a tailor who does made to measure.

[944fan]

Single breast, 2 buttons, dark grey or navy. Always look good, never go out of "fashion".

[Ikemi]

Similar situation, Lord ... Although I wear double cuff shirts and jumpers for work, and more casual shirts the rest of the time. However I really need a suit for interviews, weddings and everything else!

So dark grey being suggested, does that mean brown shoes? Also, where can one buy an entire outfit that's as good as the OP requires? In the past, a quick trip to M&S has sufficed. However I don't think any of the blazers I've chosen have fitted my shape particularly well - It's always been a rush purchase for a one-off event!

[Lord Pikey]

dojo said:

Theres a little road between high street and north street (I think its Jefferies passage) which has a tailor who does made to measure.

I know the street, but nothing showing on google. Ill question my sisters who still live there and see if they can walk down it and tell me

[Sticks.]

I used to know a tailor and his advice to me, who rarely needs a suit and didn't want to spend £1k on one of his, was to buy something from M&S or Austin Reed and have him alter it to fit. It'll look like it was made to measure and be a lot quicker and cheaper.

So maybe find a tailor you're going to use first and get advice before buying anything.

[dojo]

Lord said:

I know the street, but nothing showing on google. Ill question my sisters who still live there and see if they can walk down it and tell me

I'm pretty sure its that street - might be the next one up. its def one that cross between high street and north street. If you're on the high street side its right on the corner on the left (it might actually have a high street address). I think its like semi custom made but prices seemed ok. I was looking at about £800 I think, but that was for a full 3 piece tweed suit. I ended up going up to Thomas Farthing in London but its def worth a look.

[silverfoxcc]

Go with Navy ,looks good in the Lodge as well

[lickatysplit]

Try a Charles Tyrewhitt (or how ever you spell it) they do some very dapper suits. You can get almost all of their suits in a slim fit or classic fit. I too have broad shoulders but also rather large arms so slim fit looks like a wetsuit on me but the classic fit works very well.

I would ask what colour the bride has chosen (we all know its the womans choice :-) ) for the bridesmaids and try not to clash with that i.e don't go for a blue suit if they are in green etc. a blue suit looks best with brown shoes

[anonymous-user]

Marks and Spencer. £120 for a suit and as long as you're not a fat bd, it will look a million bucks when accessorised nicely.

[LordGrover]

The thing with M&S suits and any off the peg suit is you have to fit it and you're probably the wrong shape/size/proportions. A good tailor can likely adjust to fit but if it's for special occasions it's probably worth the time and trouble to get a tailored suit if a bespoke suit is overkill.

[markmullen]

bulldong said:

Marks and Spencer. £120 for a suit and as long as you're not a fat bd, it will look a million bucks when accessorised nicely.

Sorry but nothing will detract from a suit of any value if it doesn't fit well. Shoulders hanging off the arms, sleeves too long to cover the shirt cuffs, trousers with a double break or no break at all, none of that will be detracted from by a nice pair of shoes, a pocket square and a decent watch.

[Lord Pikey]

bulldong said:

Marks and Spencer. £120 for a suit and as long as you're not a fat bd, it will look a million bucks when accessorised nicely.

Guilty as charged!

To be honest, im surpised you thought a mid 30'd engineer living in the land of beer and sausage wouldnt be a fat bd!

I did do a 10k on sunday, but it took me over an hour!

As for the other poster who mentioned clashing with the Bridesmaids. There are none. The suit is for a 20 minute registry office wedding and then its use will be interviews etc. So the emphasis should be on more general use.

[thainy77]

markmullen said:

Sorry but nothing will detract from a suit of any value if it doesn't fit well. Shoulders hanging off the arms, sleeves too long to cover the shirt cuffs, trousers with a double break or no break at all, none of that will be detracted from by a nice pair of shoes, a pocket square and a decent watch.

I do agree with this but i travelled back to the UK a couple of months ago for a wedding and ended up buying a suit last minute from M&S. I may have got lucky as it fitted really well so it may be worth a try. I have various other fitted suits but travel plans dictated i couldn't take one and the M&S suit wasn't far off a tailored suit.

Worth a punt i reckon.

[13m]

944fan said:

Single breast, 2 buttons, dark grey or navy. Always look good, never go out of "fashion".

I recall periods when 2 button single breast suits were out of fashion. The mid to late 90s for example. Shops just didn't sell them.

[andy-xr]

Option 1: http://www.kingandallen.co.uk/index.html

Option 2: Rent a wedding suit, they're £100 and 1 suit for everything never quite works out how you think. IE you wouldnt wear a DJ to a christening

[944fan]

13m said:

944fan said:

Single breast, 2 buttons, dark grey or navy. Always look good, never go out of "fashion".

I recall periods when 2 button single breast suits were out of fashion. The mid to late 90s for example. Shops just didn't sell them.

That was that horrible period of time when everyone wore black 3 button numbers. Shudder. Most people have expunged that memory :-)

[anonymous-user]

markmullen said:

bulldong said:

Marks and Spencer. £120 for a suit and as long as you're not a fat bd, it will look a million bucks when accessorised nicely.

Sorry but nothing will detract from a suit of any value if it doesn't fit well. Shoulders hanging off the arms, sleeves too long to cover the shirt cuffs, trousers with a double break or no break at all, none of that will be detracted from by a nice pair of shoes, a pocket square and a decent watch.

Keep telling yourself that, if only to justify to yourself why you need to have a tailored suit.

Perhaps I'm just lucky that I fit off the shelf suits well.

[markmullen]

bulldong said:

markmullen said:

bulldong said:

Marks and Spencer. £120 for a suit and as long as you're not a fat bd, it will look a million bucks when accessorised nicely.

Sorry but nothing will detract from a suit of any value if it doesn't fit well. Shoulders hanging off the arms, sleeves too long to cover the shirt cuffs, trousers with a double break or no break at all, none of that will be detracted from by a nice pair of shoes, a pocket square and a decent watch.

Keep telling yourself that, if only to justify to yourself why you need to have a tailored suit.

Perhaps I'm just lucky that I fit off the shelf suits well.

The assumption that accessories can make up for an ill fitting suit is incorrect.

You might happen to fit the suits you're recommending, if the OP doesn't he'll still look like a sack of st in a cheap suit no matter what accessories he wears.

[anonymous-user]

markmullen said:

bulldong said:

markmullen said:

bulldong said:

Marks and Spencer. £120 for a suit and as long as you're not a fat bd, it will look a million bucks when accessorised nicely.

Sorry but nothing will detract from a suit of any value if it doesn't fit well. Shoulders hanging off the arms, sleeves too long to cover the shirt cuffs, trousers with a double break or no break at all, none of that will be detracted from by a nice pair of shoes, a pocket square and a decent watch.

Keep telling yourself that, if only to justify to yourself why you need to have a tailored suit.

Perhaps I'm just lucky that I fit off the shelf suits well.

The assumption that accessories can make up for an ill fitting suit is incorrect.

You might happen to fit the suits you're recommending, if the OP doesn't he'll still look like a sack of st in a cheap suit no matter what accessories he wears.

Which I think is exactly what I was inferring in the first place... If you are not a fat... it will be fine.