Complete new, 3 piece casual suit to start, help?

[Artemis Entreri]

So it's been pointed out to me recently that a man should own at least a few suits. I am 25 years old, man enough that I feel I should own at least one for when I go out somewhere casually I can wear something aside from my baggy(but belted to my waist) jeans and black/band t-shirts.

So basically I want to buy a cheapish 3 piece suit off ebay, see if I can even get used to wearing something like it. Tho I will probably leave the jacket home most nights if I'm just out eating/drinking with friends. I found a ebay company called Monkey Suit Vintage. Pre-owned stuff, looks pretty nice for something that's not all that expensive. If I decide I like the look and feel of wearing nice clothes, I will have a suit tailored to me by a professional after the Winter when I will have more cash.

So no here is my dilemma. How would I go about measuring myself to get an idea what size I should get?
I am 6' range from 150-155 pounds, never really more or less then that. I am tall and thin, always have been. Is there anything that I should avoid?

What I mean is, personally, I think DB jackets on me make me look like my torso is more boxed then I actually am. Although I like most of my pants baggy and roomy, I think I'd like the suit to be tighter around the waist area, giving myself as much of a V shape as possible.(From my shoulders to my waist) if that makes sense?

As a random note, I really liked joseph-gordon levitt's suits in Inception. Specifically when he is in the hallway, and everything is spinning, he has no coat on if I remember correctly, love the look of a nice pair of pants and a shirt, vest.

Little bit about me in the aftermath of my blabbering. I'm a 25 year old guy, live in Staten Island, Ny. Work in Manhattan. I work for the Department of Sanitation for NYC. So my job doesn't really push me to dress nicely, quite the opposite actually, always around grit and grime. I've always been a laid back dresser, jeans and tshirts. I'm a very blue collar person, but I'd like to try and expand my lifestyle and wardrobe. So anything you can tell me to help, or suggest to me to read I will.

Thank you all very much.
-Steve-

 

[Nick D]

Welcome to the Lounge!

A properly shaped DB won't make you look boxy, they should be quite fitted at the waist. This isn't to say they all are, I've seen some with no shape at all. But a well-tailored double breasted is sharp.

For measuring you have a couple options. First, you could go to a formalwear rental place or a real tailor and get yourself measured. Or, you can get a tailor's tape from a fabric store and measure yourself or have someone else measure you. There are plenty of guides online for where to measure.

 

[Artemis Entreri]

Thank you Nick. Had a tailors tape around so I did it myself after finding pictures online.
Question is, what should I of worn while doing it? In the picture the guy was wearing dress pants and a dress shirt, which I don't have.

I did it wearing a tshirt and sweat pants. Tho I pulled the sweats out of the way when I did my hip and waist as they are heavy sweats and definitely added to it. So I was just in Boxers for the Waist and then Hips, is this ok?

My measurements I got were as follows:
Neck 16"
Chest 37.5-38"
Waist 31"
Hips 37-38" (assume I'd go with 38 since I only had boxers on, if you are supposed to measure with slacks on)
Shoulder 21"
Length 29"
Sleeve 23"
Wrist 7.5" (with an included +.5" for wearing a watch)

Now I know no one can tell me if these are my dimensions. But for someone 6' say 155 pounds, does anything about those jump out as obviously wrong? And is there anything else I should be measuring? Buying non specific tailored suits they don't seem to worry much about the inseam and such as I can have that altered if it doesn't fit I suppose?

Thanks all.
-Steve-

 

[Pry]

If it fits in the shoulders, a lot of magic can happen to fix the rest of it. If the shoulders don't fit you are $crewed.

 

[Edward]

Judging from your measurements, I would suggest a long, slim look would suit you - late Fifties / early Sixties style. Think (dare I say it?) Mad Men - or even Connery in Goldfinger. I see a lot of that influence in current tailoring trends, here in the UK at least.

 

[Tomasso]

(dare I say it?) Mad Men

shakeshead shhhhhhhh

 

[Mr Vim]

Artemis, if you're liking the way Gordon-Levitt looked in Inception, you could just try some suit separates the sell at department stores. I know the Macy's on 34 has some great selections, maybe try their Alfani red line, those pieces are made to be separate, they are relatively inexpensive and you can try them on, plus some of the pieces have that sort of connery-esque, Inception vibe to them.

It's a good way to break into suits.

 

[Michael Carter]

Just to be sure, I recommend you have someone measure you or visit a reputable tailor. There are probably more tailors per square mile in New York than any other place on the planet besides London or Italy. It would cost very little to have this done professionally and you can be sure of a good fit.

 

[Mr Vim]

I concur with Mr. Carter's advice.

 

[MisterGrey]

The only measurements I'd question are the neck and sleeve length. Most guys who aren't dwarfs will have a sleeve length in the 30s. I'm 5'10 and have a 35 sleeve length; my dad is 6'2 and has a 37 sleeve length; and my brother is 5'4 and has a 32 sleeve length. As for the neck-- you may have a naturally thick neck, but I'd think you'd be a 15 or 15.5. Again, just going off of my own experience, at 5'10 and 175lbs I have a 15.5; bro has a 15 at 150 lbs and dad has a 17.5 at 250 lbs.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

The trouble with buying a first suit off of Ebay is that you really can't try it on, see it up close, feel it before you've already spent the money and gone to a lot of trouble getting it to you. What you might try is going to a good department store or men's store and be completely honest with them. IE - this would be your first suit, you don't know what to look for, you're definitely NOT going to buy anything right then and there, but you would like to see a few things, try a few things and think about it before you buy. Try a few different stores. You may not get the right salesman the first time or two. Some will try to sell you anything just to make a sale, even if they know you're going to have buyer's remorse the minute you're out of the store. The one you want knows if he has a happy customer, he'll come back again and again. When you are ready to buy, they'll make sure it fits properly (alterations like sleeves, adjusting the lay of the shoulders and lapels, etc. should come with the purchase). And you may just want to start with a sportcoat or blazer - graduallly get used to wearing that with jeans and then nicer pants before going into a suit. Spend a little more for good advice. Develop a relationship with a good salesman or store. I think it was Wannamaker who said it's only a good sale for the store if it's a good buy for the customer. If a store sells you crap, you'll discover it soon enough and won't be back.

 

[HoundstoothLuke]

shakeshead shhhhhhhh

I must be missing something here, what's wrong with Mad Men?

 

[MisterGrey]

From what I've read in other threads, I think the problem is that anything having to do with sharp dressing or hat-wearing has, of late, arbitrarily had the term "Mad Men" attached to it. On eBay, for example, a good number of wool fedoras and other cheap hats are randomly titled "WOOL FELT FEDORA XL MAD MEN!" The same goes for any type of suit that the seller even remotely thinks resembles an early 60s outfit (38R BLACK WOOL SUIT MAD MEN DON DRAPER!) So I don't think it's so much the show itself but that using it as a point of reference is loath because so many uninformed hucksters do the same thing in an attempt to sell their stuff.

 

[Tomasso]

The only measurements I'd question are the neck and sleeve length. Most guys who aren't dwarfs will have a sleeve length in the 30s.

Actually, these numbers show that his arms measure a out at 33.5".( 21 ÷ 2 = 10.5 + 23 = 33.5)

My measurements I got were as follows:
Neck 16"
Chest 37.5-38"
Waist 31"
Hips 37-38" (assume I'd go with 38 since I only had boxers on, if you are supposed to measure with slacks on)
Shoulder 21"
Length 29"
Sleeve 23"
Wrist 7.5" (with an included +.5" for wearing a watch)

 

[carldelo]

Artemis - I suggest you take a trip to the Syms in lower Manhattan, just south of the WTC. I'm also a New Yorker, I've been wearing suits for a long time, and have bought at least ten from Syms. Granted, I know exactly what I'm looking for, but for a general selection they're great. Let one of the old guys measure you up - he'll be able to figure out if you're a regular, long, short, portly, whatever. They can tell you whether you look OK in 2 button vs. 3 button, and single, double or no vent. They're very familiar with putting people into their first suit, I see them do it all the time. If possible, wear a dress shirt and dress shoes, although they do have shoes to borrow there. If you want to start out casual, you can generally snag something there for a reasonable price. Even if you don't buy anything, you'll figure out your size and get some opinions about what looks good. I think this makes a lot more sense than shopping online.

 

[Tomasso]

I suggest you take a trip to the Syms in lower Manhattan.

That may well be the best Syms for customer service in the whole chain. But in Manhattan I would probably choose J.Press or Brooks Bros.(346) at sale time for my first suit; you'll get expert fitting for around $500.

 

[Talbot]

Are there any Goodwill's near you? Worth checking out before hitting up any tailors or eBay.

I know you are a big guy, but I'm often surprised at whats out there.

 

[RP McMurphy]

Take a look at some old photos and films

http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/C...x - Cotten, Joseph (Shadow of a Doubt)_01.jpg

This is a pretty good example of a fitted '40's db suit. Can't see it in this picture, but check out the film "Shadow of a Doubt" by Hitchcock. Joseph Cotten wears some really excellent suits. I would lean more towards a single breasted suit if this is your first, however that's just my $0.02. Look in thrift stores for a used suit, but only if you know sizing first! Go to a reputable tailor or department store first and get a sense of what looks good, and more importantly, how a fitted suit FEELS. This is crucial. Once you know what quality and fit feel like, you can find some incredible deals if you wait and search long enough. BEST OF LUCK!

RP

 

[Tomasso]

I must be missing something here, what's wrong with Mad Men?

Nothing per se but most on the FLounge would term that style of suit as 60s.

Mad Men is a fad; 60s is a style.

 

[HoundstoothLuke]

From what I've read in other threads, I think the problem is that anything having to do with sharp dressing or hat-wearing has, of late, arbitrarily had the term "Mad Men" attached to it. On eBay, for example, a good number of wool fedoras and other cheap hats are randomly titled "WOOL FELT FEDORA XL MAD MEN!" The same goes for any type of suit that the seller even remotely thinks resembles an early 60s outfit (38R BLACK WOOL SUIT MAD MEN DON DRAPER!) So I don't think it's so much the show itself but that using it as a point of reference is loath because so many uninformed hucksters do the same thing in an attempt to sell their stuff.

That actually makes a lot of sense, thanks for the explanation.