1/23    So I was in Macy's today and noticed all their suits are 40% off.
        I was kind of thinking I need a new suit and was wondering which
        brand I should buy: Burberry, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein?
        They all are about the same price. This is going to be my only suit,
        mostly for weddings and funerals. I will keep my old black wool suit,
        but since I put on 10 pounds, it doesn't fit as well as it use to.
        With everything on sale, it seems like a good time to buy a suit.
        They also sell Jones, Tasso Elba, Alfani and DKNY, but I am not
        as interested in those brands.
        \_ Of all those brands the one with the most prestige for suits
           is Hugo Boss. Ralph Lauren is probably next. Calvin Klein is
           more about casual and active wear. More important than the
           brand is the suit itself and how it fits you. Try them on. I
           find European cuts and brands like Joseph Abboud fit me better.
           If you are less broad shouldered then brands like Hickey
           Freeman will fit better. I wouldn't focus on the brand as much
           as the suit, but of those you listed the only true premium
           brand (for suits) is Hugo Boss. If you are truly brand
           conscious then look for Armani, Zegna, Canali, Versace, Dior,
           Prada, and such. I think it's more important to get a good
           tailor. If you spend less than $150 or $200 to have your suit
           tailored then you are at the wrong tailor. You might want to just
           have your existing suit retailored for only a 10 lb gain.
           \_ I see Hickey Freeman 50% off online. I guess I would buy it,
              and then have it tailored myself, right? What about at Macy's?
              Is tailoring extra? I really don't care that much about
              brands (my current suit is from Men's Wearhouse) but I want
              it to look good. I am broad shouldered, should I rule out
              HF? I guess I can go to their store on Market and try one
              on. Are all these other brands available at a discount,
              as well? Okay, I see a Zegna online for under $1k, which is
              about what I am hoping to pay. Any suggestions for tailors?
              \_ Tailoring is extra, but in my experience the tailors at
                 Macy's are not very good. The tailors at boutiques like
                 Armani are very good as are many independents. Try on
                 some suits to see how they fit you. Go to the retail
                 store if you have to, especially one that carries many
                 high-end brands. You can buy online, but it's hard to
                 know what fabric you are getting online. Just because it
                 is expensive and high-quality doesn't mean you'll like it
                 or that it was represented accurately online (e.g. how
                 dark blue is it really?). I do have a HF suit, but it is
                 a lot more constraining and feels "tight". It, like
                 most American brands, was designed to be that way.
                 European brands are more loose-fitting. If you want a
                 discount go to an outlet store like Nordstrom Rack,
                 Off Fifth, or Last Call (Neiman Marcus). I think $1K is
                 a good number to use and you can pay half that if you get
                 lucky. I don't know any Bay Area tailors, but go by
                 word-of-mouth. Find the best-dressed person you know
                 (e.g. your boss, your attorney, or your banker) and ask
                 them. If someone always wears $500 shoes and $1500 suits
                 with custom-made shirts they will have a good tailor.
                 Try that one. Bonus if the tailor is Western European
                 like Italian or Spanish as they know fine clothing much
                 better than the average since style is more important to
                 them. They will know how it is "supposed" to look on
                 you. They will probably take a million measurements with
                 you dressed, undressed, in shoes, out of shoes, etc.
                 If they do not then get a little worried. My tailor
                 tells me to dress as I will later (same shoes, same belt,
                 same shirt, etc.) . A good tailor will actually cut your
                 suit apart and resew it using the original (usually silk)
                 thread. A bad tailor will more or less just hem it and
                 make minor alterations. Think about this next time
                 someone says that paying $150 to have a suit tailored is
                 a rip off. This person will be cutting apart and resewing
                 the suit you just paid $1200 for. You don't want that
                 screwed up.
                 \_ Thanks for all your advice, there is no one in my
                    family I can turn to for this kind of stuff. One final
                    bit of info, I am short (5' 6") and medium build, somewhat
                    athletic, does that effect what kind of suit I should be
                    looking at?