If you’ve got a bit more money to spend, your options will widen significantly to include a robust selection of off-the-rack suits from the likes of J. Press, Sid Mashburn and Drake’s as well as made-to-measure options from respected tailoring shops. At The Armoury, a Hong Kong-based tailor with locations in NYC, Japanese-made ready-to-wear suits range from about $1,600 to $2,500, with made-to-measure options starting at $3,150. “The difference between a $500 suit and a $1,500 or $2,000 suit is a higher level of fabric,” offers Max Papier, The Armoury’s director of ecommerce. “Each level that you go up, you’re also going to have more handwork involved in the jacket, which means just more hand sewing compared to machine sewing.” These upgrades translate to performance benefits like durability and breathability (a key consideration if you live somewhere hot) as well as a subtly elevated look and feel.
High-End ($4,000+)
This is where things get truly fancy, from OTR bangers from the likes of Tom Ford and Armani to the full bespoke experience from a high-end tailor. At this level, you should expect to get the very best of everything, including elite fabrics, handmade floating canvas and the sartorial clout of a top-shelf tailoring house. There are a bunch of important differences between a great $2,500 suit and a great $5000 suit, but most of the improvements tend to be incremental, like the provenance of a fabric or a particularly dialed-in fit.
At Huntsman & Sons, a famed Savile Row tailoring house founded in 1849, a two-piece bespoke suit starts just shy of $6,000, which is more than some other bespoke services, but still on par with many high-end off-the-rack options. “Whilst our starting price point is not dissimilar from that of some luxury designer counterparts, what is unique about a Huntsman bespoke suit is the hallmark of quality guaranteed by the fact that our entire production and make process takes place in-house at 11 Savile Row,” explains Campbell Carey, Huntsman’s Head Cutter and Creative Director. “You’re also guaranteed a suit that fits you perfectly and is made for you alone,” he adds. “It is a rare and wonderful thing that in this age, you can meet the people who are responsible for the creation of your garment every step of the way, from the person who cuts your pattern to the hands that finish your buttons.”
Vintage
If you’ve never considered buying a vintage suit, you should. Not only is a good-quality pre-owned suit priced well within the range of an entry-level off-the-rack option, it’s also more unique, more sustainable and often better quality than anything you’ll find at a conventional retailer. “Now that tailored clothing is something that a lot of guys actually want to wear, I think there’s an increased awareness of what these things cost, and guys are catching on to the value of vintage,” explains Sean Crowley, the owner of Crowley Vintage in NYC, whose suits are priced from about $500 to $1,500. “There’s always been a price range, but a cheap suit circa 1950 is so much better made than a lot of higher-end readymade stuff today,” he explains. “Less corners were cut, more things were done by hand, and the people making these things understood quality and fit and drape so much better.”
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