anxiousmom

Hello there. DS has never ever owned (or worn) a suit, and is thinking that he should buy one before he heads off to school. There are sometimes when sandals and t-shirts are not appropriate, and he is thinking ahead. Any suggestions as to where to buy, what style to buy, or types on choosing suits? DHubby has only a few bad-fitting jackets..(hard to find suits for a guy who is 6'6" and only 150 pounds.....) DS is a more normal size, 6'3" and a slender 170 lbs... Thanks for the help!

expatme

Don't know where you can buy one, but a couple of suggestions.
Think about the weather where he is going and buy a suit of the appropriate weight material. Grey or dark blue is usually a pretty safe bet, and easy to match shirts and ties. Simple single breasted, 2 button is also pretty safe.

Suits often/usually come with free alteration. Take advantage of it and remind him to wear dress shoes to have the pants hemmed!

Hope that helps!

wbow

my son already owned a suit, took it to school, never wore it once. he did wear his blazer (navy) with dress pants once or twice. he packed two dress shirts--one came home still in it's original packaging.

mattmom

Is he sure he will need a suit as opposed to khakis and a blue blazer? I'd consider whether a suit is really needed before comittng to it, since for dress up social events boys often go the khakis/blazer route, and those components are more versatile.

My S did not need a suit until a summer job required one halfway through college, adn then we got him one at Brooks Brothers (bottom of the line so not super expensive, but well fitted and decent quality and classic styling--thus good value). I think expatme gave good advice regarding styling etc.

2boysima

Blue blazer vote here. What does son think he'll need a suit for?

doubleplay

Son wore his navy jacket with kacki pants and white shirt and tie a lot for fraternity events.

If you are looking for a black suit, Penney's has a line called something like City Streets (???), and you can buy the jacket and pants seperate but they are all cut of the same cloth. The jackets tend to run a little slimmer so they fit the teenage boys better than, say, Stafford. And you can get both Long and Regular sleeve lengths. It's less expensive and you can replace just the pants or the jacket if he grows out of them.

The only thing I can think the guys would wear a black suit would be for a formal.

If he's planning on joining a frat, I would purchase a navy blazer, kacki pants, a couple white shirts, couple ties, black shoes, socks and belt. IF he needs something for a formal, he could always go to a Penney's and buy the black suit.

cheers

Brooks Brothers has a starter suit--which they will alter for the life of the suit.

They will also take back returns at any store with no quesitons asked.

Altogether, including proper shoes, a new suit, shirt, ties, socks, and belt will run +$1000.

For whatever reason, it is difficult to make a black suit look upscale. They look cheap. Another vote for navy.

soozievt

PHEW....I opened this thread and I thought you meant first lawSUIT. Glad it is a lighter topic!

By the same token, my husband got a suit some time around when we were engaged or first married. That was the last time he bought one and that was 30 years ago!

A.S.A.P.

When my son needed a new suit, we went to a better department store where they had a lot of syles and brands. He tried on a few of the coats in his size until he found one that he liked, and then had the whole thing altered at the store. It was ready in a couple of days.
Sometimes you can find a sale.

He wore the suit to his junior and senior prom, cum laude induction, and a couple of weddings. He took it to college, but didn't use it at all. He did, like wbow's son, wear his navy blazer and khakis to a couple of campus events and to other family gatherings. The blazer/dress pant has been a much more useful and versatile combo than the suit. It's nice to have both, though, and if the kid is finished growing, a good investment.

I think I paid $275 for my son's suit, 2+ years ago. It's at the cleaners now, as we have an early July wedding in the family. He'll be ready-- where dd needed a new dress!

doubleplay

No Way. Doesn't need to cost that much.
You can get a nice blazer on sale for less than $100. Kacki pants can be found anywhere. You can get a pair at Walmart for about $20. Black shoes- get them at Shoe Carnival or someplace like that (how often is he gonna wear them?)- $30. White dress shirt- Walmart again- $20. Black socks and belt- Walmart- $30. Tie is where I like to splurge, get two nice ones- $80.

Total: $250-$300.

To look really sleek in a black suit, get a black dress shirt. Go black on black and spruce it up with a cool tie. If you're with a date, get a tie that goes with date's dress.

anxiousmom

$1000? *walks away stammering* Definitely not DS! Maybe we should start out at Saver's or Goodwill... We were thinking less than $200.. Nope, he doesn't need it for a frat - no frats at Rice. But sometimes there are formal events - like the "Passport to Houston" events that Rice has. The kids have free public transit/light rail passes, and get free or heavily subsidized tickets to the opera, orchestra, ballet, or other events. Not the type of thing he would seek out on his own, but if a bunch of kids were going, he might be interested. He was thinking ahead to job interviews or internship interviews, (which often happen between freshman and soph year for the engineering majors) - and he was saying "black"... but from the sounds of it here, black may not be a good color? Gray? Navy? What do kids wear to internship interviews? I think the kids got fancy dressed up for the Opera, so I jokingly suggested he buy a used tux???? (He decided not to go to the prom, so he's never worn a tux, either...)

weenie

My son needed an Extra Long suit and I think the only place we could find one was at S&K Menswear. He is tough because like your H he's tall (6'5") and thin.

He is REALLY hoping he doesn't have to take either that or his tux to college - even for orchestra. LOL Maybe WPI has an orchestra that wears jeans.

I think a nice navy sportcoat and khakis are fine at the types of events you mention. Usually the student tickets are fairly bad seats anyway. Even the Eastman students will lurk in the back of the theater wearing jeans. I guarantee, if a bunch of students head off to the opera they will not all be wearing suits. Ha.

doubleplay

I would think at those kind of events, a blazer and pants would be satisfactory, especially for a young college guy. But that's my opinion.

In our neck of the woods (Florida) the kids all like to wear black suits to formal dances. Blue, gray, brown are considered "old mannish". The last formal S went to, he wore all black and a sort of pearlized, gray/white tie. And a matching hanky in the coat pocket. Smashing.

A.S.A.P.

Same here in SoCal, unless they are the flashy type, who will don a powder blue suit or something else outlandish for the fun of it.

I think black is fine for a young person, and they do like to go with darker shirts - mine prefers a gray shirt with silver and blue, (or once a pink,) tie.

For a job interview, I'd go with a more conservative white or blue shirt and rep tie, *IF* a suit was the appropriate attire for the job. Often, a blazer is enough.

UCgradmary

I would go the second hand route here. A $200 suit new will be a cheaply cut one, but you should be able to get something of good quality for that at a gently used shop.