New Suits
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[quote=Ferris Bueller] [quote=Philo Kvetch] [quote=Spaceman Spiff]
I agree with the pens. I have a small, but growing, collection of pens. If you folks want to own a nice pen, specifically to sit on your desk for signing all those big deals, check out www.fountainpenhospital.com. Order their catalog. It’s terriffic. If you like nice things, but the nicest pen you’ve ever owned was a Mont Blanc, then you’ll love this sight. Some guys like watches, I like pens.
[/quote] Couldn’t agree more, Spiff. I have a couple of Waterman fountain pens that I’ve had for years. Clients, I think, like that little touch of elegance when doing business. I also serve coffee and tea in bone china Again, it’s the little touches that can make the difference from the client perspective.[/quote]Perhaps. I serve my clients coffee in styrofoam cups and they don’t seem to care. I DO call them back and answer my phone when they call. They seem to care about that.[/quote]
That’s a given. One of the first good pieces of advice I got when I went into sales is to never let your head hit your pillow until you’ve returned your calls.
[quote=nestegg] I cant remember the last time I wore a suit.
[/quote]
Business has been THAT bad for you? I’m sorry to hear that, Nestegg.
To each his own...suits don't fly in all markets (ref: thread about farmers scoffing about an Armani suit & $35K BMW sedan, but having no problem with a $50K pickup, etc.). The only time I saw my BOM wear a suit was at our Xmas party...and that's because his wife made him - he's in the 750K+ prod. range, so I'm struggling to find a direct correlation to attire & success...[/quote]Agreed my field trainer has a $300MM+ book and he never wears a tie or suit for that matter & drives a 3 year old Chevy truck. Our market isn't farmers but a lot of blue collar workers mixed in with a lot of retired Bay Area residents. I'm still not sure if I'm going to go for the suit look or the more relaxed look that has been very successful for him.[quote=Philo Kvetch] [quote=nestegg] I cant remember the last time I wore a suit.
[/quote]
Business has been THAT bad for you? I’m sorry to hear that, Nestegg.
In regards to brands of suits I’m surprised no one mentioned Brooks Brothers. I practically swear by them.
I would agree with Ice “two each his own”.
Someone mentioned something about the details. Nice socks/shoes and pens. So often I see people in the office that have nice suits, shirts etc. but Shoes from payless or something. Which haven’t been polished in months.
IMHO as long as you look put together, while dressing appropriately for your genre of clients, I’d imagine it not making much of a difference.
Find a local men’s store. Right about now they are having sales. I get nice suites (lined pants to the knee, jackets fully lined, not glued (ask the owner), etc. Also, do not dry clean your suits if you can help it. Use a brush and then press them. The dry clenaing chemicals kill the fibers.
Alden or Allen Edmonds shoes are excellent. Allen Edmonds has outlet stores all over. Google it then call them with the shoe you want and when doing so get them to tell you what is wrong while they have the shoes in their hands on the phone with you (if you can't go to the store yourself). I prefer genuine shell cordovan since they last forever. If you spend up for this, make sure you have the manufactuerer recraft them rather than the cobbler down the street. I have had a pair for 12 years and they still look great. Also again, rotate your suits (you need 5 - 1 for each day) and rotate your shoes. Let them dry then put cedar shoe trees in. You need at least 2-3 pairs of shoes. Stay away from the trendy stuff and be careful about shirts. White and blue is it. Browns and blacks are for pimps or computer nerds. Just my conservative opinion. No flames, please. :)How many suits do you all think someone who’s new to the business needs? I have 3 right now, but really just 2 of them that I think look nice. One is a Kenneth Cole and the other is a Daniel Cremieux. I was thinking about getting 3 more suits if I can find some good ones on sale for $200-300. Does that sound reasonable to have 5 decent suits starting out? Where do you all get good suits on sale?
Thanks!
I think 5 is the minimum. Then be careful about the drycleaning (did I say that earlier?) Dry cleaning should be the last resort. Brush it off and press it. Anyway - 5 suits - let them air out and they will all last longer. Hang them immediately when you get home.
Has anyone here ever bought a suit on eBay? I’ve seen some good prices on there on some nice looking higher end suits that I thought I could purchase and take to a local tailor. I just worry that I’d be buying knockoffs or something. Anyone ever done anything like that, or have any opinions on it?
[quote=IsOldSpiceRightForMe]How many suits do you all think someone who’s new to the business needs? I have 3 right now, but really just 2 of them that I think look nice. One is a Kenneth Cole and the other is a Daniel Cremieux. I was thinking about getting 3 more suits if I can find some good ones on sale for $200-300. Does that sound reasonable to have 5 decent suits starting out? Where do you all get good suits on sale?
Thanks![/quote]
I just want to reiterate that IMHO it's more important for quality then quantity. It has been discussed on this board somewhere, maybe in this thread, quality over quantity.
Me personally, I have:
2 -- Jos. Bank signature suits (Grey and Navy Chalk Stripe) -- Everyday Wear, bought on sale $300-$400
1 -- Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece Navy (Expensive) -- For Important Clients/Prospects, $1,500
1 -- Kenneth Cole, Menswear House (Charcoal) -- $250 regular price
Starting out is tough. I think 4-5 suits is sufficient if you take good care of them (it’s tougher if you are in a hot climate or you’re a big, fat guy). $250 will usually do OK for suits (but I wouldn’t go much lower). Once you do that, and as you start replacing them, look to upgrade to higher quality/better fit. Don’t get wrapped up in spending big $$ just for fancy labels. Focus on quality and fit (usually fit is more important - it’s tough to get a crappy suit that fits well, so a well-fitting suit is usually high quaility).
Also, make sure your shirts fit well, and are 100% cotton. None of this poly/blend crap. If you want wash & wear, make sure it's 100% cotton. And take good care fo them.[quote=IsOldSpiceRightForMe]How many suits do you all think someone who’s new to the business needs? I have 3 right now, but really just 2 of them that I think look nice. One is a Kenneth Cole and the other is a Daniel Cremieux. I was thinking about getting 3 more suits if I can find some good ones on sale for $200-300. Does that sound reasonable to have 5 decent suits starting out? Where do you all get good suits on sale?
Thanks![/quote Fives suits will be fine starting out. +1 on the Jos Bank recco. Their suits are reasonably priced and wear well. Get conservative cut/grey/dark blue/black( no brown), a dozen light colored shirts, white /blue,/gray, and jazz it up with at least one pink (the new black). Likewise, a dozen silk ties to start. Go conservative with most and add in a couple Jerry Garcia ties. Shoes are the one area where most of the young guys fall down. Their shoes are not only unpolished, they are horrendously clunky and ugly. Also low quality. All in all, not very professional in appearance. Find a specailty, non-chain men's shoe store and spend $300 for a decent pair of business shoes. Then go to the mall and buy a $70 pair of shoes to wear on really bad weather days. Lastly, I read somewhere that you can wear a suit a dozen times before having it cleaned. That seems a bit more than I would go, but unless you are in some situation that stresses the suit ie sweating/smoking etc, you can wear a suit several times between cleanings. Ties almost never get cleaned, as cleaning is as likely to ruin them as clean them. I toss the tie if it takes a noticably big hit. Shirts get cleaned after every use, regardless of how long that use is, one hour, or twelve hours. By the way some guys wear shirts several times between cleaning. That's gross, but...
Very true on the shoes. You buy a really good quality shoe, with re-soling it will last nearly a lifetime. Some young guys try to be “trendy” with shoes. Ouch. Nothing shouts “GenY!” like trendy shoes. Nice leather cap-toes or wing-tips are your best bet.
When I used to work in Manhattan, I would re-sole my shoes every 6 months due to all the walking I did. Then I got wise, bought a few cheap pair/rubber soled from Bass or something to walk to work in, then kept my nice ones at work to change into. I actually owned black leather Army boots for the winter to walk to work in. Under the suit, they actually looked like black leather shoes. I learned that trick from my father many moons ago. Also, if you are sitting a lot with clients, guests, etc., be mindful of your socks. By LONG socks that are generally black and a nice material (nothing that looks cottony, like your Dockers weekend socks) like cotton/cashmere blends, etc. And FYI, the SOCK SHOULD BE DARKER THAN YOUR PANTS. Don't wear grey socks with a black or blue suit. That's why almost all my socks are plain black. Generally, socks should match the shoes, not the pants (i.e. BLACK). If you have cordovan shoes, you should still wear black socks.And your belt should match your shoes. It bugs me to see a guy with a nice suit on with black shoes and a brown belt. Tacky.
I’ve heard of people getting the belt loops removed when they take their suits to the tailor, that way they never have to worry about a belt. Is that a good thing to do, or is it considered tacky or more casual?
If you where braces (aka suspenders) then you could have them removed. I personally do not like the braces look as I think it is too Gordon Gheko’ish. I where a belt with a siler mongrammed buckle. Someone one told me in clothes, that less is more. Therefore no gold chain outside the suit, no pinky-ring with a diamond, etc. If you opt for the belt rather than braces, then you may consider having the tailor put a center loop on the back so that the belt will hold the pants better. Also, when you are fitted, always where the shoes you will ususally where when they cuff or hem them, and always put your wallet in your pocket so they can make any adjustments that might need to be made. You want a clean line up the center front and back, then clean on each side from collar to shoulder to cuff or hem.
Has anyone bought a Chaps, Dockers, Apt. 9, Access, or Haggar suit? Kohl’s has them on sale for pretty cheap. I was wondering if they’re decent suits for the price to at least get help me through my first year or so.
Thanks!Thanks for the feedback Ice. Do you think the suits look cheap, or do they look alright?
There is nothing worse than a cheap-looking suit. Being closed by someone in a cheap suit makes everyone sweaty and uncomfortable.
For the Western set (engineer and blue collar clients), I favor the business casual Polo section at Macy's. Some nice cashmere sweater vests. But not Macy's - get 40% off name brands at the outlet mall. Suites are passe, the majority of people with money don't wear them out here.Space,
I use these guys. The only caveat is that they are in Thailand, but for $350 I really cannot complain about either price of quality. Beats any f-n dept. store BS ive ran into. http://www.dress-for-success.com/ Put it this way. 3 suits and 7 shirts didnt even cost $1700. Will never do off the rack again.