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"old fashioned" 3 piece suits

geo

Registered User
Messages
384
Location
Canada
Personally, I think they are the best deal out there. They sell jackets and trousers separately, so it's easier to get a good fit in both.

Fabrics: Great. Heavier 14 oz English wool in patterns rarely seen off the rack nowadays, like bold chalkstripes and black-and-white PoW plaid. 21oz tweed suits. Also 10 oz wool fabrics in the summer, and linen and silk. I have a navy blue moleskin suit from them too. Little choice any given season, but they introduce new fabrics each new season. E-mail them and they send cloth samples.

Jacket: I don't know enough about tailoring to give a detailed description, but this I can tell: fused construction, like almost all off the rack suits now. The single breasted jackets have nice wider lapels. Some shoulder padding and a little waist suppression. Low armholes, but higher than on North American suits. Overall, fits and feels nice, and looks good too.

Pants: You'll like this part: button fly, side adjusters with buckle for 14 oz fabrics, suspender buttons inside the waistband. 10 oz have belt loops. Only thing I would change: make them a bit fuller.
 

Lionheart

One of the Regulars
Messages
101
Location
Metro-Boston
geo said:
It's possible to still get an "old fashioned" 3-piece suit, with a little effort. I got this one, in charcoal chalkstripe:

proddetail.asp


proddetail.asp


proddetail.asp




I love the look of this stuff. Great info, thanks for the links! Definitely worth investigating.:cheers1:
 

Indy Magnoli

Vendor
Messages
600
Location
Middle Earth, New Zealand
I've added an armhole measurement to my on-line form; so, when ordering a suit from me, you can specify the size accurately. I have all my personal suits cut with higher armholes based on a vintage suit I've got. They come out perfect, and make wearing other suits I have (with low armholes) a real chore.

Kind regards,
Indy
 

Clyde R.

One of the Regulars
Messages
164
Location
USA
Thanks to Zach for posting the link to Magnoli. I'm in the market for a new suit myself, and have been looking for a three-piece anyway. I collect old watches and a vested suit makes it easier to sport a nice pocket watch around:)
 

kools

Practically Family
Messages
680
Location
Milwaukee
Indy...It sounds like you may have the right idea going. I may be getting in touch with you soon. I've never bought a "new" vintage/repro suit before. What I see on your website may warrent a try.
 

Psilocide

New in Town
Messages
1
Location
Las Vegas
Senator Jack said:
3Piece,

Before anyone buys a made to measure suit on line, please ask me any questions thought necessary. It was a process.

Sorry for the late reply, but just about ot order a suit online from Magnoli (and am too new to send Jack a PM) Jack - can you or anyone give me any tips for making sure the measurements are right, etc?
 
The big problem I ran into was that the tailors believe men are vain about their waist size and so they add two inches to the waist. i.e. If your waist really is 34" and send it in as 34", they make it 36". I confirmed this with two online tailors that I had ordered from. They both said that early on in the business, 90% of their returns were due to men giving a smaller waist size and then not fitting into the trousers or that their shirts were too tight.
 

kuwisdelu

Familiar Face
Messages
75
Location
Indiana
Senator Jack said:
The big problem I ran into was that the tailors believe men are vain about their waist size and so they add two inches to the waist. i.e. If your waist really is 34" and send it in as 34", they make it 36". I confirmed this with two online tailors that I had ordered from. They both said that early on in the business, 90% of their returns were due to men giving a smaller waist size and then not fitting into the trousers or that their shirts were too tight.

I'd email and ask before assuming this. When I've ordered online, I put my waist as 30", since that's what I measured and that's what I wear. Sure enough, the trousers came exactly 30". They fit, but they sure weren't comfortable. Most off-the-track stuff is already bigger than it's labeled, so being used to some extra room, I wasn't prepared for being strangled across my stomach by such an exact pair.
 

Fletch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,865
Location
Iowa - The Land That Stuff Forgot
WR said:
My other gripe you'll have to endure is that the vest don't have four pockets! Some don't even have two! Why is there such a lack of detail in vests today? They also lack the swallow tail cut in the front! Most I see off the rack are of the strait a cross style that looks some what ill.
I've said this before, so pardon the hobbyhorse - but vests are now largely vestigial. They're no longer considered fashionable OR functional, and the style of wearing them has mostly been lost. There are just enough customers for a basic version that is cheap to make. 5B, 2-pocket, not too tailored.

Now, the Brooks Brothers suits seem to look good in the photos but, they lack a good photo of the vest. It remains a mystery as to what the vest looks like.
I'm sure it's intended for the typical buyer of today who is not particular about vests, but wears one for occupational reasons. An example is a trial lawyer, who need not be elegantly tailored, but may need to look extra formal to ordinary folk.

The workingclass idea of the "man in the 3pc suit" has outlasted the suit itself, but still has power to influence people.
 

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