[Nlhaines]

I'm looking at some Hickey Freeman suits online. I know they offer a wide range of quality on their suits, without any easy way of distinguishing the good fully canvassed suits from the fused. Some do say "Made in USA", and I'm not sure if that makes any difference

I'm looking specifically at stuff on the Saks off 5th website, most of which are final sale in the $300-400 range. Should I just assume these are all fused?

I have heard you can call Hickey Freeman for verification, but all Saks offers as an identifier is a "Style Code". Would I be able to call Hickey Freeman with that and get an answer? If not, what type of suit ID would I need?

Also, how consistent is the sizing on HF suits? If a particular size in the local retail shop fits me perfectly, is it pretty safe for me to order that size online?

Thanks so much for any help.

 

[JBierly]

Welcome to the forum. I took a cursory look at both the Hickey Freeman Website and the Saks and SOF website and really no information. I will say the Loro Piana Tasmanian 150 fabrics on some of these suits is pretty nice stuff. You might be able to call Saks or HF about canvassing but I don't know. With regard to fit they have some different models so don't assume they all fit the same. So a Beacon may not be the same as something else.

 

[suitman19]

Generally in the outlets be it Saks or Hickey outlets....

If you see they have a large size run of the garment it was made for the outlets. Typically mostly machine made, collars not turned by hand etc.
Most are fused half canvas.

Common sense should prevail - you can't sell $1595 suits at $400.
Not even the mfg will do that. Their "full" make suits are $799 on their website.

Also - Hickey is not the same quality garment it was 15 years ago.

 

[Nlhaines]

I need to buy 3-5 suits or sport coats. I'd like at least 1 of the suits to be high quality, fully canvassed, that will last 10+ years with proper care. Are HFs mainline's still good for this purpose? Would these ~$300 hickeys be decent enough for rounding out the wardrobe around 1-2 high quality suits (last 3-5 years, fused probably okay, but looking for otherwise decent construction)?

I picked up a 1999 "new" Hickey Freeman boardroom suit off eBay for cheap. I'm hoping that fits well, and I can return it if it doesn't. The problem is it's black, so I'll still need a high quality charcoal or navy even if that works out.

What other brands would you recommend I've seen some Canali's in the $300-$400 dollar range that look pretty good. Would Ralph Lauren Black Label be a good bet? For a cheaper suit to round out the rotation would HSM be a decent bet?

I tend to like flashier suits with interesting colors patterns, and I'm my own boss so I can wear them to work (within reason), but I'd like the high end stuff I but to be timeless and fairly conservative.

Sorry for all the noobish questions. It seems as if there are few rules that apply universally to any of these brands or lines and you really have to go garment by garment. Y'all have been very helpful.