Fit To Serve

No matter how many times we hear them, some bits of wisdom always ring profound. And, especially so when they come from gurus like Will of A Suitable Wardrobe who never lets up on the critical sartorial matter of fit.

“Fit should be the principal goal that anyone has for their clothes,” says Will. “A man in inexpensive clothes that fit him is going to look better than a man wearing expensive ready to wear garments with a big ripple behind his jacket neck, sleeves that hang down to his knuckles and extra trouser cloth puddling on his shoes.”

So what can a man do to get fit off the rack? “He needs to take responsibility for buying the right size in the first place -- the key in my opinion is to stick with a maker once it is established that that maker's clothes are complementary. And then take the stuff to an independent alterations tailor, preferably an older European from somewhere in the south who has been doing the work for thirty or forty years.”

Opportunity Knocks

It's no secret that the consignment business is booming, which has led to the influx of some really nice pieces onto eBay. Ask Andy "senior member" and eBay "power seller" Mack11211 just unloaded some exceptional specimens online, including this brown flannel Paul Stuart jacket, which retails for $1,200. Starting bid: $50. 

Worried about fit? Completely justified. The solution? Pop in to Paul Stuart and try on a few jackets for size - Paul Stuart flagship - 10 E 45th St between 5th & Madison - 212-682-0320 - Map    

Oh, and don't forget to check out the Paul Stuart sale online.

Place Your Bets

Ryan over at h(y)r collective just pulled the trigger on this grey wool-cashmere suit for just $230 at Club Monaco. We'd actually hesitate to spend so little on a suit, fearing we'd merely be wasting money on visibly-poor quality, a poor fit, and no shelf-life. Ryan seems happy with his purchase now, but, in the name of science, we plan to put him on the spot and ask him if he feels the same way after a few outings in his new suit. To be continued...       

Princes And Peacocks

Will of A Suitable Wardrobe takes a crack at describing the subtle differences between British and Italian traditional men's wear.

"First and foremost, Italian style is about dressing to look good," he writes. "Turning the ladies' heads is part of the game. This is radically different from British style, which has historically been about dressing to fit in." [ASW]

Trad 'N True

These days, everyone’s turning out recession-ready shopping advice. Everyone. But, we’re still surprised to see Will of A Suitable Wardrobe adding his two cents. This is a style consultant who advises some of his clients to budget $25K a year. On clothes.

His advice? Invest in fully accessorizing one suit color -- with matching ties, shirts, shoes, etc. -- before investing in other suit colors. Simply because ties cost less than suits, this method minimizes cost while maximizing variety. 

F'ing Genius

An intelligent and provocative discussion on men’s style? Well, Men.Style could just be toying with us here, but its new ‘Style Sages’ segment has huge potential to gets guys talking and thinking about some serious sartorial matters. (The best part of this inaugural clip is when featured author Alan Flusser delivers the smack-down on Thom Browne.)

But, for the love of God, Men.Style, don't leave us hanging here. Whatever resources you’ve got, invest them all in Style Sages! Immediately! We’re begging you!

Bloomies Revival

So, we finally got to the bottom of that mysterious sale at Bloomies: It’s having a storewide sale for its credit card holders -- which anyone can become on the spot for free -- beginning next Wednesday, 10/29. We’re talking 30-40% off all suits and outerwear, 30% off all shoes, and 30% off pretty much everything else. 'Til then, cardholders can visit the store, and put their picks on hold.

Either way, we recommend checking out Bloomies' new mid-town men's department, which is undergoing an extensive overhaul, including tons of new labels like Trovata, Unis, and Paul Smith, to name  but a few.

In the area of suits, let us draw your attention to English label Aquascutum, for which Savile Row god Nick Hart is presently designing a mid-priced ready-to-wear line, which is only available at Bloomies. (Pictured above) The November issue of GQ, and the October issue of Wallpaper, both make mention of the suits, which retail for about $900. We tried them on. They rock. And, at 30%-40% off, Savile Row master tailoring has perhaps never been quite so attainable.

Bloomingdales - 59th St & Lexington Avenue - 212-705-2000 (Men's Suiting direct: 212-705-2980) - Map
Bloomingdales Soho - 504 Broadway between Spring & Broome (Where you won't find Aquascutum) - 212-729-5900 - Map

The Horror!

Portfolio.com explains what magic your tailor is, and is not, capable of working on that boxy suit of yours.

Need a smart tailor?

The Sartorialist keeps a handy “SartoriaList,” which catalogs the preferred tailors of New York’s best-dressed men (See who goes where):

• Dynasty Tailors (You might ask for Joseph) - 6 E 38th St between 5th & Madison - 212-679-1075 - Map

• Ignacio’s Tailor - 119 E 60th St between Park & Lex - 212-758-2747 - Map

• Leung’s Tailor - 1386 Lex Ave between 91st & 92nd- 212-860-6617 - Map

• L&S Custom Tailoring - 138 East 61st St nr Lex - 212-752-1638 - Map

• Mak’s Hong Kong Custom Tailors - 1218 Lex Ave between 82nd & 83rd - 212-249-6311 - Map

• Wilfred’s Tailor - 18 W 23rd St nr 5th - 212-242-3030 - Map

White Stripes

Esquire offers two helpful tutorials on how best to punch up your boring suit & tie routine.

The *first* illustrates how to do the brown shoe -- which was once thought unacceptable to pair with blue suits, but apparently no more.

The *second* explains how to properly execute stripes and other common suit patters. The cardinal sin in this area: Pairing two patterns -- on your shirt and suit -- too closely in scale.

Fuzzy Math

Earlier this year, Esquire named its picks for best suits under a $1,000.

Now, we confess that its best in show -- a Brooks Brothers blue two-piece for $498 -- is likely to remain unchallenged. But, we’re willing to bet that J. Crew’s new Italian slim-cut suit for $575 will hold its own quite well against Esquire’s other nom’s.

Buried Lead: This whole numbers game is fundamentally flawed anyway, because -- as The Beggar sets out to prove every day -- there’s no reason to pay full retail for anything.

At this very moment, Hart Schaffner Marx suits are selling at a measly $3oo; the same with Helmut Lang; and in just a matter of days the Barneys Warehouse Sale will unload mountains of high-end suits and jackets at a fraction of their sticker prices.

And that's to say nothing of the fantastic deals to be found at first-rate resale boutiques like Gentlemen's Resale on the Upper East Side, and Ina Men downtown.

Suit You

Esquire lists 7 key boxes to check off before pulling the trigger on your next suit purchase:

1. Shoulder pads end with your shoulders.

2. Your flat hand should slip easily into your suit under the lapels when the top (or middle) button is fastened. If you put a fist in, the suit should pull at the button.

3. The top button of a two-button suit -- or the middle button of a three-button suit -- should not fall below your navel.

4. With your arms at your sides, your knuckles should be even with the bottom of your jacket.

5. Jacket sleeves should fall where the base of your thumb meets your wrist.

6. Between a quarter and a half inch of shirt cuff should be visible.

7. One inch of break.

Rack 'Em Up

Trusty Will over at A Suitable Wardrobe tells us what passes these days for a suitable wardrobe, and just how much you should be prepared to spend on one:

I frequently advise clients to budget the acquisition of four articles of tailored clothing and two pairs of shoes each year, plus 25%-33% for accessories. The client's total budget determines how much can be spent on each item. So, for example, a bit more than $25,000 annually buys bespoke from Savile Row or Naples. Half that amount buys Hong Kong bespoke and MTO shoes, or $8,000 buys good quality ready to wear (call it Brooks Brothers and Alden).

Obviously the words "sale," "resale," and "Barney's-Warehouse-Sale" are not part of Will's vocabulary. Not that we begrudge him that.

[A Suitable Wardrobe]

The Wrinkle Test

In case you missed it, The Wall Street Journal recently subjected suits across a range of price-points to a vigorous quality test. [Click images to read the fine print]

Key takeaway: Donald Trump's name is worth dick.

Social Suicide

Click-through for a brief sartorial lesson from two industrious chaps having a blast these days fucking with fine menswear.

Also worth checking out, Cool Hunting profiled the London-based designers back in '06.

Suit Your Fit

Sartorial Divinity At $500

Topping off Esquire’s search for the perfect balance of craftsmanship and affordability, behold this blue two-piece from Brooks Brothers, which will run you just under $500.

Henry Sands Brooks -- who, in 1818, opened the first Brooks Brothers in New York City, “to make and deal only in merchandise of the finest quality, [and] to sell it at a fair profit” -- would be proud indeed.

Esquire Hearts 3-Figure Suits, Headless Models

Suits aren't the place to skimp, and buying one off-the-rack for under $1,000 makes me as comfortable as eating discount fugu fish... but Esquire knows its menswear, and this $600 number from Banana Republic's BR Monogram label looks very sharp.

Go ahead and check out the other contenders for best suit under $1,000, but be wary of shoddy construction and keep in mind that these bad boys are unlikely to stand the test of time.

The more daring amongst you might check out Esquire's picks for best suit under $2,000.