What I like about your group is that you are serious about your field, but don't take yourselves too seriously. I think they used to call that "class."
I think this is something they seriously worked on over the years. They even admit a lot of their older videos come off as snobbish or in your face (see: their reacting to video(s) where they look at their old videos) and newer videos they try to avoid this. They know not everyone is a super suit nut and just want to look a little nicer or cannot afford the best and they acknowledge that. Some however are and they just want to learn. It's fine either way. They have really grown a lot as a channel.
Very good, as usual. You'll notice their bias for made-to-measure and against expensive off-the-rack suits, and they're absolutely correct. With all the fantastic made-to-measure options available today (I like J. Hilburn), once you go north of about $600 you're a fool if you don't buy made-to-measure. Once you go north of about $2000, you're a fool if you don't go bespoke.
Those expensive things, assuming they are designer clothing, have a flair that your made to measure or local Taylor doesnt'. Design talent is rare and you have a taste of top design for a reasonable price. Assuming of course that the clothes fit which is a nightmare, but worth the effort. Where are all those double breasted jackets? Well in your local fashion brand form H&M to Armani they never went away only changed home.
I don’t necessarily think you’d be a fool, plenty of suit brands around the $2,000 range make very good clothing, a Kiton or Cifonelli piece RTW piece with alterations will rival any $2,000 MTM or Bespoke imo
I've never gone bespoke personally and I'm very curious how much a suit from the top French, Italian or English tailors costs. I've heard Savile Row tailors can charge north of $5000, and in Italy apparently it's more affordable. But can you really get a bespoke suit from an Italian tailor of tradition for $2000? If anyone knows, please share.
Is interesting as this video was, I still think the comparison is too extreme. Rather than a 10 to 1 comparison, I'd rather see a 4 to 1. Compare a $500 suit to a $2000 suit. I think that there's a huge section of the market that would spend five C-notes for a suit, where two large is just too much. This would be harder I think, as the $500 suit could easily get you nice fabric and decent tailoring. So the tradeoffs are not so extreme.
Another comparison should be $1000 vs $2000. In the US you can get Samuelsohn (made in Canada) and Hickey Freeman (made in US), off the rack, for around $1000 and less. These are great quality, full canvas construction, using Italian cloth.
@@erne75 Yup Samuelsohn is my go-to - by now, I have two suits and two sportcoats from them. They make a great suit that looks, feels, and holds up well. Having found a Samuelsohn size that fits really well on me, I sorta suspect that there's not much room to improve from there without the cost and trouble of a bespoke commission.
Yeah good point. For the two or three times a year I get to wear my suit, I wanted it to be decent quality and last, but not spend a grand on it. Went made to measure for about 600 and it does the job.
Great call out on hitting the vintage market for quality clothes at excellent prices. Ebay and goodwill stores can net you treasures and you only pay pennies on the dollar. I recently scored a vintage tweed herringbone jacket from the 80s, made in the US, pleats on the back, patch pockets and leather buttons for around $50. It helps me that my body is an exact match for properly sized off the rack garments but you can always find an alterations tailor if needed. Budget for that if not an exact fit.
nice! i just got a 100% wool tweed jacket, from Canda in great condition for £9! one button was missing so i replaced them all with dark chocolate wooden buttons and it's fabulous!
Appreciate the rundown! While you're guaranteed to suffer a lot of compromises at $200, I don't think that price is a reliable way to differentiate suits. It's easy to find a $2000 fused suit made in an anonymous factory of anonymous material from a big designer brand at a department store. Conversely, the quality one gets from makers like Samuelsohn, Hickey Freeman, and Spier and MacKay is quite good. The first of these is my standby and offers a wonderful full-canvassed product, union made in Canada of brand-name fabrics, in the vicinity of $1000. The last is notable in terms of value - through Chinese production, it delivers a full-canvassed suit also with premium fabrics around $700. A final note, as I've been keenly into fragrances since this summer. I haven't actually tried Green Irish Tweed, but Creed is *definitely* not a value choice in fragrances. Even a usually expensive niche fragrance in the green category, like a Xerjoff (say Nio or Torino21), will save you a lot of money compared to a bottle of Green Irish Tweed 😂
I’ve received more compliments on cheaper suits and jackets than more expensive ones. If an expensive suit makes you happy - go for it. It doesn’t make you look better though, the key is finding something that fits you well. My fav now is “a Fish named Fred”. Affordable and a little funky.
I recently found out there's a master tailor near that does French Reweaving that loves vintage clothes and style. she loved her work and does everything by hand, this turned what was supposed to be a short session of trying the suit to get it shortened, gauging the amount of work on fixing a moth hole, into a 1 and a half hour long discussion on today's clothes vs vintage clothes, the "bad tailors" in the area and thrifting. Best part is that she charged less for basic things than some of the "bad tailors" she mentioned. All done by hand too.
*NEITHER - BUY SECOND HAND* and have it altered to fit you, then save up to have them made by a local tailor... $2,000 will probably get you basic bespoke at a local tailor
I think that depends where you live. Here in Toronto I don't see you getting that for less than 5-6k. And that's running with the assumption that every local tailor is a master, capable of making everything you wish no problem.
@@user-iu1ru1qz7u Toronto is an incredibly expensive city thought isnt it. Ironically you have more chance of getting one for $2k in New York as there are lots of tailors.
This is why I love going to thrift stores! Either way, provided you're not in a hurry for an outfit, you get a good deal. Going to a thrift store and poking around ensures that I can find something quality for very little money, or even if I find something of less quality, it's still a cheap price to enjoy every now and again, and in my opinion, you're actually paying a proper price for that lower quality. Although I still try to at least avoid anything synthetic. No matter what you buy while thrifting, you will always save money that you could use for any necessary tailoring.
I agree. Have had great luck with cashmere coats & sport jackets for my twenty something son. In fact we were shopping the other day & found a Burberry overcoat. Too pricy though $236!
when I visited my grandparents, they told me the clothing shop my great grandfather shopped at was still open, and my grandpa still frequented there. I went in and the store was beautiful, they had 100% wool suits for 60-100$. They also sold nice stetson fur hats.
200$ for an H&M suit? I mean, here, in Italy, we don't have such a thing...i never saw a 200€ suit from H&M...by the way, we have Gutteridge, in this shop, with more or less 300€, you can buy a suit made of Vitale Barberis Canonico, 100% wool 120s.
Because I don't wear a suit often, and after giving up on 'off the peg' suits which none have ever fit properly, I opted for budget tailoring, like Hockerty for example. You do the measurements at home, pick the material all online, in the UK it's about £250 (just over $300) and the suit fits perfectly, i did have some issues with the shoulder length for which I decided to seek out a local tailor some time later to remove about a half an inch from the shoulder for the perfect fit. i'm more smart casual dresser and prefer to mix and match chinos (or dress jeans - Sorry, I am that guy) with a fully tailored Navy sports jacket from Gieves & Hawkes. Its alot of money comparatively but it's a garment that will get alot of wear time compared to the suit.
At this stage in life, I don’t see myself spending more than $500 for a suit. I buy cheap suits - usually Stafford or something similar. I have brought them to a taylor for alterations for a better fit. My wife likes how they look on me, and that’s good enough for me right now. Maybe one day I’ll go for some better quality.
i recently picked up a suit from a charity shop for £10! it fits pretty well and doesn't seem to be very worn. As the fit was decent it was well worth £10 to me. But it isn't worth having a closet full of cheap suits as they won't last forever and ultimately spending £100 once will likely get me a far higher quality item which will last longer- so it's a better value over time.
What I also note is most of Raphael's suit trousers sport luxurious deep double pleats. Fabulous! It's impossible to find off-the-rack trousers with any pleats. I'm gearing up invest in my first custom suit. I can't wait to be draped in those pleated trousers.❤
For nice OTR pleats - check out Spier and MacKay (single reverse pleats) or - if a high price point is ok - artisanal brands like Rota and Kaptain Sunshine as sold in the US by No Man Walks Alone. My classic tailoring is still overwhelmingly slim-cut and flat-fronted due to the forces you allude to. But I got a pair of Kaptain Sunshine wide pleated linen trousers, detailed in the style of gurkha trousers, last summer. The material, fit, and quality have been a revelatory addition to my casualwear. I'm looking forward to adding more pleats to my dressy trouser lineup over time. Good luck in your sartorial adventures 😊
TBH, it all depends on your body. If you have a perfect ‘suit body’ almost everything can look amazing! But off the peg suits can be very harsh on some less than perfect bodies! If someone is reasonably well proportioned and they shop around you can get a decent fit from an off the peg suit, that will improve dramatically with a little bit of after sales tailoring and a change of buttons. Bottom line… keep fit and trim, and if you spend less on fine dining you can invest the money you save on great tailoring!
Excellent video and though we are completely different body types I too have problem matching pants of the suit to the size from ready to wear. Interesting related question maybe for your upcoming video: last year I got a linen suit from famous ready to wear maker whose style I like. While jacket fitted perfectly and is now likely the best fit and quality of all I have, pants size due to the cut wouldn't do and to make things worse, this was 1 season model and nowhere could I find one size up of the pants. I found surprising solution on cheap side that I never heard about before and it worked for me: StudioSuits. They were able to produce pants (comparably cheaply) from exact material and sizing and style/cut details they allowed for were such that I was able to re-create size-up style of the famous manufacturer of the suit. It worked for me in that particular case. However, what does expert like you think of StudioSuits, have you or your associates ever tried them? This could be a very interesting option for us who are on budget... Could we get review of them?
Yes! The need for a suit started showing up for me in my mid teens. Though I never needed more than one until I was self-employed in my mid-thirties and started doing things like conference trips for business. Get a charcoal grey or navy suit of the best quality and fit you can afford. Then you'll be prepared when weddings, funerals, and job interviews pop up at you.
Brooks Brothers ownership has changed hands so many times, I'm afraid to buy anything from them. Last time I checked my poor Brooks was deep in an identity crisis.
Raphael, I love your videos and website. But you made a small error. The company Jos. A. Bank was started by Joseph Alfred Bank and his brother. Thus the Jos. stands for Joseph and I believe the company name should be pronounced as "Joseph A. Bank." They have been part of classic American menswear since being founded in 1905. Otherwise, please keep up the good work.
@@gentlemansgazette please do a video on what you think of the Nehru suit. It's the suit I think will be worn by businessmen in the future (2030s, 2040s, etc)
My problem with this no matter if 200 or 2000 most of the fabric are way too thin for my kind of taste. I honestly prefer the fabrics suits was mate till the 1920/1930 or Tweet
@@krausewitz6786I second this. If you use a lightweight cloth you need a heavier canvas so the jacket drapes well, so if you have a lightweight cloth that's fused, it tends to "look off." A lot of early fused garments are made in a heavier cloth, as that tends to drape better in the absence of a canvas.
Buying suits is one area where a bit of knowledge on what is good or bad will get you a long way. Unfortunately, price or brand cannot tell you anything about the quality of the suit. That is why it's possible to find brands with twice the quality but that sell for the same or even lower price than competitors. Consider Suit Supply (BAD) vs. Cavour (GOOD). In general, if you see strong marketing for a suit brand, it is probably best to stay away.
Sven, I live in Canada and a $200 suit is slim pickings. The cheapest suit I found was from Moores ( Men's Warehouse Canadian operation.) Needed it for a funeral and with taxes and alterations paid about $360 CAD.
In Edinburgh Stewart Christie will make you a full bespoke suite for $2000 . I got one when in my early 20s in 99/2000. Buying of the peg for £2000 is just throwing money away.
I love what I’ll call the soft shoulders of your suits and always denote them as a symbol of quality. Still, with little exception, I only need a suit for weddings and funerals, and the investment for “one” suit doesn’t appear justified. Do you have a look to help minimize the cost?
Need the insight of the Gazette tribe! Anyone familiar with, or ever own a suit by the now defunct line of tuxedos and suits made by "Mani," back in the 90's? Not sure what these sold for back in the 90's. It was purchased at Neiman Marcus in Las Vegas. Found one on eBay for $200, double breasted blk tuxedo, and all the measurements magically match mine. It appears to be in stellar condition and matches all of the tux details that GG lays out in the black tie guides. Needing a tux for social events now that I am getting ready to start law school in 3 days. Wanted to avoid renting, and def wanted to build my own tux with a retro/vintage/classical feel. Thoughts? Wisdom? Lessons learned??
There is absolutely NO NEED to spend 2.000 dollars to have a very good suit. With between 400 to 600 dollars you can already have a hight quality dress.
Well I’ve been through the whole H&M experience. If you need longer arms they won’t have that and there is no fabric to let out. There will almost always be polyester in the mix. The overall cut is really poor and boxy as they’re trying to make it fit as many people as possible. Here in the UK there are options between the £200 and £2000, luckily.
HERE in my coutry you can get a bespoke suit for like 1000-1500$ (material included) from a a very good tailor like in my town theres a tailor shop that is run by a family for like 70-90 years and it is in that kind of range and its in Poland
While the 2000 dollar suit is certainly better, if we are talking value here, I can't imagine how a single great suit is supposed to provide more value than 10 pretty decent suits. You say a 200 dollar suit will age poorly, but 10 of them will probably outlive a person.
Do you have indochino where you live? Do a review of their suits. I bought my there for a fraction of the price, and it was tailored, with all the materials I wanted, and the quality was very good. The fit was perfect. Definitely better than spending 2k.
Obviously the big problem with used, apart from condition, is that usually the jacket might fit but the pants won't. I think Paul Fredrick is still under $1000 for 3 piece, but they don't have always very conservative business fabrics and I don't know where they rank on your quality chart but overall I find them acceptable compared to some of the other stores you mentioned where the fit is usually too skinny, etc.
I agree with said. My 2 suits are 150$, and probably less than that with the other one. But, hey, for my price range, I'm more than happy. They fit me quite nice in terms of shoulders and everything. The problem comes with the lower half of my body. See, the trousers that usually come in combination with the jackets that fit me, don't fit. So I have to take longer trousers, but smaller jacket, which isn't always available. Also since I'm not really flat in my behind, most of the trousers are a bit tight for my liking, because they're made for flat bodied people, no offense. For my wedding one day I might get a bespoke suit, but it all depends on the budget. The problem I have with ready to wear suits is that, at least where I live, the only colours are: black, shades of gray, shades of blue, maybe some plaid combo of the previous.
I still have my old Calvin Klein prom suit for sentimental reasons. After a minimal amount of wear: - The side seam on the pants has loosened, and is coming apart. - The coat started to delaminate after one dry clean. The coat is very stuffy and doesn't have a lot of ease of movement. You can get a lot of good vintage stuff for under $200 compared to a $200 Moores suit. Samuelsohn is a good option for RTW fully-canvassed suits. They have consistent sales on their website and offer an MTM program too. In a similar vein to Spier and MacKay, there's another RTW brand called Paul Betenly with a similar production model, except they're vertically integrated. Their stuff is half-canvas and they handsew their sleeves and armholes. Not a bad entry point into higher-quality stuff, although their core suit line is a bit lacking in colour and variation in my opinion. They do have seasonal fabrics on their sport coats, and I think they can do MTO suits with some limited run fabrics. I much prefer vintage, Samuelsohn and a local tailoring house to them, but that's just me.
I actually think the real price-point question is whether you should spend $2k if you have the patience to shop for a for a Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom or Saks sale item that you love for between $550 and $750 plus tailor fees.
love your content but since I don't see anyone else doing it ill be the resident Scottish person to tell you that it isn't "Edinboro" like you said at 9:00, it is pronounced "Edin-burra" or "Edin-bru"...
I spoke to a hand made tailor about suits and he said it was all about the materials used. Suit for 10k from a tailor is so expensive only because of the material. If you see Giorgio discounted to 1k it is probably trash worth 50usd in terms of the materials used so be mindful what you buy as even ultra discounts from great brands are most of the time way overpriced
Have a great idea for a video. I just found out I’m not allowed to wear a tie for work. (I absolutely understand the logic) so I just wondered if there was a way to still be smart without a tie
I'm heavily considering some less extreme polyester blends. I'm always too cold and even under a thick wool overcoat I tend to freeze when it's 10°C (very generous temperature for autumn and winter here). The current skinny fit trend tends to work in my favor. With my rather uninpressive dimensions, I've had a number of cheap jackets end up wearing more like the classic fit you are promoting. Unfortunately the gap at the chest seems to be a problem when doing some movements.
I am hard to fit and used to travel extensively. Had many suits custom made over the years. I always got 2 pant suits. You wear the pants much more than the coat. If one pair gets totalled out you still have a suit. Dry clean all three pieces at the same time. Top tip...order extra buttons for the the coat and pants.
In my opinion, id rather wear something that say something bad happened to it like a stain or cut, and not bawl my eyes out because I spent even more than half a grand on it.
I can't tell for sure Raphael, but I think you missed buttoning the collar on the right side of your shirt? Excellent video as always! Have a fantastic weekend to you and all the staff at Gentleman's Gazette! Thank you! Lisa
I'm sorry Raphael, but given the state of your hair, just go bald. I know it sucks, but I can see that bald will suit you way better than that little bit of hair that you're holding on to. Just let it go, and embrace your bald sexiness.
@@user-rw8rc3yp9d. That works too. For me though, (I pray that it doesn't happen to me) if I see a single bald spot, I'm literally just saying "F*ck it." and buzzing it all off.
a $200 suit on a models body is gonna look better than a $5,000 suit on Brian Stelter... time spent in the gym is gonna make a lot bigger difference than money spent on suits... better tailoring is just gonna get the suit closer to your body shape, so if your body isnt the shape you want the suit to be, youre flushing money down the toilet...
Excellent discussion. I am interested in women's couture, and you include many details that are also used in couture construction, especially for jackets and coats.
What I like about your group is that you are serious about your field, but don't take yourselves too seriously. I think they used to call that "class."
YES I like that - they do all their own silly sketches and dont use stock video
I think this is something they seriously worked on over the years. They even admit a lot of their older videos come off as snobbish or in your face (see: their reacting to video(s) where they look at their old videos) and newer videos they try to avoid this. They know not everyone is a super suit nut and just want to look a little nicer or cannot afford the best and they acknowledge that. Some however are and they just want to learn. It's fine either way. They have really grown a lot as a channel.
Ditto!
@@tygonmasterthere was definitely a bit too much of the elderly school principal look in their older vids - it’s getting better.
@@mkyhou1160 It is not the look. Their look has not changed much. It is the attitude and presentation.
Very good, as usual. You'll notice their bias for made-to-measure and against expensive off-the-rack suits, and they're absolutely correct. With all the fantastic made-to-measure options available today (I like J. Hilburn), once you go north of about $600 you're a fool if you don't buy made-to-measure. Once you go north of about $2000, you're a fool if you don't go bespoke.
Those expensive things, assuming they are designer clothing, have a flair that your made to measure or local Taylor doesnt'. Design talent is rare and you have a taste of top design for a reasonable price. Assuming of course that the clothes fit which is a nightmare, but worth the effort. Where are all those double breasted jackets? Well in your local fashion brand form H&M to Armani they never went away only changed home.
I don’t necessarily think you’d be a fool, plenty of suit brands around the $2,000 range make very good clothing, a Kiton or Cifonelli piece RTW piece with alterations will rival any $2,000 MTM or Bespoke imo
I've never gone bespoke personally and I'm very curious how much a suit from the top French, Italian or English tailors costs. I've heard Savile Row tailors can charge north of $5000, and in Italy apparently it's more affordable. But can you really get a bespoke suit from an Italian tailor of tradition for $2000? If anyone knows, please share.
MTM is not a sign of quality. You better Invest in quality with a Budget at 600 or more
Is interesting as this video was, I still think the comparison is too extreme. Rather than a 10 to 1 comparison, I'd rather see a 4 to 1. Compare a $500 suit to a $2000 suit. I think that there's a huge section of the market that would spend five C-notes for a suit, where two large is just too much. This would be harder I think, as the $500 suit could easily get you nice fabric and decent tailoring. So the tradeoffs are not so extreme.
Another comparison should be $1000 vs $2000. In the US you can get Samuelsohn (made in Canada) and Hickey Freeman (made in US), off the rack, for around $1000 and less. These are great quality, full canvas construction, using Italian cloth.
@@erne75 Yup Samuelsohn is my go-to - by now, I have two suits and two sportcoats from them. They make a great suit that looks, feels, and holds up well. Having found a Samuelsohn size that fits really well on me, I sorta suspect that there's not much room to improve from there without the cost and trouble of a bespoke commission.
Yeah good point. For the two or three times a year I get to wear my suit, I wanted it to be decent quality and last, but not spend a grand on it. Went made to measure for about 600 and it does the job.
Great call out on hitting the vintage market for quality clothes at excellent prices. Ebay and goodwill stores can net you treasures and you only pay pennies on the dollar. I recently scored a vintage tweed herringbone jacket from the 80s, made in the US, pleats on the back, patch pockets and leather buttons for around $50. It helps me that my body is an exact match for properly sized off the rack garments but you can always find an alterations tailor if needed. Budget for that if not an exact fit.
nice! i just got a 100% wool tweed jacket, from Canda in great condition for £9! one button was missing so i replaced them all with dark chocolate wooden buttons and it's fabulous!
Raphael's channel can be considered the bestest of all🍀
Thank you for all these years. Respect🌹🌹🌹
Appreciate the rundown!
While you're guaranteed to suffer a lot of compromises at $200, I don't think that price is a reliable way to differentiate suits. It's easy to find a $2000 fused suit made in an anonymous factory of anonymous material from a big designer brand at a department store. Conversely, the quality one gets from makers like Samuelsohn, Hickey Freeman, and Spier and MacKay is quite good. The first of these is my standby and offers a wonderful full-canvassed product, union made in Canada of brand-name fabrics, in the vicinity of $1000. The last is notable in terms of value - through Chinese production, it delivers a full-canvassed suit also with premium fabrics around $700.
A final note, as I've been keenly into fragrances since this summer. I haven't actually tried Green Irish Tweed, but Creed is *definitely* not a value choice in fragrances. Even a usually expensive niche fragrance in the green category, like a Xerjoff (say Nio or Torino21), will save you a lot of money compared to a bottle of Green Irish Tweed 😂
I’ve received more compliments on cheaper suits and jackets than more expensive ones. If an expensive suit makes you happy - go for it. It doesn’t make you look better though, the key is finding something that fits you well. My fav now is “a Fish named Fred”. Affordable and a little funky.
I like some of their designs but the quality just seems too low to be worth it.
@@lance-biggumsdoes quality even matter that much if it passes some minimum level necessary?
Are the people giving compliments well informed on the subject of suits?
@@byronstier7438does that matter at all if people still think he looks great?
@@groberti it does matter
I recently found out there's a master tailor near that does French Reweaving that loves vintage clothes and style. she loved her work and does everything by hand, this turned what was supposed to be a short session of trying the suit to get it shortened, gauging the amount of work on fixing a moth hole, into a 1 and a half hour long discussion on today's clothes vs vintage clothes, the "bad tailors" in the area and thrifting.
Best part is that she charged less for basic things than some of the "bad tailors" she mentioned. All done by hand too.
I think you found an unicorn 😅
@@oz_jonesyeah she's going to be my new go to. I can't wait to get my suit back to see the fix and try on.
Spier And Mackay seems to be the perfect middle ground between the two.
Who else is waiting for new leather glove videos now that it's that time of year again? 😅
I just said it’s time to shop for leather gloves! 😊
*NEITHER - BUY SECOND HAND* and have it altered to fit you, then save up to have them made by a local tailor...
$2,000 will probably get you basic bespoke at a local tailor
I think that depends where you live. Here in Toronto I don't see you getting that for less than 5-6k. And that's running with the assumption that every local tailor is a master, capable of making everything you wish no problem.
@@user-iu1ru1qz7u Toronto is an incredibly expensive city thought isnt it. Ironically you have more chance of getting one for $2k in New York as there are lots of tailors.
This is why I love going to thrift stores! Either way, provided you're not in a hurry for an outfit, you get a good deal.
Going to a thrift store and poking around ensures that I can find something quality for very little money, or even if I find something of less quality, it's still a cheap price to enjoy every now and again, and in my opinion, you're actually paying a proper price for that lower quality. Although I still try to at least avoid anything synthetic. No matter what you buy while thrifting, you will always save money that you could use for any necessary tailoring.
I agree. Have had great luck with cashmere coats & sport jackets for my twenty something son. In fact we were shopping the other day & found a Burberry overcoat. Too pricy though $236!
Not gym harder - you have to eat less. Sad but true. 😊
when I visited my grandparents, they told me the clothing shop my great grandfather shopped at was still open, and my grandpa still frequented there. I went in and the store was beautiful, they had 100% wool suits for 60-100$. They also sold nice stetson fur hats.
sure sure
..... and how long ago was that!
I'm 82 and I never heard of such a place.
😂😅😂😂
Are you telling stories? Pics or it didnt happen...
200$ for an H&M suit? I mean, here, in Italy, we don't have such a thing...i never saw a 200€ suit from H&M...by the way, we have Gutteridge, in this shop, with more or less 300€, you can buy a suit made of Vitale Barberis Canonico, 100% wool 120s.
Because I don't wear a suit often, and after giving up on 'off the peg' suits which none have ever fit properly, I opted for budget tailoring, like Hockerty for example. You do the measurements at home, pick the material all online, in the UK it's about £250 (just over $300) and the suit fits perfectly, i did have some issues with the shoulder length for which I decided to seek out a local tailor some time later to remove about a half an inch from the shoulder for the perfect fit. i'm more smart casual dresser and prefer to mix and match chinos (or dress jeans - Sorry, I am that guy) with a fully tailored Navy sports jacket from Gieves & Hawkes. Its alot of money comparatively but it's a garment that will get alot of wear time compared to the suit.
A full on GG movie theater? YES PLEAESE 4:07
At this stage in life, I don’t see myself spending more than $500 for a suit. I buy cheap suits - usually Stafford or something similar. I have brought them to a taylor for alterations for a better fit. My wife likes how they look on me, and that’s good enough for me right now. Maybe one day I’ll go for some better quality.
I suggest a better question might be $600 vs $2000. In the UK £600 suits are noticeably better than £200 but not IMO proportionally worse than £2000
i recently picked up a suit from a charity shop for £10! it fits pretty well and doesn't seem to be very worn. As the fit was decent it was well worth £10 to me. But it isn't worth having a closet full of cheap suits as they won't last forever and ultimately spending £100 once will likely get me a far higher quality item which will last longer- so it's a better value over time.
What I also note is most of Raphael's suit trousers sport luxurious deep double pleats. Fabulous! It's impossible to find off-the-rack trousers with any pleats. I'm gearing up invest in my first custom suit. I can't wait to be draped in those pleated trousers.❤
For nice OTR pleats - check out Spier and MacKay (single reverse pleats) or - if a high price point is ok - artisanal brands like Rota and Kaptain Sunshine as sold in the US by No Man Walks Alone. My classic tailoring is still overwhelmingly slim-cut and flat-fronted due to the forces you allude to. But I got a pair of Kaptain Sunshine wide pleated linen trousers, detailed in the style of gurkha trousers, last summer. The material, fit, and quality have been a revelatory addition to my casualwear. I'm looking forward to adding more pleats to my dressy trouser lineup over time.
Good luck in your sartorial adventures 😊
TBH, it all depends on your body. If you have a perfect ‘suit body’ almost everything can look amazing!
But off the peg suits can be very harsh on some less than perfect bodies!
If someone is reasonably well proportioned and they shop around you can get a decent fit from an off the peg suit, that will improve dramatically with a little bit of after sales tailoring and a change of buttons.
Bottom line… keep fit and trim, and if you spend less on fine dining you can invest the money you save on great tailoring!
Excellent video and though we are completely different body types I too have problem matching pants of the suit to the size from ready to wear. Interesting related question maybe for your upcoming video: last year I got a linen suit from famous ready to wear maker whose style I like. While jacket fitted perfectly and is now likely the best fit and quality of all I have, pants size due to the cut wouldn't do and to make things worse, this was 1 season model and nowhere could I find one size up of the pants. I found surprising solution on cheap side that I never heard about before and it worked for me: StudioSuits. They were able to produce pants (comparably cheaply) from exact material and sizing and style/cut details they allowed for were such that I was able to re-create size-up style of the famous manufacturer of the suit. It worked for me in that particular case. However, what does expert like you think of StudioSuits, have you or your associates ever tried them? This could be a very interesting option for us who are on budget... Could we get review of them?
I’m asking myself, at 20 years old is worth to have a suit? 🤔
Of course. You plan on going to job interviews?
Yes! The need for a suit started showing up for me in my mid teens. Though I never needed more than one until I was self-employed in my mid-thirties and started doing things like conference trips for business. Get a charcoal grey or navy suit of the best quality and fit you can afford. Then you'll be prepared when weddings, funerals, and job interviews pop up at you.
Thank guys for taking the time to answer
Waiting for a 500 dollar versus 2000 dollar suit comparison, I'm betting the differences will be minimal
The best suits are ones that used to be $2000, had the owner die, and are now $20 at the Goodwill.
Brooks Brothers ownership has changed hands so many times, I'm afraid to buy anything from them. Last time I checked my poor Brooks was deep in an identity crisis.
Raphael, I love your videos and website. But you made a small error. The company Jos. A. Bank was started by Joseph Alfred Bank and his brother. Thus the Jos. stands for Joseph and I believe the company name should be pronounced as "Joseph A. Bank." They have been part of classic American menswear since being founded in 1905. Otherwise, please keep up the good work.
Absolutely correct! Thanks for keeping us sharp.
- Preston
@@gentlemansgazette please do a video on what you think of the Nehru suit. It's the suit I think will be worn by businessmen in the future (2030s, 2040s, etc)
Dear sirs, $200 is not cheap. It’s affordable.
True but it’s cheap for a suit
One day I want go to London and buy 3 $2k suits, I really want that. I just don’t have the time right now to research and travel yet.
My problem with this no matter if 200 or 2000 most of the fabric are way too thin for my kind of taste. I honestly prefer the fabrics suits was mate till the 1920/1930 or Tweet
Polo Ralph Lauren or Double RL has many of them
This is an American thing. You can find much thicker fabric in the UK.
@@krausewitz6786I second this. If you use a lightweight cloth you need a heavier canvas so the jacket drapes well, so if you have a lightweight cloth that's fused, it tends to "look off." A lot of early fused garments are made in a heavier cloth, as that tends to drape better in the absence of a canvas.
What are some brands or a comprehensive guide to ID quality suits on the secondary market?
Buying suits is one area where a bit of knowledge on what is good or bad will get you a long way. Unfortunately, price or brand cannot tell you anything about the quality of the suit. That is why it's possible to find brands with twice the quality but that sell for the same or even lower price than competitors. Consider Suit Supply (BAD) vs. Cavour (GOOD). In general, if you see strong marketing for a suit brand, it is probably best to stay away.
Sven, I live in Canada and a $200 suit is slim pickings. The cheapest suit I found was from Moores ( Men's Warehouse Canadian operation.) Needed it for a funeral and with taxes and alterations paid about $360 CAD.
In Edinburgh Stewart Christie will make you a full bespoke suite for $2000 . I got one when in my early 20s in 99/2000. Buying of the peg for £2000 is just throwing money away.
What if it looks great?
I love what I’ll call the soft shoulders of your suits and always denote them as a symbol of quality. Still, with little exception, I only need a suit for weddings and funerals, and the investment for “one” suit doesn’t appear justified. Do you have a look to help minimize the cost?
Your hairline is goin crazy 😂
Now this is an intro jingle I can get behind! Shorter but has the same charm to it. Lovely work, Gents!
How about a new jingle altogether? Classical guitar rather than horns or woodwind.
Need the insight of the Gazette tribe! Anyone familiar with, or ever own a suit by the now defunct line of tuxedos and suits made by "Mani," back in the 90's? Not sure what these sold for back in the 90's. It was purchased at Neiman Marcus in Las Vegas. Found one on eBay for $200, double breasted blk tuxedo, and all the measurements magically match mine. It appears to be in stellar condition and matches all of the tux details that GG lays out in the black tie guides. Needing a tux for social events now that I am getting ready to start law school in 3 days. Wanted to avoid renting, and def wanted to build my own tux with a retro/vintage/classical feel. Thoughts? Wisdom? Lessons learned??
There is absolutely NO NEED to spend 2.000 dollars to have a very good suit. With between 400 to 600 dollars you can already have a hight quality dress.
Well I’ve been through the whole H&M experience. If you need longer arms they won’t have that and there is no fabric to let out. There will almost always be polyester in the mix. The overall cut is really poor and boxy as they’re trying to make it fit as many people as possible. Here in the UK there are options between the £200 and £2000, luckily.
HERE in my coutry you can get a bespoke suit for like 1000-1500$ (material included) from a a very good tailor like in my town theres a tailor shop that is run by a family for like 70-90 years and it is in that kind of range and its in Poland
Where does Suit Supply fall in all this lol
While the 2000 dollar suit is certainly better, if we are talking value here, I can't imagine how a single great suit is supposed to provide more value than 10 pretty decent suits. You say a 200 dollar suit will age poorly, but 10 of them will probably outlive a person.
Check out the brand Raymonds from India, they're a classic brand from India.
Me and my husband had our wedding suits made in vietnam (he's vietnamese) and it worked out to €230 each.
Do you have indochino where you live?
Do a review of their suits. I bought my there for a fraction of the price, and it was tailored, with all the materials I wanted, and the quality was very good. The fit was perfect.
Definitely better than spending 2k.
Just bought a Burberry two piece suit vintage for 200$. Buying vintage is also an option for saving money
Obviously the big problem with used, apart from condition, is that usually the jacket might fit but the pants won't. I think Paul Fredrick is still under $1000 for 3 piece, but they don't have always very conservative business fabrics and I don't know where they rank on your quality chart but overall I find them acceptable compared to some of the other stores you mentioned where the fit is usually too skinny, etc.
But the last time I bought a couple sport jackets from them, I had to return because they had messed with the sizing, too.
In my world , no one cares and no one wears suits. You wear one for court, funeral, wedding, interview and death. Still no one wears them.
If you wear a $200 polyester suit do not expect that you look more than a $200 suit.
How didn't this man lose his accent in all those years speaking english and making videos.
Anything suit that's $2k and I'm going custom. Doesn't make sense not to.
I’ve gone completely bespoke. It’s usually around $3,500 which is more affordable than off the rack Gucci, Saint Laurent etc
I personally like the way the cheaper suit widens your shoulders
I’ll wear Perry Ellis and look way better then this fool
Where did you get your tie at the 10:41 mark in your video?
I wouldn't consider buy a suit forn200 dollars
I prefer getting a $2000 suit for $200 off eBay.
@7:15 he said “ when you wave for a cab” whats that?
HM made in Türkiye, ready to wear heaven
I agree with said. My 2 suits are 150$, and probably less than that with the other one. But, hey, for my price range, I'm more than happy. They fit me quite nice in terms of shoulders and everything. The problem comes with the lower half of my body. See, the trousers that usually come in combination with the jackets that fit me, don't fit. So I have to take longer trousers, but smaller jacket, which isn't always available. Also since I'm not really flat in my behind, most of the trousers are a bit tight for my liking, because they're made for flat bodied people, no offense. For my wedding one day I might get a bespoke suit, but it all depends on the budget. The problem I have with ready to wear suits is that, at least where I live, the only colours are: black, shades of gray, shades of blue, maybe some plaid combo of the previous.
I still have my old Calvin Klein prom suit for sentimental reasons. After a minimal amount of wear:
- The side seam on the pants has loosened, and is coming apart.
- The coat started to delaminate after one dry clean.
The coat is very stuffy and doesn't have a lot of ease of movement. You can get a lot of good vintage stuff for under $200 compared to a $200 Moores suit. Samuelsohn is a good option for RTW fully-canvassed suits. They have consistent sales on their website and offer an MTM program too.
In a similar vein to Spier and MacKay, there's another RTW brand called Paul Betenly with a similar production model, except they're vertically integrated. Their stuff is half-canvas and they handsew their sleeves and armholes. Not a bad entry point into higher-quality stuff, although their core suit line is a bit lacking in colour and variation in my opinion. They do have seasonal fabrics on their sport coats, and I think they can do MTO suits with some limited run fabrics. I much prefer vintage, Samuelsohn and a local tailoring house to them, but that's just me.
Raphael, my favourite outfits of yours are when you go 'full bilbo baggins' mode :D
I've seen a lot $200 (+/- a hundred bucks) from Studio Suits; I think they're made in India. I'm curious to know your take.
I actually think the real price-point question is whether you should spend $2k if you have the patience to shop for a for a Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom or Saks sale item that you love for between $550 and $750 plus tailor fees.
love your content but since I don't see anyone else doing it ill be the resident Scottish person to tell you that it isn't "Edinboro" like you said at 9:00, it is pronounced "Edin-burra" or "Edin-bru"...
Just curious what your native language is and where you are from. I hear something but cant figure it out. Great videos and content as always, thanks.
I spoke to a hand made tailor about suits and he said it was all about the materials used. Suit for 10k from a tailor is so expensive only because of the material. If you see Giorgio discounted to 1k it is probably trash worth 50usd in terms of the materials used so be mindful what you buy as even ultra discounts from great brands are most of the time way overpriced
Have a great idea for a video. I just found out I’m not allowed to wear a tie for work. (I absolutely understand the logic) so I just wondered if there was a way to still be smart without a tie
I'm heavily considering some less extreme polyester blends. I'm always too cold and even under a thick wool overcoat I tend to freeze when it's 10°C (very generous temperature for autumn and winter here).
The current skinny fit trend tends to work in my favor. With my rather uninpressive dimensions, I've had a number of cheap jackets end up wearing more like the classic fit you are promoting. Unfortunately the gap at the chest seems to be a problem when doing some movements.
I like expensive over coats and shoes
i just have to thank you all for bringing me into world of classic gentleman's clothing started with the kingsman movies then you all
I am hard to fit and used to travel extensively. Had many suits custom made over the years. I always got 2 pant suits. You wear the pants much more than the coat. If one pair gets totalled out you still have a suit. Dry clean all three pieces at the same time. Top tip...order extra buttons for the the coat and pants.
Interesting
Cool to see an old-school Hemrajani suit, never realized Raphael had one!
More than anything it is important for you to have your body look good
Do you speak German? Some pronounciaction was so in point
Great video. I appreciate the level of detail you went into.
I love the way you pronounce "Strobel"
Native language..
@@kttk4564 That's why I'm a fan of the German language 😄
This is exactly what I was looking for.
Sadly, occasionally, it's just silly sanction politics and matter of gullible customers.
Need a video on how to buy clothes when our weight fluctuates often. It sucks. 😂
Tight suits are modern. If you watch old movies you'll see men wearing nice wide suits. No problem with changing a size or even two.
depends on usage
In my opinion, id rather wear something that say something bad happened to it like a stain or cut, and not bawl my eyes out because I spent even more than half a grand on it.
Can't find anything for $200. Should be like $400 or $500.
❤
some people don't have the body to make look a $2000 dlls suit.
Raphael sounds sickly...I hope he's ok...
I can't tell for sure Raphael, but I think you missed buttoning the collar on the right side of your shirt?
Excellent video as always!
Have a fantastic weekend to you and all the staff at Gentleman's Gazette!
Thank you!
Lisa
He didn’t miss it, you did
@@badgasaurus4211 What? It looks unbuttoned to me, and I stated that I couldn't tell for sure. Geez!
So…H&M it is, LOL
H&M??? Noooooo!
I'm sorry Raphael, but given the state of your hair, just go bald. I know it sucks, but I can see that bald will suit you way better than that little bit of hair that you're holding on to. Just let it go, and embrace your bald sexiness.
or invest some of that bespoke suit money on a hair transplant
@@user-rw8rc3yp9d.
That works too. For me though, (I pray that it doesn't happen to me) if I see a single bald spot, I'm literally just saying "F*ck it." and buzzing it all off.
Apologizes, what fabric is mentioned at 11:19
Oloribu omo ofo
Bemberg/Cupro
Yikes! What happened to your hair? 😢 How about $200 on a suit and $1800 on hair growth treatment? 😂
Would someone please tell me what material he's saying at 11:20?
Bemberg/Cupro
Ty@@daveson5125
There are much better outfit for half of the price in Turkey or Hong Kong
Than?
Turkey? Hahaha
a $200 suit on a models body is gonna look better than a $5,000 suit on Brian Stelter... time spent in the gym is gonna make a lot bigger difference than money spent on suits... better tailoring is just gonna get the suit closer to your body shape, so if your body isnt the shape you want the suit to be, youre flushing money down the toilet...
Excellent discussion. I am interested in women's couture, and you include many details that are also used in couture construction, especially for jackets and coats.
Hhow tall is Raphael
6’1”
@@becomingunhuman2106 👍