Mens Warehouse

[Patrick Murtha]

I've been to Mens warehouse several times in the past though never bought anything. Problem I had was the employees not knowing anything about suits or dress clothing. They cary the lower end lines of some brands and if you have he right body shape and can find a good fit you're fine, though if you are looking for a better suit buying experience try Brooks Brothers as suggested above, or even Burlington Coat Factory.

The Burlington Coat Factory here in Appleton, Wisconsin is not very inspiring. Their suits seem genuinely cheap -- you can just tell by looking that they're much lower quality. So there must be some regional variation in the level of Burlington Coat Factories (although, that said, I did find a nice Nautica topcoat for under $200 at the one here, and scooped it right up).

While we're on the subject of discounters, does anyone have experience with Syms, Where An Educated Consumer Is Our Best Customer?

 

[Solid Citizen]

The MENS Warehouse

Don't FORGET:


"Your going to look the way you look I guarantee it" [huh]




Solid Citizen

 

[RockBottom]

It's also possible to pick up some great stuff at Sierra Trading Post if you don't mind having the alterations done locally. I've bought tons of stuff from them, including boots and shoes.

 

[Hondo]

Not being an authority on styles, suits, I was curious about Brooks Brothers since they came out with naval officer’s uniforms, it always looked perfect on who ever wore it.
Anyone watch Stephen Colbert on Comedy channel? Wears brooks brothers and I like the way it holds up during his antics, that being said was the reason for inquiring. Naval dress coat always looks impressive.
I never go somewhere without knowing more about the clothing store and I always see those commercials for Men’s Warehouse or Big and Tall, plus the mention that Men’s Warehouse carries Brooks Brothers, (which turns out to be false) and true a brooks brothers suit is a certain style, if you can afford it.
Should I need a suit for my day in a coffin, Men’s Warehouse would be the place to go. All kidding aside I just plan to spruce up my wardrobe a bit, as I add more hats to my collection so I thank you for your comments. I have a Joseph Abboud sport coat from Nordstom’s that I like, and can wear with almost any style of slacks; I'll check out some of the places you guys mentioned, to my brothers in arms, Thanks again! well done!

 

[warbird]

It's also possible to pick up some great stuff at Sierra Trading Post if you don't mind having the alterations done locally. I've bought tons of stuff from them, including boots and shoes.

Will second that.

Great quality and at times incredible prices.

 

[Jovan]

I overheard from an employee of MW one time:

"So this guy comes in and says that his suit hasn't held up well, and it's only been four years! I tell him of course it hasn't, because it's been FOUR YEARS."

Yeah, he sure told him.

 

[Dr Doran]

In suitings, you generally get what you pay for..

This is true in suitINGS but not always in the suits themselves, as I am sure you would agree. One can find amazing things for low prices amidst the kinks in the network of trade in this society.

 

[CharlesB]

A friend went in there with me one time. He'd just gotten a job as a teacher so he needed ties and got a gift certificate there. A very sweaty and corpulent gent came over and tried to help us out. I explained it wasn't necessary and that I could tkae care of it. At this he decided to try and help EVEN MORE. The gentleman then pulls out a square patterened tie that looked like something out of a 1980s florida room or somethign from the Miami Vice set. I commented as such after he persisted in touting said tie. He then goes "well I own that tie and I disagree"

My response was "Im truly sorry that years of working in mens fashion hasn't endowed you with better taste"

 

[CharlestonBows]

This is true in suitINGS but not always in the suits themselves, as I am sure you would agree. One can find amazing things for low prices amidst the kinks in the network of trade in this society.

It's the same thing. When you buy cheap, you get cheap. When you buy a $125 suit, you generally get a fused (i.e. glued) garment with a very short life expectancy. When you upgrade in price, you also upgrade in quality. Sure, you can always find deals and steals. That's not the point, though. It simply costs more to simply produce a better garment. If you get a what-a-deal on an Oxxford, then great -- but someone, somewhere is losing something. If you're buying vintage, thats a whole different ball game, but economics rules would still apply; good quality vintage is hard to find, and therefore costs more than crappy vintage.

And yes, I understand financial limitations result in choice limitations, as previously noted. However, one can make efforts with their hard earned change to find the best balance between cost and quality for them. See above.

A friend went in there with me one time. He'd just gotten a job as a teacher so he needed ties and got a gift certificate there. A very sweaty and corpulent gent came over and tried to help us out. I explained it wasn't necessary and that I could tkae care of it. At this he decided to try and help EVEN MORE. The gentleman then pulls out a square patterened tie that looked like something out of a 1980s florida room or somethign from the Miami Vice set. I commented as such after he persisted in touting said tie. He then goes "well I own that tie and I disagree"

My response was "Im truly sorry that years of working in mens fashion hasn't endowed you with better taste"

Service & expertise is an important part of the buying experience, in compliment to the quality of the garment. See Charles' comments above.

 

[1911 Man]

I have bought 3 Jos Banks suits and one MW suit in the last 3 years. The JB are all much higher quality, and the sales staff and tailors were much better trained to fitting a suit to me. The MW suit was the most expensive of the three, and I only wore it two or three times. It was so poorly fitted, it looked terrible. I donated it to a thrift store. I found a custom tailor in my area, I might try that for my next suit. If not, I'll stick with Jos.

 

[Mr. John Smith]

MW isn't the best, but...

Hey guys.

I've worked in the casino industry for a good 13 years (yikes!). Some of my first suits were from MW, primarily because they got a lot of abuse from being worn every day in a rather rough environment (for a suit, that is). Quite frankly, when my "good suit" got a gash in the jacket, I was mortified. When it happened to my MW suit, not so upset.

I now work in a different casino with wider pits and less "projecting" items, so my suits have gotten a lot nicer as of late. What it boils down to is, "what are you planning on doing in that suit?"

Everyday utilitarian, or once in a while dress-up? If it's just once in a while, go for the quality!

 

[Marty M.]

Uh, no.

Never shopped at MW. And hopefully, I never will .
Marty Mathis

 

[Marty M.]

Right on CB.

No doubt, that's a fact. We can only do so much, and hang so many garments. But like I said before, it's all about what it is that you, personally, are looking for.

"Local specialty" doesn't always mean "inordinately expensive," either. I can't speak for others in the trade, but I know that I try to meet a budget if a client gives me one; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I always try to help, even if it's just advice. I'm just saying, don't rule local guys out. Depending on the time of year (like now, or after summer) you can often snatch up a bargain.

And I gotta put a good word in for us fellas, too! lol

Man, I love this guy.
Marty Mathis

 

[Dr Doran]

Sure, you can always find deals and steals. That's not the point, though. It simply costs more to simply produce a better garment.

Fine. Point to you. You are absolutely right. But there is still an amount of arbitrariness in pricing. I'm still looking for the deals. I have to; when I finish school and get a real job, I'll be willing to spend more. I'll even buy a deluxe bowtie and you know where I'll buy it -- from you. But at the moment, I have a fixed stipend.

If you get a what-a-deal on an Oxxford, then great -- but someone, somewhere is losing something.

I would worry if I thought this hurt their business to the point where they would close down; if not, I'm not too worried. They can let a few items go cheaply once in a while with no terrible loss. It's called shrink. I worked in the grocery industry for many, many years. Shrink happens. They can let a few items go cheaply once in a while with no terrible loss. And if these items go to me, well, there is nothing wrong with that.

If you're buying vintage, thats a whole different ball game, but economics rules would still apply; good quality vintage is hard to find, and therefore costs more than crappy vintage.

But the thrill of the hunt has its advantages: the more hours you put into the hunt, the better deals you find. I just found a suit today for 25 dollars and the suit looks 1930s and probably is. This is worth one's while (as today's experience shows!) if one is not paid much per hour and is not sacrificing hourly wages to go hunt.

Having said all that, I will nevertheless look at your catalogue very soon and buy something, because obviously your heart is in the right place.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Never shopped at MW. And hopefully, I never will .
Marty Mathis

And your always-stunning wardrobe clearly shows it...

 

[Orgetorix]

since the knees and butt have a limited number of wear cycles (days of wear), no matter how high quality the fabric is.

This is certainly true, but what you may not realize is that truly high-quality fabric has a much higher number of wearings in its life than the cloth that is found in most off the rack suits--especially those that a place like Men's Wearhouse sells (suits for $100-400 in the US).

With proper care, bespoke suits from the best fabrics, such as those sold by British firms like Holland & Sherry, H. Lesser, Minnis, and the like, can quite literally last for decades, even with somewhat frequent wearing. This is because the quality of the wool that goes into them and the quality of the way they're woven and finished is much, much higher than inexpensive (or even moderately priced) RTW suits. This quality comes at a price, though: you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars just for a suit length of these cloths. And that doesn't even take into account the cost of making them up into suits.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I had good service at Mens Wearhouse and S&K

When I was looking for a couple of suits for job hunting I wound up at S&K. (Pre-FL days for me.) I went there because a couple of S&K managers had come to the training school I was attending to give a talk about dressing for interviews and such. They gave good advice, a lot of which I've since heard variations of here.

Later, when I was looking for "business casual" clothing (sport coats, etc.) I went to a Mens Wearhouse that was near the S&K as the S&K didn't have much by way of non-suits in my now rather large size. For those in the Columbus, OH area I was in the Easton Square shopping area.

At both S&K and MW I found the salesmen to be friendly, not pushy (I hate pushy), and very helpful. I learned a lot from them about color coordination and picking out different shirts, ties, and trousers that could be used with the different coats I bought. I quite enjoyed my shopping experiences at both places. The suits and business casual clothing I'm seen wearing in a lot of my "hat of the day" photos are from those two establishments.

Now the negatives: the suits I bought from S&K are from Jones New York. A lightweight wool, there is some tendency to wrinkle. The real annoyance for me was the fact that it didn't take more than a few wearings for the material on inside of the thighs to really start to show pilling and wear. Now, I know that when one is overweight that there is a greater tendency for the thighs to rub together when walking--fact of life. But I didn't think that they should be showing such wear when I'd only worn them to job interviews, so only a few hours at a time and not a lot of walking around. When it started happening on one suit I took it back and the manager had his tailor install additional material on the inside of the pants to act as a lining (I forget the term he used.) I don't know if that helped or not, but to my mind the whole thing simply meant the material was probably kinda cheap.

I did learn that I'm not happy with the excessive puddling of trouser leg on top of my shoes that the tailors at both places did as standard. Perhaps it's my AF uniform training, but I'd prefer a single slight break in the crease and to have the rear of the trouser leg not end up brushing the floor. The way the AF achieves this (no cuffs, you understand) is to actually have the back of the pant leg to be slightly longer than the front. I forget the actual measurement. Wouldn't work well with cuffs, I'm afraid, but still next time I'm going to have to insist that they mark where I want the back of the trousers to end so I don't find myself walking on them later on.

Actually, that's pretty much all of my negatives. The clothing I bought from MW has held up well despite my brief time as a teacher when I spent close to 5 hours a day standing/walking in front of the class, sweating heavily into the shirt and coat.

Now that I know a bit more about clothing, would I go back to S&K for a suit? Probably not. Would I go back to MW? Possibly, but not for a suit. I certainly recommend it (at least, the one I went to) to someone without a lot of money to spend. The salesman there certainly opened my eyes to possibilities when it comes to color mixing and matching. However, I'm more likely now to keep an eye out for sales at JoS. A. Bank--there's one going on now but I'm not currently in the new clothes market. There happens to be a JoS. A. Banks next to Batsakes Brothers hat shop in Cincinatti. I'll have to check it out some time

Oh, and regarding Burlington Coat Factory--the one I've been to on the east side of Columbus isn't one I'd go to for a suit. Or much else, for that matter.

Regards,
Tom

 

[LindyTap]

Their quality may not be too good, but at least they've got the right idea for some things. They've got a full morning dress look Here, and a tailcoat Here. Both of which seem to be done all right. Not perfect, and like I said I have no idea about quality since I haven't seen these in person with any detail, but at least they're trying!

 

[Ranger01]

My advice on MW... Dont go in!

I have been looking for a 3 piece suit for a while now, I found one on their website. I went in to the store to get it, the first thing they did was keep asking what I wanted and WHY I had to be so specific (hardly professional at all). Then when I finally got through that (Im the only one in the store mind you, and there are 4 sales ppl helping me). They looked up, and decided to measure me. Now comes the part where one asks "How many mediocre suit salesmen does it take to measure a person?" Well 4, plus two on the phone from the warehouse to get help in measuring for the type of cut the suit comes in. They reluctantly agree to finally look it up, all the while complaining that I couldnt get something thats in store.

They look it up, and finally realize that the suit wont come in my size... Then they start trying to get me to look at their other options (mostly god aweful suits that are cut for "the larger man"). I kept insisting on a 3 piece suit. Well finally the oldest salesman there (has to be in his 40s, lookin like Billy D. Williams... ) Says that It wont look good on me because I have too big a stomache and/or a too small chest to fill it out right, so it wont look good on me... My tuxedo (a RL custom that I got for my sisters wedding) has a waistcoat, it fits perfectly). So he then rudely tells me that either I pick something that they can fit me in or I leave.

Well. I looked at him, told him to go back to selling malt liquor and walked out.

Ive had 2 suits in my entire life, both from MW (they got bought for me by family). Both Ive had to have re tailored there and they never have fit right.
My current suit, the MW special. $600, tailored 3 times (most recent 2 months ago), 2 years old.
This pic is 2 days after the most recent tailoring.

 

[Feraud]

What tailoring was done to the above suit?
I would think simply taking in the jacket sleeves and pant legs would make a world of difference.
Why was this not done?