Combatant Gentlemen Slim or Modern Fit Suits – $160.00
“Not for the uninitiated.”
That’s what the tag on the inside lining of a Combat Gent suit reads.
But what does that actually mean? It sounds good, and it looks just fine on the inside of the jacket, but what does that really mean? It’s a little foggy. And that lack of clarity, while still looking/sounding better than average, pretty much sums up Combat Gent Suiting.
The Fabric & Details
In the past few months Combat Gentlemen has been everywhere. They got on TechCrunch. They were on the Men’s Journal site. There’s even a lengthy discussion on Threads where one of the founders and CEO jumped in. But details seemed to be a little hard to come by. Stuff like “Super 140s wool”, “the finest materials” and the word “damn” (especially the word “damn”) are all over the Combat Gent website. The brand squawks quite a bit. But in reality, they’re good. Not all that… uh… “damn” mind-blowing.
The Modern Fit’s Fabric. 40% poly and odd labels. Surprise.
Two suits were ordered for testing: A navy shadow stripe (they call it pinstripe) Modern Fit as well as a solid navy Slim Fit. First to arrive was the shadow stripe. You immediately notice that it sure doesn’t feel like crazy-high-quality wool out of the box. That’s because it’s not. This Modern Fit suit is 60% wool, and 40% polyester. Now, they never said on the product page that this one uses Super 140s wool, but they do make mention of that on the general suit page. And there’s no mention, apparently anywhere, that this thing is 40% poly. The fabric is decent for sure, but knowing the high percentage or polyester ahead of time is something that needs to be disclosed.
The Modern Fit shadow stripe also came with a strange “Super 120’s” & “Renoir” label attached to the sleeve with plastic thread. Super 120’s what? Wool? To be blended with 40% polyester? Doesn’t say on that tag. Starting to feel a little mislead here. And when it came to removing that tag, tiny, but still noticeable holes were left in the sleeve.
The Slim Fit: 100% wool, but not luxurious. Inexpensive feeling buttons on both fits.
The next to arrive was the slim fit, solid navy option. This one had a tag on the interior that said “100% Wool”. But Super 140s? Really?The higher the number on a wool rating, the finer the fibers used to create the fabric. And once you get north of 120, it becomes outrageously soft. If you’ve ever handled super 140s wool, you know it’s so soft that it feels downright delicate. The wool on the Combat Gent suit feels like good, durable, above average department-store suiting fabric. Like something you’d get on an Alfani Red from Macy’s. But not like something you’d feel on a Suitsupply with Super 120s or higher. It’s good, not luxurious.
Despite boasting about “Bullhorn Buttons”, they’re one of the cheaper looking details of the suit. Pretty lifeless, and they feel like plastic (no matter what they’re made of). And that’s not a problem on a $160 suit, as long as you’re not singing the praises of that detail pre-purchase.
Wearing the Modern Fit, holding the Slim fit. Rough gig.
The Construction & Layout
Construction feels well above average for a $160 suit. It wears and drapes pretty well, and they claim they’ve got a half canvas in there. The chest piece does feel substantial without being thick and weighty, and you’re not fighting against it as you walk along. Shoulder pads are there, but not huge. Lining appears to be a 65% poly / 35% rayon blend. At least, that’s what it says on the tag of the Modern Fit suit. There’s no mention of the lining material inside the Slim Fit. Button stance seems medium to maybe a touch high. Drop on the Slim Fit jacket is a little bit shorter, while the Modern Fit is more traditional. 2.5″ Ludlow-like slim notch lapels on the slim fit, with 3″ notch lapels on the more generous Modern Fit. Both jackets have side vents in the back. Looks like both are made in China.
The Fit
The Slim: This is a true slim. A 38R fits noticeably tighter compared to, say, a Suitsupply Napoli or J. Crew Factory Thompson. These have hacking pockets as well, and the slant along with the super trim fit gives it a bit of an angular look. Not everyone is going to be okay with that. And the pants. Whoa. No vanity sizing in the waist. I was able to get the 32 on, and it was comfortable, but I won’t be eating a huge meal in these things, that’s for sure.
Left: Slim. Too slim. Right: Modern. Would be good with some tailoring.
The Modern: A little more room all over. Most would need to have the waist suppressed a touch, but it’s not a box. Traditional pockets here, and a 3″ lapel. Pants are a little more generous in the waist and through the leg.
The Bottom Line
These are solid suits for the price, and they sit above many of the options you’ll find at Macy’s that’ll usually cost you more (Alfani Red for instance). But the problem is with how their language and descriptions strut. Lots of talk, but not nearly as much substance to back that talk up. “Super 140s wool” BUT… it’s 60% wool and 40% poly. “Bullhorn buttons”… BUT they sure look and feel like regular ol’ plastic. “We leave no stone un-turned” BUT… the plastic T-threads that attached the tag to the Modern Fit suit left tiny holes in the sleeve. There’s a lot of “buts” there. And it’s awfully odd that on the 60% wool / 40% Modern Fit suit there was a tag that said “Super 120s”, yet on the supposed Super 140s all wool suit, there was no such labeling to be found.
Combat is right. They’re decent, but you’ll be left fighting to figure out just what the heck you got for your $160.
Sounds pretty lame to me–like the opposite of Everlane’s “radical transparency.” Radical opacity? Something like that.
Thanks Joe! I have been looking at these and just couldn’t put the money down because there too many unknowns regarding this. Who mixes Super 140s or 120s wool? However, these seem it might be decent for a “beater” suit to wear at work while still looking polished, would you agree?
I’m so confused…
Is it Combat Gent or Combatant Gent? Their website says one thing but their labels say another.
Excellent, unadulterated review. Just what I was looking for. Thank you!
Excellent – these suits definitely piqued my curiosity. Any chance of an upcoming review of their shirts?
For the price, it seems like something of decent value, especially if it’s half canvassed. However, the over-use of buzz words is actually a buzz kill. Can I live with it now that I’ve been educated, probably. However, if I ordered this off the misinformation presented, I’d be ticked.
I’m not all that old, but I remember when Super 80s were only used in “Lexus-grade” off the rack suits, such as Brooks Bros. Golden Fleece or Hickey-Freeman, and Super 100s in custom suits or perhaps in Oxxford or Dunhill Tailors off-the-rack. Super 120s were unheard of – maybe Scabal sold them, but I doubt it.
Methinks there aren’t any real standards in that sort of labeling anymore.
From what I have read “Super xxx” wool is a lot of like thread count in sheets. No real standard.
So how is it compared to the JCP Claireborne slim fit suit?
+1 to Joe for “radical honesty” in his review.
But there was a standard at one point, and that standard is still in use, seemingly legitimately, by other brands (Suitsupply, J. Crew, Indochino too). For example, you won’t see a J. Crew Factory suit with “Super 120s” on it.
Must be the Christmas season, I remember asking for this and now it has come to pass -thank you.
Scout’s honor, I had never noticed that… even while taking photos of the tags, etc… Updated the link at the top of the post to say “combatant gentleman”. Good catch.
On the topic of lower priced mail order suits, can anyone speak to the quality of iTailor? I ordered a shirt from them the same time I ordered a suit/shirt/tie combo from Indochino. The shirt wasn’t comparable to the Indo one but the quality to price ratio was pretty level.
These move better than the Claiborne. But I prefer the styling/silhouette of the claiborne more (not as short of a jacket, no hacking pockets) if we’re comparing the all wool exterior slim fits. I’d personally take the 60/40 wool poly “athletic” fit option over the Claiborne, but it’d need work done on the sides of the jacket. that, and I don’t like shadow stripes myself.
Joe, were you able to field test the suits under live combat situations?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUVhbRmhn_w
so basically its actually a really good value, but they promise way more then they deliver? Sounds like the marketing is run by a 10 year old but if the suit is decent I’d take the risk. Anyone know how their return policy is?
Who’s the girl introducing Jackie Chan at the beginning of the clip? IMDB is failing me.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
The review mentions the athletic and slim fits, but all I see on the site is modern and slim. Is the modern a 1:1 switch with the athletic listed above?
Thanks Joe. I was wondering about these guys since they started popping up on my FB feed. I’ll stick with SuitSupply.
Thought they were called Athletic fit at one point. Updated above.
Thank you so much for using piqued properly. I’m sick and tired of seeing writers’ curiosity “peaked” all over the web.
Hey guys – I’m more than happy to answer anyones questions live and direct! 🙂
You can e-mail me directly at vishaal@combatgent.com
Please keep in mind we just launched our suit line about 6 mos. ago. We are iterating often. Messing with Fit and, fabrics, etc… We love the feedback and look forward to getting better and better with all these notes.
Thanks again for the review Joe – these pics are great!
We titled them the Modern fit suit – for the athletic build. Sorry for the confusion.
Thanks,
Hey Jigstraw & Joe,
It’s Combatant Gentlemen (CombatGent) for short.
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
Hey Pierce,
I think there is a bit of confusion here.
The wool blend suit is our Modern Fit- It’s a 60/40 blend as stated. We just launched our new Slim Fit suits over the Holidays that were our first entrance into the 100% category.
(All of this is mentioned on the CG thread in the forums)
We are testing the 100% Modern Fit suit as we speak! I have a few members of this board who are currently helping w/ notes as well!
You are correct – we are meant to be an introductory suit line for those who need it most!
Thanks,
Hey William,
I do apologize for the lack of clarity. We will be making the changes to the site at once. In fact, we are transitioning to a much more exploratory and explainable platform for the New Year!
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
a few years back WSJ went out and actually tested the S number on a number of suits: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB116320267593320299
Four out of the six suits tested (including a Canali suit) turned out to have lower S numbers than advertised.
Nice review. I think I’ll get one.
I was surprised at how enthusiastic folks on the forum were about accepting the PR pitch. NIce to see a review that addresses many of my suspicions.
At some point I would love to see some sort of actual explanation of what is going on with the chest piece construction. I still refuse to believe that a company that was unwilling to invest in fabric that was higher than 60% natural and which is intentionally misleading about its fabric choices would actually invest in half canvassing instead of going all-in on the fusibles. Why save money on everything else but invest there? Is “Half-canvassed” the new “selvedge denim?” A once meaningful term now rendered useless as a signifier of quality?
Also: Renoir clothing is a California based label/importer. http://www.renoirclothes.com/ProductDetail-44.aspx I wonder if they are the same company or share ownership with Combatant Gentleman (still confused by the name)? Or if they’re both just re-selling/re-labeling the same suits?
Love it – Thanks Connor!
Love these notes.
Hey Chris,
Thanks for the input – Renoir is our trading partner. They make suits for a lot of the labels mentioned here. You can check out their factory page here 🙂 http://www.daiyin.com/English/index.asp
Please let me know if you have any further questions!
This is very confusing. Pick a name and stick with it. If other people want to abbreviate that’s fine, but there should be a single brand name it’s “officially” referred to.
Vishaal,
Can you comment on Chris’s question about half canvassed vs fusing?
Hey Tomservo,
Kindly noted- Our URL is combatgent.com used to shorten the length of the full name URL.
Will take that into consideration.
Thanks!
We have done both, currently the suits are half-canvassed. To clarify again we have done both. That’s not to say that we won’t do another fused suit. Because I think some fusing factories out there are really good at what they do and they offer a great alternative to a half-constructed light weight spring suit. There are pros/cons to both, but ultimately it depends on the factory you use.
Vishaal, thanks for the interaction on this forum. Just curious about the origins of the company name. Would seem to be an oxymoron (or maybe that IS the point), but I bet there is an interesting story behind it!
Hey Danshobiz,
You are correct! It is an oxymoron. We came up the name because we wanted to differ from the other fast fashion retailers out there. We wanted something that represented the young and driven male and we thought it had a sense of humor behind it, which is literally 90% of our (founders) lives.
And….. We had just finished binge-watching Entourage and we all equally pulled in attributes that we loved from “Ari Gold”. We were tossing some ideas around behind how we could best describe his character and the outcome was – he is a complete Combatant Gentleman.
Hope that helps!
So the suits are as good / comparable (personal style choices aside) to your “best suit under $200” choice for 2013? That seems like a pretty important point.
The review wasn’t written to compare/contrast everything that’s out there (but there is an “affordable suit hierarchy” post on the list for early 2014) and I honestly wasn’t even thinking of the $130 Claiborne (over here: https://dappered.com/2013/08/the-best-under-200-suit-of-2013/ ) when this was shot & written. The Claiborne, for me & many others, wouldn’t need much if any tailoring. So, $120 – $150 depending on the sales. The Modern Fit 60/40 from combat gent would need the sides taken in for sure. so, tack on however much extra for that. That means it’s starting to sniff the Factory Thompson $200 range, and despite those being fused, I’d take a Thompson in a heartbeat.
I also don’t like surprises.
The marketing campaign is a little too bro-tastic for my taste. I’ll stick to the Claiborne and JCF Thompson for my lower-cost suiting. I’m not old, but I’m still a grown-a$$ man. I prefer companies that present themselves similarly. Besides, Ari Gold acted like a douche and the Entourage aesthetic should be left in the frat house.
Fair enough, I wasn’t suggesting that everything be a compare and contrast, more just that it was good context and thought it deserved to be pointed out.
I was about to get upset about the vague information, but then i saw the price
The name, the obnoxious use of buzzwords, the lack of transparency is a major turn off. Seems like their marketing department is ran by a guy who wears too much axe body spray and calls everybody “bro”.
Thanks for the post! I nearly spent $160 that could have been spent on a more quality suit. $160 isn’t a bad price for those looking to switch out their bulky/baggy, american-style suit, though, so this could be a good option. I love your posts and rundowns, Joe. They are elaborate enough without getting too wordy and have plenty of personality and flair. Much Thanks.
Comments should not be closed for ANY post
I purchased a slim white oxford shirt from them a month ago. The fit was good (although the bottom is quite long), but the fabric left much to be desired, especially at $35. As you can see in the image, the top right of the shirt next to the collar had some discoloration and the fabric seemed pulled or torn.
Emailed their customer service (info@combatgent.com) about it, never heard anything back. It’s also odd that they don’t allow reviews on their website. Haven’t tried their suits, but definitely wouldn’t recommend their shirts. Overall I’m disappointed with the experience…guess I’ll stick with Brooks Brothers extra slim fit during sales.
Decided to order the 3 piece slim black suit. My normal profile of suits would be Hugo Boss slim/red label/euro cut, 2 button, no pleated slight taper for pants. I am 5’8″ 150lbs slim athletic build. I ordered the 36 and 38 short, just to try both sizes and return one. 30 in waste in the pant, only size they had left. Depending on the brand i can fit 28, 29.
I normally wear 36s in suits but it was recommended by CG to go up one for the slim. I decided to order both sizes to save time..ill just return the other. The jacket fits as well as you can get of the rack, not bad considering i have never ordered a suit online. So far so good. I believe the new slims are now 100% wool as the tag on the inside indicates. Previously they were partial wool. The feel is nice and as the article said it does seem above grade of department store brand suits. Definitely not a zegna or hugos 120s and up but considering the price a good bargain. Bottom line on the coat and vest thumbs up.
The only major gripe i have is the pant. The pant fits fine in the waste with a little room. The issue is that they are not slim at all. These pants seem actually baggy in the legs if not wide. The pant doesnt seem to match the rest of the suits “slim fit” image. Just doesnt look cohesive as a suit.The jacket looks slim the pants seem American style wide leg, if not baggy. Looking at the CG website i was thinking maybe the models just made the pants look baggy , but the pictures online are on point. If you look at the bottom of the pant leg on the CG website for the slim fit suits they actually look like they cover a lot of the shoe. Not a good look when slim/trim if not tailored look is what your going for. Being that the 3 piece is 200, i will take it to the tailor to see if they can take in the legs by almost two inches for each leg and slightly taper it. I have never had to do this, ever,,, for any suit in the slim to trim fits..its always been hemming the leg. If it will cost me $80 or more to take in the legs , so it doesnt look like my pants are eating my shoes, then i may end up returning my entire purchase.
Any planned changes to the pants CG?
What does “Combat” or “Combatant” Have to do with your brand? Why the name choice? Story behind it?
so since the pants fit snug as your saying. should we order a size up? and just get them tailored back down you think?
So 6 months after this review, seems like the CG people took some of this to heart. The item description says its made in China, lined in a poly/rayon blend, has a 36″ unhemmed seam, and has faux bullhorn buttons. Free shipping both ways, too! The bro-y-ness has been toned down for sure. Don’t know if I’d go with them over my claiborne suit, but at least they took what you had to say seriously
I am 5’5″ 140 pounds and have very small shoulders. Have been wearing 36s and even 35s but my shoulders are still swimming in these. I was reading the positive reviews of the J Crew Factory Thompson worsted wool suits and just got a navy w/ slim pants and a grey w/ slim pants. Each 2 piece suit came to $250. Today my co-worker overheard of my recent purchase and told me about Combatant Gentlemen and I was floored about the $160 price for a two piece 100% wool suit, let alone someone who carried a 34s which is extremely hard to find. Ordered the charcoal and pinstripe slim 34s with 30 pant. I called just to confirm my order went through and I am glad I did because the lady proceeded to tell me that my pants were backordered for 3-4 weeks. I switched to the slim black pinstripe suit and should receive it in 4-5 days. I am a bit nervous about the fitting of the suit since most reviews noticed the jacket and pants being very slim and the customer service person even suggested sizing up and their websites sizing tool said I should wear a 40s(yah right…). Either way I will do a comparison and post in the next week or so.
Just bought a CG suit but I do have a SuitSupply suit. SuitSupply has more of a vast selection of styles and fabrics but the cheapest suit costs $400 which is 2.5 times more than a CG suit and is just bellow the price of a BR or J-Crew suit (maybe with coupon). I think CG sees a need in the market for well made affordable suits. Think about all the college kids that need suits for interviews or internships and first jobs but don’t have the $800 for a Brooks Brothers. Or think about the men like me who are 5’5″ and 140 lbs and a 38s or 36s from a department store are still too big. My boss wheres Turnbull and Asser suits which are a couple grand and he has a rotation of 3-4 of them and he has worn them for many years. At $160 with CG and even SS to degree I can buy a new suit every year, heck for every occasion.
Even though JCP/Claiborne offers 100% wool slim fit suits in size 34, they are really tough to come buy. The Claibornes are the cheapest suits especially with sale.coupon and the JCF suits are very very reasonable with sale/coupons, but that means your waiting for a sale or coupon to pop up. Yesterday I just ripped my Calvin and Klein wool and cashmere suit pants beyond repair. I can’t wait days, weeks, or months for the next sale or my size to show up
so which size did you take? 36s or 38s? I wear a 34s but cs also recommended sizing up to 36s, but choice not to and I am awaiting my order. I do however have really small shoulders
36s was the correct fit not the recommended 1 size higher. i did get the pants slimmed down. it cost me $50 to take in the legs. total $250 over all. you may want to take a look at dragon inside. taylored for close to the same price and good reviews all the way around.
Just received mine. Bought the $160 black pinstripe slim fit suit in 34s and 30″ pant and 32″ pant since CG said I should size up on the pants.
So the fabric is light and looks too be Hugo Boss quality. There is a good amount of detail on the suit. Compared to a J Crew Factory the CG suit has better arm length (shorter) but feels tighter in arm holes and slightly tighter in the mid section. The JCF suit has sort of an un structured feel with its thin pliable wool while the CG defiantly has a more modern American look and feel in the shoulder region. The shoulders even for a 34s are slightly big and show divots.
My problem with the slim fit is the pants. I am a 29.5″ waist and I can comfortably wear a 30″, but I was told to get a 32″ since the slim fit pants run small. I tried on the 30″ and it was a struggle to button them and when I got them on I didn’t feel comfortable sitting down consistently with out splitting the back open. The 32″ defiantly fit but the waist had at least 1″ of extra room. The pants were considerably less slim and looked almost like a modern fit or slightly baggy. So it was either sticking with the 30″ pant and having the slim fit look but having the possibility of splitting the pants. The 32″ was too big on the waist and a tad bit baggy. I kept the 32″ because their is no extra fabric on the pants to let out and the 30″ was just too small and too tight.
So for alterations it will probably be $25. Is the suit worth $185? Yes. Would I buy again? Probably, but the pants sizes running small is just plain annoying. So advice to CG, make your slim fit pants true to size or provide extra fabric to let out the pant
The armholes are pretty low which is why the shoulder pop out and divot. If they were higher like a JC/JCF the shoulder would hug more.