<p>We are buying 17yo his first suit. Where’s the best place to go but not too expensive? My dad gets his suits at a dept store, like Penney’s or Macy’s. Ds is pretty small – about 5’7" 130 pounds. What do y’all think? Any hints? Are alterations done everywhere, and are they free/expensive? As you can see, I’m new at this.</p>
<p>P.S. Thanks for all replies in advance. I am sick (not swine flu!) and will take to my bed soon and check responses later.</p>
<p>We have done well at Penneys for S1, or even Kohls. Chances are a 17 year old boy is not done growing, so I wouldn’t mortgage the house for something too high quality that won’t fit for long.</p>
<p>S2 is too small for those stores, but has success at Men’s Wearhouse. I think hemming pants (and sleeves?) is usually part of the deal. Further alterations might cost something minimal.</p>
<p>My parents bought me a suit when I went off to college in 1970. I didn’t see the need for one. They said “What if you have to go to a funeral?” The first time I think I wore it was 4 years later for my honors oral exams, but it was probably not really necessary even then. </p>
<p>The point about growing out of the suit is valid. Remember the freshman 15, and quite possibly additional height.</p>
<p>If you feel your S really needs a suit, I’d try Men’s Wearhouse. Alterations are almost always an extra charge. Hemming is usually relatively inexpensive, taking in waist a little more, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Target…</p>
<p>We just did the same thing! DS is 5-5" and about 125 soaking wet! We got excellent service and choices at the local Men’s Wearhouse and they did do alterations (major shortening). With hindsight I decided we shouldn’t have bought the dress shirts there. Just google “small short men” and you’ll find a ton of places on the internet that sell dress shirts and ties that are not long enough for cyclops! The Penney’s, Target, etc. will not do quality alterations so if you think you need something a little nicer go to a men’s store.</p>
<p>If there is a Sym’s near you, that’s another good option.</p>
<p>Brooks Brothers will do alterations and future alterations on the same suit as your son continues to grow</p>
<p>another vote for Men’s Wearhouse where DS got his first suit. They do an excellent job of measuring and assisting with selection within your price range. Sign up for their rewards program and you get gift certificates mailed to you. They say they will do alterations on the same suit however when the alterations are considered more major there is a charge. They are good at hard to fit though. DS is a weight lifter and very hard to fit.
Around here anyway, Macy’s no longer carries full suits. Just dress pants and jackets/blazers.</p>
<p>Men’s Wearhouse came through for us as well. DS was at a clumsy age and wasn’t sure about that kind of ‘fashion’-- You know what I mean: Are men’s pants really supposed to be worn at the waist? What is the right length for a pant leg? etc, etc. He’d heard it all from DH and me, but it was good to have reinforcement from an expert. It helped that the salesman was young and hip, too!</p>
<p>I suggested that our son wear dress pants, a dress shirt and shoes for a class presentation and he did (after saying that it wasn’t necessary). He got bonus points on his grade for appearance. That said I haven’t bought him a suit because of the growth concern. I had several suits (and extra pants) made in Singapore in the 1990s and they were inexpensive and fit well so I might do that again. I’d have to get his measurements at a local tailor though. We have relatives there so I could ask someone to go to a local mall to get this done. I think that they also made a few shirts for me too.</p>
<p>We went to Men’s Wearhouse and the suit my ds liked was $450! I thought this was too much for a suit he would likely grow out of (he was also freshman).
We went to K&G Warehouse down the street and he got a nice suit for $120. It’s no frills and the selection is not as good…but they do offer alterations…and we were happy with the results. And two years later, he still wears it and is happy with it.</p>
<p>We’ve gotten some great tux accessories at K&G. (Like vests, to dress up his performance tux for prom or solo events.) They are hit or miss as far as suits. </p>
<p>I did remember that S2’s latest suit came as separate pieces from Belks. I had a coupon for a percentage off, and the pieces were on sale anyway. I think the whole suit ended up costing around $100. ($75 jacket, $25 pants - or so.) Didn’t need to be altered, either.</p>
<p>dadx3, I hear ya. But I thought I better pounce while I have my opportunity. A couple of weeks ago we went to the funeral for the dad of a friend, and ds actually scolded me for not “telling him to get more dressed up.” He had on slacks and a nice shirt, but when we pulled into the parking lot, the first group he was were three friends in a suit, and he immediately felt underdressed. He could have had on a nicer dress shirt and tie, but he’s never owned a suit, so now seems like the time. Also, he’s getting an award on Sunday, that says to “wear your best clothes” to the reception, so that seems “tailor-made” for the suit trial run.</p>
<p>I think we have a K&G here. Will have to check it out. I didn’t know Kohl’s sold suits. I have coupon for there!</p>
<p>We bought my S a black suit at Men’s Wearhouse when he was a sophomore in HS…that plus a cheap tuxedo shirt with studs and so forth was a less expensive-in-the-long-run alternative to renting a tux 2X per year for the youth symphony.</p>
<p>It’s rather funereal, unfortunately. When he went to college we got him the classic blue blazer as a dressy alternative.</p>
<p>When I bought my son his first suit, we used the following strategy: we went to Nordstrom’s, he tried on several suits there. Talked to the salesman about what alterations needed to be done, the quality of the fabric, tailoring, and style. We then went to Brooks Bros, where he did the same thing. Then we went to Macy’s, where suits were on sale, and looked for quality and fit among the suits on the sale rack (using his newly acquired knowledge). Once he found one that matched his taste and budget, he spent another $50 having the alterations done so that it fit perfectly. The whole cost was less than $250 for a suit that continues to look fabulous three years later.</p>
<p>S had to get a blue blazer in HS for graduation, as well as a pair of grey slacks. He’s not worn it since–it had to be taken in everywhere & doesn’t “fall” very well. He’s actually wearing the suit his dad wore decades ago when he was at the U! We’re amused & amazed that it fits better than anything else he owns or we’ve been able to find (he’s a size 16 boys). S hasn’t grown much in height or girth in several years, so we think he will remain about how he is. He has worn the suit at career fairs/days for engineering but not much else.
If he really needs a suit, we told him to have my friend in LA take him around & help him find one, perhaps in the garment district in LA, or even a good department store with an extensive children’s section (if any still exist).</p>
<p>We offered to buy my 22 year old son a suit for an interview he was doing, but he declined and went to a thrift store. He found a nice suit. I was surprised he found such a good fit as he is tall and skinny. He came over the morning of the interview to have his dad help with the tie. He had bought a nice silk shirt at the thrift store but commented that it was weird that it buttoned the wrong way. We didn’t want to make him more nervous so waited till after the interview to tell him the reason it buttoned the wrong way was that it was probably a woman’s blouse :rolleyes: (the buttons were covered by the tie so the interviewer would not have known).</p>
<p>S2 is about the size of your kid, only a bit thinner. I bought him a size 36-Short new suit (jacket and pants) on eBay for around $50 (this was a “Buy It Now” item from a clothing warehouse) for his confirmation last fall. Good luck.</p>
<p>I would echo that if you have the time, eBay is awesome for stuff like this. (I’m embarrassed to tell you how many Zegna shirts my 15-year-old has. I paid $2-$15 for each.) (My older two also own their own tuxes. They’re name-brand wool or wool/linen blend, not those awful things you get at the rental places.)</p>
<p>Syms is great if there is one near you. AND they do alterations for a very small price.</p>