Look, starting a wardrobe is difficult. You have to decide what kind of man you want to be. What kind of message do you want to send? What kind of budget do you want to use? And how often you want to go back to the drawing board. What kind of man do you want to be? Sounds heavy. Sounds dramatic. Maybe because, in some ways, it is. So much of what people initially believe about you remains in their subconscious long after they get to know you. So what you wear is important. The message you want to send is one of being put together, attentive to details, or it is the opposite. Laid back and unbothered. The budget is also integral to the wardrobe you build. High quality comes with high prices. However, it comes with longevity, so it means you don’t have to replace it as often, saving money in the long run. So, what kind of man do you want to be? Hopefully one that wears men’s suits.
No matter what man, message, budget, or shopping frequency you choose, a good suit wardrobe will need to be a part of it. So, where do you go? How do you start? Here are the five brands to trust to get started. No Tom Ford, Brioni, giant fashion houses here. These are the five suits for the man starting out. And one for the man aspiring to the next step. The first four, you can grab your first quality suit for around the $1,000 mark. The aspirational one will be your first custom, so it will be a bit more.
Joseph Abboud
I first cut my teeth in the menswear world selling suits at JCPenney. I know, no argument there. I agree. These weren’t quality suits. These were the last-minute prom, recital, boy-is-gonna-grow-out-of-it-next-week suits. But I eventually made my way to Men’s Wearhouse. While I would lump most of the Men’s Wearhouse offerings into the category of starter suits, nothing fancy or over the top, there is one brand that stands above the rest. Joseph Abboud is a hidden gem, a diamond in the rough. It is far and away the suit brand I push men towards when they are starting out. Sitting at the crossroads of affordability and quality, their made-to-measure offerings will feel like a bespoke suit and cost like something off the rack. Off-the-rack will cost you around $750, while the made-to-measure will hit just above $1,000 to $1,100.
Hockerty
As a former suit salesman, I have a complicated relationship with online suit sales. There is just no replacement for the hands-on approach offered by a true expert fitting you in his shop. I used to tell guys that no matter what suit they get and no matter what online shop you try, the suit will never fit the way it will after I get through with it. Now, while that is still true, the technology has changed a lot in the decade since I was working the mirrors in the tailor shop. And Hockerty’s AI programs are about as good as online gets. It would still benefit you to get your measurements professionally done, but once you have those set, Hockerty has an online custom system that can make your imagination the megaphone for your message. These will come in just under $1,000 when it is all said and done.
The Black Tux
One of my favorite things about The Black Tux is the fit I get right off the rack. Of all the suits I would recommend to gents looking to begin a suit wardrobe, The Black Tux seems to find the fit trends earlier than the rest. Anytime you’re buying off-the-rack, you will typically be a little behind the eight ball when it comes to trending silhouettes; that is the downside of mass producing any clothing. Custom will always lead the way on the trends. When I got my hands on this ink blue linen double-breasted suit, I was taken by the modern silhouette without any tailoring needed. Top marks. Most of these guys will run you around the $700-$800 range for a new kit.
SuitSupply
If you are like me, and you would rather have a more personal experience than something online, SuitSupply is the best out there for beginners. You can land the experience of a bespoke suit without the price. Make a private appointment. Get served a complimentary drink. Go through fabrics and patterns until one scratches the itch you need. Then have an expert put you in the mirror and bring it to life. This is the experience that you get when you get a custom suit made for you, but you can get it for your first suit by only sacrificing $800-$1,200 instead of four times that amount.
Alan David Custom
Ok, here it is, the aspirational suit. Most of us can’t do this for our first suit. But if you are the guy who is lucky enough to get a custom suit right out of the gate, this is the place I will send you to. It is a rite of passage for a man to walk through a door, have someone serve you with decades of knowledge, open a book of the best fabrics in the world, and then put you through the most comprehensive fit routine in the world. Multiple try-ons. Adjustments. Alterations. The process that ensures the suit will be the best and most comfortable thing in your wardrobe. Now, I am the kind of guy (having sold suits for years, where I acquired all the basics I needed) who made sure my custom suit stood out. Tweed. Windowpane. It is my best suit. For the new guy, maybe make sure this is one of the basics. Something you can wear over and over and not be an obvious rewear. This quality and service will cost you four or five times what the suits above will cost. And it will last that much longer and more.
There you go, gents, five brands to look at if you are building or rebuilding your suit wardrobe. Make sure you stick to the four-legged stool (charcoal suit, blue suit, light gray suit, and navy blazer) to cover your basics so you can send all the right messages.
