Buying a suit...

[Hack&Lube]

When in doubt, dress like the most serious character in an old TV show. Don't follow the fashions/custom made suits and just stick with the classics as many of them are timeless while your compatriots age badly.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Fit is the most important facet. You can spend more, but cheap suit and tailored correctly/cheap bespoke suit <$500 will always look better than a poorly fitted suit that is $800+.

You can also address inexpensive via accessories by pulling the attention away via the belt, shoes, tie, pocket square, dress shirt etc. I've been to a few weddings where the groomsmen had matching <$300 tailored well fitted suits from H&M or wherever and it didn't look jarringly out of place at a wedding.

I've been to many a remote wedding where I didn't bring a suit but just bought one at the location at the local H&M. I find as long as the store has multiples of similar styles in different sizes and inseams, I could find a fit without needing tailoring.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Just never change your wardrobe, every 20-30 years you are back in style.

Just tried this hack. Tore my clothes from when I was 5yo apart trying to shove my leg in it. Thanks for nothing.

[Titan2]

Does anyone have any thoughts on a new wardrobe? I got a new job that will be 5 days a week in a suit. I bought one from Tip Top for the interview process. It is fine for me but I am thinking I may need to step up from a durability perspective. No chance I am spending over $750 or so on suits. I probably need at least two more. Plan to get 10 shirts as well and have them laundered. Are there personal shoppers I could go with? Just go into the stores mentioned already? Other thoughts? Probably about $2500 budget.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Titan2

Does anyone have any thoughts on a new wardrobe? I got a new job that will be 5 days a week in a suit. I bought one from Tip Top for the interview process. It is fine for me but I am thinking I may need to step up from a durability perspective. No chance I am spending over $750 or so on suits. I probably need at least two more. Plan to get 10 shirts as well and have them laundered. Are there personal shoppers I could go with? Just go into the stores mentioned already? Other thoughts? Probably about $2500 budget.

Durability wise, go with something Lululemon. It's stretchy/comfy and doesn't run too hot. Unless you think it's a little bit too casual. The ABC pants will be hemmed by the store. Wear the belt and shoes you plan to wear so that it's in the right position when they pin it. Unsure about the fits of the blazer though. You can legit do yoga in Lululemon dress pants, so they're durable AF and the risk of blowing out a seam is low. To clean, I just chuck them in the laundry and steam it after. Low risk of shrinking due to the material and the stretch means you can wear it for many more years without worrying about ripping. I'm pretty sure the ABC pants will outlive a lot of my regular wardrobe even though I wear it more regularly for work. TBH, the ABC pants look decently sharp if you accessorize that way, but if you accessorize more casually, it passes for business casual street wear.

Kit and Ace has some decent stuff that's decently durable too, but it's on an item by item basis. Some can shrink, others are similar to Lululemon in that you can launder it yourself without too many worries. Their stuff is more business casual than Lululemon, but I'd say their durability is easily a step up from lots of basic brands out there as well.

All the Lululemon and Kit and Ace stuff still looks great after 3 years. For other inexpensive brands I tried in the past, most were thrown out by year 3.

Lululemon and Kit and Ace have good people in their stores to help you find good stuff. I find they'll legitimately suggest some good suggestions to you if you ask. I don't find the recommendations are as good in other dressier clothing stores.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Titan2

Does anyone have any thoughts on a new wardrobe? I got a new job that will be 5 days a week in a suit. I bought one from Tip Top for the interview process. It is fine for me but I am thinking I may need to step up from a durability perspective. No chance I am spending over $750 or so on suits. I probably need at least two more. Plan to get 10 shirts as well and have them laundered. Are there personal shoppers I could go with? Just go into the stores mentioned already? Other thoughts? Probably about $2500 budget.

I buy all my shirts at Banana Republic. Could be just luck, but they have a shirt size that fits me perfectly. Fits better than any premium or even custom made shirt I've bought.

Banana Republic has crazy sales, and I get the shirts that are usually $100-120/each for about $30 each. I'll stock up on 7 or 8 during the sales. I buy the iron free ones and save a ton of cash on drycleaning too. Pressed shirts are great if you're attending a formal event of some kind. If you're working and sitting in them all day, they get wrinkled and pretty crappy looking quickly.

As far as suits go, it really depends on what you're position is. Anyone who knows anything about suits will spot the difference between an off the shelf department style suit (these are the Lulu and H&M suits people are referring to), a panel made suit (should cost $400-1,200.00, do not spend $1,200 on these), and a higher end wool suit immediately.

If you're in a sales, middle management, or customer service position of some kind, you may be better off with a slightly trendier panel made suit. If you are in a executive or professional position, there's no way around it, you need to buy a more expensive wool suit with either a half or full canvas lining. You'll probably need at least 3 of these. My best advice would be to find these on sale, you can find even high end suits for 40% off.

There is a such a thing as overdressing for your position too. You should be able to pick up on the culture of your workplace fairly quickly.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by blankall

I buy all my shirts at Banana Republic. Could be just luck, but they have a shirt size that fits me perfectly. Fits better than any premium or even custom made shirt I've bought.

Banana Republic has crazy sales, and I get the shirts that are usually $100-120/each for about $30 each. I'll stock up on 7 or 8 during the sales. I buy the iron free ones and save a ton of cash on drycleaning too. Pressed shirts are great if you're attending a formal event of some kind. If you're working and sitting in them all day, they get wrinkled and pretty crappy looking quickly.

As far as suits go, it really depends on what you're position is. Anyone who knows anything about suits will spot the difference between an off the shelf department style suit (these are the Lulu and H&M suits people are referring to), a panel made suit (should cost $400-1,200.00, do not spend $1,200 on these), and a higher end wool suit immediately.

If you're in a sales, middle management, or customer service position of some kind, you may be better off with a slightly trendier panel made suit. If you are in a executive or professional position, there's no way around it, you need to buy a more expensive wool suit with either a half or full canvas lining. You'll probably need at least 3 of these. My best advice would be to find these on sale, you can find even high end suits for 40% off.

There is a such a thing as overdressing for your position too. You should be able to pick up on the culture of your workplace fairly quickly.

Agreed. It depends on the scenario. The H&M one is more disposable for rarely use, the Lululemon, Kit and Ace and Uniqlo ones are more semi casual blazers with decent durability and higher end suits do have slightly different shapes and lines.

I'm not sure what types of roles need a wool or panel suit 5 days a week. So it's a good idea to get an idea what the dress code is before going all out on a wardrobe update. Many companies are much more casual so off the rack suits and mix and matching blazers to pants may look more congruent to what the other colleagues are wearing.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Titan2

Does anyone have any thoughts on a new wardrobe? I got a new job that will be 5 days a week in a suit. I bought one from Tip Top for the interview process. It is fine for me but I am thinking I may need to step up from a durability perspective. No chance I am spending over $750 or so on suits. I probably need at least two more. Plan to get 10 shirts as well and have them laundered. Are there personal shoppers I could go with? Just go into the stores mentioned already? Other thoughts? Probably about $2500 budget.

I used to wear suits to the office 5 days a week that were like $50 H&M/Zara/Winners specials. There is no need to spend money on suit for durability when you are driving to a parkade, walking indoors in the +15, and sitting in an office chair all day. None of them have ever worn out and are still hanging in my closet. Same thing for the shirts, I even have some Walmart shirts in the mix.

I'm wearing a Walmart dress shirt right now at the office that I threw in the washing machine at 7AM and went to work at 8AM without ironing. Wash & wear is where it's at for convenience.

If you do like a higher-end suit, I have heard good feedback about the Hugo Boss outlet at Cross Iron Mills.

I would say that for a new wardrobe, just think about the styles, coordinate your colors, etc. That's probably more important. Make sure the pattern of your jacket doesn't clash with that of your shirt. You can try to match your belt with your shoes, but even that rule isn't that important anymore.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

This makes me happy my company has no dress code. Having an entirely different and separate wardrobe just for work is annoying.


I dress slightly nicer at work than I have to but they’re all clothes I’d wear on a typical weekend outing anyways. But when it’s 35C outside I can throw on shorts and a tshirt and still fit in perfectly at the office.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by blankall

If you're in a sales, middle management, or customer service position of some kind, you may be better off with a slightly trendier panel made suit. If you are in a executive or professional position, there's no way around it, you need to buy a more expensive wool suit with either a half or full canvas lining. You'll probably need at least 3 of these. My best advice would be to find these on sale, you can find even high end suits for 40% off.

There is a such a thing as overdressing for your position too. You should be able to pick up on the culture of your workplace fairly quickly.

I think a lot of these rules are for if you are actively in sales or visiting clients and need to make a good impression. The other scenario in which it matters is if you are in a firm where you see everyone else dressing up and you want to fit in. In my experience, the only people I regularly see with the whole bespoke look have been realtors but that's another discussion about overcompensation.

There are definitely ways around these rules, in the end I find what's important is ease of decision making on what to wear in the morning (that's why Steve Jobs had a uniform), convenience of putting it on and washing it, and combining things that fit your appearance.

I work in that upper management level and I find that the higher up you get, the more leeway people find in dressing down these days. I'll often wear super cheap shirt and shoes (talking Walmart George brand stuff) with a nicer european jacket and nobody knows the difference.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I think a lot of these rules are for if you are actively in sales or visiting clients and need to make a good impression. The other scenario in which it matters is if you are in a firm where you see everyone else dressing up and you want to fit in.

There are definitely ways around these rules, in the end I find what's important is ease of decision making on what to wear in the morning (that's why Steve Jobs had a uniform), convenience of putting it on and washing it, and combining things that fit your appearance.

I work in that upper management level and I find that the higher up you get, the more leeway people find in dressing down these days. I'll often wear super cheap shirt and shoes (talking Walmart George brand stuff) with a nicer european jacket and nobody knows the difference.

That's a fair point. The rules around dressing up have certainly changed, especially post pandemic. In the legal world I find myself running into lawyer friends on the street all the time dressed totally casually. I have a t-shirt on today (a nice one). If I need to meet with a client, I may throw a sport jacket on top.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by blankall

That's a fair point. The rules around dressing up have certainly changed, especially post pandemic. In the legal world I find myself running into lawyer friends on the street all the time dressed totally casually. I have a t-shirt on today (a nice one). If I need to meet with a client, I may throw a sport jacket on top.

Our in-house counsel regularly attends board meetings in whatever he was wearing when biking to the office which is often shorts.

[tvp2003]

Lululemon sells suits now? Geez, I had no idea...

Originally Posted by Titan2

Does anyone have any thoughts on a new wardrobe? I got a new job that will be 5 days a week in a suit. I bought one from Tip Top for the interview process. It is fine for me but I am thinking I may need to step up from a durability perspective. No chance I am spending over $750 or so on suits. I probably need at least two more. Plan to get 10 shirts as well and have them laundered. Are there personal shoppers I could go with? Just go into the stores mentioned already? Other thoughts? Probably about $2500 budget.

I'm assuming you're a younger person -- is this a new career?

I would recommend suit separates for more bang for your buck. Not only is it a better fit without necessarily having to get everything tailored, but you can buy two (or more) pairs of pants in the correct size to go with a single matching jacket (as normally it's the pants that get worn out first, at least in my experience).

I got mine in the US -- they had washable wool pants so that saved the cost of drycleaning those as well.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Lululemon sells suits now? Geez, I had no idea...



I'm assuming you're a younger person -- is this a new career?

I would recommend suit separates for more bang for your buck. Not only is it a better fit without necessarily having to get everything tailored, but you can buy two (or more) pairs of pants in the correct size to go with a single matching jacket (as normally it's the pants that get worn out first, at least in my experience).

I got mine in the US -- they had washable wool pants so that saved the cost of drycleaning those as well.

Haha the pants trick is something I've done as well. The jackets last forever but the pants might get a tear or sometimes I buy them in two sizes depending on comfort if I'm going to be sitting for a long time or going to a wedding where I know I will be eating too much.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Our in-house counsel regularly attends board meetings in whatever he was wearing when biking to the office which is often shorts.

Some of my lawyer friends even work at large law firms, where anything but a grey or black suit would have been a huge no five years ago. Now I see them dressed like homeless people. I wonder if the pendulum will swing the other way or this is a permanent change.

[Titan2]

Thanks for all the input. I have gone from working (mostly) at home for about 15 years to a VP role at an investment bank. Lots of adjustments to be made, and the suits I had have long since stopped fitting. In this role, not wearing a tie will be dressing down, I think. I am sure dress pants and a blazer will work as well. I have found in my experience that unless they are dressed like Harvey, no one actually cares, and he is a rare breed. Maybe a better quality blue and charcoal and then a couple of nicer blazers?

[edslunch]

Whatever you get and wherever you get it don’t scrimp on tailoring. I have a roll at the back of my neck with every jacket and getting it fixed properly makes a world of difference. Also, don’t settle for close enough with sleeve and pant length - you’ll regret it forever.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Titan2

Thanks for all the input. I have gone from working (mostly) at home for about 15 years to a VP role at an investment bank. Lots of adjustments to be made, and the suits I had have long since stopped fitting. In this role, not wearing a tie will be dressing down, I think. I am sure dress pants and a blazer will work as well. I have found in my experience that unless they are dressed like Harvey, no one actually cares, and he is a rare breed. Maybe a better quality blue and charcoal and then a couple of nicer blazers?

Ah, fair enough. I’ll assume you’ll have at least some idea on what will be acceptable attire in your industry then (and perhaps a bit more scratch than someone who just graduated from school). I also imagine any place with a “personal shopper” will burn through that $2,500 pretty quickly; I’d just stick with the classic colors/styles and what you like and are comfortable with. As a VP you probably just want to make sure you look the part, it’s not about trying to “impress” others.

[TorqueDog]

For suits, I'm a big fan of Umberto's on 6 Ave, main floor of the Intact Insurance building.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Haha the pants trick is something I've done as well. The jackets last forever but the pants might get a tear or sometimes I buy them in two sizes depending on comfort if I'm going to be sitting for a long time or going to a wedding where I know I will be eating too much.

I was replacing dress pants every 2-3 years for a long time. I got a pair of the original Lulu ABC pants and they still look great for work. I've often contemplated a blazer that matches them so that I can sit in comfort at a wedding, but my tailored Hugo Boss and Zegna cloth suits that I bought at steep discounts are still satisfactory for now.

I've also contemplated if these would be useful for a semi casual or something like a wedding where after everyone is tanked, no one cares:
https://www.amazon.ca/Buckle-Stretch...664&th=1&psc=1

Originally Posted by Titan2

Thanks for all the input. I have gone from working (mostly) at home for about 15 years to a VP role at an investment bank. Lots of adjustments to be made, and the suits I had have long since stopped fitting. In this role, not wearing a tie will be dressing down, I think. I am sure dress pants and a blazer will work as well. I have found in my experience that unless they are dressed like Harvey, no one actually cares, and he is a rare breed. Maybe a better quality blue and charcoal and then a couple of nicer blazers?

I think if you're in that situation, you'll have to spend a bit. However, in those scenarios, most of the time, the other side will look at your belt, shoes, socks and watches and then how well kept you look. Again that means clean and well fitted suits than anything. But with the dress down and dress up options, I think you'll want a higher end blazer and maybe a casual blazer, sport coat, waist coat or two or three that you'll use more like a jacket/sweater in rotation in lieu of a pea coat or whatever.

I think you might be able to cut corners a little bit on the shirts, pants, tie and socks, but I'd make sure to be in top shape for almost everything else. But if I were in your position, a facet I'd consider is purchasing nicer stuff that's enjoyable to wear. Club Monaco has some stuff that's really thin and nice. I really like the stretchy form fitting stuff for Lululemon and Kit and Ace. I also wouldn't skimp on the dry cleaning. I have stuff that I can toss in the wash, but there's something extra nice in the feeling of a recently dry cleaned ensemble that has sharp lines.

I personally have a dust bag at my office that has a dress up sport coat, dress pants, cardigan, hockey jersey and a pair of dress shoes for instances when I need a little extra, or need an emergency change of clothes because of some mishap. It doesn't take up much in terms of space, I rarely use it, but it's also a nice peace of mind to have on hand.

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

This makes me happy my company has no dress code. Having an entirely different and separate wardrobe just for work is annoying.


I dress slightly nicer at work than I have to but they’re all clothes I’d wear on a typical weekend outing anyways. But when it’s 35C outside I can throw on shorts and a tshirt and still fit in perfectly at the office.

TBH, I like it and I prefer it. It allows me to have an extra facet of separating work and personal life. My regular office attire is chinos/dress pants and collared shirt/dress shirt paired with a nice belt from Brooks Brothers. I wear sneakers/running shoes with my attire which I'll swap with a pair of dress shoes I keep at the office when I meet clients. I'll occasionally swap the Apple Watch for another watch for that extra as well. It's like a mental prep thing for me.

I've been contemplating ditching the spare sport jacket at work and going with cardigans. I used to keep the jacket for AGMs and board meetings and whatnot, but everyone dressing down has accelerated with the pandemic. I've contemplated tinkering with my working dress code that has been relatively static for over 15 years now, but that's a different topic.