Express Suits Review – Three suprisingly good options

Express Cotton Suiting – Spring/Summer 2011

Express has become the Rasputin of the adult male retail world.  They just.. won’t… die.  Their new penchant for absurdly loud polos should act like a knife in their own back.  And their pre-destroyed jeans?  That should be a cup of poisoned wine.  But then they release a trio of well cut, simple suits, and not only do they survive once again?  It’s kind of unfair to even ignore them.

All of these come with a ticket pocket, lapels that are modern but not too skinny, and contouring through the torso/waist of the jackets.  The shoulders are a little strong, but not  in a bad way if you get a jacket that fits well.  Express ran a pretty big suit sale last year in early March.  Might be worth keeping an eye out for a similar sale this year, because any of these three would be a slid bargain at say, $200ish.
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Express Corded Stripe Suit Jacket – $178.00 & Matching Pant – $69.90

This one comes in a distant third to the other two suits, but it’s a nice lower priced alternative for the guys who can’t shell out the cash for J. Crew’s cotton ludlow.  The cording of the cotton seems to make it a little stiff, but not in a plastic way.  It just doesn’t move as well as you think it would should.  Skip the vest.
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Express Pinstripe Cotton/Silk Blend Suit Jacket – $248.00 & Matching Pant – $98.00

The 80% Cotton / 20% silk blend is genius.  The silk gives it a smooth enough texture so it doesn’t feel like chino, but it doesn’t quite feel like wool either.  It’s extremely comfortable, the fabric feels strong but light, and this is probably the best looking & fitting Express suit I’ve ever tried on.  The tonal stripes are thin and pretty subtle.  Certainly an investment at $350.  And Express doesn’t make the kinds of clothes that usually last half a decade.  So wait for a sale.
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Express Cotton Twill Suit Jacket – $178.00 & Matching Pant – $79.90

Kudos to Express for finally taking the “sateen” sheen out of their summer cotton twill suits.  They used to have a shine to them, but now that shine has been done away with.  The jacket strikes the right balance between dressed up structure and lines, but also feels relaxed at the same time.  Perfect for a summer wedding.

Looks like Express is doing free shipping on purchases $100 and up, now through – 2/26.  It’s not quite like 25% off, but, free shipping is never a bad thing.  Still worth the wait for a sale.