I just bought a couple expensive shirts and they totally suck: collar, fit, etc. I am pissed. I don't buy a lot of clothes but try to buy quality. It seems much tougher these days.
From a value perspective, what do you think the best men's clothing makers are? I don't mind paying for good things if they are worth it, look nice and will last
Pants, shirts, shoes, suits, ties? Other?
I have a serious liking for brooks brother's no-iron dress shirts. They look sharp all day, fit me great, and ou can often get them for $50 each.
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/men.process?parent=men&pgname=miracleshirt
If they didn't fit then why did you buy them? If you're spending more than $10 on something then take the few minutes and try it on.
That said, nothing is ever going to fit perfect off the rack. Find what fits and looks best and take it to a tailor. A decent shirt thats tailored will look much much better than a $200 shirt that balloons out at the waist or strains at your shoulders.
No Way wrote:
If they didn't fit then why did you buy them? If you're spending more than $10 on something then take the few minutes and try it on.
That said, nothing is ever going to fit perfect off the rack. Find what fits and looks best and take it to a tailor. A decent shirt thats tailored will look much much better than a $200 shirt that balloons out at the waist or strains at your shoulders.
I look at neck and sleeve length and check to make sure it is not "slim" fit, sometimes I try them on, but I did not try these on because the guy assured me they were roomy; they were not. Even expensive makers are skimping on cloth for collars, length and blouse. I don't think tailoring for shirts is necessary, if the sleeves don't fit or sizing is off I take it back. I will take these back, I feel they are poorly made for skinny metro guys who want tight looking shirts and who don't tuck their shirts in. I am 5' 11" in good shape and I am somehow too big for men's shirts all of a sudden. You are right I should have taken a moment to try them on. I am looking for suggestions on other clothing makers.
So far wrote:
I don't think tailoring for shirts is necessary.
Then you'll never get the right fit. Buy a $50 shirt, spend the $8 and you'll love it way more than any $58 shirt you'll buy anywhere, no matter who makes it. No designer is making shirts for you, especially if you have a funny body shape as you seem to have. The only person who's going to fit a shirt to that body is a tailor. You say you don't mind spending money to have something nice, this is the only way you'll do it.
Jos. A. Bank.
If you really want the best, go bespoke. Find a good local tailor or, if you seriously want to pamper yourself, one of the guys from savile row who visits the US a few times a year. You can't do any better than Tom: http://www.englishcut.com/. Bespoke suits look a hell of a lot better, feel a hell of a lot better and will last a lot longer than your typical off the rack suit. It's a longer process with several fittings but it's actually rather fun to be a part of it, know your tailor, etc. They'll set you back anywhere from ~800 for a starter with a fused chest piece to 3k for the real deal suit with a floating piece, or more if you want super-fancy fabrics. I would take an ~800 fused suit over a fully canvassed 2k armani any day, and I don't think it's close.
September Issue wrote:
I just bought a couple expensive shirts and they totally suck: collar, fit, etc. I am pissed. I don't buy a lot of clothes but try to buy quality. It seems much tougher these days.
From a value perspective, what do you think the best men's clothing makers are? I don't mind paying for good things if they are worth it, look nice and will last
Pants, shirts, shoes, suits, ties? Other?
Pants, shirts, suits --> get it tailored! Brand doesn't really matter. Brand determines the starting point that the tailor has to work with, and the quality and durability of the fabric, and of course the fashion of the pattern and cut itself.
Shoes --> Johnston and Murphy, Ecco, Allen Edmunds are all very nice, and quite comfortable.
Ties --> anything that's not novelty. Clothiers tend to pair their ties to their shirts, so buy your ties where you buy your shirts.