Dapper men: Jos. A. Banks vs. Men's Wearhouse

[Rand_Rover]

@Stranger_On_A_Train

A good tailor can make all the difference, and if you don’t mind wearing slightly out of fashion cut of suits or are into the vintage look, hitting consignment stores or Goodwill can be a great way to pick up really high quality fabrics and stitching very cheaply. But it takes a lot of time and the clothing often shows some sign of wear. I’ve never been impressed with in-house tailors beyond hemming cuffs and always take suits to my tailor for fitting.

If you are wearing suits on a daily basis, you really should consider bespoke tailoring as opposed to buying off the rack. The cost for a second tier (not name brand) bespoke suit is really quite comparable to an off-the-rack suit with good tailoring. (I once “took advantage” of a particularly good sale at Jos. A Bank to get several jackets and have them tailored, but the end cost was almost the same as just having my tailor run up bespoke jackets through their Hong Kong shop.) You will be able to select from a wide range of fabrics that are probably of higher quality than what you will find off-the-rack, and the suit will be made to fit you exactly. Poorly fitting suits not only look bad but will wear poorly where they sag or bag up, whereas a good fitting suit made with high quality fabric can be expected to last for hundreds of wearings. It is also a good idea, if you are really wearing suits on a daily basis, to buy two pairs of pants and a matching jacket, as the pants will frequently wear faster and require cleaning more than the jacket. This is almost never an option with an off-the-rack suit, as they naturaly want you to buy more complete outfits, and will ultimately cost you less.

Stranger

You really mean “made to measure” instead of “bespoke.” A bespoke suit is a one-of-a-kind creation made to fit only you, involves several fittings, and costs at least $3k. Made to measure can cost not much more than off the rack.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking made to measure in the least, and I definitely agree that it’s worth it to take a suit to a tailor and get it adjusted to fit, but it’s still not bespoke.

[Bijou_Drains]

@ralph124c

IMO, both chains are similar-mostly mid-to lower-end quality clothing. Check the seams on a shirt-the sewing should be straight and tight-chances are at these places, these shirts will come from China or India. As others have said, you can do better at a high end store like Nordstroms (on sale)-the quality will be much better, and your clothes will last much longer. There is a huge difference between a Nordtstrom shirt and one from these two chains.

If you think expensive clothes are not made in China or India you need to check the labels. Maybe super high end stuff is made in the US or Europe, but a lot of pricey stuff is made in Asia.

[The_Second_Stone]

They are basically the same thing. You will want to make friends with the old guy or gal who is doing the alterations and let them fuss to get a fit. Ask them. Everyone else is just in sales.

You will pay twice as much for a Nordstrom suit on sale. It is a lot better a suit.

[Lamar_Mundane]

If you’re a guy and have a Nordstrom’s Rack within 100 miles, you really shouldn’t need to go anywhere else.

First of all, only 10% of the store is set aside for menswear (generous estimate) and 98% of the shoppers are women. It is very easy to tell which items are “Straight to Nordstrom’s Rack”, as there will be an ample supply in every size available. Luckily I am tall and wear a 48 long coat, and while there are usually only a small ammount of options, they are all different and came straight from the regular Nordstrom’s store.

The deals are real and well over 50% off the regular store price, and the shoe department is the best thing ever. I pretty much buy all my business wear there, and all of my shoes/footwear.

[astro]

Here’s one made to measure US tailor

Home - Executive Tailored Clothes

[Geedavey]

@astro

Here’s one made to measure US tailor

Home - Executive Tailored Clothes

Delete the “/index.php” portion to go to the page:

Home - Executive Tailored Clothes

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

@QuickSilver

Have you considered some of the larger dept stores like Nordstrom, Macy’s, Sack’s, etc…?

They often have sales that bring down prices to that of J.A.B. Quality tends to be better as well.

J.Crew has been stocking some nice men’s suits lately. Banana Republic will have stuff too, but their quality is not always consistant.

Should I mention Hugo Boss or Ralph Lauren?

This. Broaden your horizons.
…Empty your pocketbook.

[AncientHumanoid]

Macy*s and JC Penney’s both have wardrobe sales that offer pretty good suits for the money. Sometimes, they even package shirts and ties in the deals.

Burlington, from time to time, can have some decent quality stuff.

My JC Penney’s suits from 7 or 8 years ago hardly even look used.

Any where you go, shop carefully, take your time, bring someone else with you who can be a discerning eye for you (as to fit, fashion, quality), and ask if they have any deals available or coming up. Couldn’t hurt.

[AncientHumanoid]

As for JC Penney’s and other dept stores quality for price, I just last year threw away a pair of Stafford cordovan lace up wing tips (shoes) that I got for a job interview right after high school. I’m 50 now. I had them resoled a couple of times, but they kept a hard shine and looked great right up till I ripped the seams. I still have silk ties from Macy*s from the 80s (the style came back twice already!) that still look new, no stretching or fraying.

Not daily wear, mind you, but fairly well used.