# Where to buy a suit? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144 "2019-02-25T01:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/21 "2019-02-25T19:55:43Z")
If you’re within a couple of hours of King of Prussia, PA, can you get to Philadelphia? Because [this article](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/style/the-last-great-clothing-store-boyds.html) from The New York Times last year says [Boyds](https://www.boydsphila.com/) is a great place to buy men’s clothing. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/22 "2019-02-25T20:32:22Z")
I have bought several suits from Macy’s so your comments on selection surprises me. Macy’s also does some pretty aggressive sales, maybe quarterly, and I’ve gotten some great deals. Nordstroms is fantastic but carries a premium price but it is also a higher quality product and service. When I was young, I thought Jos. A Bank’s or Brooks Brothers were really “high end” fancy stuff. Today I cannot understand how Brooks charges what they charge and Jos A Banks seems (to me) to just be average. I do own a bespoke suit and frankly it its he absolute best suit I have ever owned but that really comes at a high cost compared to “off the rack” department store options. In almost all cases, any suit I have bought has required tailoring - sometimes simply cuffs and hem, other times more extensive to really get the fit right. And yes, everyone else is right - you should not be able to raise your arms above your head easily in a suit. They’re not designed for that level of range of motion. Also… a vest? I mean, whatever floats your boat but that seems odd to me. My bespoke suit has a vest but that’s only because I purchased the suit for my wedding and I wanted a vest for a more formal occasion being the groom and the “I do” stuff. I’ve never worn the vest since because frankly it just seems… antiquated fashion for 99.9% of the occasions I need to wear a suit. That said, personal preference reigns supreme and for as little as I know about fashion maybe vests have made a huge comeback and I’m not cool enough to know it. Haha ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/23 "2019-02-25T21:27:37Z")
I bought several suites at Mens Warehouse. Good service. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/24 "2019-02-25T22:33:50Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > Ding! That is the correct answer. Since apparently you’ve made it 36 years without needing a suit, this is a single or at best few time use item. You don’t need quality, you need a ‘looks fine’ suit. Penney’s suits ‘look fine.’ They serve the purpose and you already have your measurements from Men’s Wearhouse, so you can get something that ‘fitswell enough’ to wear the three times you’ll wear it. To be fair, I didn’t buy my suit until I was about 36 as well, since I was going on a business trip. But since I bought it, I have worn it at least 20 times–weddings, graduations, business meetings, hell, even parties above casual dress. Of course, this might not hold for OP. But I do think men tend to wear suits more frequently as they proceed through life. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/25 "2019-02-26T01:49:04Z")
I just got a lovely wool suit at a thrift shop for $30. It looks like it had never been worn, which is entirely possible. Buying suits at secondhand stores is a terrific way to save money, but you have to be willing to look a lot. I looked in five or six stores every week or two for a month before finding one suit. It saved me at least $400-$500 so it was totally worth it (we like those stores anyway) but you need the time. A men’s suit has to fit right, so you have to be picky. If it’s not the right size - or at least close enough that some alterations will get it there - forget it. A man should have a few nice suits. If you don’t wear one for work, you might not wear them often, but occasions do come up. People die, they get married, and your wife would probably appreciate it if you put on a suit and tie when you took her out for Valentine’s Day or her birthday. These days people can and do show up to weddings and funerals in golf shirts and worse, but, jeez, don’t be that guy. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/26 "2019-02-28T00:23:49Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Im a bit curious as to the issue of raising your arms… that’s not really something that suits are typically designed for, so I’m not clear if you have an unusual build or if you have an unrealistic expectation of one’s range of movement in a suit jacket. (Keep in mind jackets were ditched from golf and tennis for a reason!) This is the max you can reasonably expect from a suit and raising your arms; if you want to dance and get funky, you may also take off your jacket. > > [https://goo.gl/images/6NJXWP](https://goo.gl/images/6NJXWP) > . As for my build, I’d say pretty average. 5’9", 180lb, 43" chest, and I wear pants with a 34" waist. And when I raised my arms up as though I was going to hug the shoulder pads hit my cheeks. It looked comical in the mirror, and the salesman saw, and then suggested the custom options. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/27 "2019-02-28T00:32:26Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Just curious, where are you? The Willks Barre/ Scranton area of PA. Two hours north of King of Prussia. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/28 "2019-02-28T00:40:34Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > Also… a vest? I mean, whatever floats your boat but that seems odd to me. My bespoke suit has a vest but that’s only because I purchased the suit for my wedding and I wanted a vest for a more formal occasion being the groom and the “I do” stuff. I’ve never worn the vest since because frankly it just seems… antiquated fashion for 99.9% of the occasions I need to wear a suit. That said, personal preference reigns supreme and for as little as I know about fashion maybe vests have made a huge comeback and I’m not cool enough to know it. Haha I know the vest is old fashioned, that’s why I like it. I honestly think id wear the vest with a pair of dress pants out. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/29 "2019-02-28T01:17:08Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > I know the vest is old fashioned, that’s why I like it. I honestly think id wear the vest with a pair of dress pants out. I do this often to the office and get lots of compliments. Just to be clear I wear the vests with pants other than the suit they came with ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/30 "2019-02-28T01:22:23Z")
I have four Men’s Wearhouse off-the-rack suits that were modified and about six custom dress shirts. I’m quite pleased with the value for money, especially when you go for one of their two-for-one deals. I wear them nearly daily. I think it’s a perfectly serviceable basic suit. The shirts are actually really good. The selection is limited, so if you want something very specific you’ll have to go somewhere more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/31 "2019-02-28T04:28:35Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > The Willks Barre/ Scranton area of PA. Two hours north of King of Prussia. I’ll be there on Sat. ---
**Author:** ![stolatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@stolatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolatt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/32 "2019-02-28T15:28:08Z")
I dragged my non-suit wearing husband to Penney’s. Got him a solid basic black suit that fits him nicely. I change things up by buying different shirt colors and ties (conveniently laid out on tables all matched up). No fuss, no muss. Make sure it’s tailored properly. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/33 "2019-03-02T02:20:08Z")
Dunno if they still do, but JC Penny used to sell suit separates. Not great but serviceable. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144/34 "2019-03-02T03:04:23Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > And when I raised my arms up as though I was going to hug the shoulder pads hit my cheeks. Yeah, I’d say that’s \*not \*supposed to happen, y’know? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-a-suit/830144.md?page=1)