@BunsenBurner - yes they do! Totally forgot about that. Last time I went though, they didn’t have a huge selection but the Bonobos store is now in the same mall so maybe they reduced their inventory. Who knows!
Mens Warehouse has some nice Calvin Klein modern fit suits for young men.
In addition to a suit, doesn’t every man need a sharp looking blue sport jacket with gray wool slacks for winter and tan slacks for summer. For less dressy occasions add a pair of quality modern fit khakis with a light blue/pink button down shirt.
If you buy a suit…get something very simple, and not trendy. My son is wearing a suit that is about 35 years old…no kidding. It was a hand me down from a friend. A basic black suit. The style is very simple…even the lapels have stood the test of time. This gets worn several times a year…but gets dry cleaned after each wearing season.
My son’s taste in business casual, however, has changed. While he still has a classic navy blazer, he now prefers a black tweed that he chose. I have to say, it looks terrific with jeans, or black slacks. It’s also a bit more fitted than his navy blazer. I’m glad we didn’t spend a fortune on his blazers because his tastes have changed.
Now…for the things he wears often, we did spend more. My kid is a musician…he has a tux that should last him forever. Same with his tails, and white dinner jacket.
Re: a topcoat…my so was given his grandfather’s grey cashmere topcoat. He occasionally wore it. But not often. He has decent winter jackets which work fine…and the first thing he takes off is his outer coat. No one ever saw that cashmere coat.
Our big ticket item was shoes. We went with Johnson and Murphy because they make a variety of shoes…and many have memory sole linings. Really comfy…and they last.
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Jos. A Banks suits are too boxy for young men, even their slim line. Shopping for med school interview suits this year we found good things at Macy's, Nordstrom's and the J.Crew suit was nice. <<<
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I agree. If the young man has a slim athletic build, then the boxy suits do not work well. Will be shopping for new suits this summer for son’s residency interviews. Son can’t wear the boxy styles, either.
H loves Johnson & Murphy shoes. Good idea for those who will be on their feet a lot.
A lot of this depends on the kid’s personal style. For instance, my kid would not be caught dead in khaki/blue blazer. He is a lot more “hipster” - skinny jeans and twill trousers in different colors (brick red, gold, black), T shirts with v neck sweaters, slim tailored suits. The preppy look is definitely not universal. Popular shoes for his circle are low leather boots (lace up or zip) or brown leather brogues.
When you wear a size 14 shoe you don’t get to be all that choosy.
A kid who is already hipster already has a personal style. I think the OP is describing - or at least I’m envisioning - a kid who doesn’t really have a “style” to speak of.
I’m amused that polo shirts - which you can find in the cheapest of stores at the lowest of price points - are seen as “preppy”! Maybe when a woman wears them!
Re post 35 - maybe it’s just me, but the look pictured in the link strikes me as an older man’s look, not a younger one. Am I alone?
Well, my late 20’s/early 30’s sons both wear 1/4 zip-style sweaters with either button-downs or polos. I think color and print go a long way to making this a “younger” look, but ymmv. My guys are pretty classic dressers, though my 28yo leans to the more modern suit styles.
^^^ I agree about color and fit. I think part of the appeal for my very young looking son is actually to look older! 
It could very well be the particular shirt in that link that made me go Mr. Rogers! I personally love the look of a t-shirt with a v-neck sweater on a guy.
Timely thread. Last weekend we just went shopping for DS internship interviews. Bought a beautiful $800 Hugo Boss suit on 70% sale at Lord & Taylors. Nothing like seeing your son wearing his first well-tailored suit. It felt like a Say Yes to the Dress moment, just melted my heart. Enjoy!
When DS graduated in '13, we outfitted him at an outlet mall with J. Crew and Brooks Brothers. The following December we hit the after-Christmas sale at Nordstrom and purchased 2 slim cut suits, one dark gray and one blue. We got shirts, ties, shoes also. He works in sales support for a tech company and most days he wears raw denim jeans and company shirts (tees, polos) but those suits have been perfect for conferences, client meetings, and his company holiday party!
@BunsenBurner, Costco has fabulous no-iron shirts at $18 or $19. I run a high-end consulting firm that deals with senior execs and I get my shirts at Costco. I like them at least as much as JosBank or Brooks Brothers.
@MissBee, We have gotten my son’s clothes on 70% off sales at JosBank. They do need to be tailored afterwards. He wears them happily (though he only cares about clothes because he wants to fit in and would prefer gym shorts and t-shirts if left to his own devices). I shoot for close to the higher end of the quality side (not the highest, which I often buy) but by waiting for the sale, get excellent prices.
He had a few job interviews in his senior year of college, but ultimately decided to start his own company. He wears suits with no ties in a variety of more formal situations – meeting with VCs or other investors, presentations – but he was in the Northeast. He wore a JosBank suit to his business school interview. He is now in grad/business school in the Bay Area and is working on starting his next venture. We go to a fancy New Year’s Eve weekend event – discussions and talks on many subjects, but each attendee including my kids leads or participates in some sessions – and he asked me to pack a couple of suits for that weekend.
Black suits are very classy in London and continental Europe. Probably Manhattan as well. In London, the suit/no-tie look is big in the City. Probably not in the South. Solid Navy is good.
Incidentally, they are having a 75% off sale on JosBank suits today (Christmas day). http://www.josbank.com/all-suits–1. But, they have good sales a number of times per year.
My nephew graduated from college this year and is looking for a job. He wasn’t interested in a suit but put together a really nice outfit. Bought a very nice pair of Allen Edmonds dress shoes from Nordstrom Rack, dark gray dress slacks, and a Joseph Aboud sport coat. Definitely appropriate for any interview. He had to learn how to tie a tie on the day of his first interview.
Compared to the 1990s, I don’t see as many men in jacket and ties today. I would say the basic business wardrobe would be 2 pairs of dress shoes (black and dark brown), dress slacks in black, gray and navy blue, dress shirts and ties in a variety of colors and patterns, and a dark color blazer or sport coat.
I agree men don’t wear suits like they used to, but I think every man will have occasions where a suit is appropriate - weddings, funerals, job interviews, etc.
OP here. We went shopping and it was a huge success. I can’t recommend a personal shopper highly enough. He knew what would fit, what would look good and there wasn’t a huge amount of trying on except for fit and altering. It was the half yearly sale and we used today as a triple points day. Free alterations.
He got a dark gray suit, a blue suit on deep sale that the jacket could be used as a sports jacket, 2 white shirts, two blue shirts, two colorful shirts. 3 dress pants that go with the sports jacket or alone, that go with the 2 other shirts, ties, socks, belt. His big 14 triple e feet couldn’t fit in the shoes they have.
He had 2 adorable assistants. We had a delicious dinner at the capital grill…and he had a glass of wine.
Best of all, he had a lunch meeting today and may just have gotten an internship for the summer.
He actually was okay with the whole process and really liked having the personal shopper. He extra liked the service was free. I told him he should consider getting his own nordstrom credit card down the road.
Wow! Thanks so much for the update!
Awesome!!! Personal shopper is the way to go for people who hate digging through the racks.