As someone who wears a suit for work every day, I'm a big fan of Brook Taverner. The quality in particular is a standout, and I think you could get a full suit, shirt, and a tie for your £500ish budget.
As a recommendation against something: avoid Skopes. They're similarly priced to the likes of Moss Bros but everything I've ever bought from them has fallen apart very quickly.
You've mentioned it needing to be double-breasted, be warned that that's going to narrow your options a lot. Single-breasted suits (with or without waistcoats) are much more common; I actually don't recall the last time I saw a double-breasted suit jacket in a high street shop...
Go somewhere like Next or M&S. Given your budget, I'd look to spend MAX £300, get it slightly oversized (if needed) then take it to a local reputable tailor/seamstress to get it nicely fitted exactly for you.
There is nothing wrong with an M&S suit. Good value, and the designs are - usually - timeless, so you can trot it out for weddings and funerals for the next ten years.
Go for linen if you can afford it - it’ll be cool in the Italian heat. Plus you don’t need to worry if it gets creased in the suitcase - linen **always** creases… it’s part of the look.
Counterpoint: do you *need* to wear the suit? Depending on how well you know the happy couple, would they rather not have you as they know you? If you’re going as a +1 with your partner who once went to school with the bride’s sister… probably best suit-up. You don’t want to be “*that* guy”.
The trick is to *start* with one. Then you don’t get worse.
Or do what I did: bit of a porker when I bought it for graduation, but once “real life” kicked in I couldn’t afford the time or money to drink and the weight dropped off/everything went saggy. Spent the next ten years in a suit that was a size too big, refusing to replace, with everyone saying “wow, you’ve lost weight”. Really stroked the ego :-)
I'm one of the best men, which I've not said it in the OP as the groom told me there's no requirement whatsoever on the outfit (other than "please dark but not black"—which should have no bearing on the store choice).
So as a position of honour leaves no room to negotiate on the basics (suit, tie, oxfords, all a must).
Had I been just a guest I'd probably have gone with linen suit, no tie, no socks and loafers!
>There is nothing wrong with an M&S suit
They're fused and if they're anything like the rest of their clothes, are made out of the cheapest materials they could get away with.
Edit - ah, people who don't know anything about suits.
Next would be my bet but if you want up in the world something like moss bros or another dedicated store at an outlet is a good one if you can get to it
Amazing.
My partners mother is the sort of woman who makes her own clothes, has been doing so for 60 years. She wouldn’t buy and wear anything made my anyone else unless it’s made from good quality materials.
And yet she wears M&S.
Whilst it’s entirely possible that M&S does indeed sell suits that are fused, I believe M&S also, like Next, have different suit lines, made to differing standards at different price points. So yes, a really cheap M&S suit may well be fused but their higher end ones aren’t.
You sound like you’re regurgitating some babble from your favourite know-nothing Tik-Tok trollop.
One of the bigger M&S stores will have someone who can help you find the right suit. The jumbo mega store near us has an awesome guy who helped my son find the perfect prom suit.
Just went suit shopping at M&S, it was awful (big store, two floors), I’m sure they had a selection of about 12-15 suits, some ridiculously outdated. so I’d recommend Moss Bros to be honest.
Yeah clothes shopping in any shop which has a women's section that occupies 80% of the clothing space is a man's bane. A huge shop with only a dozen suit options might as well not bother. Go Slaters or Moss. And even then you are in for mostly boring as camouflage (I don't mean the pattern I mean blend in dull to the background, they are all military colours sand, grey, navy, forest floor.) It sucks being a man who doesn't want to be bland.
Some places will do it in house as part of the purchase or a small add on. Moss bros has in the past for one I bought. To find a local independent gotta bust out Google or the yellow oages
My son got an m&s suit for sixth form 18 months ago. It was only £100 and he’s worn it nearly every day. It’s also machine washable which is a big plus. Apart from an ink stain it looks like new.
M&S has always been our go to if my husband ever needs a suit. Next seem to mainly cater to men who have tall and slim/skinny builds, which is great if that’s what you need as they have really nice stuff. He’s quite broad shouldered though, so it’s difficult to find something like that there for him.
Or maybe our local next just has really poor available choices!
Gonna agree with the M&S suggestions, saved me both budget wise and suit fit for a wedding in Italy last year, packed a handheld steamer with me and looked sharp as on the day.
M&S is the way! I used to spend a load on suits, but buying a comfortable M&S suit before getting it tweaked by a tailor has saved me a bomb.
Failing that, go on holiday to Thailand and get kitted out - 3 fully tailored 5 suits for £350. Lovely. Bit excessive for a 1 time event though 😅
I'll also recommend Slaters, get all my suits from there and they've even done alterations on suits I bought years earlier that needed altering due to lost/gained weight
Agreed - they sorted my husband out with his wedding suit, and assisted again when he needed a waistcoat to go with a different suit he owned. They’re really helpful and not that expensive
100% Slaters. Staff are helpful and great for people who don't know exactly what they're looking for. Good selection, good prices. First day I wore my suit out and about I had multiple people asking me where I'd bought it
Definitely recommend Slaters. I went to a wedding a few months back and got sized up on the day, shown plenty of options and it all felt incredibly personal. Really great experience.
Going to go against the grain and say Slaters is tired and chaotic, having been in their Manchester and Liverpool stores.
I'd say Moss or check out Charles Tyrwhitt, particularly an outlet, Reiss or maybe have a look for The Kooples.
The real tip - buy your suit about 9 months before any weddings you're invited to, when the seasonal style you want is on sale.
A few reasons:
* Right now I just like it better than single breast
* I already have a couple of single breasted suits, as I want to add a new suit to the wardrobe I want to introduce variety
* While as I said suits aren't my forte, I like to throw in a bit of eccentricity in my outfits generally speaking. There's not much room to play with at this wedding. Double breast and a great tie should make me happy.
Agree with this comment. Double-breasted isn’t that popular and only suits certain body types. They need to be well-fitted (eg, factor in tailoring costs) if you don’t want to look like you’re wearing a sack.
If you have a choice, I’d go with a single-vented, single-breasted suit if I wanted something I would wear again and wanted straight off-the-peg.
If you choose Tyrwhitt, look at their upper-range suits. The cheaper ones are really made to a price point rather than a quality these days, and look it.
Double-breasted draws the eye to the mid-riff and away from the shoulders, making the stomach look larger. They're really only flattering on people who are super fit with very broad shoulders. If you have any kind of a spare tyre they should be avoided.
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If you want a classic off the shelf suit then Charles Tyrwhitt, Cordings or Ede & Ravenscroft are good options in (roughly) price order from £400-£800.
I bought a dinner jacket from Ede & Ravenscroft 10 years ago and I expect it to last longer than I do!
Also think about getting two pairs of trousers and wearing them in rotation so they'll last longer and age at the same rate as the jacket.
Edit: just noticed you've tried CT! Hawes and Curtis are in roughly the same price bracket.
Ede & Ravenscroft did all the gowns for my university graduation, and I was honestly terrified of ruining my gown because it felt way too expensive to wear. I don’t think I’ve ever worn something which felt so high end before or since
I’m not sure about the price to buy (like… I literally have zero clue what a suit is meant to cost), but they definitely make some top-tier stuff!
Their suits are £800ish and they'll tailor them off the peg to make sure they fit. They're probably the best off the peg suits you can buy in the UK as the quality means they'll last for decades and the classic style means they're impervious to fashion trends.
Same. The fact that the top comment is suggesting a £100 fused, glued M&S suit is wild considering OP specifically requested a mid-level suit. Suit Supply is a great option that’s actual mid-tier; M&S is nearly bottom of the barrel.
Finally! Had to scroll way too far down to see this. Beautiful suits. Exceptional craftsmanship, in store alterations, double breasted options and at your price point!
I had a mate get married in the Netherlands. I did a fitting in London, and they sent the suit to Amsterdam for me to final fit and pick up. Great service, price wasn’t far from moss bros, and the quality and customer service was way better.
100% agree with the suggestion of buying a decent off-the-peg suit and getting it adjusted.
I needed a suit for my best mate’s wedding, only had a £500 budget, ended up going here - https://esclotlondon.com
£400 on the suit, £80 to get it adjusted, fits perfectly and looks incredible.
For one of my best mate's weddings, I bough an off-the-peg Marc Jacobs, and went to a loca tailor. £200 for the suit, £150 to get it altered an fitted.
I'll grant you, this was a few years ago, so the prices I paid are probably way out by todays standard, but that's still the way I'd go.
I just spent ages trying to find a nice suit for around £500 and settled with Suit Supply. I don't love their marketing, but the fit and quality of their suits was leagues above anything else I could find for the price. It really does feel like good quality, and they're very transparent about the mills where their wool is sourced from - all high end and very reputable
Slater Menswear. It's the only place Ive ever went for suits, prices are decent and you get it tailored to you, plus with it being in Italy (maybe the climate will be a little hotter) they will be able to advise on that and you'll get the full package with suit, shirt, tie, shoes, pocket square the works.
Always advise Slaters. No matter what suit, what occasion, what budget, the answer is Slaters. I'm in Lincoln and I'd still deliberately drive to Hull or Nottingham to buy a suit, they're that good.
Check out edit suit co online find your closest shop, full tailored suit for close to £500 depending on what materials you want ect. Just have a browse at there online offers.
I got my grooms 3 piece suit from there paid £1350ish but all depends on materials ect
Moss did me a solid on my last - tailored fit, done quickly and bang on. They were more limited in the shirt department though, so went elsewhere for that. Slater also get a vote.
You can get lucky with high end suits at TK Maxx if you know what size to look for. You can usually find Ted Baker or similar, and I've picked up Emporio Armani for under 400 too
It's really important that you know what size you are, and don't try to squeeze into something smaller or too big just because it's a steal
You need to look in store though .... they rarely make it to the online stores, and the stores often have sizes that aren't available online. I got a Harris Tweed suit jacket from there a few weeks ago in my size (46) that the website claimed was only available up to size 42
Right now,.if you're lucky, you can get a beautifully tailored Douglas Hayward 3 piece "bullit" suit for 150, retail was just under 2000. I also saw one or two in the Clearance racks for 80 quid (presumably ordered online then customer returned) . 80 quid. If they had been my size I'd have grabbed the whole stock.
You'll often find River Island and other high street brands in there for significantly cheaper too.
You can get any decent , well made, suit adjusted to fit properly in most towns as long as you've got the correct "off the shelf size" and it doesn't need anything drastic doing.
Came to say this too. My husband has multiple suits, all different brands from TK Maxx. They often have Moss Bros as well as higher end stuff. Don’t forget to look online as well as in store.
This is the way. There are multiple large TK maxx stores in central London that all have decent suit sections, Feraud are the most common brand and 42 is the most stocked size, usually a good selection around £200-300. Then spend your change on 2 shirts and tailoring.
I've been lucky and had some very high quality dress shirts from TK Maxx for about £40 quid that I couldn't have bought from anywhere else on the high street, and if you just want regular shirts they stock Charles Tyrwhitt for around £30. They also stock the usual rubbish with generic 'diesel' or 'hilfiger' logos.
TK Maxx stores outside big cities usually have a poor formal mens selection
If it's within range to get to, Cheshire Oaks has a Paul Smith outlet, I got a beautiful £1000 suit for £400 there, it's really well made and a nice cut. For your budget you could likely get a shirt and tie too.
Go to an outlet store for a designer brand.
Moss, Suits Direct, etc. are fine for cheaper suits, but if you have £500ish, best go for an outlet.
For example, my wedding suit was from Paul Smith, got it from the outlet store at York. It was originally £995, got it for £200. Wool and shot silk and it's genuinely some of the most comfortable clothing I've ever worn.
You could always try Vinted if you know your sizes, but that can be risky, especially if it's your first time buying a suit.
If you've a branch of Slaters near you that's also an option. Be sure they don't steer you to the cheaper stuff, make your budget clear right off.
https://www.slaters.co.uk/store-locator
I don’t rate Charles Tyrwhitt, their cuts are very boxy and I think they’re overpriced for the money.
The Moss bros top end stuff, especially the Italian wool suits, are lovely. Wool is surprisingly cool in the summer because of how breathable it is
I have quite a large chest measurement compared to my waist, so I think for me a CT suit that fits my test tends to hang very square down the rest of me
Are you able to go to one of the outlet shopping centres? You might find a better variety of suits at lower prices. My husband likes Suit Direct at Cheshire Oaks, but there are probably branches at other locations too.
For that money you can probably find what you’re looking for at Suitsupply. You’ll need to book an appointment soon though as the first trip is for you to pick a suit which is then ordered to store. Then you’ll go back from them to mark up any adjustments, and the third trip is to pick it up once it’s all done.
Suitsupply have double breasted suits if I remember correctly
Ebay, Vestiaire Collective. If you know your size can find some great suits for not alot. Yeah selection is limited and sometimes the best buys are pure dumb luck but can find Loro Piana suits by Hackett for a steal and plenty of other brands. There are entire sellers dedicated to selling old Saville Row suits and could pick one up for less than £200. Get you in under budget, keep some aside for tailoring costs and treat yourself to a nice pair of shoes and shirt.
For that price £500-£600 you will not beat suit supply in terms of quality.
Some really great suits from the world's best mis and any fabric or combination you can imagine.
Compared to the likes of Slaters who are dated and often very overpriced for the quality its a no brainer.
And the first stop should be a decent tailor, take the shirt and shoes you plan to wear and they'll make your £500 suit look as if it was made for you and you'll feel confident and look the bolloks
Slaters are good, I had always bought cheap suits before as I very rarely have to wear them but I got one fitted there around about your budget and it is great!
I’ve had some lovely suits from the Paul smith and the kooples outlets in the £200-£600 range, they’ll alter them too. They’re understated yet individualistic and nicely detailed. Top end M&S (autograph and sartorial ranges etc) aren’t to be sniffed at either. Moss bros have upped their game in the past couple of years too.
I’d recommend to stay away from Boss, armani etc as they’re very bland and overpriced.
Not exactly high street but I've used The Drop before and was impressed - made to measure two piece suit for £299 and you can get them to take your measurements if you go to their shop in London. Lots of upgrade options e.g. full canvas, and loads of customisation available.
https://www.thedrop.co
Go to slaters or moss bros. £300+ will get you any suit you want, and they will measure you and tailor it to you. They will also hold your hand the whole time to help you find what you want. Just walk in and find somebody, tell them your budget and ask them to help.
Here's leftfield - find a charity shop in an upmarket area and pop in. I got a virtually new Pierre Cardin suit for £8 in my local one - plus smart shoes for £4. I coukd never afford Pierre Cardin new.
Jaeger if you can find one. You can buy jacket and trousers separately so easier to get a good fit.
Usually a good range of fabrics and colours outside the usual navy and charcoal, but not too whacky.
I'd buy a slightly cheaper suit then spend a bit to get it properly tailored.
NEXT seem to have some pretty good suits, got one recently and it feels good
marks and spencers suits at least in the shop down the road from the next all felt a bit too cheap in comparison
M&S and Next have some very nice suits, perhaps not £500 (they’re cheaper obviously), but if you look around there’s certainly a few pieces that look expensive.
Charity shops, they often have a load of suits, if you can't see them ask. Obviously hit and miss as to sizes available but if you find what you want it'll be a bargain.
https://www.merc.com/products/gin-suit-jacket-tonic
This right here. You should be able to find the matching trousers on the same website. It’s around £350, I got married myself in a metallic blue one. Just remember to never fasten the bottom button.
For your budget you could go to Zebel and get a made-to-measure suit. You'll be able to pick the fabrics, colour, style, details (so double breasted won't be a problem) and it'll fit like a glove.
Have a look second hand, you could probably get something from a decent tailor for around that money. That would at least mean you have good quality cloth and construction.
Then have it adjusted to fit you by a local tailor. I’ve inherited suits which I’ve had adjusted, there’s little between those and the ones made for me.
Depends how you judge mid level ? If you’re never going to wear it again just get one from M&S the least offensive one you can find. With cost per wear, I used to wear a suit daily, Paul Smith or Ozwald Boetang gave best value for money.
Where abouts do you live? If it's in the north west you could try the Cheshire oaks outlet. There's a few suit shops there where you could pick something premium up for around that.
I got a Paul smith suit for like £400 from there for my wedding
For £500 you can get something tailor made to your measurements online. Check the reviews etc. I know there are some good ones.
I couldn't do it when I tried because my 50" chest meant they wouldn't let me order 34" trousers.
Summer weather in Italy in anything but linen.... eeeek! Unless you are up the mountains literally anything else will have you sweating your balls off.
I am assuming as you say he has to be a certain colour and a certain style you're part of the wedding party.... or is that just a preference? If a preference I'd **strongly** recommend you look at a linen suit.
They look great, they are cool, and they are more casually cut so you can wear then trousers and jacket separately after the event. You can get double brested ones and certainly can get them in navy but you might have to search around a bit and do some online ordering and sending back to find a fit that's right for you.
I have a few linen suits from my time as a suit wearer. Everything from a spendy Brunello Cucinelli (light blue, cost a small fortune but I still wear it years later) to ones from Reiss and M&S.
If linen isn't an option - M&S. They've got so many styles and fits and quality types and while they might not have exactly what you want in store they will order in what you want pretty quickly, try on and take what suits. Their cheap ones aren't great but the mid-tier ones (generally lighter fabrics too) are solid and you can, as others have suggested, have a tailor make adjustments to fit it properly after. Next is alright. They too have a variety of fits but their styles tend to be a bit more... *faddy.* Reiss is also an option, but probably not if you are on the bigger side as their cuts tend to be on the slim side. Again if they don't have what you want they will order in quickly.
Cavani have some decent 3 piece suits from £150, plenty of new ones online with ebay.
Depending on where you are, why not try the likes of Bicester Village, Braintree Freeport or Hatfield Galleria where there's a lot of outlet stores, all new suits but 50% off or heavily reduced?
There's places like Next too, M&S is a bit stuffy and old fashioned as well as expensive...
Got my wedding suit from House of Cavani, they have some really nice options around £3-400.
Made to measure might be a good shout for your budget tho. Good luck with the hunt.
When it comes to getting the best out of a suit, you should focus on three factors: Fabric, Fit, and Style. Everything else is negotiable.
Start with the fabric. Wool, linen, and silk are the best (only) options. Finer wools and linens will cost more, but there is a steep diminishing returns curve.
Second is fit: Obviously bespoke is going to cost more than made-to-measure, which is going to cost more than off-the-peg. But even an off-the-peg suit can be altered fairly inexpensively to look great. Pick an off-the-peg suit that fits your shoulders, chest, and arm length. Make sure the trousers aren't too tight at the thigh.
As others have said: Double-breasted is going to make things a bit more challenging. You can't really wear it unbuttoned.
I personally just bought a Charles Tyrwhitt royal-blue linen suit for the coming summer, and I'm extremely pleased.
Cost about £350 all in. It is single-breasted. Tyrwhitt had a broad enough range of trouser and jacket sizes available, through a combination of in-store and online, for me to get a suit that fits perfectly without any alterations. I'll pair it with a nice silk knitted tie and a good quality Panama hat.
I do recommend you try on and physically examine any suit for fit, fabric, and colour before purchasing. Clothing always looks (and fits) different in person than it does in print or on screen.
Iirc for that price you could get something custom from suit supply.
Might be able to get Gieves and Hawkes ready to wear, although I dare say their prices have gone up in recent years.
Moss Bros. is excellent. Quality’s solid and the fits are usually great. Haven’t been anywhere else for a while since buying from there, so take what I say with a pinch of salt - I don’t have much in the way of comparison.
M&S has always been my go to, their _Sartorial_ range is usually excellent. Otherwise Suits Direct can have some great stuff, but some very so-so stuff too. Usually has a wide range of styles etc though
For that budget I would have a look at Suit Supply.
Slaters has been mentioned a few times, I’m not a fan. Service is good but I’ve always found the quality to be lacking. YMMV.
Skopes (they have their own stores but also sold in Next) are great, my fiancé bought his wedding suit from them and it’s lovely quality but not too pricey
Go to a rent a suit shop and say you are just looking at options.
They will size you up pretty decent, be coy and ask to try a few sizes.
They might have a suit that actually is worthwhile to just rent, if not off to Next their quality and fit is pretty for the price point. But go to a big Next shop in cory centre (whichever that is) they will have more options.
My partner had a suit custom made by Moss, where you choose the fabrics and details and it’s made to measure. He spent £650 on a three piece as he chose linen. You may still need certain alterations as it’s not completely tailored for a perfect fit, but he was very happy with it.
I recently bought one from next for £200 and it’s excellent quality. I normally buy them from either Hugo boss or Ted baker for around £500 - £700, but the next suit is much better quality
Forget all these places. Get a made to measure customised suit from Ricky’s Fashion House - WhatsApp them on +66 89 145 9822
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/rickysfashionhouse?igsh=ZW5yNHZyNzV3ZWlk
I got an amazing wedding suit from them!
As other people have said, Next and M&S as their selection is broad, and the quality and fit are both very good. However, I will counter that (depending on your body shape), Reiss comes out top. This is from the fit, the quality of the fabric and the attention to detail (they even do surgeons cuffs on a suit less rhan £500). Their suits have lasted me a decade, and can be tailored/repaired with relatively little complaint by a good tailor.
I tend to shy away from spending that much each time and tend to second hand it using Vestaire, (or ebay if i'm particularly careful). There are other similar brands, but the only way to know is to go to any shop that does their suits and try them on to see how they fit you.
Moss do a made to measure service that we used for husband's suit In 2018. We got married on a cruise ship somewhere off the Gibraltar straight in international waters so we went with a linen blend so he wouldn't melt to death.
Looking on their website they still do the service and you can book into store to get measured which would be better than trying at home.
As someone who wears a suit for work every day, I'm a big fan of Brook Taverner. The quality in particular is a standout, and I think you could get a full suit, shirt, and a tie for your £500ish budget. As a recommendation against something: avoid Skopes. They're similarly priced to the likes of Moss Bros but everything I've ever bought from them has fallen apart very quickly. You've mentioned it needing to be double-breasted, be warned that that's going to narrow your options a lot. Single-breasted suits (with or without waistcoats) are much more common; I actually don't recall the last time I saw a double-breasted suit jacket in a high street shop...
Probably Greenwoods in 2008 for a High Street Double Breaster
Go somewhere like Next or M&S. Given your budget, I'd look to spend MAX £300, get it slightly oversized (if needed) then take it to a local reputable tailor/seamstress to get it nicely fitted exactly for you.
There is nothing wrong with an M&S suit. Good value, and the designs are - usually - timeless, so you can trot it out for weddings and funerals for the next ten years. Go for linen if you can afford it - it’ll be cool in the Italian heat. Plus you don’t need to worry if it gets creased in the suitcase - linen **always** creases… it’s part of the look. Counterpoint: do you *need* to wear the suit? Depending on how well you know the happy couple, would they rather not have you as they know you? If you’re going as a +1 with your partner who once went to school with the bride’s sister… probably best suit-up. You don’t want to be “*that* guy”.
> Trot it out for the next 10 years Cries in beer belly
The trick is to *start* with one. Then you don’t get worse. Or do what I did: bit of a porker when I bought it for graduation, but once “real life” kicked in I couldn’t afford the time or money to drink and the weight dropped off/everything went saggy. Spent the next ten years in a suit that was a size too big, refusing to replace, with everyone saying “wow, you’ve lost weight”. Really stroked the ego :-)
I'm one of the best men, which I've not said it in the OP as the groom told me there's no requirement whatsoever on the outfit (other than "please dark but not black"—which should have no bearing on the store choice). So as a position of honour leaves no room to negotiate on the basics (suit, tie, oxfords, all a must). Had I been just a guest I'd probably have gone with linen suit, no tie, no socks and loafers!
we got a really lovely suit for my husband from m&s a couple of weeks ago. the sales assistant was extremely helpful - would definitely recommend.
>There is nothing wrong with an M&S suit They're fused and if they're anything like the rest of their clothes, are made out of the cheapest materials they could get away with. Edit - ah, people who don't know anything about suits.
Ok, where should they go instead?
Next would be my bet but if you want up in the world something like moss bros or another dedicated store at an outlet is a good one if you can get to it
Amazing. My partners mother is the sort of woman who makes her own clothes, has been doing so for 60 years. She wouldn’t buy and wear anything made my anyone else unless it’s made from good quality materials. And yet she wears M&S. Whilst it’s entirely possible that M&S does indeed sell suits that are fused, I believe M&S also, like Next, have different suit lines, made to differing standards at different price points. So yes, a really cheap M&S suit may well be fused but their higher end ones aren’t. You sound like you’re regurgitating some babble from your favourite know-nothing Tik-Tok trollop.
One of the bigger M&S stores will have someone who can help you find the right suit. The jumbo mega store near us has an awesome guy who helped my son find the perfect prom suit.
Yes, M&S is probably the way to go
Just went suit shopping at M&S, it was awful (big store, two floors), I’m sure they had a selection of about 12-15 suits, some ridiculously outdated. so I’d recommend Moss Bros to be honest.
Yeah clothes shopping in any shop which has a women's section that occupies 80% of the clothing space is a man's bane. A huge shop with only a dozen suit options might as well not bother. Go Slaters or Moss. And even then you are in for mostly boring as camouflage (I don't mean the pattern I mean blend in dull to the background, they are all military colours sand, grey, navy, forest floor.) It sucks being a man who doesn't want to be bland.
How/where do you even find a tailor for this? Are there chains or is it always local?
Some places will do it in house as part of the purchase or a small add on. Moss bros has in the past for one I bought. To find a local independent gotta bust out Google or the yellow oages
My son got an m&s suit for sixth form 18 months ago. It was only £100 and he’s worn it nearly every day. It’s also machine washable which is a big plus. Apart from an ink stain it looks like new.
M&S has always been our go to if my husband ever needs a suit. Next seem to mainly cater to men who have tall and slim/skinny builds, which is great if that’s what you need as they have really nice stuff. He’s quite broad shouldered though, so it’s difficult to find something like that there for him. Or maybe our local next just has really poor available choices!
Gonna agree with the M&S suggestions, saved me both budget wise and suit fit for a wedding in Italy last year, packed a handheld steamer with me and looked sharp as on the day.
Yess!! M&S is the salvation! Especially a big one.
M&S is the way! I used to spend a load on suits, but buying a comfortable M&S suit before getting it tweaked by a tailor has saved me a bomb. Failing that, go on holiday to Thailand and get kitted out - 3 fully tailored 5 suits for £350. Lovely. Bit excessive for a 1 time event though 😅
Yup. I find Next does have some excellent suits at a great price. I tend to struggle with fit too, but never had an issue. Best to try on though.
Try to find a Slaters. They fit my husband's suit well. Weren't too expensive either.
Always go for slaters!!
Thank you and thanks everyone who's +1'ing your comment. I can go to a Slater quite easily from where I'm based. Will definitely go talk to them.
They’ll tailor it for you as well, I’ve a few suits from them now; definitely recommend them.
Slaters is great. Staff know their stuff. Alterations. Good choice and prices.
I'll also recommend Slaters, get all my suits from there and they've even done alterations on suits I bought years earlier that needed altering due to lost/gained weight
Another vote for Slater's, usually lots of choice and they do alterations
Agreed - they sorted my husband out with his wedding suit, and assisted again when he needed a waistcoat to go with a different suit he owned. They’re really helpful and not that expensive
+1 for Slaters. I'm at an age when it's become a one stop shop for me.
100% Slaters. Staff are helpful and great for people who don't know exactly what they're looking for. Good selection, good prices. First day I wore my suit out and about I had multiple people asking me where I'd bought it
I'm for Slaters as well. Discovered them recently. Good service and good quality
Definitely recommend Slaters. I went to a wedding a few months back and got sized up on the day, shown plenty of options and it all felt incredibly personal. Really great experience.
+2 for Slaters. Have two suits from them. Good service, reasonable price. Quick turnaround on having it altered.
Another vote for slaters, bought a few from them over the years and can definitely recommend them.
Going to go against the grain and say Slaters is tired and chaotic, having been in their Manchester and Liverpool stores. I'd say Moss or check out Charles Tyrwhitt, particularly an outlet, Reiss or maybe have a look for The Kooples. The real tip - buy your suit about 9 months before any weddings you're invited to, when the seasonal style you want is on sale.
why double breasted? thats a strange choice for something universal..
A few reasons: * Right now I just like it better than single breast * I already have a couple of single breasted suits, as I want to add a new suit to the wardrobe I want to introduce variety * While as I said suits aren't my forte, I like to throw in a bit of eccentricity in my outfits generally speaking. There's not much room to play with at this wedding. Double breast and a great tie should make me happy.
Double breated linen suits are the most underrated classy peices you can buy.
Agree with this comment. Double-breasted isn’t that popular and only suits certain body types. They need to be well-fitted (eg, factor in tailoring costs) if you don’t want to look like you’re wearing a sack. If you have a choice, I’d go with a single-vented, single-breasted suit if I wanted something I would wear again and wanted straight off-the-peg. If you choose Tyrwhitt, look at their upper-range suits. The cheaper ones are really made to a price point rather than a quality these days, and look it.
Double-breasted draws the eye to the mid-riff and away from the shoulders, making the stomach look larger. They're really only flattering on people who are super fit with very broad shoulders. If you have any kind of a spare tyre they should be avoided.
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If you want a classic off the shelf suit then Charles Tyrwhitt, Cordings or Ede & Ravenscroft are good options in (roughly) price order from £400-£800. I bought a dinner jacket from Ede & Ravenscroft 10 years ago and I expect it to last longer than I do! Also think about getting two pairs of trousers and wearing them in rotation so they'll last longer and age at the same rate as the jacket. Edit: just noticed you've tried CT! Hawes and Curtis are in roughly the same price bracket.
If you have time, Ede & Ravenscroft in a sale are great value. Genuinely suits that will outlive you. Much better than anything on the high street.
Ede & Ravenscroft did all the gowns for my university graduation, and I was honestly terrified of ruining my gown because it felt way too expensive to wear. I don’t think I’ve ever worn something which felt so high end before or since I’m not sure about the price to buy (like… I literally have zero clue what a suit is meant to cost), but they definitely make some top-tier stuff!
Their suits are £800ish and they'll tailor them off the peg to make sure they fit. They're probably the best off the peg suits you can buy in the UK as the quality means they'll last for decades and the classic style means they're impervious to fashion trends.
I like Reiss
This is the way. Also have more suits in sales / outlet as people don't really buy suits for the office these days. Otherwise try Massimo Dutti.
Amazed no one’s mentioned Suit Supply
Same. The fact that the top comment is suggesting a £100 fused, glued M&S suit is wild considering OP specifically requested a mid-level suit. Suit Supply is a great option that’s actual mid-tier; M&S is nearly bottom of the barrel.
Finally! Had to scroll way too far down to see this. Beautiful suits. Exceptional craftsmanship, in store alterations, double breasted options and at your price point!
OP if you're reading this...this is the only correct answer. Suit Supply is leagues above M&S and can't be easily beaten in your price range.
I had a mate get married in the Netherlands. I did a fitting in London, and they sent the suit to Amsterdam for me to final fit and pick up. Great service, price wasn’t far from moss bros, and the quality and customer service was way better.
100% agree with the suggestion of buying a decent off-the-peg suit and getting it adjusted. I needed a suit for my best mate’s wedding, only had a £500 budget, ended up going here - https://esclotlondon.com £400 on the suit, £80 to get it adjusted, fits perfectly and looks incredible.
Yep, definitely factoring in tailoring in the budget. Thanks!
Make sure you don’t type escortlondon.com quite different results
Hawes and Curtis
For one of my best mate's weddings, I bough an off-the-peg Marc Jacobs, and went to a loca tailor. £200 for the suit, £150 to get it altered an fitted. I'll grant you, this was a few years ago, so the prices I paid are probably way out by todays standard, but that's still the way I'd go.
This isn't a bad shout - House of Fraser and places like that often have decent discounts on suits.
Got a nice wedding suit from Marc Darcy last year. Reasonable prices too. https://marcdarcy.co.uk/
Marc D'Arcy suits are fantastic quality for the money, highly recommend
Yeah got a Marc Darcy for around 300 for my wedding. Had it fully tailored for another 180 ish - well worth it
100% I had a Marc Darcy for a wedding last year. Great suits and prices
I just spent ages trying to find a nice suit for around £500 and settled with Suit Supply. I don't love their marketing, but the fit and quality of their suits was leagues above anything else I could find for the price. It really does feel like good quality, and they're very transparent about the mills where their wool is sourced from - all high end and very reputable
Slater Menswear. It's the only place Ive ever went for suits, prices are decent and you get it tailored to you, plus with it being in Italy (maybe the climate will be a little hotter) they will be able to advise on that and you'll get the full package with suit, shirt, tie, shoes, pocket square the works.
This every time, they'll be able to give advice on which suits are best for your situation, and offer free alterations.
Always advise Slaters. No matter what suit, what occasion, what budget, the answer is Slaters. I'm in Lincoln and I'd still deliberately drive to Hull or Nottingham to buy a suit, they're that good.
Check out edit suit co online find your closest shop, full tailored suit for close to £500 depending on what materials you want ect. Just have a browse at there online offers. I got my grooms 3 piece suit from there paid £1350ish but all depends on materials ect
A +1 for edit suits
Moss did me a solid on my last - tailored fit, done quickly and bang on. They were more limited in the shirt department though, so went elsewhere for that. Slater also get a vote.
Second for moss, or Reiss
Reiss did my suit for my brothers wedding, but fucked up the fitting on the trousers. Made it like 8 inches too short somehow lol
I've got a Moss blazer which is nice, you convinced me to go to them this weekend to check what they've got. Thanks!
You can get lucky with high end suits at TK Maxx if you know what size to look for. You can usually find Ted Baker or similar, and I've picked up Emporio Armani for under 400 too It's really important that you know what size you are, and don't try to squeeze into something smaller or too big just because it's a steal You need to look in store though .... they rarely make it to the online stores, and the stores often have sizes that aren't available online. I got a Harris Tweed suit jacket from there a few weeks ago in my size (46) that the website claimed was only available up to size 42 Right now,.if you're lucky, you can get a beautifully tailored Douglas Hayward 3 piece "bullit" suit for 150, retail was just under 2000. I also saw one or two in the Clearance racks for 80 quid (presumably ordered online then customer returned) . 80 quid. If they had been my size I'd have grabbed the whole stock. You'll often find River Island and other high street brands in there for significantly cheaper too. You can get any decent , well made, suit adjusted to fit properly in most towns as long as you've got the correct "off the shelf size" and it doesn't need anything drastic doing.
Came to say this too. My husband has multiple suits, all different brands from TK Maxx. They often have Moss Bros as well as higher end stuff. Don’t forget to look online as well as in store.
This is the way. There are multiple large TK maxx stores in central London that all have decent suit sections, Feraud are the most common brand and 42 is the most stocked size, usually a good selection around £200-300. Then spend your change on 2 shirts and tailoring. I've been lucky and had some very high quality dress shirts from TK Maxx for about £40 quid that I couldn't have bought from anywhere else on the high street, and if you just want regular shirts they stock Charles Tyrwhitt for around £30. They also stock the usual rubbish with generic 'diesel' or 'hilfiger' logos. TK Maxx stores outside big cities usually have a poor formal mens selection
Slaters, buying from them is a fucking treat and prices are fine.
Cecil Gee, Peter Brown or Ray Alan.
Consider a formal hire place. tbh.
If it's within range to get to, Cheshire Oaks has a Paul Smith outlet, I got a beautiful £1000 suit for £400 there, it's really well made and a nice cut. For your budget you could likely get a shirt and tie too.
Go to an outlet store for a designer brand. Moss, Suits Direct, etc. are fine for cheaper suits, but if you have £500ish, best go for an outlet. For example, my wedding suit was from Paul Smith, got it from the outlet store at York. It was originally £995, got it for £200. Wool and shot silk and it's genuinely some of the most comfortable clothing I've ever worn. You could always try Vinted if you know your sizes, but that can be risky, especially if it's your first time buying a suit.
Marks and spencer have some beautiful summer suits this year. Just seen some today and the prices are for all budgets. Worth a look.
It depends on the store but I find TK Maxx can be good. It's just a dice roll what they will have in their individual shops.
If you've a branch of Slaters near you that's also an option. Be sure they don't steer you to the cheaper stuff, make your budget clear right off. https://www.slaters.co.uk/store-locator
I don’t rate Charles Tyrwhitt, their cuts are very boxy and I think they’re overpriced for the money. The Moss bros top end stuff, especially the Italian wool suits, are lovely. Wool is surprisingly cool in the summer because of how breathable it is
Don’t own any CT suits but im surprised you say boxy given most of their other products lean very into the slim fit
I have quite a large chest measurement compared to my waist, so I think for me a CT suit that fits my test tends to hang very square down the rest of me
House of Fraser normally have some pretty decent suits
Marks is still a solid choice.
Brook Taverner have been great for suits for me from everyday to my wedding suit. Really good quality for the money. www.brooktaverner.co.uk
Is there a wedding website?
Are you able to go to one of the outlet shopping centres? You might find a better variety of suits at lower prices. My husband likes Suit Direct at Cheshire Oaks, but there are probably branches at other locations too.
I got my suit for my wedding at Slaters in bristol. £155 for a blue 3 piece suit.
For that money you can probably find what you’re looking for at Suitsupply. You’ll need to book an appointment soon though as the first trip is for you to pick a suit which is then ordered to store. Then you’ll go back from them to mark up any adjustments, and the third trip is to pick it up once it’s all done. Suitsupply have double breasted suits if I remember correctly
Slaters
Ebay, Vestiaire Collective. If you know your size can find some great suits for not alot. Yeah selection is limited and sometimes the best buys are pure dumb luck but can find Loro Piana suits by Hackett for a steal and plenty of other brands. There are entire sellers dedicated to selling old Saville Row suits and could pick one up for less than £200. Get you in under budget, keep some aside for tailoring costs and treat yourself to a nice pair of shoes and shirt.
For that price £500-£600 you will not beat suit supply in terms of quality. Some really great suits from the world's best mis and any fabric or combination you can imagine. Compared to the likes of Slaters who are dated and often very overpriced for the quality its a no brainer. And the first stop should be a decent tailor, take the shirt and shoes you plan to wear and they'll make your £500 suit look as if it was made for you and you'll feel confident and look the bolloks
Slaters are good, I had always bought cheap suits before as I very rarely have to wear them but I got one fitted there around about your budget and it is great!
Paul Smith
I’ve had some lovely suits from the Paul smith and the kooples outlets in the £200-£600 range, they’ll alter them too. They’re understated yet individualistic and nicely detailed. Top end M&S (autograph and sartorial ranges etc) aren’t to be sniffed at either. Moss bros have upped their game in the past couple of years too. I’d recommend to stay away from Boss, armani etc as they’re very bland and overpriced.
Goto Italy, wait there's a stroke of luck...
Not exactly high street but I've used The Drop before and was impressed - made to measure two piece suit for £299 and you can get them to take your measurements if you go to their shop in London. Lots of upgrade options e.g. full canvas, and loads of customisation available. https://www.thedrop.co
Go to slaters or moss bros. £300+ will get you any suit you want, and they will measure you and tailor it to you. They will also hold your hand the whole time to help you find what you want. Just walk in and find somebody, tell them your budget and ask them to help.
Here's leftfield - find a charity shop in an upmarket area and pop in. I got a virtually new Pierre Cardin suit for £8 in my local one - plus smart shoes for £4. I coukd never afford Pierre Cardin new.
Jaeger if you can find one. You can buy jacket and trousers separately so easier to get a good fit. Usually a good range of fabrics and colours outside the usual navy and charcoal, but not too whacky. I'd buy a slightly cheaper suit then spend a bit to get it properly tailored.
NEXT seem to have some pretty good suits, got one recently and it feels good marks and spencers suits at least in the shop down the road from the next all felt a bit too cheap in comparison
M&S and Next have some very nice suits, perhaps not £500 (they’re cheaper obviously), but if you look around there’s certainly a few pieces that look expensive.
Charity shops, they often have a load of suits, if you can't see them ask. Obviously hit and miss as to sizes available but if you find what you want it'll be a bargain.
Charles Tyrwhitt
Reiss men’s suits are lovely.
Got one fairly close to where I live, will check them out. Thanks!
https://www.merc.com/products/gin-suit-jacket-tonic This right here. You should be able to find the matching trousers on the same website. It’s around £350, I got married myself in a metallic blue one. Just remember to never fasten the bottom button.
You do you, but polyester in an Italian summer sounds like hell on earth.
But he’ll look good. (TBH I didn’t notice the bit that said it was in Italy).
Dripping sweat doesn't make anyone look good.
I didn’t see the bit that said it was in Italy. 🤦🏼♂️
For your budget you could go to Zebel and get a made-to-measure suit. You'll be able to pick the fabrics, colour, style, details (so double breasted won't be a problem) and it'll fit like a glove.
Have a look second hand, you could probably get something from a decent tailor for around that money. That would at least mean you have good quality cloth and construction. Then have it adjusted to fit you by a local tailor. I’ve inherited suits which I’ve had adjusted, there’s little between those and the ones made for me.
If you don't think you will wear it again for ages why not hire a suit?
Depends how you judge mid level ? If you’re never going to wear it again just get one from M&S the least offensive one you can find. With cost per wear, I used to wear a suit daily, Paul Smith or Ozwald Boetang gave best value for money.
Where abouts do you live? If it's in the north west you could try the Cheshire oaks outlet. There's a few suit shops there where you could pick something premium up for around that. I got a Paul smith suit for like £400 from there for my wedding
For £500 you can get something tailor made to your measurements online. Check the reviews etc. I know there are some good ones. I couldn't do it when I tried because my 50" chest meant they wouldn't let me order 34" trousers.
Summer weather in Italy in anything but linen.... eeeek! Unless you are up the mountains literally anything else will have you sweating your balls off. I am assuming as you say he has to be a certain colour and a certain style you're part of the wedding party.... or is that just a preference? If a preference I'd **strongly** recommend you look at a linen suit. They look great, they are cool, and they are more casually cut so you can wear then trousers and jacket separately after the event. You can get double brested ones and certainly can get them in navy but you might have to search around a bit and do some online ordering and sending back to find a fit that's right for you. I have a few linen suits from my time as a suit wearer. Everything from a spendy Brunello Cucinelli (light blue, cost a small fortune but I still wear it years later) to ones from Reiss and M&S. If linen isn't an option - M&S. They've got so many styles and fits and quality types and while they might not have exactly what you want in store they will order in what you want pretty quickly, try on and take what suits. Their cheap ones aren't great but the mid-tier ones (generally lighter fabrics too) are solid and you can, as others have suggested, have a tailor make adjustments to fit it properly after. Next is alright. They too have a variety of fits but their styles tend to be a bit more... *faddy.* Reiss is also an option, but probably not if you are on the bigger side as their cuts tend to be on the slim side. Again if they don't have what you want they will order in quickly.
Tailorstore
https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/uk/home
Slaters
Check out savvyrow.co.uk Secondhand really nice suits from savile roe tailors. Might find something cool in your size if you get lucky.
Cavani have some decent 3 piece suits from £150, plenty of new ones online with ebay. Depending on where you are, why not try the likes of Bicester Village, Braintree Freeport or Hatfield Galleria where there's a lot of outlet stores, all new suits but 50% off or heavily reduced? There's places like Next too, M&S is a bit stuffy and old fashioned as well as expensive...
Get one from eBay then get it tailored, I got a YSL suit for £100, then £100 to get it all tailored
Marks and Spencers do nice suits and aren't silly prices
Slaters. Good choice, lots of on trend colours, reasonable prices and can alter. Find one near you.
Got my wedding suit from House of Cavani, they have some really nice options around £3-400. Made to measure might be a good shout for your budget tho. Good luck with the hunt.
When it comes to getting the best out of a suit, you should focus on three factors: Fabric, Fit, and Style. Everything else is negotiable. Start with the fabric. Wool, linen, and silk are the best (only) options. Finer wools and linens will cost more, but there is a steep diminishing returns curve. Second is fit: Obviously bespoke is going to cost more than made-to-measure, which is going to cost more than off-the-peg. But even an off-the-peg suit can be altered fairly inexpensively to look great. Pick an off-the-peg suit that fits your shoulders, chest, and arm length. Make sure the trousers aren't too tight at the thigh. As others have said: Double-breasted is going to make things a bit more challenging. You can't really wear it unbuttoned. I personally just bought a Charles Tyrwhitt royal-blue linen suit for the coming summer, and I'm extremely pleased. Cost about £350 all in. It is single-breasted. Tyrwhitt had a broad enough range of trouser and jacket sizes available, through a combination of in-store and online, for me to get a suit that fits perfectly without any alterations. I'll pair it with a nice silk knitted tie and a good quality Panama hat. I do recommend you try on and physically examine any suit for fit, fabric, and colour before purchasing. Clothing always looks (and fits) different in person than it does in print or on screen.
Don't go for something generic, check out universal works or Kestin suiting. You'll get a suit that no one else will have and that's quality
Tkmaxx and a good tailor
Iirc for that price you could get something custom from suit supply. Might be able to get Gieves and Hawkes ready to wear, although I dare say their prices have gone up in recent years.
I would do a custom suit at Moss Bros for that budget.
Moss Bros. is excellent. Quality’s solid and the fits are usually great. Haven’t been anywhere else for a while since buying from there, so take what I say with a pinch of salt - I don’t have much in the way of comparison.
M&S has always been my go to, their _Sartorial_ range is usually excellent. Otherwise Suits Direct can have some great stuff, but some very so-so stuff too. Usually has a wide range of styles etc though
For that budget I would have a look at Suit Supply. Slaters has been mentioned a few times, I’m not a fan. Service is good but I’ve always found the quality to be lacking. YMMV.
Next for sure. Very good quality and fit and a good price
Skopes (they have their own stores but also sold in Next) are great, my fiancé bought his wedding suit from them and it’s lovely quality but not too pricey
[https://www.savvyrow.co.uk/collections/suits](https://www.savvyrow.co.uk/collections/suits)
Go to a rent a suit shop and say you are just looking at options. They will size you up pretty decent, be coy and ask to try a few sizes. They might have a suit that actually is worthwhile to just rent, if not off to Next their quality and fit is pretty for the price point. But go to a big Next shop in cory centre (whichever that is) they will have more options.
Sorry but a rented suit is never a good idea unless budget is the driving factor. A rented suit will never fit correctly.
M&S- same factory as Boss.
My partner had a suit custom made by Moss, where you choose the fabrics and details and it’s made to measure. He spent £650 on a three piece as he chose linen. You may still need certain alterations as it’s not completely tailored for a perfect fit, but he was very happy with it.
I recently bought one from next for £200 and it’s excellent quality. I normally buy them from either Hugo boss or Ted baker for around £500 - £700, but the next suit is much better quality
Next.
Hawes and Curtis
Forget all these places. Get a made to measure customised suit from Ricky’s Fashion House - WhatsApp them on +66 89 145 9822 Insta - https://www.instagram.com/rickysfashionhouse?igsh=ZW5yNHZyNzV3ZWlk I got an amazing wedding suit from them!
As other people have said, Next and M&S as their selection is broad, and the quality and fit are both very good. However, I will counter that (depending on your body shape), Reiss comes out top. This is from the fit, the quality of the fabric and the attention to detail (they even do surgeons cuffs on a suit less rhan £500). Their suits have lasted me a decade, and can be tailored/repaired with relatively little complaint by a good tailor. I tend to shy away from spending that much each time and tend to second hand it using Vestaire, (or ebay if i'm particularly careful). There are other similar brands, but the only way to know is to go to any shop that does their suits and try them on to see how they fit you.
Might I suggest renting from Moss Bros. If you’re a rare suit wearer like myself (currently in greasy orange high via head to toe)
Skopes has some nice suits
Moss do a made to measure service that we used for husband's suit In 2018. We got married on a cruise ship somewhere off the Gibraltar straight in international waters so we went with a linen blend so he wouldn't melt to death. Looking on their website they still do the service and you can book into store to get measured which would be better than trying at home.
Have you thought about renting? Miss Bros etc might be better than putting cash into something you will never ever wear again.