# Is there a difference between expensive suits and cheap suits **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613 "2004-09-15T23:04:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/21 "2004-09-17T03:30:35Z")
> [@qts](#): > > Th number one tip when buying a suit is to buy several pairs of trousers with it - the trousers wear out far faster than the jacket. That’s a horrible tip. Most decent suits are not sold as “separates” which means you won’t be able to find several trousers that match your jacket. Not to mention that the jacket would wear at a different rate than the pants, all resulting in a suit that doesn’t quite match. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/22 "2004-09-17T03:36:22Z")
> [@Daftbugger](#): > > should cover up to the first lacing on the shoes. I think this one ought to be debatable. I have disproportionately large feet and trousers like that make me look like a golf-club. I have to find “wide-leg” suit pants, and the cuffs have to be turned up. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/23 "2004-09-18T15:53:28Z")
One of my professors wears a blazer to class. I can tell his is cheap as it just seems thick and woollike. The suits I see on TV like the presidents, vice president and newscasters seem to be thinner and more tailored. They also seem to be made of something alot thinner that has more ‘give’ to it. Aside from that Istill can’t see a difference just from outside appearance. Soooooo, if I need a suit i’ll just find a nice looking one on ebay for about $120 (suits go for dimes on the dollar on ebay), one with a potential refund if you don’t like it, and then i’ll have it tailored. No way am I spending $700 esqe for a suit. For $300 I can buy a fake rolex, a fake platinum ring and a nice suit on ebay. If you’re going to manipulate people into thinking you’re upscale you might as well go full ass into it. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/24 "2004-09-18T19:33:33Z")
[This](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3001&item=3930856270&rd=1) is a nice suit for $179. Now all i’d need is a silk shirt, silk tie, fake platinum watch and a fake platinum ring. I’d look sooooo cool dressed like that and nobody would know it was all a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/25 "2004-09-18T20:08:35Z")
With suits and all clothes, one key element of quality is how patterns match at seams. For example, if there are stripes, do they match over the shoulders? Any suit where the stirpes are off falls in the “visibly cheap” category. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/26 "2004-09-18T20:19:01Z")
> [@Zoff](#): > > Well, there’s no accounting for taste. Ha! Get it? Accounting. KPMG. [Very very true.](http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/business/0,39020481,2127696,00.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/27 "2004-09-18T20:22:15Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > All I know is that whatever suit Mr. Big on Sex and the City wears is the right kind of suit, and I’m certain that it’s not cheap. 😃 > Haha, and I was going to post a link, but I couldn’t find any good ones. I did find some rather funny images on the “mr big” google search I did. Wow. While we’re on the subject of men to emulate when looking for a suit, I should point out that Cary Grant was dressed exquisitely in every movie I’ve seen him in. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/28 "2004-09-19T01:18:29Z")
Where do those clothes on EBay come from? My wife has got some good deals, but I’m afraid to buy a suit that way. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/29 "2004-09-19T03:31:59Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Where do those clothes on EBay come from? My wife has got some good deals, but I’m afraid to buy a suit that way. I don’t know, I assume they are wholesalers. The wholesale sellers of suits on ebay tend to have 99-100% positive reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/30 "2004-09-19T03:54:50Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > [This](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3001&item=3930856270&rd=1) is a nice suit for $179. Now all i’d need is a silk shirt, silk tie, fake platinum watch and a fake platinum ring. I’d look sooooo cool dressed like that and nobody would know it was all a lie. You would have to have some kind of seriously wierd body to fit what is listed on that auction > [@](#): > > Size 52R > Waist: 46" + 2" Extra > \*\*Chest: 26" > Sleeve from shoulder seam:27" > \*\* A 26" chest with a 46" waist? :eek: Also I have very short arms, and my shirts have a 30" sleeve what’s up with 27" My suggestion is go try on some suits. Men’s Wearhouse is not a bad place to start looking, you can then go up or down from there. Also my last suit I had custom made from a local mens clothing store. they took all the measurments, showed me fabric swatches, and the suit was made to fit me w/o any further alterations. Quite nice and the cost was about what an off the rack job would have cost. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/31 "2004-09-19T20:18:19Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > That’s a horrible tip. > > Most decent suits are not sold as “separates” which means you won’t be able to find several trousers that match your jacket. I do not believe that this is true in the UK. > [@](#): > > Not to mention that the jacket would wear at a different rate than the pants, all resulting in a suit that doesn’t quite match. I’m going to take issue with you. I don’t know what it’s like in the US, but it’s SOP here in the UK with suits. Jackets are mostly worn only going to and from work or client sites. Otherwise they get hung up on a hanger. The rate of wear is very different. Further, the stores change their lines regularly so if you ruin your trousers, you’d have to buy a whole new suit if you didn’t have a spare. You can get a perfectly decent suit for £250, and when trousers cost £50 apiece it’s silly not to buy more. And they’re a perfect match. And if you rotate the trousers, they wear evenly. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/32 "2004-09-19T22:40:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Is there a difference between expensive suits and cheap suits Yes. Cheap suits make a grab for the check, being careful, however, to get there just _after_ someone else has already reached for it. Expensive suits have their people call you to set up lunch, and after lunch they simply leave, in the assumption that you will pick up the tab. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/33 "2004-09-19T22:46:50Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > All I know is that whatever suit Mr. Big on Sex and the City wears is the right kind of suit, and I’m certain that it’s not cheap. 😃 > Haha, and I was going to post a link, but I couldn’t find any good ones. I did find some rather funny images on the “mr big” google search I did. Wow. Amen to that. The show has turned me into a big Chris Noth fan. Woo-HOO. And I was trying to find out what his real first name was a few weeks ago (have only just started watching the show) and did a Google search. From work. Teach me to forget to turn “SafeSearch” on. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/34 "2004-09-20T00:31:38Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > One of my professors wears a blazer to class. I can tell his is cheap as it just seems thick and woollike. The suits I see on TV like the presidents, vice president and newscasters seem to be thinner and more tailored. They also seem to be made of something alot thinner that has more ‘give’ to it. Aside from that I still can’t see a difference just from outside appearance. What you’re seeing isn’t so much the material (although that’s part of it) - it’s the FIT. A suit fitted to your body will look really, really good. The most common problem with people’s wardrobes - and this applies to all clothes, not just suits - is that their clothes don’t fit. People tend to buy stuff off the rack that’s either too small or too big, and both look like shit. That’s not to say you can’t find stuff off the rack that fits - you can - but you have to be willing to shop, and walk out of a store after an hour of looking with no purchases if you didn’t find the right fit. I agree that a good way to get a great look for minimal outlay is to buy a used suit, get it altered to your body, and you’ll look great. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/35 "2004-09-20T02:25:06Z")
I’m surprised no one has brought up the fact that a high quality suit is made using 9 yards of material, hence the phrase, “The Whole Nine Yards.”\* \*come on-_somebody_ had to say it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613/36 "2004-09-20T02:49:08Z")
I have bought expensive suits at fancy department stores. I have purchased cheap suits at flashy mall places. I have commissioned a custom-made suit from a tailor. My favorite one (and still my #1 go-to suit) came from the last-chance thrift store. Eight Dollars. ($8) I was looking for a throwaway for a Halloween costume. I found this Geoffrey Beene wool suit from THE local Atlanta BIG department store (you locals know who I’m talking about - Pink Pig and everything). The pockets were still sewn shut and the tags were still hanging from the sleeve. Brand new. Fits great, looks like a million. I had the sleeves shortened 1/4" and the trousers finished with cuffs. Another $20. I suppose you can already guess my suggestion… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-difference-between-expensive-suits-and-cheap-suits/264613.md?page=1)