I need a black suit for MY wedding.

[Cities]

Gentleman,

It hit me earlier today that I'm getting married in a little over a month, and I have nothing to wear. Time is ticking away, and this is the first time I'm getting stressed over the wedding. I've decided against a tux, but will for sure buy a nice black suit. I live in NYC, so I guess I have some pretty good options. Buts, since there is so much in NY, I was hoping for some some suggestions to get me started instead of taking an entire weekend checking the many shops out. I wondered into Hugo Boss today, and saw some nice suits, although none really wowed me. Any suggestions on where I should begin looking would be greatly appreciated.

Here are some points that may help with any suggestions:

I am 31, 6' tall, broad in the shoulders, but otherwise slim.
My budget is $1200 tops not including shoes and shirt.
I think I will wear a bow tie (not black), is this crazy?
I don't have a nice black suit, so I would like something that will see some use in the future.

Unfortunately, work brings my fiance to the other side of the country for the next few weeks, so it looks like I'll be making this purchase without her taking a look first.

Many thanks!

 

[Bullwinkle]

where will the wedding be? church, outside, etc.. you might want to work with your best man. believe me before buying be sure to send pics to your fiance and get her blessing or you will forever be reminded about 'the suit'. I would say stay traditional so when you wear it in the future everyone doesn't say I bet you bought that in 2010

 

[TheSentinel]

I did the same for my wedding. Black suits add a touch of class that a rented tux just doesn't. For ties, I went with a solid red tie and my groomsmen wore black ties of a similar shape.

Try to bring a female friend with you or at least a fashionable guy. Make sure the shop can do timely alterations or know a tailor who can. Avoid getting upsold on a shirt, shoes, belt, etc unless you're really in a hurry. You can get those elsewhere for less.

A classic looks such as a two button, double vented, jacket with medium lapels and no fancy patterns is a good call. You'll be able to wear that suit as long as you can fit into it.

 

[stobes21]

As long as you stick with a conservative cut in two or three button your suit will remain stylish for many years to come. I don't have recommendations for place to buy your suit, but when shopping be sure to add tailoring costs to your budget. So if you want to stay under $1200 total then don't go over 900 or 1000 to buy it and then take it to a good tailor to get the fit just right for you.

If you think you're going to wear the suit fairly frequently you might want to consider picking up a second pair of matching pants. Pants wear out far faster than suit jackets do, so having a second pair will extend the life of the suit for quite some time. And because the pants should be significantly cheaper than the jacket it shouldn't cost you that much more.

If you have broad shoulders and a narrow waist it is unlikely you will be able to find anything off the rack that will fit particularly well, But the waist of a suit can be brought in with little fuss. So make sure it fits well through the shoulders and don't worry if it's too loose in the waist. That's why you go to a tailor.

I too wore a black suit at my wedding. My groomsmen didn't have to buy or rent anything as I specified a solid black suit (which all of them already had), white shirt, and I provided matching ties to all of them. It ended up looking very nicely coordinated without costing much at all. Good luck!

 

[Ronan the BARBERian]

If you live in NYC check out the TM Lewin shop they currently have a sale on with $800 suits reduced to $400

http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/MensSuitProductList.aspx/Men/MenswearSuits


The best classic english tailoring available without getting a "Bespoke" savile row suit, do not be confused with the far lesser made to measure suit.

I have touted the benefits of their floating canvas construction in previous threads on this forum.

The best super 120 wool. The shop can have any alterations needed done, be sure to show some shirt sleeve especially if wearing double cuff shirt.

+1 on the extra pair of trousers and I would recommend geting one of their luxury twill slim fit shirts. Do you plan on wearing butterfly or standard collar with the bow tie?

With the money you have saved get the best pair of shoes and belt you can, a good pair of shoes can make a cheap suit look class, but even the best suit will look poor if worn with cheap shoes.

 

[Cities]

Thanks, guys. Great suggestions indeed. I guess the most important things are a good tailor and good shoes. I couldn't find a TM Lewin shop in NY, but I did locate a few Charles Tyrwhitt shops that I'll check out tomorrow.

Just as an aside, the wedding ceremony will be outside at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the reception will be at a really cool restaurant/bar/performance space in DUMBO. Nothing too formal.

Thanks again. I'll let y'all know what I end up with.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Check out Neiman Marcus, they have a sale once a year or so, and I think this would be about the time. My wedding suit was bought there in this special sale and I paid some $600 plus alterations for a $1500 Hickey Freeman suit.

 

[Jett Airliner]

Congratulations! For the bow tie, I recommend this website: http://www.beautiesltd.com/

Great folks, and they'll work with you if you want to coordinate your bow tie/cummerbund/vest/whatever with your best man or groomsmen.

Remember that it's a special day for you, too. Your bride will have labored over her looks for hours, probably much more including the time picking out the dress - and the look will probably be ruined and sweaty by the first dance (definitely by the time the cake is smashed!). You should take pride in what you get. Of course, you can also be happy that you can wear it to any occasion (unless you want to keep it for special reasons).

 

[C Reed]

DO NOT TAKE A WOMAN WITH YOU TO BUY A SUIT unless they work in fashion and more specify mens wear or styling.

If you had the time I would have sent to to Against Nature, the best custom tailor in NYC right now.

For off the rack check out all the Barnie's, Bloomingdales, and BG's as well as the designer stores for Boss, Ralph Lauren (i like the w village one best) Calvin Klien, and Armani. That should give you a good idea as to what is going on with suits right now, and maybe you will find one in your budget at one of these stores, take it straight to the Stanton Street Tailors, they will have it fit perfect for you in about 3-5 days.

 

[flylot]

I recommend a charcoal grey suit or even midnight blue over a black one. Black suits are usually reserved for more somber occasions such as funerals.

Traditionally either a tux (after 6pm) or a morning coat ensemble or "stroller" if the wedding is in the daytime is preferred.

Why rent? Buy a tux. You will great service out of it. I wear mine usually four or five times a year:

Opening and closing night at the opera.
Opening and closing night at the ballet.
New Year Eve party.
Usually one or two weddings per year.
My wedding anniversary dinner.

 

[Bill Smith]

I would recommend either a dark navy or a charcoal suit over black for the reasons mentioned above. I would go to Brooks Brothers and look for a 1818 Collection Fitzgerald suit, while a trim cut, it does look good on most guys.

 

[Cities]

After seriously considering buying a $1600 Paul Smith suit, I walked into the Soho Bloomingdales and left a happy man. The level of help I received from the sales associate was so much above the service received from the other shops I had visited.

I ended up buying a black Hugo Boss suit, with a very discrete and slender vertical stripe pattern. It fits very well, and does not need much in the way of tailoring. Regardless, my guy at Bloomingdales advised me to skip the in-house tailors and go with someone he trusts (that happens to be quite reasonable and with solid yelp write-ups).

I also bought a very nice white dress shirt, beautiful black shoes that will last a decade, socks, and a pocket square to compliment the bow tie my fiance had bought me.

Bought separately, I would have ended up paying more than $1600 for all these items. However, since I prepaid for an upcoming Friday sale, and if I open a charge card on Friday as well, I'll pay about $900 for everything, which leaves me with more than enough to buy a nice belt.

Thank you all for the help and suggestions, they are greatly appreciated.