2 button suit vs. 3 button suit

Quality construction and stitching and a solid fit/cut. These are hard to discern unless you know a lot about suits, so it is better to just go ahead with the higher-end brand names (they will take care of this for you). You are not going to get a half-decent quality suit < $500 sticker price.

Keep in mind that high end suits do not go out of fashion. If you pick up a classic, 2-button Navy Hickey Freeman or something of that sort, you should be able to hang on to it for at least 10 years (assuming you don't gain or lose a lot of weight). If you buy lower quality suits, you will likely want to replace them every 3-4 years.

I would rather purchase 2 high quality suits than 5 low-to-mid quality ones.

One last thing to note - even if you don't end up purchasing a super nice suit, please make sure you have nice shoes. I noticed a few prospective students at Tuck were wearing these big bulky square toed shoes with rubber soles. They looked like Rockports or something. You will look like a clown if you wear these with a suit. Invest in a pair of Johnston & Murphy, Cole Haan or Allen-Edmonds with a cap toe and leather sole. I currently have a J&M Cap Toe Oxford, but plan to purchase a pair of Allen-Edmonds Park Avenues once I get into school. The AE Park Avenue is a timeless style that I should be able to keep for at least a decade.

As solaris mentioned, Nordstrom Rack is a solid place to go. Another entry level suit to check out may be a Joseph Abboud. I have never tried one on, but I have heard good things about them for that price point.

Or at the very least go to DSW and buy you a pair of Bostonian cap toe leather black shoes for $89. I would ALWAYS tell the novice to buy these shoes for wear with dress pants, suits, etc. They look good and are relatively cheap. I believe the J&M's Terp was referencing are a little more expensive ~$150.

https://bostonian.zappos.com/n/p/dp/29189384/c/72.html

Another plug for Joseph A. Bank. I bought this one last year in the camel color for versatility and have been very pleased:

https://www.josbank.com/IWCatProductPage ... _Id=338711

If you are willing to spend the money, I agree that cashmere would be better. Try this one:

https://www.josbank.com/IWCatProductPage ... _Id=158461

Look at the picture below you and dress just like him, shades included. You won't look creepy. Not at all.

There's an old post regarding this stuff for aaudetat's sig other, but here's my take:


2 button = classic
3 button = modern


navy = youthful
charcoal = older


2 side vents = man of action
1 center vent = man of less action


huh?

Your tailor seems quite pushy. I'd go 3 button navy w/center vent and hold the bells and whistles.

"Action" eh - I guess now I know what I've been doing wrong. It's obviously the lack of 2 side vents in my wardrobe ensemble.

Either button configuration should work at your height. I'm fairly certain that extremely tall men should avoid 3-button suits due to the enormous amount of cloth that covers the torso (see the nba draft for some examples of this). You can also consider the 3/2 button roll where the suit has three buttons but the top button is a part of the lapel roll and is not meant to be buttoned.

Both navy and charcoal are classic colours. If you already have a charcoal suit then get a navy one.

Dual vents are considered more functional (less bunching when you sit down) but centre and ventless jackets are acceptable as well depending on your body type.

I don't know what you mean by "stitching on the front lapel." Do you mean hand-stitching on the lapel buttonhole?

I would go with your tailor, he sounds right to me.

By the way, a center vent always makes me think of a butler.

I also really don't like navy, I'm a classic black fan. I would skip the stitching though.

Isn't black reserved for funerals and posher events held at night?

I know this is obvious advice, but you really need to go with what looks the best on you. Try on different types/styles of suits and different colors. Bring an audience to solicit their opinions. For example, I have found that with my skin complexion that charcoal gray and any shade of brown looks great on me. There's nothing worse than having an awesome, well-cut, expensive suit, but the color looks horrible on you.

I thought it was only in the UK where black suits were considered funeral suits?

for women at least, black suits have been fine for work-wear...could be diff for guys

I Always go with 3.

Black suits are really not considered business attire - they do make you look like morticians and G-men.

Formal attire is something different. Yes black tie does call for black - but tuxedos rather than business suits. When events go super formal, attire shifts from black tie to white tie (coat and tails, and sometimes top hats and canes).

There's a well-known saying that you should never be remembered for what you wear in a business setting. You don't want to be wearing something so shabby that you stick out in a crowd; but you also don't want to be wearing stuff that is so expensive that the people recruiting you take note (I always leave the Rolex at home for recruiting events). In a recruiting setting, leave everything flashy at home (including but not limited to bright/fancy colors, french cuffs, shoes with buckles, suits with highly defined patterns or stripes, flashy shirts, and so on). I'm really just talking about attire for men; women have a lot more flexibility.

Going back to the black suit, it could cause you to stand out at a recruiting event. Many people will not notice, but there are definitely people that do not regard black suits as proper business attire. You want to do everything in your power to avoid getting dinged before you even open your mouth. Remember, it is never good to be remembered for your clothes at a recruiting event, no matter how good it sounds to you right no.

What are the accepted norms for vents?
I read that while single vent is more formal in USA, the double vent is more formal in UK! What about the suits without vent?

I was also wondering about the pleats on the pant. I prefer single pleat but read that, presently, only pleatless pants are formal!

Pleats come down to a preference issue.

I think pleats look "grandpa-style" pants, but that's just my opinion.

I think a suit needs vents on the jacket, but I don't think the number matters. My suits are all 3 button, but my friend in the UK had the most awesome suit cut for him with 2 buttons (I want to get some, though the lining they insist on is floral and a bit... well... I don't really like it). No pleats on the pants though. Ever.

Try them on and see which suits best - it really doesn't matter between the two, more on which just looks best for you.

It's all about the gorge!