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basically as above. Don't want a cheapo suit from burtons/topman or the like. Are M&S any good? opinions please!
You really can't go wrong with M&S. Suits and underwear, job done.
Go for wool, single breasted, twin vent, in a navy blue. Smart, timeless and last for ages.
My M&S suits are OK. The Italian one fits me well, and the cheapo one happened to be my size at £15 in a charity shop!
:o)
What UH said, but charcoal grey.
Any outlet stores near you?
Designer suits at cheapo prices...
I found the Jeff Banks (?) ones at Debenhams to fit better than the M&S stuff and the material felt better too.
+1 for M&S.
Go for one of the tailored ones though and make sure that it is not a shiny material. Alternatively, you could try TM Lewin. They had some nice stuff in last time I popped by, plus they have nice shirts.
I'd agree that single breasted is the way forward, but I would be tempted to go for a charcoal grey (not quite black), maybe with a slight pinstripe. Nothing too outlandish though, so no huge or bright pinstripes.
Double cuffed cotton shirt and cufflinks (sensible ones) and you are away.
Mind you, I have always fancied a nice tweed suit...
Go for wool, single breasted, twin vent, in a navy blue. Smart, timeless and last for ages.
Correct. But you also forgot - two button, and if you're going to fasten them, then only do up the top one. If you make the mistake of a three button suit, then do up the middle only.
Shirt must always be a suitable pale colour - dark shirts make you look like you're about to attend court or a Gypsy wedding.
Tie - if you go for a windsor knot, then ensure you make it small. Otherwise half windsor or four in hand. Point of the tie to touch the belt of the trousers, and don't put the "spare" piece at the back through the loop or into your shirt - leave it hanging (and if you have the length right, then this son't be longer than the main body of the tie).
Make sure you also have some shiny - black - shoes with laces. Unless you are Italian, in which case also dispense with the socks.
Good luck in the interviews..! 😀
Cheap suit + expensive tie.
I won't spend more than around £200 on a suit but think nothing of £60 on a tie - but they just look that much better than a £10 one.
Make sure you also have some shiny - black - shoes with laces.
With the blue suit you think is right?
Surely it has to be tan shoes????
With the blue suit you think is right?Surely it has to be tan shoes????
Never, unless attending a relaxed wedding. Work = black shoes. Always.
"Never do brown in town" is a maxim I use for many aspects of my life....
Sorry - I am a creative-luvvie so I so it as being the right thing 🙂
i got a nice suit for interviews in john lewis. but in the main M&S or John Lewis (or Slaters if you have one near by) try ones from them as they fit slightly differently.
and [url= http://www.englishcut.com/archives/000101.html ]here are some tips[/url] from a Tailor on what to look for
Slaters are great, they have really knowledgeable staff IMHO, and i always enjoy shopping there.
Sounds like you might need a bit of guidance on what you want, and they are superb for that, as well as having tailors onsite (in all shops?) who can make any alterations for free to give you a great looking suit.
I have no connection to them, except satisfaction over many years.
Kev
I picked up 2 work suits from Next for around £200 each - not bad at all for the money
No slaters nearby unfortunately (Cambridge). Looks like I'll be popping into M&S, John Lewis and Next so far this weekend....
Excellent all-round advice guys!
Oh yes, and ignore CFH if he appears on here: turns ups are neither cool, nor fetching. They aren't called sh*tcatchers for nothing..!
OK, no slaters near Cambridge. However, if you happen to be passing Kuala Lumpur I can highly recommend Wardrobe tailors in the Taman Shamelin Perkasa shopping centre. The best suit I have ever owned, got me name stiched in it and everything, 2 pairs of trousers, still looks amazing 2 years on and all for the price of a good M&S suit. Lovely.
I appreciate that may not be terribly helpful. 😀
Kev
i was going t try these guys:
http://www.asuitthatfits.com/shop/index.php
never find a jacket that fits as i'm tall and thin.. last suit bought was made to measure - but stuff above looks cheaper
Reiss.
Look no further. Definitely the best tailoring on the High St.
+1 for black shoes
+1 for a slim Half Windsor or four in hand knot on your tie, never do the fat Windsor knot unless you are a footballer of spivvy 21 yr old Estate gent.
+1 for never tucking the tie into your shirt or the belt band of your trousers
+1 for only ever doing up the top jacket button.
...and if we're being really anal, always leave the last button of your suit cuffs undone (if they will undo) - it's the sign of a good suit, so one should show it off.
It's all in the details.
http://www.asuitthatfits.com/shop/index.php
+100000... I had my suit made by them, £250 for a fully tailored bespoke just for me pants & jacket, choose your own fabric, linings, stitching etc, it's the only way to fly 8)
Ensure you have the shoes and shirt you'll wear with the suit when you try it on. If you insist on trying the suit on with a t-shirt and trainers, you'll not get it to fit properly.
Len - leaving your suit cuffs undone is like having your initials embroidered onto your shirt. Just a little gauche. Knowing they are working buttonholes should be enough for the wearer.
psychle - Member
a fully tailored bespoke just for me
No - tailored for you - not bespoke. Two different things several hundred pounds apart.
black shoes at work if you want to look like the other penguins
blue pinstripe suit and tan shoes, it's the italian way and looks great, unless you're fat and dumpy
what's the difference between tailored and bespoke then? Frome wiki:
The distinguishing points of bespoke tailoring are the buyer's total control over the fabric used, the features and fit, and the way the garment should be made. More generally, bespoke describes a high degree of customisation, and involvement of the end-user, in the production of the good.
Which is [i]exactly[/i] what you get to do with A Suit that Fits... highly recommend them!
Asda - just by a decent shirt, get some cufflinks, nobody will notice your cheap suit, just dont wear white socks. 😉
got a good one from bhs. good quality. if it fits well and looks good, it's good right?
[url= http://www.tmlewin.co.uk ]TM Lewin[/url]
Can't recommend them highly enough. Well worth getting to one of their shops for a fitting as well though..
Top Tip: If it's for everyday, 2 pairs of trousers to each jacket - suit lasts twice as long!
THB I've always found Next suits to be reasonably smart, reasonably priced and reasonably hardwearing. Go for the 'tailored' fit rather than regular. M&S aren't bad quality either, I just find that the Next ones have the edge.
<Dons [s]snobproof[/s] flameproof suit>
All depends on fit - if it doesn't fit it doesn't matter how much/little you've spent - you'll look a state.
Next make decent suits for the cash, and up from that is made-to-measure.
Is there a local tailor near, some still exist.
I've found the stitching on a a couple of pairs of M&S suit trousers to be poor...hem falling down very quickly...not been a problem on other trousers I've had.
Moss for decent value.
I find M&S suits shapeless just like their shirts.
And www.ctshirts.co.uk usually have a half price sale on - extremely high quality kit (I've got two of their shirts) that is really nicely fitted.
psychle - Memberwhat's the difference between tailored and bespoke then? Frome wiki:
Firstly - if you take Wiki as your definition of proper dress, you've failed.
Secondly - read the rest of the article and don't post glib quotes. Bespoke - proper bespoke and not some tosh touted by made-to-measure merchants (who have their place) is where a pattern is made for YOU - where you are measured and the pattern is taken from your body and the cloth is cut from that. This usually takes place on the premises and several fittings are required. Made to measure is where an existing pattern is tweaked to your measurements - often in a factory elsewhere by someone you'll never meet. Bespoke is top of the tree, then made to measure, then off the peg - hence the price differences.
2nd Reiss. There's one in Cambridge (well used to be), waaaaay better than M&S and you might actually want to wear it again after the interview.
If you want to wear an M&S suit again, then there's really no talking to you.
Can't go wrong with M&S. Good basic suit, but their cheaper ones tend to get "shiny" quickly. May be stating the obvious but it's worth getting the more expensive suits in my experience because the fabric looks better for longer.
TM Lewin are v similar in price and tend to be better built.
If you want to step up in quality, I've been really impressed with Charles Tyrwhitt. Their suits are extremely well made, nicely cut and very good fabrics. Colleagues will comment. Their shirts are simply the best, end of. Only criticism with CT suits is that the arms tend to be a little bit longer than most in standard fit.
Finally, if you've got a House of Frazer store nearby, check out Simon Carter suits. Really nice. Much better than M&S and TML and not a lot more expensive.
However, out of the ones I've mentioned, it's Charles Tyrwhitt all the way for quality and price. They are the £2k mountain bike of suits - way better quality than the cheapies and when you spend more, the law of diminishing returns applies [ducks down and awaits the flak].
...and avoid Next. Never bought one because the cut is completely wrong and the fabric is cheap and nasty. Think of it as the Apollo bikes of the suit world. To be fair, they're priced accordingly, so you pay for what you get.
Tinners - that's what I linked to! Just got a "non iron" slim fit and a "black label" slim fit (unlike most shirts, they are actually tapered to the waist) and the quality is just amazing - far better than the half a dozen TM Lewin shirts I have.
Good shoes are a must - leather soles and something not too "trendy" (pointy shoes just look silly). Jones are good for decent value nice shoes.
Nice one, Surf-mat. I've been buying clothes from Charles Tyrwhitt for around 15 years. They are quite simply the best clothing company I know. Superb service and the quality of their products is second to none. I've never bought a dud from them and I've spent £1000s with them over the years. Unless you pay megabucks for a real McCoy Jermyn St bespoke shirt, you will not buy better. The sea island shirts, though good, are only marginally better than the standard ones. The 4 for £100 offer simply cannot be beaten for price/quality. Blow TM Lewin completely out of the water and leagues ahead of any of the standard high street shirts. They are the only clothes I've ever worn where female colleagues have commented favourably (several times) over the years on the quality and "look" of the fabric. Never had that with anything else.