Best Affordable Style of 2023 – The Suit

The end of one year and the start of another means it’s time to hand out some awards. No there aren’t any little statues to pass along, but over the next few days we’ll still highlight some of the best in affordable men’s style from this past year. Feel free to send in additional nominations to joe@dappered.com.

Pricing Note: Spier extended their Boxing Day Sale so these Red Label suits are still fifty bucks off. Sale ends tonight though (Wednesday 1/3/24).

 

Spier and Mackay Red Label Half Canvas Suits – $248 ($298)

Good luck finding the following combination anywhere else for under $300:

• Half canvas construction.
• 100% merino wool.
• Lightly padded shoulders.
• Tailored but not tight fit.
• Easy to tailor, non functioning sleeve cuff buttons.
• Eleven colors/fabrics to pick from.

And that’s why Spier’s extra affordable, debuted earlier this year, Red Label line wins this year’s “Dappy” for best suit.

Okay so what’s the catch? The catch is (cracks open boring textbook)… economies of scale.

Translation: They make a lot of these suits with the intent on fitting the most people possible (most common body type chest-to-waist ratios). Also, when compared to their other, nicer suits, the Red Label takes a slight step back on the fabric as well as some of the bits and pieces like buttons, interior lining, etc. They also come in just one fit (their other suits come in either Slim or a more athletic Contemporary Fit.) The Red Label’s fit is called “tailored,” which is supposed to land somewhere between their slim and contemporary templates.

TL;DR: They’re nice, and a great choice for someone with a not too out-of-the-ordinary body type, who also doesn’t wear suits all the time.

These are true nested suits and not suit separates. So to figure out what waist size the trousers will come in, take the jacket size you’re after, subtract-6 (so a 40R jacket comes with a 34 pant waist,) and then your local tailor should be able to adjust up to 1.5″ for a better fit. Trouser legs also come unfinished, so those’ll need to be hemmed, but that’s pretty standard for suits that aren’t sold as separates.

Full, original review can be found here if you’d like it.

Also receiving votes:

• Suitsupply’s $499 “Perrenial” line
• Banana Republic’s (when 40% off) Signature Italian Nailhead Wool Suit Jackets & matching Trousers
• The Brooks Brothers Made in Italy or USA 1818 line
• When on significant sale… The Brooks Brothers less-expensive, made from Italian wool (V.B.C.) “Explorer” line of Suit Separates
• For the hard to fit: Oliver Wicks online made to measure (one of those companies where you take a tape measure and give them a bunch of data, and then they make a suit and ship it to you)