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How to buy a Cheap Suit and still look like a million bucks.

February 21, 2011 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

Buying an inexpensive suit:  The Complete Dappered Guide

Above Suit:  Alfani RED Grey Sharkskin Slim Fit- $274.98 (but can be had for as little as $200)

A lot of these tips have been spread throughout this website, dropped in here and there with reckless abandon.  It’s time to get it all in one place.  For those who have visited Dappered with some frequency in the past, much of this will look familiar.  If you’re a newbie, know that all this “advice” comes from personal experience, by way of doing the opposite.  Here’s to hoping you’ve avoided some of the many mistakes I’ve made in the past…

Most men hate dressing up.  They’ve been told since they were knee high to a clearance rack that a suit is uncomfortable.  Most guys truly believe they look stupid in a suit.  Plus suits are so expensive, why should they invest that much cash in something they’ll hate wearing?

Sorry fellas.  Those are all lame excuses.  The truth is a man can buy a suit that he’ll look great in, and more importantly feel great about wearing, all for less than $300.  Sometimes for even cheaper than that.  It’s just a matter of knowing a few key tricks for picking out a suit, then what to do with it after the purchase.  Follow these few suggestions and a $250 suit will look better than some CEO’s $1500 luxury getup.  Here’s how to do it:

It’s all about fit.  Make sure you’re buying the right size.

The vast majority of suit wearing men are wearing suit jackets that are at least a size too big.  Guys, repeat after me: You are wearing the suit.  The suit is not wearing you.  Convinced you’re a 40 regular in the jacket?  Just try a 38.  You might be surprised.  What you don’t want is a jacket so big that the shoulder pads jut out over your actual shoulders.  Here’s an old trick:  Put the jacket on and stand next to a wall.  Slowly lean into the wall with your shoulder.  The pad and your shoulder should hit at the same time.  If the pad hits the wall first then scrunches up?  It’s too big.

If you’re anywhere close to being in shape, you need to be buying “trim fit” or “athletic cut” suits.  Those usually come pre contoured at the sides of the jacket, and will often have less shoulder padding.  Both of those features will give you a natural, masculine V-shape.  Normal suits will leave you looking like you’re stuck inside a barrel of cloth.  Don’t let the sales person try and talk you into a bigger suit.  They’re used to the types who believe comfort = loose.  It needs to fit, and after tailoring it’ll move with you.  More on that later.

Know your fabrics and brands

Indochino's Classic Navy - $349

Stick with natural fabrics like wool.  Skip polyester which is almost always cheaper.  Wool moves better and is much more breathable than plasticized poly fabric.  Some brands like Kenneth Cole make their suits in both wool and synthetic.  Always check the tags, and stick with wool.

Also know that every brand is slightly different.  A 40 regular in a Tommy Hilfiger Trim Fit from Macy’s might actually be a 40 short in an Alfani Red.  Both available at the same department store, but different shapes once you put them on.  And stick with brands that seem to cater towards a younger (meaning under 40) audience.  So along with Alfani Red and Hilfiger, give Calibrate (Nordstrom), and DKNY a spin.

If you want to splurge a bit and get a suit custom made for you?  Take a look at Indochino.  They’re a custom suit company that makes suits for around $250 – $500.  Plus they pay up to $75 worth of extra alterations done by your tailor, and they’ve got an iron-clad guarantee.  Whatever your choice, skip the boxy Ralph Laurens and Jos. A Bank suits your Grandpa favors.

Go to the store prepared

When you head out to go suit shopping, make sure you’re wearing what you plan on wearing with a suit.  Meaning:  A pair of dress shoes, your favorite dress shirt, and a great looking tie.  The fitting room is a dress rehearsal for your potential suit.  You want to see what it’ll look like after the purchase.

Don’t be shy about bringing a friend or significant other with you.  You need an honest opinion to balance out the sales guy who will be in your ear from the start.  The sales person might honestly be trying to help, but more often than not they just get in the way.

After the Purchase:  Get it tailored.  It’s absolutely crucial.

Pic via The Effortless Gent

Even if you bought a trim fit suit with extra contouring at the sides, you’ll need to get it tailored post-purchase.  Your suit is like your hair.  You need a professional who knows what they’re doing to give it the right shape.  Like wearing a jacket that’s too large, most men believe that suits fit perfect right off the rack.  Not true. You should at the very least consider having the jacket sides brought in a bit more and the sleeve length adjusted so you’re showing ¼ inch of shirt cuff.

Be warned:  a tailor can’t adjust the thickness of the shoulder pads, and shortening a jacket is a pretty messy job.  So get those two things right off the rack.  To see if the jacket is the right length, leave your arms loose at your sides and curl your fingers upward like you’re about to grab the handles on a wheel-barrow.  The jacket should end precisely in that valley in your fingers.  If it bunches up?  It’s too long.

Treat your inexpensive suit carefully

There’s a reason why a cheap suit is cheap.  It cost less to make from materials that aren’t super high quality.  After you get it tailored, store your suit in a breathable garment bag so dust and fabric munching bugs can’t get at it.  Also make sure the jacket is hanging on a wide shouldered hanger.  Gravity.  She’s a cruel force.  And if the hanger your suit jacket is on is a standard thin plastic or (good grief no) wire hanger, the shoulder pads will pinch, crease, and droop down over it.

Know that there’s no need to cut the pockets on the front of your suit jacket open.  If you like wearing a pocket square, then go ahead with the chest pocket.  But the lower pockets should stay closed.  That’ll help your jacket keep it’s shape.

Dry clean your suit as little as possible.  If you didn’t sweat in your suit, then don’t have it cleaned.  Unlike expensive suits which have a third piece in-between the exterior and interior layer of fabric (called a canvas) cheap suits are usually “fused” or glued together.  The harsh heat of the dry cleaning process will often melt the glue and cause ugly wrinkles to form as the glue settles back into uneven clumps.

Do cut the brand label off the sleeve if there is one.  It’s not like the label on the back of your Levi’s.  So the maker’s mark has to go.

What else?  Leave any other tips for cheap suit buying in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Clothing Tagged With: advice, how to buy a cheap suit, how to buy a suit, how to buy an inexpensive suit, suit buying guide, suit buying tips, the best cheap suits

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    February 21, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    Nicely done.

  2. Grant says

    February 21, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    And please dear god cut off the little fabric “x” that holds the coat tails together. You have no clue how many people I see walking through the mall with that still on!

  3. Joe says

    February 21, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    I didn’t even think about that. Great call. Yes… let those vents vent.

  4. Darc16 says

    February 21, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    Get the pants adjusted as well. A 32 legnth is different in different brands. Get the pants tailors to have minimal break and taper the legs below the knee if needed.

  5. Anonymous says

    February 21, 2011 at 3:35 PM

    Not to mention cut off the slim brand tag stitched on the end of the sleeve. I see people walking around with that still on too.

  6. Blake Hammerton says

    February 21, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    Spot on. I am still a little amazed that it took me this long to find this site. I love wearing my suits, but I’m thinking of taking them all into a tailor and getting readjusted. They are cheap suits (Jones NY, Kenneth Cole), so they were tailored at the store, right off the rack. I’m definitely looking at my wardrobe differently now.

    What’s the name of the forum for style? I’m looking for a good tailor in Chicagoland, and think the message boards are a decent place to start.

    Keep up the good work.

    @alexanderblake

  7. joelh says

    February 21, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    Getting the fit right is 99% of the battle. A man has to TRY to look bad in an impeccably tailored suit.

  8. Alex #2 says

    February 21, 2011 at 6:19 PM

    uh-oh, I’m guilty of this!

  9. destroyideas says

    February 21, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    And open up the pockets!

  10. Chris says

    February 21, 2011 at 6:57 PM

    I work at JC Penney and love the J Ferrar suits. Theyre a slimmer more modern cut and great for the money. I got a 2 piece 2 button herring bone for $57 plus tax. (employee discount a the correct combination of coupons)

  11. Chris R says

    February 21, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    I thought I liked the ailfani red suits and bought two, both needed little alterations. Now that I have had them for awhile and have purchased a calibrate suit from nordstrom I would stick to calibrate. My biggest reason against the alfani red is the arm holes are not nearly high enough for a slim fit suit option. Wish I knew a little more about all this before I bought two from macys. Just my opinion though hope it helps. Also for those of you that like a slimmer pant having them tappered by your tailor is easier tjan you prolly think. Just my two cents.

  12. AJ says

    February 22, 2011 at 1:04 AM

    I have seen the J Ferrar line and liked the look. It seems JC Penney is going through a re-branding of sorts. How would you rate the quality?

  13. Joe G. says

    February 22, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    I’m a fan of J Ferrar ties. Now I’m going to give the suits a look.

  14. Anonymous says

    February 23, 2011 at 10:34 PM

    styleforum.net

  15. Graham says

    February 24, 2011 at 8:38 AM

    Question – the spare buttons on the inside of my Indochino jacket — are they meant to stay there, or be taken out and held as replacements?

  16. Joe says

    February 24, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    You can take em’ out. I have a zip loc of extra buttons (shirt tails, insides of jackets, etc…) that I keep in a desk drawer.

  17. Ninjer Ninjer says

    June 14, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    I think it’d be beneficial to show pictures of what the bunch from the shoulder pads and jacket length looks like when done right and wrong, just to be as clear as possible.

  18. Rander Anderson says

    August 12, 2012 at 11:55 PM

    I think their great quality I bought one to hold myself off till pay day a while ago and never stopped wearing it in fact my Friday Saturday and sunday suits are j ferrar

  19. fmwenda says

    February 26, 2013 at 1:57 AM

    cheap suits online http://www.fashionshirtsonline.com

  20. anujdhoot17 . says

    April 27, 2013 at 6:06 AM

    You can find good fitting suits at affordable prices here – http://www.foxytailor.com

  21. Micah Dameron says

    May 18, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    I appreciate your guide here. I’ve actually started my own website dedicated to bringing men suits for cheap at http://www.formalforless.com/ I update with links to major retailers like JCPenney, Macy’s, Kohl’s and higher end suits like Giorgio Armani, all of them incredibly discounted.

    You shouldn’t have to have a million bucks to look great, and I can see you agree with me!

  22. J3an_Luc_Picard says

    July 14, 2013 at 1:10 AM

    Went to JCPenney 3 years ago, bought a striped JFerrar wool suit for $150, top for 100 and bottom for 50. This suit is still in great shape, only drycleaned the slacks once, last month. Take great care for it and it will truly go far! I will be going back to get more. Pura Vida!

  23. dm10003 says

    August 31, 2013 at 7:33 PM

    I suggest getting cuffed pants to keep them from flopping as much, and my taste is a little longer for a bigger break because my legs are longer and I can wear the pants slightly higher if it suits me, lower if I’m feeling casual.

    Never button the bottom button of any jacket or vest, unbutton it to sit if it suits you, but for a special clean look or for photos I button the jacket sitting down.

    Keep the shirt and back of the jacket from riding up, especially when sitting.

    Match your shoes to your belt.

    If you can pinch more than a half inch of padding beyond your shoulder, the size is too big and doesn’t look right, NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF ILLUSION YOU’RE GOING FOR. Just fit your shoulders, arm length, and body, and THAT’S what will wow them.

  24. thanh cyrus says

    January 12, 2014 at 8:34 PM

    I’m buying a suit soon for the first time. Hope I buy it right!

  25. Insight_Incite says

    May 23, 2014 at 11:43 AM

    I have one of these (I realize this thread is 3 years old) but the quality is pretty impressive for the great price. And the pocket square pocket is actually functional! (Unlike on a lot of cheaper suits)

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Men's Fashion or Affordable Style?

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