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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   2814 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for December 31, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

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Menswear question: I've found myself in the market for a new suit for a formal social occasion (needs to look good in photos). I have one from over a decade ago that probably still fits, but it seems like a good time to get a new one. That said, I don't really expect to get it much use out of it, because my line of work (engineering) is mostly business casual, and even when I've been interviewing within the last few years, it's just too warm here (American South) to wear a jacket around probably 10 months out of the year. But it's not inconceivable that I might want one to wear to the odd business meeting, funeral, or such.

My timeline is within the next month or so, and I figure my budget is at most a few hundred (probably not enough for a bespoke suit, although IMO that's a poor option because I really don't know what I'm looking for). Does the Motte have any good advice on what to look for or avoid? Fabrics, color (aforementioned occasion recommends blue, but not a specific shade), cut, features, specific brands or stores (I live in a fairly large city, but don't really want to go too far)? I'm not that familiar with current trends (slow as they move, they're not completely static in menswear), and I'm sure some of our members wear suits regularly and have strong opinions or good advice.

I have one from over a decade ago that probably still fits, but it seems like a good time to get a new one.

What's wrong with your old one? If there are no stains or major issues, you could get it dry-cleaned and tailored to save money from buying and tailoring a new suit.

In this case it's primarily that the one I have is the wrong color. Also, styles change. I tried it on, and fortunately it fits well enough that I might consider tailoring it in the future (I haven't gotten bigger, most notably), but given how often I wear them I'll probably keep it stored safely until I need it.

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