DS needs a black suit for a very formal music performance in a couple of weeks. We will probably have to go shopping tomorrow, in case alterations are necessary. We will go in person, but I’ve been doing some preliminary research online. I’m bewildered - trim fit? slim fit? extreme fit? vents? 2 or 3 buttons? lapel choices? pleats or plain fronts?
He is 6’ tall and slim.
Store recommendations? Macy’s, Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor?
I recently bought a Hugo Boss suit at Nordstrom for my S. Dark blue - if he only has one suit, it should be dark blue for maximum versatility. Three button is typical. This suit has narrower lapels, but I don’t think there is much of a rule about lapel widths right now. Back vents are usually double, but a center vent is also fine. Definitely no pleats! The tie should match the width of the lapel.
S also 6’ and slim, but with broad shoulders. We started at Brooks Brothers - the pants that come with any 40 regular jacket there were enormous for his 30" waist - so large that they couldn’t be altered. The Boss suits are cut slimmer, so the pants only needed a slight adjustment.
Jazz, classical, orchestral, soloist, pop etc???,…what he wears might be dictated by the event. And if he is going to stay in music you might want to get some cues from his teacher or music director.
musicamusica, He will play a piano solo and also play trumpet in a jazz band. He can wear either a tux or a black suit for the solo, and for the band he has to wear a black suit. So we’ll get a black suit for both (he’ll wear different shirts).
Gourmetmom, he needs to wear black. Thank you for all the information on style! I will look into Hugo Boss. My son also has a 30" waist, but he doesn’t have particularly broad shoulders (not particularly narrow, either).
The pleats (or no pleats) are on the pants, right? (I know I sound stupid but I am clueless about fashion. And DH dresses like an old man!)
I didn’t know the tie and lapel width had to match! Does that mean that they should be the same number of inches wide?
Pleated pants are pretty much “out,” especially with the young crowd. 
Hugo Boss suits are definitely worth looking into, and Nordstrom provides alterations (in my neck of the woods, they can have a pretty fast turnaround, especially if nothing major needs to be done). How big is the budget?
Check out Men’s Wearhouse. They can have alterations done in a week.
My husband always shops at Nordstrom, and they do have fast alterations, very fast if necessary. DS is still growing, so I don’t think he’ll be able to wear this suit much past next year. Hugo Boss suits seem to be around $900 from what I can tell. I’d like to spend less than $500.
Try to find something that is two button, 100% wool, half canvassed and slim fit. Check J Crew and their factory store they make a great suit for not a ton of money. There is a also great start up called Combatant Gentleman that may also ‘suit’ your needs :-j Check them both out.
Given that he is still growing and this is primarily a ‘performance’ suit, I would check out a Men’s Wearhouse or a Joseph A Banks rather than an expensive men’s dept…My long and lanky son recently found a J.Crew suit on sale (sold as separates) that he really enjoys wearing.
For a kid, I would stick to something cheaper, try JCP. He isn’t going to thank you for any kind of suit and it will be like torture ever wearing it so minimise $ investment. Try to get a decent fit so you don’t spend $ on adjustments either.
How unfortunate! Just until recently, Nordstrom had a whole bunch of suits on sale.
J Crew also carries suits (sold as separates) in slimmer cuts - if the current discount applies to these items, pants and jacket combo should fit into the budget. I’m not sure how fast their alterations would be or if the black is available in stores.
https://www.jcrew.com/mens_feature/TheSuitShop/PRDOVR~A0536/99103717997/A0536.jsp
I checked the J Crew suits and I like them - they look like young men’s suits, and the prices are good. They seem to be available only online, though? It would be hard to do this without being able to try them on. JCP is a good option, if they look all right. He probably is going to wear this only a few times before outgrowing it, maybe only once.
The Combatant Gentlemen site is interesting, but I am afraid to do this online. I can see that it would be a good option for a young man starting out, who knows his size.
I checked and we have a Jos Banks very close by and a Men’s Wearhouse as well.
I can’t drag him to too many stores, he really doesn’t want to go at all (overloaded with schoolwork and practicing for the performances).
Maybe I can figure out his size and do some pre-shopping.
J Crew stores don’t carry solid black suits. Too bad, that would have been the best option.
We bought S a black suit at Jos A Bank at the beginning of his Senior year of HS. We knew he was going to need it for several events during the year.
Mens Warehouse has a few designer brands that have a modern fit for younger men. Def worth looking into. One thing to watch for at J Crew or Banana Republic is the length of the suit jacket. These 2 retailers tend to follow the trend of shorter jackets. These look great on the 5’8/9" kid, but can look awkward on a taller guy. He is going to have to try them on. For sure do modern fit and no pleats on the pants.
Nordstrom Rack can be a hit or miss when it comes to suits, but if there is one nearby, it would be worth pre-peeking in. Macy’s are all over the place - our downtown store has a decent selection of suits, but most others carry only larger sizes with pleated pants (ugh).
If your Nordstrom has a Topman department, it would be worth checking out. The quality is not top-notch, but this is not going to be your son’s last suit…
http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/topman-suits-sportcoats?origin=leftnav
(( I feel your pain, because I had to buy a black (and only black!) suit for a guy who hates shopping - and we only had a couple of days! 
My lucky stars led me to Nordstrom that had a sale going on, and the very first suit fit. ))
I’m checking out Jos A Bank now. Slim fit, trim fit, tailored fit - driving me crazy.
I’m wondering about the fit. He’s going to play Rachmaninoff Prelude in g minor, lots of movement. Maybe a slim fit wouldn’t be the best idea?
@NYMomof2, if it is for a formal event, J Crew suits may be to “young”. The current “in” style for young men fits small - jacket a little shorter, sleeves a little shorter, lapels a little thinner, pants a little slimmer. Definitely not traditional. What we got our boys (Men’s Warehouse or anywhere that sells to professionals) was flat front slacks (looks good on slim young men), 2 button jacket (3 button looks a little old-timey to me. 2 button shows more of the tie and looks “looser”), medium lapel (the store should only be showing you what is currently"in"). Traditional is single back vent, but the double vent is fine if you like the look. Jackets with no vent are popular with younger men, and they look nice, but they are less comfortable when seated. It’s just whatever your son likes on the vent. The name of the fit (whether it is called “slim” or “trim” or something else) is just whatever that designer has decided to call his suit. The salesman should be able to help in that regard - every brand fits differently. The athletic fit usually has a slimmer pant in relation to the size of the jacket, since athletes tend to be broader in the shoulders and slimmer in the waist. FYI - many places that rent tuxedos also rent suits! Check with Men’s Warehouse or Al’s Formal Wear! You may be able to rent a black suit. This may be a good solution because blacks suits are not very versatile for anything other than events that require black. For job interviews, etc., charcoal gray or navy are better choices than black.
Oh, wow. He might be better off with something like this:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/michael-kors-trim-fit-stretch-wool-suit/3414073
(Theory also makes stretch wool suits)
This is the piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QB7ugJnHgs&list=RD4QB7ugJnHgs#t=0