2 button suit vs. 3 button suit

Picked up a Canali last week and had my old Zegna re-fitted

God, am I the only one in here with suits from Men's Wearhouse?

No, I have two suits from MW.

Then I realized people almost NEVER wear suits here on the West Coast. Even for many IB company events. So my suits are just sitting in the closet waiting for their day in the sun.

I wear Jos A. Bank Signature suits. I think they are a good value at $300 (when they are on sale).

In my opinion, Jos A. Bank makes some of the best entry level/value priced suits around. They are well crafted and look very professional. If you are at a top business school, you should not be wearing anything below a Jos A Bank (i.e. no polyester, Men's Wearhouse, etc.)

You can get great deals on suits if you shop around. The outlet malls often have deeply discounted Brooks Brothers, Hickey Freeman and Zegna, as does Nordstrom Rack and many stores in NYC. You could even go the eBay route and pick up a nice suit and have it tailored for you. All of these are better options than a Men's Wearhouse suit, and well worth the incremental $100-300 in cost.

Seriously?

That is my opinion, yes. If you're going to wear a suit, make sure it's a well crafted one that fits you well. A suit that is poorly fitted or looks "cheap" comes off as very unprofessional - especially if you're interviewing and schmoozing for a six figure job.

At the very least, if you're on a budget, make sure you have 1 or 2 nice suits that you can rotate for recruiting, even if the rest of your daily wear suits are of lesser quality.

I don't know if it really matters for admissions interviews. Maybe someone else can chime in on that.

Another good reference point: 108-t58068?hilit=Guide+to+Recruiting+Schmoozing. As pelihu mentioned, you can often find nice suits that are discounted all the way down to the $250 pricepoint (i.e. Jos A Bank). If you want to spend a little more (say $500-700), you should be able to find a discounted Brooks Brothers or Hickey Freeman. In fact, if you're willing to drop around $700, you can probably pick up an entry-level bespoke suit from my tailor and have that be your one awesome suit. They make excellent shirts, as well.

I think at a minimum your suit should be well-tailored and 100% wool. If you can meet those criteria with a Men's Warehouse suit, then go for it. But it's really hard to beat a Jos A. Bank suit...even their entry-level Executive suits are 100% wool (probably around $250 or less on sale).

I just bought a 2 button navy blue Jack Victor for $695. I was going to go with the Hickey Freeman, but at $1200 that was a little steep for me. I plan on picking up a charcoal suit in January when Harold's (local store in Houston that dresses the Bush family) has their winter sale. Probaly pick up a Hickey Freeman then for $500-$600 or so or maybe something a little cheaper for $300-$400.

Good call jb. It's worth having at least one nice suit in your arsenal before school starts.

Maybe I'll invest in a "nice" suit if I get into a top-5 school. Until then, my MW suits will have to do!

Makes sense.

Where did you pick these up? Neiman? Zegna has a lot of pinstripes right now. I also noticed that everyones pinstripes (including Zegna) are really thick right now.

I picked the original Hickey up from Nordstrom but I ended up returning it.

I ended up getting a navy blue solid Hickey from eBay, and the Zegna was also purchased on eBay. The Zegna was used ($175) and the Hickey was brand new ($400). I got both of them tailored at a cost of approx. $100 each and they fit and look great.

I wanted to hold off on a bespoke until I actually get into school.

Wow you got great deals. I won't even mention what I paid.

I can imagine. I'm too much of a cheapskate to pay sticker price, but I like nice stuff.

Thought you guys might like this, I feel special. Sorry, but I do.

Oxxford Clothes is pleased to announce that we will be dressing President-elect, George W. Bush for the Inauguration.

Shortly after the election, Harold Wiesenthal of Harold's in Houston, Texas called his friend, former President George Bush, to request the honor of dressing our next President. Because of the Bush family's respect for Harold, and appreciation for our fine American-made products, we immediately received a positive response.

On January 4th , 2001, a small team from Harold's and Oxxford Clothes flew to Austin for the first fitting. Attending from Oxxford was President and CEO, Crittenden Rawlings with Head Designer, Rocco Giovannangelo. The team then flew to Austin for the first fitting. They gathered at President Elect George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas for a second fitting last Saturday. Mr. Bush was so pleased with the fit of his tuxedo, suit, and topcoat and trousers that he immediately ordered six more garments.