[hmas]

its a shame you posted this now, over the weekend Saks 5th Ave in NYC (the flagship) had one hell of a sale on Canali. The salesmen were trying to sell me a suit bad but the fit is not good for me. Still, the prices -and suits, were amazing.

 

[Tonyp]

Canali is a fine suit. If the price is right and the fit is right and it sounds like you are getting the right pants and jacket then I would consider it. MTM is nothing more than taking set patterns and measuring you to make sure that the patterns and the suit can be made to fit your build. MTM depends on the person doing the measuring. If he doesn't measure correctly then the suit won't fit. This happened to me and I was lucky that the were able to make another pair of pants. Some designers no matter what just will not fit you correctly. MTM or not.

 

[David Reeves]

In my experience most sales people don't like or understand MTM. They often don't like the hastle and the potential risk. Often stores encourage salespeople to sell off the rack first as well because it's payed for.

I always enjoyed and pushed MTM. If they are not I think they are probably a little timid about doing it which should be an indication to you not to have them do it.

I went to a local boutique that has a great reputation to look for my new, conservative "interview suit". I have some flashy Dolce & Gabbana suits that I love, but I need something very conservative for several interviews coming up. I decided that I would do Zegna MTM, to assure a perfect fit. After telling the salesman about my plans, he had me try on a Canali suit. He said that the Canali fit great, and said doing MTM is a waste of money because the suit fit so well off of the rack. Not to mention, the suit was WAY cheaper than the Zegna MTM. What do you guys think? Was he blowing smoke at me? I am a pretty athletically built guy, and pretty lean, and the suit looked good to me; that being said, I am no fashion guru, so I might not know any better. Any advice/input would be appreciated. Saving some money would be great, but not at the expense of a worse fitting suit. Let me what you guys think...

 

[David Reeves]

Big price difference. How much is a Canali Stateside?

Thanks guys; the reason I am asking is that, it's not like he's trying to sell me a more expensive suit. On the contrary, its about $1,000 less than the MTM Zegna (and they have no extra financial interest in Canali). He said to me, "I'd be happy to sell you a suit that is $1,000 more, but to be honest it will fit no better than this one". Id like to add it is a very good store with a terrific reputation.

The reason I was considering MTM in the first place was because with my shape, a 38 coat fits me perfect, while a 40 pant fits me perfect (big thighs from the stupid weights); so my only option was to get a 40 and hope for a darn good tailoring job. Until now, the stores wouldnt seperate them, but he is willing to sell me the 38 coat with a 40 pant. This seems to fit perfectly, but I honestly wouldnt know what "looks like an expensive suit fit" versus what just fits me. Do you guys have any tips for when I go in for what to keep an eye out for when I try it on again; perhaps what to tip the tailor off to. Id rather take the bull by the horns by myself than to trust the salesman

 

[ramair57]

lookirish, not to make this thread about weight-lifting, but I dont have a 38 chest; I have a 41 chest. That being said, 40 coats look boxy on me, while a 38 coat (In VERY FEW brands), actually fits nice and trim, the way I like it. I cant buy any shirt remotely labeled as slim because while the chest and waist fit great, the arms are like spandex on me. Same for my thighs and seat - waist fits great on the 48 pant, but legs are like spandex; u can not believe me if you like, but Im not making this up to get some strange jollies. Ive been going through this problem for years trying to find designer clothes that fit well due to my unproportionately large arms and legs for my frame.

Anyway, thanks for the responses thus far guys

 

[pkincy]

Do remember that the key fit in a coat is not the waist but the shoulders

Everything else a tailor can fix.

Perry

 

[oldseed]

i think there may be some exagerrated viewpoints here. a dolce & gabbana suit, mainline, is just fine for interviews. i wager any D&G suit that's a solid navy or charcoal/gray is fine.

no need to even get a canali; if your goal is interviewing you likely already are ok.

 

[Kai]

I am a big fan of Canali suits. I have Canali suits that I am still wearing after almost 20 years. They are well made, and have a classic elegance about them that will last forever.

Assuming that the Canali cut fits your body type, I don't see any reason to buy a more expensive suit (MTM or off the rack) than Canali.

If I am going to spend more on a suit than I would spend on a Canali, I will go true bespoke.

Canali makes a very nice suit. You can pay more, but unless you go bespoke, I don't think you will be getting your money's worth.

 

[ramair57]

oldseed, the dolce & gabbana suit I have has a pinstripe pattern that ,while very attractive, may be a bit too flashy for interviews. In addition, the cut is very trim - GQ style trim. Looks great at dinner and/or a night club, but again, not too comfortable being that flashy at an interview.

The Canali has a cut which is trim, but not too trim (neat, but not flashy). Also, I went with a darker charcoal color (not the darkest charcoal they had, but definitely still a dark charcoal) that seems to be perfect for business and conservative occassions. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[oldseed]

oldseed, the dolce & gabbana suit I have has a pinstripe pattern that ,while very attractive, may be a bit too flashy for interviews. In addition, the cut is very trim - GQ style trim. Looks great at dinner and/or a night club, but again, not too comfortable being that flashy at an interview.

The Canali has a cut which is trim, but not too trim (neat, but not flashy). Also, I went with a darker charcoal color (not the darkest charcoal they had, but definitely still a dark charcoal) that seems to be perfect for business and conservative occassions. Thanks for all the help guys!

sounds good; i do like canali suits (probably a consensus here anyway). charcoal will do u good. g'luck on your interviews!