J. Crew Factory Thompson Tuxedo Jacket & Matching Pant – $297 ($496)
They made a what now? Wow. Well, it just got a whole heck of a lot easier to do this:
Assholery at it’s finest (by the way, farmers? Thanks once again for, y’know, the food). And that’s two appearances by Mr. Donaghy in one day. Anyway…
Didn’t see this coming. Pretty sure no one was expecting J. Crew Factory to crank out a Tux anytime soon. They continue to carve out their own space when compared to their big brother, full line J. Crew. And while there seems to be a real market for affordable tuxedos (better to buy than wear a crappy rental), there’s not a ton of options out there. Hilfiger is good, but the shoulder pads are pretty thick. Suitsupply doesn’t make a $399 or $469 option.
$300 now, but you’d think with future codes & sales, it’d dip to the mid $200s.
And so, in steps J. Crew Factory. Made in their Thompson cut, it’s a wool/poly blend (no word on what the %s are), and sizes start at 36S. That’s good news for the slighter fellas. But there are some odd design choices on this one.
- It’s a notch lapel, and many prefer peak or shawl (the more traditional options).
- Buttons aren’t covered. Just standard, business suit buttons.
- Pocket flaps (usually tux jackets don’t have em’)
- Dual vents in the back (traditionally, a tuxedo might skip the vent(s) entirely)
So it sorta ends up being a black, notch lapel suit with satin stripes down the pant leg and satin on the lapels. Looks like a Tux for sure, but enough so that it’ll be the go-to for grooms-to-be on a budget?
So would you wear it / invest in this? Would you go for something more expensive? Or would you turn to the GQ-suggested theblacktux.com for a $110 rental? What’s your preferred, black-tie option guys? Let’s hear it.
Ah notch is a killer
It’s basically a black suit. Rather rent the mind night blue tux for $120.
I would possibly buy it if it were a peak lapel. I picked up an Alfani Black tux a few months ago (for $179) after all the Macy’s discounts which I think looks quite a bit better than this.
If you’re at the point in your life where you’re considering investing in a tux, as opposed to continuing to rent, a $300 tuxedo with some incredibly poor design choices and presumably questionable quality is not the way to go.
To be fair, with the exception of the lack of peak lapel & shawl collar options, the regular J.Crew tuxedo options suffer from the same “design flaws”. They all have regular buttons, pocket flaps, and dual vents in the back.
Edit: Originally thought that if these dipped into low 200’s territory, that I would pick one up. However, I think I’d rather spend that money elsewhere and just rent $100-150 tux whenever I need one (not very often).
It’s also two button, rather than the traditional one.
Buttons can be replaced, and pocket flaps can probably be tucked away. But notch and double button? I’ll pass.
Right with you there, my tux gets the hell beat out of it during gigs. I personally prefer to buy used though, as there’s a store near me (Keezers, for any of you in the Boston area) that deals extensively in used and overstock formalwear at great prices
Yeah I don’t know. It basically looks like a black Thompson suit with satin on the lapel. It honestly just doesn’t look as formal as a tux, and if I’m going to a black tie event, I don’t want to look like I’m just wearing a black suit.
“Your fit would be better” is a stretch for some. Maybe for many. Indochino is great for some people, but I ended up just throwing in the towel on mine and calling it a loss, and I’m not the only one.
Lots of odd design choices that would make me hesitant, most of which you listed. I actually ordered an Indochino tux for my upcoming wedding and got exactly what I wanted (peak lapel, single button, no vents, no flaps, brace buttons, etc…). I wouldn’t recommend going that direction until you get all the kinks worked out with Indochino on another suit or two. (The traveling tailor is coming back through DC in a few weeks). You find yourself a 20% off coupon code, like I did, and you’re back down to about $360 shipped for exactly what you want. No compromises.
As far as theblacktux.com goes, I’m outfitting the groomsmen through their service, but don’t let the $110 for a peak tuxedo rental fool you… once you add a self-tie bow tie ($10), patent leather shoes ($20), cummerbund ($15) or braces ($10), shirt if you want everyone to match ($15), studs ($5), cufflinks ($5)… you just threw another $70 on top and now my groomsmen have to spend $180. Don’t let the pics fool you either, their “braces” only come with clips, not buttons since they bury in the fine print that their pants don’t come with brace buttons.
It’s real tough to find exactly what you want under the $400 threshold when it comes to formalwear….
Here’s a real wildcard: http://www.menswearhouse.com/mens-clothes/formalwear/tuxedos/michael-kors-white-shawl-collar-modern-fit-dinner-jacket-112U112V25?cm_mmc=Channel%20Advisor-_-Comparison%20Shopping-_-GooglePLA-_-Shopping%20Feed&CAWELAID=130002740000051421&catargetid=1681977543&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla
Choices! Not Flaws!
But good catch. I didn’t realize that the mainline J. Crew tuxes even went with regular buttons. Hmm.
100% polyester – whoa
Hmmm..at the regular price, it’s coming close to the $499 I paid for my 3-piece Hugo Boss tuxedo at the Hugo Boss outlet.This was several years ago, so I don’t know how the Boss outlets work now. And, of course, that tux is a little big on me now.
Actually, the one issue that is the dealbreaker for me is something not mentioned in the list above…the belt loops on the pants. I can go with the notch lapel and dual vents (many modern tuxes have them), the buttons can be replaced for a few dollars, and the pocket flaps can be tucked in. But the belt loops are a no go for me. I don’t know anyone who would wear a tux with a belt. I guess you could hide the loops with a cumberbund (but then you’d have to, well, wear one).
So it’s a black suit with shiny lapels.
You shouldn’t be paying retail for the JCF Thompson suits – they’re pretty good, but their full retail price is close enough to SuitSupply that there’s no reason to go JCF. But they go on sale early and often, so the retail prices are basically fictional.
I own the Hilfiger notch tux and I prefer that. Pure wool, covered buttons, proper length, etc
Good call. Belt loops are out of place.
Definitely not a tux, just a suit with some satin on it, and not even 100% wool at that. I’d say if you’re going to go in this price range, you’re better off not trying to pretend its a tux and just getting a black suit that is all wool, in which case the Claiborne would be a good bet.
Now, if you are even thinking about renting, why not ebay? theblacktux is $200 all in for a rental, which is pretty much the cost anywhere you rent, and its just a waste of money. You can get a much higher quality used tux that actually looks right on ebay for much less. And it will probably have been worn less than any rental. Plus you can get it tailored perfectly and look like you know what you’re doing. I picked up a Hugo Boss Sky/Gala (shawl collar) for $200 and an Armani Collezioni (peak collar) for $60. Both have no vents, one button, jetted pockets, and are made of decent quality wool (the Armani being much nicer than the Boss). For $250 max (or slightly over $100) you can get a well-tailored, high quality tux that is actually a tux and doesn’t wear like a bag.
Unlike lapels and and the two-button front, though, belt loops can easily be removed by any competent tailor. I agree that it’s not ideal but it can be easily remedied. The other design issues make it a no-go for me.
Looking forward to the day I need to pull the trigger on a tux (maybe summer time!)
While pricier than most, the SuitSupply tux package is hard to beat (tux, shirt, bowtie, shoes). Saw it in person at the store this week, and its pretty damn slick.
I’m aware. I don’t buy things from JCF unless they’re on sale with an extra 40% off or so. Nevertheless, they’ve positioned it at $469, and that’s why I added the qualifying phrase “at the regular price.” At the discounted price, it’d be a great beater tux as some other guys (musicians, etc.) have mentioned here.
Same and I even had mine done by the traveling tailor…..
I would go with Suit Supply. I’d want all the traditional tux flair – the wide peak lapels, the covered buttons, etc. A tux is something worth splurging on. In theory, as long as you stay in shape, this is something you could wear for the rest of your life.
This is less of a “would I wear it?” and more of a “when will I buy it?” If it were midnight blue it would be on order.
Online MTM is a disaster waiting to happen, and more frequently a big pain. I’ve seen more mediocre-to-horrible results than satisfactory results. One member on Threads was actually satisfied with the way his online MTM suits turned out, but bought some SuitSupply suits and was happier with those after a little tailoring.
The benefit of true, in-person MTM or bespoke tailoring is that the suit is made to the customer’s body, or altered based on the way it fits the customer’s body, in a setting where the tailor and the customer both see what needs to be changed and how. That benefit is lost in the online MTM process, where the suit is produced from a generic template that is altered according to measurements provided by the customer. Online MTM is the equivalent of sending a suit you’ve never tried on to be tailored by someone who’s never laid eyes on you. The result is a suit that typically fits no better, and frequently fits much worse, than a decent OTR suit.
My view toward online MTM is that unless your body type is so unusual that you cannot wear OTR suits, making minor alterations to a high-quality OTR suit will always have as good or better a result.
You can tuck the pocket flaps into the pockets for a cleaner look. No big deal. The notch lapels are a lot more questionable. I first saw this tux a few days ago and I would have bought it on the spot if it were a shawl or peak one-button.
In any case, I’m glad to see J.Crew Factory stepping up and filling a pretty significant void in terms of affordable, well-fitting tuxes. The only other tuxes I can think of in a similar price range are Calvin Klein/Tommy Hilfiger/Alfani, which IIRC leave a lot to be desired in terms of fit, especially around the arms and shoulders. The JCF tux is a good, though not perfect, middle option for someone contemplating an ill-fitting rental for cheap or SuitSupply/J.Crew/Bonobos for nearly $1,000.
My observation is that J.Crew Factory tends to play it safe with their more expensive products, especially when they’re selling it for the first time. Its earliest suits were two styles in charcoal and one in navy blue. Its other “big ticket” items – outerwear – have also been very conservative in both color and design.
I suspect JCF regards the black-suit-as-tux to be a “safer” option than having to redesign the Thompson’s lapels and button stance to make a more traditional tuxedo. Undoubtedly a lot of shoppers aren’t educated or picky enough about evening wear to make the distinction. But hopefully JCF will branch into a less suit-like, more traditional variation if its current suit-like tux sells well.
I was thinking about that too. For someone who plays in their community band or orchestra, this would make great “beater” concert black, and who really cares about lapels when you’re playing in the back row anyway?
THIS. But to be fair, for the average guy (read: mass market) notch is probably the safest bet.
Mayyyyyybe. The instances that I woudl need to wear a tux would be few and far between, considering that in my 26 years of life, I’ve only worn a tux once. Thus, I might be ok getting a cheap tux that would look a hell of a lot better than a rental.
On the other hand, if actually have an occasion to wear a tux, I’d wanna knock it out of the park. I’d want a *tux*.
And, they just added a black wool Thompson suit and this pretty great looking linen/cotton navy herringbone that I’m guessing is the same blend as the brown one: http://factory.jcrew.com/AST/Factory/FactoryBrowse/FactoryEarlyAccess/early_access/early_access_2014/Men/PRDOVR~64505/64505.jsp
I just bought the the full tux for 240 bucks at JCF. Totally worth it. I’d have to agree that the double button and collar are less than ideal, but my other tux is in shambles from being worn so often and I needed a quick replacement. Fits perfectly and totally worth it!