Win it: The Bonobos Foundation Suit in Standard or Slim

Bonobos Navy Marzatto Foundation Suit – $685.00

Remember when Bonobos just sold pants?

Those days are long gone. Bonobos is one of the more recognizable names to web-savvy, style-appreciating guys, and it’s not just about their pants anymore. Their customer service “ninjas” shuttle out everything from denim to shirts, and blazers to suits. All of which seem to follow the row that their washed chinos hoed. An excellent fit that’s trim but not tight, updated without being trendy. And their suiting is no exception.

Their Foundation suits come in either Navy, Medium Gray, or Charcoal (winner gets their choice), and they’re cut from premium wool from the Italian textile company Marzotto. And that fabric is awfully nice. Smooth but with texture, it’s not some wimpy wool that can’t handle getting the hell worn out of it. Yet it’s still plenty lightweight and moves extremely well. Drape is excellent. There’s a solid feeling chest piece in the jacket, and it’s a half canvas. And the shoulders… oh man, the shoulders. On the pit side, the arm holes are nice and high. No pulling when you move around. Up top, these have to be some of the slimmest shoulder pads out there. It’s a suit, but when it comes to feel? You’ll forget you’re wearing a suit.

An unaltered 38R . Maybe could use some waist suppression for a 5’10” 170lb frame. Maybe.

The Standard fit on Bonobos suiting (shown above) is nothing like those ugly, boxy, “classic” square cuts. Standard for Bonobos is anything but “classic” for a department store. It’s quite updated. So much so that if you’ve got an athletic frame with broad shoulders and a stronger chest, you might be able to get away without having any tailoring done at the sides.

The button stance is slung a little bit lower but not obnoxiously low. If you prefer your jackets to be traditional in length, know that these do run a touch short, but it passed the cupped-hands test (which sounds awkward) for me. Lapels are 2.5″ in width but look a little larger thanks to the visual weight of some noticeable pick stitching. Sleeve buttons are non functioning, and the sleeve length on a 38R seems to be thankfully average. Some of you guys might be able to get away with wearing this thing off the rack (or, out of the box since it’s Bonobos). All jackets have a Bemberg lining, come with dual vents, and the pants have a 37″ inseam so your tailor can hem them up.

And good news for you real slim fellas. Like their shirts and pants, they’ve just launched a true “slim” fit (scroll down to the bottom and you’ll see it). Adjustments have been made to both the pants and jacket:

• Slim Fit Jacket: 1 1/2″ smaller in the waist & 3/4″ shorter than the standard.
• Slim Fit Pant: 1 1/4″ smaller leg opening in addition to a 1″ smaller hip measurement.

Note the 3/4″ shorter in the jacket adjustment. If you’re a borderline tall, and you’re real thin, that means you’re going to want to strongly consider the tall option. And if it doesn’t fit? There’s always the Bonobos Ninjas and their quick + easy free returns.

Enter here to win (update: Entries are closed) either a grey, charcoal, or navy Foundation Suit from Bonobos. One entry per person. Deadline for entry is 11:59 pm ET 8/17/13. Thanks to Bonobos for helping us wrap up Reader Appreciation Week strong.

Update: Congrats to Ralph K. of Jersey City who won either the Standard or Slim fit Bonobos Foundation Suit in whichever color he prefers! Thanks once again to Bonobos for helping us finish off Reader Appreciation Week strong.