About to graduate and enter the workforce like a hardworking Aussie.
Spent about a week looking at suits and the brands. Tried a couple on and they all kinda looked the same.
Was going to buy Hugo Boss suit for about $1k or Armani for a bit higher.
Then Oxford came along with 100% Super 100s Wool at a fraction of the price.
Haven't been able to try them on yet but whats the quality like for these suits? I have their Chinos and they fade within a couple of months.
Ignore Oxford suits. If you still want one, you can buy them as a second or third pair just to try your luck.
IMHO, unless you're joining Big 4 consulting firms or similar, you don't have to spend 1000+ on a suit. I bought a couple of suits last year, one from Stafford Ellinson and another from Peter Jackson and each cost around $600 and I am happy with their quality. I also checked Bossini and Van Heusen and they seemed decent enough for a reasonable price but I didn't buy them as either the color choice or the size weren't fitting me.
The best option is to visit one of the DFO's and you will find all these shops next to each other. Good luck.
unless you're joining Big 4 consulting firms or similar, you don't have to spend 1000+ on a suit
Not even at Big4. Best not to turn up all flashy when your work might not turn out to be all that flash. Plus might rub up some more senior people living pay check to pay check a little.
Do agree with Peter Jackson. Advice is to buy proper wool suits. You don't look like a shiny reflective sign post on a sunny day (polyester blends) and the cost isn't that much different.
Hugo Boss is stylish, but as another poster said it's the fit that counts. Sorry not much help to you now, but I'd buy the Hugo Boss and go over to somewhere like Bangkok and get them to make a few tailor made with your own choices of fabric (you can bring your own if you want). Then return the Hugo Boss suit. I've done this many times.
Alas, a different time.
For Hugo Boss / Armani prices I am pretty sure you can get made to measure (shortened and tucked at the right places) but not bespoke.
If you have them side by side, you can see the huge differences. Everyone's idea of good quality is different. I have suits from Ted Baker, Paul Smith and Pal Zileri and you can tell the latter two are way better. As someone said above, unless you're in a big 4, no one really cares what brand you're wearing because your boss or manager is unlikely to be wearing something expensive.
Oxford suit quality is terrible avoid like the plague.
depends on role
if not client facing u prolly be WFH most the time lol
rock up in1k suit
morning here is ur laptop and pass
go home and WFH
see u on skype
So you're saying don't buy new pants and shoes?
I got a oxford suit that fit well - just take your time shopping (no matter which suit/store you choose). Preferably bring someone else as a fit checker.
BTW: Apart from the first day, haven't had to wear a suit since!
ditto on not wearing the suit, but after the interviews. In fact, with hybrid wfh/in office arrangements, i find my in-office outfits have gotten more casual.
i use oxford wear alot for my workwear.
There RRP seems quite high but if you get you stuff from the outlets it really welled priced.
I have a rotation of Oxford suits that I wear and pick them up on sale which they frequently have. By the time they get tired looking styles have moved on anyway. Depending on the fit I pay a tailor $50 to get a better fit which I had to also for my HB suit and little difference from the outside. I've found them to be decent quality for a great price (when on sale). For a graduate they're a good starting point until you get paid more.
I wouldn't splurge just yet…
1) Consider that your body may change from all the coffees, lunches, drinks etc or you may workout more as a new routine etc
2) You'll usually want 2 pants to 1 jacket due to the pants wearing thinner when you sit down on seats for extended periods due to friction.
Find something comfortable and likely to last.
Allocate more to the RM Williams ;)
Oxford is the Kathmandu of suiting. The quality is just ok and nobody pays full price.
If you're wearing suits daily it's worth spending a bit more, and it's always worth getting a suit tailored. If it looks ok off the rack some subtle tweaks will have you looking mint.
It's also worth looking at 2 trouser suits- they always tend to wear faster than the jackets, so for a slightly higher investment you get much more life put of the whole set.
There are a few brands going around that offer tailored suits at reasonable prices- Black Label is the first that springs to mind for me. They take all your measurements, send them to workshops in China or Vietnam usually then bring it back over here for a final fitting and alterations. No idea what COVID has done to their lead times but if you want a sub $1k made to measure suit it's an option.
It's also worth looking at 2 trouser suits
Also rotate the trousers otherwise you end up with a suit jacket that is slightly faded vs your second pair of trousers.
100% yes.
This. I've used Joe Button and Institchu. Had a good experience with both and well priced for a tailored suit.
Brands don't mean the suit will look good on a person.
If you've set yourself that budget then look at tailored (not bespoke) where there will be a measure, fitting and final adjustment.
Although it will probably be over $1k though if you want 2 pairs of pants or you'll have to go lower quality material.
Edit: Also better suits need to be rotated but obviously that will mean more $$ so its a vicious circle.
Brands don't mean the suit will look good on a person.
Not according to those blokes who walk around with the cloth label still attached about 3 inches up from their wrist on the sleeve. Bad fitting Hugo and Armani suits off the rack you can see a mile away. They never take photos of when they are not quite right, models in their photos always look good in their off the rack. Obviously there is a rack of models that fit just fine.
LOL marketing is very powerful. Takes time to learn these things and become comfortable about it.
Either the models fit the suit or the suit has been adjusted to fit the model not to mention the photoshop.
There you go. I thought there is just a rack of models they can take from and they'll fit anything. 32R suit and 32S trouser model please.
Those suits aren't exactly ready to wear, they all need a bit of tailoring to sort them out otherwise they do look odd. Maybe some people just can't be arsed to spend another $100 or so to get them tailored.
Rod & Gunn suits are good quality
Starting out fit first quality second.
Oxford is good for this if you can get 70% off which is not usual.
Warning about tailored suits in Asia - even well rated tailors apply pressure tactics to get you to accept a suit, less adjustments means more profit for them.
Make sure you do your research, know what you want and how it should fit.
Best bet is bringing your best fitting suit along.
Have them measure you as per normal but make sure you have your best fitting suit as a benchmark.
Ive USD$100 on a suit that fit better than a USD $400.
I've also learnt a lot from the experience.
As others have said with suits the fit is most important. I’d honestly buy what fits you best. I’d also highly recommend bringing someone to check it fits ok. Usually the sales assistants won’t sell you something that doesn’t fit correctly but an extra pair of eyes won’t hurt.
If at all possible I would second what people have said about buying separates. That is buy a jacket and 2 pairs of pants. In the summer you probably won’t wear a jacket unless you have to. I’ve found pants to wear out much faster.
I have bought 2 suits from Oxford, both times at low prices thanks to their outlet sales. I would say they are ideal for day to day at the office as I like to keep my other suits (MJ Bale, Hugo Boss) for formal occasions and important work events. Oxford pants tend to get worn out quickly, so make sure you buy at least 2 sets of pants. The benefit of having a few cheap Oxford suits is that they can be rotated and should last longer then just repeatedly wearing one expensive suit.
Irrelevant of the brand you go with, it's important to get it tailored, that is what attributes most to your overall look.
That sounds like a good idea. Might just buy some Oxford suits for regular occasions and when there's a special work event, rock up with the expensive ones.
I don’t know what’s changed these days but I was an absolute povo when I entered the workforce and I don’t expect my junior grads to be rocking up in suits or one that fits well at that. Unless your customer facing don’t even bother IMO.
Us more senior people can't keep up with the grads. We got big negatively geared property we need to tip money into, not tipping money into suits. Unless you can use it and it doubled in price every 7 years.
What kind of role are you going for?
IMO a well fitting suit looks better than an expensive but poorly fitting suit. Invest money in 2 pairs of goodyear welted shoes (so you can rotate between wears) and tailoring on the cheaper suit. Sh*t shoes are the first thing that stick out for me.