Style
What You Need to Know About Cheap Men’s Suits
Perhaps one of the most important pieces of clothing to have in your wardrobe is a suit. There will, invariably, come a day when you need to dress smartly. You may even need to wear a suit to work. However, just because you need a suit, does not mean that you should purchase a cheap one. In fact, it is recommended that you do not go anywhere near the cheap men’s suits on the market. Let us explain why.
Why cheap men’s suits are not always a good thing.
We see cheap men’s suits, and most cheap items out there for that matter, as a bit of a false economy. Yes, you are going to be saving money now. However, the quality, in most cases, is going to be abysmally poor. It will need to be replaced far sooner than a suit that costs a little bit more money.
Let’s do some simple maths here. This is really basic maths and these figures are not at all accurate. But, at least you will be able to see what I mean by cheap suits being a bit of a false economy.
- A cheap men’s suit costs $50.00
- An expensive suit costs $100 (see what I mean about the figures not being accurate?)
Now, let’s say that your cheap suit lasts 6 months. An expensive suit lasts eighteen months (again, not accurate, you will get many, many years of use out of an expensive suit). This means, basically, you will get through three cheap suits in the same amount of time that this expensive suit would last. If you purchase three cheap suits, it will set you back $150, $50.00 more than you would have spent on the better quality suit to begin with. Yes, it is going to cost a little bit more in the short term to buy the expensive suit, but you are going to save money in the long term.
In addition to this, slightly more expensive suits tend to be better designed. Not just in terms of the quality of material used in their production, but also the way in which they look. Remember, when you are buying a suit, you are doing so with the intention of looking absolutely brilliant when you walk into that room. We really do not feel as though you are going to get that if you go down the cheaper path. You may get lucky if you pick up something from your local charity store but you are going to need to be incredibly lucky.
Finally, cheap suits tend to be rather ill fitting. Honestly, in some cases, it almost seems as though the manufacturer just took a guess at the size and called it a day. You never want to wear an ill-fitting suit – you get judged by what you wear (whether you like it or not) and a cheap, ill-fitted suit will only serve to shine a negative impression on you.
Check the quality of the suit, quality is important.
Your main priority should always be to check the quality of a suit before you take the plunge and purchase it. You should never purchase a suit blind. Sure, it may look good online, but there is no guarantee that it is going to look good when it arrives with you. The material may be too thin. It may be too shiny. The pattern may just be inaccurate in photographs. You need to be able to feel the suit that you are purchasing before you actually buy it. In today’s world of online shopping, you can take the extra step of reading online reviews of suits you are interested in or shop with a reputable store where return options are made available to you. If you can’t do that, don’t purchase it.
So, why is quality important? Well, your suit is probably not going to get a whole lot of usage, unless you are heading to functions each and every week. It is likely that it is going to be shoved in your wardrobe until you want to pull it out and wear it. Cheaper suit manufacturers know that their clothing does not have to stand up to every day usage. As a result, they do not use the best possible materials in their construction. Their suits have been designed to be used on occasion, nothing more. As soon as you start to wear their suits too often, they will start to break on you. It is difficult to repair cheap suits.
In addition to this, poor quality materials do not stand up to cleaning too well. We have seen far too many cheap suits head to the cleaners, only to come back slightly tatty or discoloured. Not through the fault of the dry cleaner, of course, but down to the fact that cheap materials were used to put the suit together.
Finally, poor quality materials do not fit well. As I mentioned previously, if you are in the market for a suit, you want to know that you are purchasing something which fits the shape of your body well. Cheap materials tend to stretch and the like over time. Sure, it may fit now. But there is absolutely no guarantee that this suit will still be a perfect fit a couple of uses down the line. This is not an issue you are really going to run into when you purchase clothing of a slightly higher quality. It will just fit, and it will tend to fit pretty well. With a higher quality one, the only way in which you are going to need to purchase a new suit, or at least have a few adjustments carried out on the suit you own, is if you put on weight or lose weight.
Cheap men’s suits: 11 tips on choosing the best suit when you are on a budget.
Of course, not all of us have thousands of dollars to blow on a suit. That is why we have put together this section. Here, we are going to discuss a few ways in which you can purchase a good quality suit, even when you are working to a rather limited budget.
1. Firstly, you are going to want to think about the amount of budget that you have to work with. You are going to want to stick to this budget. Perhaps one of the best suggestions we have for working out your budget is to actually go shopping for suits. You can either do this online or by heading to your local store. Take a little peek at what they have on offer. This should give you a feel for the amount of money that you may be looking to spend if you are on a rather small budget. Obviously, do not opt for something that is of a hideous quality. If you can’t afford something that is decent right now, you should save up a little bit.
2. Have yourself professionally measured! Most companies that supply suits will be more than happy to take your measurements, for free, of course. Remember, one of the most important things that you can do when purchasing a suit is to ensure that you get something that fits well. Even if you are working to a rather strict budget, you still deserve something which looks good on you, right?
3. Avoid suits made of polyester, if you can. Yes, polyester is going to be cheaper. However, it does not stretch well. Well, it does stretch, but it will very quickly lose its shape and not look all that great. In addition to this, polyester is not a very breathable fabric. You get into a hot room packed to the brim with people whilst wearing a polyester suit, and you will be incredibly uncomfortable. Instead, opt for wool. It is ever so slightly more expensive, but it is also going to be of a higher quality.
4. When you are working to a budget, you are probably not going to be purchasing a bespoke suit. Instead, you are going to be getting something off of the shelf. Remember, sizing guides different brand to brand. An Alfani suit will be measured different to a Tommy Hilfiger suit. This is why it is important that you take the time to try suits on if you can.
5. If you want to save money, you can always purchase your suit online. However, you should never purchase a suit blindly online, no matter how cheap it is. Check out as many reviews of suits you are interested in as you can and as mentioned earlier, only buy from reputable marketplaces. Do this and you’ll pat yourself on the back later.
6. Once you have purchased your suit, you should get it tailored. You are never going to find a suit that fits your body type perfectly right off the bat. Instead, take your suit, and head to your local tailor. They will help shape the suit to your body. Yes, you will pay a little bit extra for this service, but you are going to look a whole lot better wearing your suit, even if it is a cheap option.
7. Treat the suit that you purchase with care. If you have gone the cheaper suit route and not spent a whole lot of money on your suit, this is quite an important point to keep note of. There is a reason why these suits are cheap. They tend not to have been made from the best materials in the world. If you treat them with not a whole lot of care, they will break, and you will need to replace that suit sooner as opposed to later. Basically, something which you originally thought was cheap is just going to work out a whole lot more expensive. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again – please think twice before skimping on the price of your suit.
8. When you are purchasing a cheap suit, or any one for that matter, you should always take the time to inspect the quality. Check the thickness of the material, does it feel good? See if the buttons are securely fastened in place. Check the stitching. Check to ensure that there is no fading in the colour. This will ensure that you end up with something that is of a fairly decent quality for not a whole lot of money. Do not expect the world when it comes to a cheap suit, but at least expect something of a decent standard.
9. Think about the colour of suit that you wish to purchase. We are going to assume that you are not in the market for multiple suits since you are buying on a budget. As a result, you are really going to want to choose a colour that suits as many situations as possible. We suggest you opt for grey suits, they are perfect for just about every situation, and you are going to look pretty suave wearing them too.
10. 100% cotton and 100% wool suits are some of the best on the market. However, they are expensive. If you want something that is of a fairly high quality but do not wish to blow a huge hole in your bank account, look for something that is a blend of cotton and wool. They are still going to be a high quality, but you are going to have some money left at the end of the day to pay your mortgage. 🙂
11. Think about the type of events where you are going to be wearing your suit. If you tend to go to a lot of outdoor events, particularly in the summer, then you are not going to get anything better than linen. It is a highly breathable fabric and it looks great. However, we never suggest that you go down the route of a linen suit if you are travelling. You will be forever ironing it. It wrinkles far too quickly for our taste. Dry cleaning bills are also going to be hell.
Have you got any tips that you can share with your fellow stylish gents for choosing a decent suit on a budget? Do you have any good recommendations about where to purchase one from? Let us know in the comments below!
