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Shopping for Black Tie
Building a basic black-tie wardrobe can vary in cost from $500 to upwards of $5,000 depending on the materials, workmanship and markup. To help you choose what's right for your budget the following summaries represent offerings from various levels of national chains and online retailers.
Assembling a truly classic wardrobe is a bit more of a challenge since so few retailers today offer conventional formal attire. To assist purists in their quest, some of these specialty haberdashers are listed below. Readers can also hover over any garment photograph in this site to determine the item's manufacturer.
Obviously, these listings are not meant to be comprehensive and this web site makes no claims as to the products or services provided by the various retailers.
• Budget Retailers (suits under $400)
Surprisingly it is possible to find quality formal wear for under $300 if one is willing to shop online as many virtual retailers offer brand name products for $200 to $300 off the regular price. Obviously online shopping precludes personal attention, the ability to try on garments before buying and a return process that is time-consuming and often somewhat expensive. If choosing to shop in this price range it would be wise to stick to recognized brands and examine product descriptions closely because tuxedos under $300 are frequently constructed of thin, ill-fitting polyester blends and often include jackets that are available only in contemporary styles with trousers that sport tacky adjustable waistbands. Some discount online retailers have even been known to deceive buyers with counterfeit designer brands.
Sample Budget Retailers:
Sample Budget ensemble:
(all items from Buy4LessTuxedo.com unless otherwise noted)
Tip: Young men on a budget can give their existing dress shoes a good polish and defer the $90 footwear purchase until later. This reduces the cost of the entire ensemble to only $600 which is an excellent value for the money.
• Mid-Market Retailers ($400-$800 suits)
Generally speaking, stores in this price range offer a wide selection of quality brand names or private house brands ranging from poly blends to super 140 wools. Retailers at the lower end of the price range tend to offer mostly modern styles but there are also some classic styles available for those who know what brands to look for. Staff will only be semi-knowledgeable regarding proper black tie but then again the same goes for most premium retailers.
Rental shops can be good sources for purchasing heavily discounted designer brands if one is willing to accept a used tuxedo. In Canada, the national rental chains often hold warehouse sales in autumn to clear out the current year's models and make way for the next. At these sales the prices drop from the mid-market category down into the budget range.
National department stores and mid-market men's stores are also good options in this price range. Note that such retailers often offer more selection in store than online.
Sample Mid-Market Retailers:
Sample Mid-Market Ensemble:
Note: Jos. A. Bank is placed in the mid-market range due to their prices only. Their product is more appropriately categorized as quality.
• Quality Retailers ($800-$1,500 suits)
Upscale menswear retailers offer private brands made from high quality wools that are usually super 100s or higher. Catering to a more worldly and affluent clientele, they tend to stock a wider selection of classic styles. These stores also offer very personalized customer service from salespersons that are more knowledgeable about formalwear than their department store counterparts. The only drawback for those who rely on internet shopping is that premium retailers tend to offer much more a limited selection online than they do in-store.
Sample Quality Retailers:
Sample Quality Ensemble:
• Premium Retailers ($1,500 - $5,000+ suits)
The very wealthy who enjoy owning the latest couture and wearing the most luxurious fabrics know exactly where to find obliging retailers so there is no need to list them here. For everyone else, here's a glimpse of what an unlimited budget could add to a man's formal wardrobe.
Sample Premium Ensemble:
• Custom Tailored ($1,000 -$2,000+ suits)
Prices vary depending on the tailor and the selected fabric but generally speaking a man can purchase a tuxedo made from a selected pattern that is modified to his measurements (made-to-measure) or have one designed from a custom pattern (bespoke) for the same cost as a premium ready-to-wear model.
The advantages over ready-to-wear are enormous as the customer can choose exactly which fabric and features he prefers in his suit and have it perfectly fitted to his unique body shape. Indeed, some classic details such as midnight blue fabric, 4-button double-breasted shawl collar jackets or traditional low-cut waistcoats can often only be obtained in this manner as they are no longer sold in most stores.
• Specialty Online Retailers
For those who do not have an unlimited budget - or unlimited research time - here are some suggestions on where to find the rarer classic accessories at moderate prices.
• Specialty Manufacturers & Distributors
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 COMPARATIVE ENGLISH TERMINOLOGY Hover over images for picture credits. Copyright © 2008. Peter Marshall. All rights reserved.  This site does not function correctly in Firefox |
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