Men's Suit -- reasonable -- occassional wear

[snowmedic]

I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but as someone who has done work at, (didn’t say I worked for) North America’s largest men’s suit manufacturer, and talked with the managers that work there, all the suits you see in retail and high end stores are manufactured in Montreal Canada, all with the same material. The only difference from a retail store suit to a high end suit is the name tag on the inside and placement of the buttons.

 

[kid-at-heart]

If you are willing to buy a used suit, my suggestion is Salvation Army or Goodwill. We bought my daughter's boyfriend a Ralph Lauren suit that was brand new, tags still on it for $15. I am not a thrift store shopper but it is where the "kids" wanted to go. I had no idea that we would find not one but many new and/or almost new high quality suits.

 

[dreiwhit]

If you are willing to buy a used suit, my suggestion is Salvation Army or Goodwill. We bought my daughter's boyfriend a Ralph Lauren suit that was brand new, tags still on it for $15. I am not a thrift store shopper but it is where the "kids" wanted to go. I had no idea that we would find not one but many new and/or almost new high quality suits.

I'll second this.

My still growing teenage son had a chance to meet our Governor but he needed to wear a coat and a tie. We didn't want to shell out the money for a suit since he's still growing. So we checked our local Goodwill and found a jacket that looked like it had never been worn for @$12. But when we took it to the register, they had a special sale and the jacket ended up costing 99 cents! Its too bad they didn't have any other ones that would fit him.....

 

[WDWFan0813]

I have had luck with Jo's A Bank online. I am fortunate enough to have stores closer to me if I need to try on or return though. If you know the size for a particular retailer though you can keep an eye out for clearance deals online.

 

[striker1064]

Banana Republic has great quality modern affordable suits that last.

I'm going to second this. Everyone is suggesting department store suits and that's fine, but they all tend to be about the same and made out of the same material. I really like the 99%-100% wool suits found at Banana Republic and J Crew. At BR, check the Monogrammed collection. For JC, the Ludlow is your best bet. There are often sales, but they don't always work on suits - but sooner or later there will be a sale that works on them, so if you have time, just wait it out. A tailored 100% wool suit will last years and looks great. And at the price point you're seeking, you can likely get 2 suits - one navy, one charcoal - if you prefer.

I actually have a navy Thompson wool suit from J Crew Factory. It's a step down from J Crew, and it's not likely to last, but it looks great and it ran around $200. If I ever start needing suits more than just for job interviews and very rare other occasions, I'd step up to a BR Monogram or a JC Ludlow.