Buying a suit in London

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yeah, i know there are a few threads about suits already, but i thought i'd make a more specific one.

i've decided that it's time to buy my first suit! i don't want to spend much more than £300, really, and after trying some on in m+s/topman to get an idea it looks like a 3 button, single breasted dark grey suit is the way to go. but where should i be buying it? being tall and reasonably thin it looked like i might have a little trouble getting a good fit (it seems i need a 36 chest and 30 waist, but pretty long in both jacket and trousers). as friend suggested going to shops on jermyn st; does anyone have any more specific suggestions? was also thinking of checking out debenhams and zara.

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 31 March 2005 09:42 (twenty-one years ago)

check out selfidges discount area on like the fourth or fifth floor

― lukey (Lukey G), Thursday, 31 March 2005 10:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I bought my latest one in a Burton's sale. Very cheap - it was about £70, with an extra pair of trousers.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 31 March 2005 10:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha! Awesome timing - I've been trekking around London part of this week looking for a new suit and its harder than you'd expect. Especially, being my shape, finding a jacket where the shoulderpads don't make you look like you're on a coathanger.

Trousers aren't a problem as you can get them adjusted, but I've been a bit indecisive over a jacket I'm happy with as yet. But then this level of dithering is pretty much standard for me whenever I'm spending over £50 on anything.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 31 March 2005 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Jermyn Street will be very pricey, I'd suspect, but you could do worse than going right along Regent Street and trying any decent looking shop along there. Its probably worth getting measured up properly by someone who looks like they know what they're doing as well.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 31 March 2005 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I want a new suit. I've lost a bit of weight since aquiring the last one, and could do with a better fitting one. But womens suits are just so YUCK.

Maybe I'll buy a ballgown instead.

Somewhat less suitable for work, though.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 31 March 2005 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I would be wary of Zara, their stuff is not very hardwearing. I prefer Cortefiel. I don't know if they are in London.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Very good timing - I too am looking for a suit. Maybe there should be some kind of FAS? (How hideous would that be?)

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember reading about rich businessmen who hire tailors from Hong Kong to come over and fit them in their offices/homes, then go back to Hong Kong and make a custom suit for them.

Maybe if we all got together we could scrape up the fee, get measured all at once, and then get our custom tailored suits?

(except this might be bad if the tailor got the measurements all mixed up and I ended up with a suit with Toby's arms, and Matt ended up with a suit with Beanz' legs.)

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:17 (twenty-one years ago)

If I ended up with your ball gown my boss might raise an eyebrow.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Is your boss Neil Tennant?

In a rare moment of cheapness, I once bought a suit from Matalan. Otherwise, I inherit the good stuff or buy it brand new 2nd hand.

― BARMS, Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Stanley Ley on Holborn have very trad lawyerly suits for pretty good price.

Liberty have very good own brand suits but they may be out of your price bracket.

Reiss have some well made stuff but it might be a bit broad fit for you. Woodhouse have a good selection and Italian brans may suit you better than german ones.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Is M&S irredeemably naff? They certain have a wide range at the Marble Arch flagship store.

I'm intrigued by their 'machine washable' suit whcih sounds brilliant in theory.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Thursday, 31 March 2005 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i tend to go to Moss Bros in Regent Street. i can usually find what i want, and i'm roughly your size (but a Reg rather than a Long)

― zebedee (zebedee), Thursday, 31 March 2005 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember reading about rich businessmen who hire tailors from Hong Kong to come over and fit them in their offices/homes, then go back to Hong Kong and make a custom suit for them.

Maybe if we all got together we could scrape up the fee, get measured all at once, and then get our custom tailored suits?

There are HK companies who hold regular measuring/fitting sessions in places like hotels. Three weeks later you get a bespoke suit in the post at half the price of a UK one. So the leaflets say.

― Ben Dot (1977), Thursday, 31 March 2005 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i found a website that said it was similar. but without personal recommendations, it seems silly to drop £250 on something you have no idea about the quality, you know?

― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 31 March 2005 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

It's what you wear from ear to ear, etc.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 31 March 2005 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

The biggest question being "what do you need it for?"

If you need to turn up at a wedding once and then leave it lingering in the back of your wardrobe then go for the bogstandard Burtons suit. If on the other hand you are regularly going to be attending interviews/ weddings / funerals of other mathematicians who just didn't quite measure up then you want the proper every-inch-matters measurements then I'd recommend forking out as much as you can afford, really...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 31 March 2005 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

for the life of me I thought this thread was "Being a slut in London". Need new contacts.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 1 April 2005 06:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Cute ILX boys in suits? Can you post photos after purchasing? Thx!

― marianna lcl (marianna lcl), Friday, 1 April 2005 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I would go to John Lewis or House of Fraser or something and see what they've got.

I quite like the ones in 'mod' shops on and around Carnaby Street.

Alternatively, old geezers' shops.

Safari suit would be good.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 1 April 2005 09:41 (twenty-one years ago)

If on the other hand you are regularly going to be attending interviews/ weddings / funerals of other mathematicians who just didn't quite measure up then you want the proper every-inch-matters measurements then I'd recommend forking out as much as you can afford, really...

i'm mostly going to be wearing it to go out with hot girls to super-fancy restaurants like this one, i suspect:

http://www.charlietrotters.com/restaurant/

so probably i should spend as much as i can afford and then a bit more, i guess...

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 1 April 2005 11:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Cute ILX boys in suits? Can you post photos after purchasing? Thx!

only if photos are hott please.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

although cute boys in suit omgwtf hott by default

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Buying a suit in the states might not be a bad idea at the moment, what with the dollar being like it is. Check out the Brookes Brothers website.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't had to wear a suit in almost four years. The use of this new one isn't likely to extend beyond "look hot for bridesmaids tomorrow".

So probably I should spend as much as I can afford and then a bit more, I guess...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:22 (twenty-one years ago)

SuitFAP once all purchases have been made? If it's late May I could come in my morning suit, tails and all...

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Re Zara, yes, they don't seem to be too hard-wearing, but my Zara suit fits superbly, so I'd still recommend it if you won't be wearing it like weekly.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Suitfap!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 1 April 2005 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

We had a suitFAP last year. Was it Barry's Birthday? I wore my suit. There's a photo of me in it somewhere on the interweb...

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 1 April 2005 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)

get out of town to one of the outlet centres at say, Ashford or Bicester, I got my Wedding suit from one of the suit companies at the Cheshire Oaks one and it was about 250 knocked down from 500, a nice charcoal Ted Baker number. If you go to Bicester it's about 15 quid on the train and there's a shuttle bus that runs to the centre, it's got a Paul Smith, Boss and a couple of multi-suit places too.

― ceebee, Friday, 1 April 2005 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

GET BACK TO SOUTHFORK YOU.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 1 April 2005 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v424/runmdc/suited.jpg

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 1 April 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Is someone about to take a penalty - just out of view?

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Friday, 1 April 2005 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I knew this would be Toby. Is this going to be like the coat thread?

― Anna (Anna), Saturday, 2 April 2005 10:29 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

Suitfap!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 7 November 2005 04:28 (twenty years ago)

my suit is pretty hott. don't really have many situations in which to wear it though, except for last week at TEH RACES. I also considered attending a MOD PARTY later that evening however I don't really have the hair for it.

― pretentiosexual rights activist (haitch), Monday, 7 November 2005 04:57 (twenty years ago)

turn up as a rocker and see what happens

― john p. irrelevant (electricsound), Monday, 7 November 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

I can totally see you in a hottt suit, haitch! =)

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 7 November 2005 05:27 (twenty years ago)

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