The Best Deal in Suits

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So I know that Purchasing Advice is usually for people looking for some, but instead I'm going to give some.

For suits, by far the best value to be found are Baroni suits sold by the Wizard of Aahs. I found out about them through another forum, Ask Andy About Clothes. They sell through eBay, but Jeff is usually willing to cut you a deal if you email him directly. His customer service is first rate-- He's great to deal with.

The suits, though, are amazing for the price. For under $300, you get a suit with pick stitching (a highly sought after touch), a full canvas (another high end trait that makes the suit look and feel better), and very nice Super 150s wool. There are two types of Baroni suits-- Chinese and Italian. There are a few hundred suit factories in China, and three of them produce real quality products. The Baroni is made in one of those three. My alterations tailor-- An older Italian gentleman who laments "Italian" suits being made in China-- is convinced that my Chinese Baroni is actually made in Italy. I know it isn't. Jeff offers Italian Baronis for closer to $400.

My alterations tailor also says that the suit is easily worth $800, making it a steal at $300.

If you're used to dressing in Oxxford or Brioni, look elsewhere. If you're just a normal guy who wants to own a suit that looks far more expensive than it is, go with a Baroni. It gives Burberry, Hart, Schaffner, and Marx, and Hickey Freeman a run for their money.

Now, I know this sounds like a spam post, but I assure you it's not. I am not affiliated with Baroni or the Wizard of Aahs, other than being a very very happy customer. We geeks sometimes have trouble dressing well, so I thought it would be helpful to pass along this tip.

http://stores.ebay.com/The-Wizard-of-Aahs

[Bryson]

You're right. It sounds exactly like spam.

;)

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You're right. It sounds exactly like spam.

;)

I know. I guess that's a testament to how much I love this suit. Normally spam sounds like spam because they're trying to show just how amazing their crap product is. But for the money, these suits are that great. Again, it's not a Brioni. But for the money, it's the best you can find.

[Wyatt]

Somehow, I don't think I could ever buy a suit on eBay. I don't know why, but there are some things I'd never buy on eBay; suits, cars and real estate are among them.

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Somehow, I don't think I could ever buy a suit on eBay. I don't know why, but there are some things I'd never buy on eBay; suits, cars and real estate are among them.

As long as you know your size, you really will be fine. Just don't make the typical mistake (which I've made sooo many times) of wearing an off-the-rack suit right off the rack.

Proper tailoring is critical. Ask around, try to find a good alterations tailor. For the work done on my suit, the tailor charged $100. Since I paid Jeff $250 shipped (a discount afforded to Ask Andy members), the total cost of the suit, with alterations to fit me perfectly, was $350. An incredible deal, since a made to measure suit of the same caliber would go for about $1000.

[BuonRotto]

True about the tailoring, but now suits come in different "fits" too. I mean, the 38R jackets/32 slacks from Brooks Brothers, being full-cut, have a TON of extra room in them to the point that it's hard to tailor it for my shape. However, the 38R/32 "modern fit" suits at Banana Republic are almost perfect. Last time, I only had the sleeves shortened a tad. Everything else laid perfectly, even between my shoulder blades, the pant cuff length and the vent.

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True about the tailoring, but now suits come in different "fits" too. I mean, the 38R jackets/32 slacks from Brooks Brothers, being full-cut, have a TON of extra room in them to the point that it's hard to tailor it for my shape. However, the 38R/32 "modern fit" suits at Banana Republic are almost perfect. Last time, I only had the sleeves shortened a tad. Everything else laid perfectly, even between my shoulder blades, the pant cuff length and the vent.

Oh, of course. You may luck out and get a suit that fits you almost perfectly off the rack. My grandfather got a 44L Baroni that fit like that. But a lot of men seem to think that as long as they can breath and the clothes don't fall off, that it fits "good enough." Not so. In most cases, tailoring is needed.

[BuonRotto]

I will admit that the single pleat navy suit on that site is rather nice. :D Now, for an occasion... ;) :p

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I will admit that the single pleat navy suit on that site is rather nice. :D Now, for an occasion... ;) :p

Just make sure not to wear black shoes with a navy suit. That's one of my pet peeves now...

[Bryson]

But Navy shoes are so difficult to find!


I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Seriously, though, we're straying into Man Bag territory here....

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Seriously, though, we're straying into Man Bag territory here....

Are you a secret moderator or something? I don't seem to have access to that thread.

[Bryson]

*waves hand*

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

Weird. I can see it. (And no, I'm not an agent of the UberBrad.)

[Fahrenheit]

I think thats a thread that got deleted a while ago...I remember reading it... :confused: Must have been in his bookmarks.

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*waves hand*

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

Weird. I can see it. (And no, I'm not an agent of the UberBrad.)

Care to "print as PDF" for me?

[Fahrenheit]

Bryson did you save page offline or something?

[Wyatt]

*waves hand*

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

Weird. I can see it. (And no, I'm not an agent of the UberBrad.)
:lol: You're using my Jedi mind trick! (I can see it too, actually.)

[Anthem]

In the Cincinnati area, the place to be is K&G Superstore. I hear they're a chain, but I haven't seen them anywhere else.

[Eugene]

I thought Burberry had image issues in Europe due to the whole chav thing. I own quite a few Burberry shirts, but I also live in the US... Our chav equivalents don't wear nice shirts.

Right now I have a black Armani suit for extremely formal events, a Zegna gray suit for less formal occasions, and a Nordstrom house brand suit for almost everything else.

Shirts: Armani, DKNY (mens line discontinued in the US), Zegna
Sport Coats: Armani, Paul Smith
Pants: Nordstrom house brand, whatever fits.
Shoes: Ferragamo, Cole Haan
Ties: Armani, Charvet
Belts: Ferragamo
Warm weather: Tommy Bahama...for shriveled old people, but they fit me nicely.

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A decent collection, Eugene. I tend toward the more traditional (and less "cool," myself): Allen Edmonds shoes, Hickey Freeman suits, etc. I am rather fond of Nordstrom's dress shirts. I think they're one of the best values around when purchased on sale. For ties, I like Faconnable (owned by Nordies), Ted Baker, and a few others.

Once they return from vacation, I'm thinking of ordering a bespoke regimental tie (with stripes going the American way) from Sam Hober (http://samhober.com). They seem to do top notch work.