[endag]

Hello,

I've been lurking through the forum on a daily with the effort of satisfying my knowledge pertaining to clothiers and of suit qualities. However my main motivation is of my appearance as a guest at an upcoming wedding. Knowing this, suit options have been runnin' through my mind. As a broke (and lazy) student, my funds are limited to around $500 or so. eBay scouring has left me with nigh to choose from as my measurements are apparently so rare that there's not a suit that would fit me.

Are MTM options realistic? Might I size up and tailor down with an OTR? My local Nordstrom Rack has Hickey Freeman Travelers in 40r @ $399.

Have any input? I thank you in advance.

-Nick

 

[paxonus]

Tailoring down will work for you if you find something that fits across the shoulders. If the HF 40r is good across the shoulders, any other alterations won't break the bank.

 

[3piece]

Are MTM options realistic? Might I size up and tailor down with an OTR? My local Nordstrom Rack has Hickey Freeman Travelers in 40r @ $399.

Have any input? I thank you in advance.

-Nick

MTM will do if you have bad taste that you can't tell when you get a bad suit. Just get an OTR and tailor it.

 

[endag]

MTM will do if you have bad taste that you can't tell when you get a bad suit. Just get an OTR and tailor it.

Questionable sense of style aside, I'm unable to discern whether a canvas is glued or stitched.

 

[endag]

Tailoring down will work for you if you find something that fits across the shoulders. If the HF 40r is good across the shoulders, any other alterations won't break the bank.

I'm a 38r with 19.25 shoulders and 19 pit. I can't find anything that even remotely fits.

 

[Truth&Rights]

$500 MTM is likely to be online MTM made in a far away place with not a lot of recourse if the suit doesn't fit.

What do you mean by tailoring down? There are limits to what a tailor can do. If you're very thin and wear a size 36 short, for example, don't expect a tailor to be able to chop down a 40R to fit you. Not gonna happen.

What is your chest and waist size? If you have a large chest to waist drop, suit separates are probably going to be your best bet.

 

[Truth&Rights]

I'm a 38r with 19.25 shoulders and 19 pit. I can't find anything that even remotely fits.

Where have you looked and what have you tried? Are those body measurements or garment measurements? What is your waist size?

 

[EclecticSr.]

Okay, broke student I understand but then, you lost me at lazy.
:angry:

 

[Woofa]

Definitely get us some good measurements and maybe a pic or two. I would also caution you to not overly worry about perfect fit for what sounds like your first suit mainly for a wedding. If course you want a good fit but close is usually unnoticeable by anyone you are likely to meet. Truth is that an extra quarter inch is really not drastically off. If your shoulders fit a 19.25 (about my size and I wear from a 42 to a 44 jacket) shoulder then you are closer to a 43 than a 38. Of course body types vary and you could be wide but very thin. Get the guys here some good measurements and they will steer you in the right direction. You may not reach perfection on this first suit but with your budget your options really do not include any quality mtm. We tend to believe that online mtm is like throwing your money away.

 

[JBierly]

Definitely get us some good measurements and maybe a pic or two. I would also caution you to not overly worry about perfect fit for what sounds like your first suit mainly for a wedding. If course you want a good fit but close is usually unnoticeable by anyone you are likely to meet. Truth is that an extra quarter inch is really not drastically off. If your shoulders fit a 19.25 (about my size and I wear from a 42 to a 44 jacket) shoulder then you are closer to a 43 than a 38. Of course body types vary and you could be wide but very thin. Get the guys here some good measurements and they will steer you in the right direction. You may not reach perfection on this first suit but with your budget your options really do not include any quality mtm. We tend to believe that online mtm is like throwing your money away.

I agree that a 19.25 is more like a 44 than a 38 although the 19 pit to pit seems more like a 38. Maybe the OP has really wide shoulders and a smaller chest?

 

[Charles Dana]

OP: You stated that your measurements are "apparently...rare."

Would you elaborate, please? What specifically is it about your physique that prevents you from easily finding a ready-made suit (well, besides the fact that you and your brother are conjoined twins)?

I don't think a college student on a tight budget has any business purchasing a made-to-measure suit, except as a dead-last resort.

(By the way, endag, do you like musicals? "West Side Story" is quite the rouser. Check it out sometime.)

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

I'm a 38r with 19.25 shoulders and 19 pit. I can't find anything that even remotely fits.

Hmmm... suppose your pit-to-pit is 38" around and yet you claimed you need a 19.25" wide shoulder seam, does that mean that your deltoid muscles (front, lateral and rear) are bulked up extremely beefy with no chest development? That is somewhat weird.

What makes you think that you need 19.25" shoulder seam? Is this based on some measurement? or is this taken from some jacket that fits you nicely?

A 38R jacket can have pit-to-pit with 41.5" and upward and shoulder seams 18" - 18.5" apart. Some classically cut 40R has 19" or so shoulder seam, but not the latest trim cut. I think it is going to be hard to find such jacket with wide shoulder and narrow chest.

 

[Tim Correll]

I agree that a 19.25 is more like a 44 than a 38 although the 19 pit to pit seems more like a 38. Maybe the OP has really wide shoulders and a smaller chest?

My body is 17.25 inches from arm pit to arm pit and I wear a 46R coat and 38R (on the hip) and 42R (on the waist) pants. I'm 5' 9", evenly proportioned and weigh 215 to 220 pounds with a 17.25 inch diameter neck and 34.5 inch sleeve length, for what it's worth.

 

[SG_67]

Am I the only one struck by the irony of someone having difficulty finding something that “remotely fits” yet being self aware enough to know he’s a 38R? Sounds like an OTR size to me.

I wouldn’t go the MTM route for $500. It can only end in utter disaster. Your dimensions aren’t that unique, assuming you’re expressing them accurately.

Find an outlet mall, you should be able to find something for $200-300 and then drop a $100 on alterations.

 

[Matt S]

I remember a time when you could more easily find a 38R jacket with 19" shoulders than you could with shoulders that weren't too wide for most people with a 38" chest. Look back to the 1990s and you'll find something with the right measurements. Searching_Best_Fit described the typical fits from the 1990s and the 1940s-50s:

A 38R jacket can have pit-to-pit with 41.5" and upward and shoulder seams 18" - 18.5" apart. Some classically cut 40R has 19" or so shoulder seam, but not the latest trim cut. I think it is going to be hard to find such jacket with wide shoulder and narrow chest.

 

[endag]

Hmmm... suppose your pit-to-pit is 38" around and yet you claimed you need a 19.25" wide shoulder seam, does that mean that your deltoid muscles (front, lateral and rear) are bulked up extremely beefy with no chest development? That is somewhat weird.

What makes you think that you need 19.25" shoulder seam? Is this based on some measurement? or is this taken from some jacket that fits you nicely?

A 38R jacket can have pit-to-pit with 41.5" and upward and shoulder seams 18" - 18.5" apart. Some classically cut 40R has 19" or so shoulder seam, but not the latest trim cut. I think it is going to be hard to find such jacket with wide shoulder and narrow chest.

I work on a computer literally all day long; front delts and pec major are bulky while the clavicle is rotated inward about 1 - 1.5 inches. Took measurements the other day; if I corrected my posture I'd fit into an 18 or 18.5 which is a little more realistic for casual suit shopping, however not really practical for casual use.

 

[endag]

Am I the only one struck by the irony of someone having difficulty finding something that "remotely fits" yet being self aware enough to know he's a 38R? Sounds like an OTR size to me.

I wouldn't go the MTM route for $500. It can only end in utter disaster. Your dimensions aren't that unique, assuming you're expressing them accurately.

Find an outlet mall, you should be able to find something for $200-300 and then drop a $100 on alterations.

That was a blondie moment. I understand what remote things represent as well as the poorly phrased description. I've found
which seems like it'd fit but wouldn't be quite appropriate for a wedding.

However I've also found a navy Dunhill blazer which I'm considering instead of a suit.

 

[SG_67]

That was a blondie moment. I understand what remote things represent as well as the poorly phrased description. I've found
which seems like it'd fit but wouldn't be quite appropriate for a wedding.

However I've also found a navy Dunhill blazer which I'm considering instead of a suit.

Again, for some reason eBay links don't seem to come up accurately on mobile for me. When I click on the link you've provided, I'm taken to a Burberry suit.

Honestly, you're better off finding something off the rack requiring minimal alterations.

Buying a suit sight unseen and untried is a gamble and will only end in you wasting time and money.

 

[Woofa]

I am looking at the suit photo's from your other thread and wanted to ask why you felt that suit was inappropriate? Does the invitation specify formality? This looks like a beautiful 3/2 light grey suit. Probably more of a summer color but with a nice powder blue shirt and light colored tie I think you would be better dressed than 90 percent of men I have seen at weddings over the years
Of course grey slacks with a blue blazer is also a great combo and should be easier to find separately if you are having fit issues. I have only been to one wedding over the years where this was not dressy enough.

 

[Truth&Rights]

The eBay route works only if you have time and patience. Besides things not fitting due to the seller not measuring correctly or whatever, you can also run into other issues, like damage that wasn't disclosed, and then you need to budget for 2-3 weeks lead time on alterations (in most cases), assuming the suit basically fits.

Re: dress code, figure out what it is before buying anything.