I have also thought about CT suits as I have had good luck with their shirts, however most, if I recall, come with flat front pants and I prefer pleats. I do have a couple of Abboud suits and they have held up well, a good value for the money, IMO.

 

The suits are inferior quality. I wear their shirts with some frequency, but the suits are gross both to the touch and the way they look on you.

 

CT suits come with working button holes, so you'd better hope the arms fit perfectly.

For this reason alone I would never buy one.

 

I'm a little leery of buying a suit without trying it on...

Me too. Even when provided measurements, I never seem to get a really good fit that way.

I have resolved myself to always purchasing suits in person. The extra $100-$200 is worth it to ensure I am happy when actually wearing the suit.

 

The MWH Abboud suits are a good buy at the BOGO of 2 for $900. They are nice suits, but for the single price they aren't worth it as you can do better elsewhere. I was planning on buying 2 but ended up going eith Sak's off 5th. I got a HF and a Black Label for $700 total. Both superior to MWH IMO.

Fit is not an issue. Go to a B&M store and try on the HF, JV, BL, etc. and then you will know what you can and cannot order. The risk then is low and they are still returnable. This works for using STP and Bluefly also. You will find a plethora of suits this way under $500 that blow away CT.

I will never buy working buttons without trying it on. I made that mistake with a number of English jackets, and the alterations are expensive, and depending on the length and taper of the sleeves, can be impossible. I returned more than I kept, and shipping back to England is not always free, and is very expensive.

 

I'll echo what's been said above: love the shirts, most of mine are from there, but not too keen on the suits. I've tried them on and the material feels cheap. That and the trousers fit very awkwardly for a guy with athletic legs - large in the waist but busting out of the thighs.

 

Thanks for your replies. It seems best to avoid CT suits - too bad!

 

Thanks for your replies. It seems best to avoid CT suits - too bad!

There are plenty of others in that price range, as has been stated above. I'd stay clear of Men's Wearhouse on principle, but there are plenty of places to find $500 suits.

For slim/trendy, there's suit supply, which seem to fit less awkwardly. For more trendy cuts, but very classic style in general, try Hickey, which was a diffusion line of HF, and pops up all the time on My Habit and Gilt. There's also Benjamin, the house line from eHaberdasher. I have one and think it's a better quality suit than the rest of what's out there for $500. Sometimes, at the end of the season, you can also find Polo RL suits on sale for about that price, either on RL's website, in their stores (prices in-store usually lower) or at Saks (online/in-store).

You can also patrol sites like My Habit because they will get tons of suits regularly in that range which retail for much more. And, unlike Gilt, to my knowledge they don't have any stuff made specifically for them (which will undoubtedly be lower quality than what the brand would produce for a retail store).

 

Look for threads on Hardwick and Mens Suit Separates. That appears to be a very good budget option. And check this out:

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?117520-Hierarchy-of-sub-500-suits

 

https://www.ruelala.com/event/99927

A few hickey suits for under $300 if they have your size. Throw in anywhere from $50-100 for tailoring and you will be looking pretty good and under your $500 mark.

 

Thanks again, I'm doing more scouring and searching. I'm not in a huge rush. I did run across this suit from Barney's on the bay:



Thoughts on Barneys? I really don't know anything about them. I'd want to see some more pictures and ask a few questions I think.

 

CT suits come with working button holes, so you'd better hope the arms fit perfectly.

For this reason alone I would never buy one.

Ditto. I have long arms, so this fairly recent fad (not only CT) is a total pain.

 

Ditto. I have long arms, so this fairly recent fad (not only CT) is a total pain.

I've tailored a couple of CT suits in my MW stores for customers. I did notice the surgeon sleeves right off; I like them in theory, but for mail order it seems a pain in the rear. The quality of the two I've worked on seemed fine for what it was - didn't notice if they were half-canvassed or not. The color, pattern, and hand was certainly fine, if nothing to write home about.

Abboud is nice (and we finally got it in my store), but again without trying it on, it'd be difficult to say how great it is for the OP.

 

Thanks again, I'm doing more scouring and searching. I'm not in a huge rush. I did run across this suit from Barney's on the bay:

Thoughts on Barneys? I really don't know anything about them. I'd want to see some more pictures and ask a few questions I think.

They make pretty crappy suits, IME. Paying $200 for a pretty crappy, but previously worn, suit seems like a waste of $200. Personally, for that amount of money, I'd rather go with JAB and their buy one get ten free, or whatever is the current deal.

 

Thanks again, I'm doing more scouring and searching. I'm not in a huge rush. I did run across this suit from Barney's on the bay:

Thoughts on Barneys? I really don't know anything about them. I'd want to see some more pictures and ask a few questions I think.

The Barneys brand suits are okay-ish, but that $1,200 price is misleading. They can regularly be purchased for around $400-$500 at their twice a year Warehouse sales. I don't think they are fully canvassed, and at that price fully canvassed can be found. I always notice that there is a LOT more Barneys label stuff available at the Warehouse sales than I ever see in store, leading me to believe the Warehouse sale is really a way to move their own name brand merchandise.

I understand your focus on known name brands, but with suits, I wold avoid online purchases until how you know how well a specific suit line fits you. I know that the Brooks Brothers Regent line is a near perfect fit for me. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one of those online. But until I know how a suit fits, especially the jacket, I would avoid online.

 

Thanks for your replies. It seems best to avoid CT suits - too bad!

I didn't see a lot of people saying they actually owned a Charles Tyrwhitt suit. Since I own two of the I'll chime in.

First, order a size down from what you are. I'm usually a 40S but even in their slim fit I needed the sides taken in quite a bit.

As far as quality goes for a $360 suit (currently some are $399 - 10% coupons that are online) they're pretty good. The wool is of decent weight, the shoulder padding is minimal, and the buttons are attached nicely. I will say that the working button cuffs can be a pain but there's enough extra material that it's not a huge problem.

I see lots of people are telling you to go to lots of different places and that's fine. I've had no luck with Gilt, Rue La La, or anything else like that. My sizes (38S and 40S) are the first ones to go and the patterns left are pretty awful.

If you want a good example of a Charles Tyrwhitt suit look here at crusty or myself.

Ultimately, I would a Charles Tyrwhitt suit above department store brands like Macys and Lord and Taylor. Certainly above Jos A. Bank and most of the stuff at Men's Wearhouse.

 

I will say that the working button cuffs can be a pain but there's enough extra material that it's not a huge problem.

How does this help if the sleeves are too long (as in my case)? Or for that matter, if the sleeves are 2" too short ... the buttons would look ridiculous, no?

 

How does this help if the sleeves are too long (as in my case)? Or for that matter, if the sleeves are 2" too short ... the buttons would look ridiculous, no?

Yes, it would be. However, most OTR suits are designed to fit the vast majority of people. If the OP thinks he's an outlier, like you are, then he should steer clear of functioning buttons.

 

I've tailored a couple of CT suits in my MW stores for customers. I did notice the surgeon sleeves right off; I like them in theory, but for mail order it seems a pain in the rear. The quality of the two I've worked on seemed fine for what it was - didn't notice if they were half-canvassed or not. The color, pattern, and hand was certainly fine, if nothing to write home about.

Abboud is nice (and we finally got it in my store), but again without trying it on, it'd be difficult to say how great it is for the OP.

Even though you didn't know if CT was canvassed or not?

This is a question I've been wondering as well-As the range of responses have ranged anywhere from fully canseed to half to fused. So not having a solid answer has left me pretty confused.

As I was considering CT(among many others) for my next suit as I like their style/patterns. They remind me alot of J. Crews suits in that regard for some reason? Which makes me wonder if they are made by the same factory(J. Crew suits are made in China but half-canvassed).

 

Yes, it would be. However, most OTR suits are designed to fit the vast majority of people. If the OP thinks he's an outlier, like you are, then he should steer clear of functioning buttons.

Most OTR suits are designed to fit the vast majority of people?

The vast majority? How do you know this?

I would have thought a an averaged sleeve length would be lucky to fit half the general population, if that, but I don't actually know, and now I'm curious.

What are other member's experiences with this?

 

My curiosity got the best of me, and I mail ordered two Tyrwhitt suits based on measurements quoted from their staff. Not surprisingly, the measurements they gave me were a bit larger than the actual measurements of the suits I received. Therefore, I will be returning the suits and swallowing the brokerage and shipping costs (not insignificant).

The suits were nice, though. The fabric was better than typical North American department store brands. The sleeves fit properly and were pitched perfectly for me. I normally wear a regular, but I chose a small to avoid the surgeon cuff issue. That was the right move. The length of the suit and sleeves matched what I would normally wear. The pants were also just the right width. They fit over the tops of my shoes but did not appear baggy, and I could sit down with ease and comfort. The lapels were wider than I expected (around 3.5 inches on a size 38 classic fit), but I liked that feature too. It was just the shoulders/chest that fit too small, and I don't have the patience to gamble again on paying more shipping/brokerage to attempt a different size.

I kept the shirts I ordered, though. Despite rumours that their shirt quality has deteriorated, I still find CT offers good enough value to be worth the purchase. I just wish they offered the same shipping/returns policy that Suit Supply does.

 

I bought two of CT suits, overpriced at 750 USD total.

One of the suits failed in the seat and the other in the jacket lining, outside of course of the six month return, after 8 months and maybe 10 wears. I took said suits back to the DC store in October of 2020. I did not receive any acknowledgement or receipt after this drop off, and the suits needed to go back to England for inspection, even though the store clerk saw and acknowledge the failures.

The suits came back in an oversized box in March of 2021 without any protective wrapping. The note said that the Inspection Team found nothing wrong. After I contacted CT via the website, they said the failures were due to "wear and tear", with no refund or anything offered.

They then told me not to bring the suits to the DC store, regarding the inadequate shipping process, because they could not help, even though that is where I bought the suits. So not only did I go without the suits for several months, they were shipped back to me carelessly, and I can't do anything about it (in CT's eyes).

And supposedly since the Inspection Team determined that the suit failures were "wear and tear", nothing more is needed from CT, and no refund was offered. I have purchased three Ted Baker suits, all for less that the 375 USD per suit that CT charged, and they are of the highest quality, without failure of the fabric or stitching for consistent wearing over 4 to 6 years. I suggest Ted Baker suits over CT suits 10 out of 10 times.

I'm still going to try and get a refund because the CT products and services are not worth the price charged.

 

I unexpectedly found a tuxedo from CT with exactly the features I was looking for, and on significant sale. I've been very pleased. But I suppose they might contract out formalwear to a different contractor than their suits. Fit was modern yet not shrink-wrapped. I've also been a fan of their casual (no tie) shirts. They've always had a greater variety than with BB, and that was before BB headed into bankruptcy.