Grassroots Menswear

Most of youse guys probably don't look near as sharp as you think you do.

Me?  I get a lot of sincere compliments for my impeccable style.

Wally (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

I got a bunch of nice ties and shirts like that as well. 
 

I read these posts too many times before realizing it was someone talking to themselves.  
 

Some of the most interesting conversations I've had were with myself. But when I argue, I'm never quite sure if I'm winning or losing.

As someone who sews, my warning on tailoring suits is that pants are easy to alter, jackets are hard. Especially the shoulders of a jacket. So if you're buying something to alter, make sure the jacket shoulders fit you.

Otherwise I love a thrift store suit! I get my husband thrift store pants and suits pretty often. One of them he had professionally tailored, others I'll just hem them or do quick adjustments. We even picked up a worn out old suit and turned it into a zombie groom costume for Halloween last year.

j_tso said:

Thrift stores, Goodwill, etc. also sell cheap, used suits. Better than buying online since you can inspect it better before purchasing.

I haven't shopped recently for suits but I've picked up some nice clothing at Goodwill, most recently a cashmere sweater for $4.00.  There are several used and/or vintage clothing stores around here.  They tend to concentrate mainly on women's clothing but some of them carry men's clothing too, and high quality suits, sport coats, etc. can be found for good prices.

[Back when I had a job where wearing suits was the dress code, there was an old style menswear place in an ancient building downtown.  It was great, they had really nice stuff at near wholesale prices.  All the men working there had been with the store for a million years, and walked around the store with a tape measure around their neck.  They could size you up by eye, know immediately what would look good on you, and have you fitted in a new suit along with a couple shirts and ties in about five minutes flat.  Sadly all the employees just got too old, the place closed its doors, and the building fell to urban renewal.]

I keep an eye out for dress shoes online and at thrift stores as well.  Once you've seen a few, it's easier to pick out Goodyear welting, stacked leather heel blocks and better construction.  If the soles are worn out they can be re-soled for less than the price of new shoes at the discount retailers.  Trenton and Heath are cobblers and brothers in middle Tennessee and make learning this aspect of finer menswear a little more approachable.

This thread has good information. I'll have to look into these Ebay suits and find a good local tailor. 




 

In reply to Crxpilot :

Good tip. I'd like some nicer dress shoes to match the suit.

I really want to be able to try shoes on first though. I have weird shaped feet and most shoes don't fit me well.