Ok, so I'm turning all grown up and I need to buy a tuxedo. Normally, you wouldn't catch me dead in any form of monkey suit, but I've got some events that I am going to and it's all formal and stuff. So, any recommendations on where, what I should expect to spend, etc? I'm not looking to break the bank. Oh, and please no Jackie Chan movie references...I know you guys too well.
tuxedos can be bought cheaply at www.josabank.com or at an Al's or Ascott rental place. I think it's ridiculous to buy a really expensive tuxedo
M. Penner is where I bought mine. $1,250 or so. from my experience, if you don't buy in that range, you might as well keep renting. I got one that is not too tuxie, meaning it can pass for a really nice black suit...which gives you more chances to where it...vs tuxes that can only be worn to tux events. I'd go to M. Penner just to shop, even if you don't buy there.
There's just no way in hell I can justify spending $1200 on a suit of any kind, really. I'm going to use it once or twice a year. Yikes.
If it's a 1-2 times per year thing, and you don't care about being the most fashionable guy in the room, I'd buy one from J.C. Penney. link I bought one recently, and got the whole thing for less than $180.
I had to buy one last year because of Wedding/Private party gigs. I only spent $150 on one from Al's. That took half of what my first wedding gig paid. But I've had to wear it 15-20 times in the past year so It's paid for itself around 20 times over.
nordstrom . . . great options $500 - $700 - $1200 - and up . . . you want a place with some good tailors, not some bargain basement place.
My only suggestion is to get the most conservative tux you can find with a classic look so you don't feel silly wearing it two or three years from now.
I got a very good quality wool tux from S&K Menswear for around $175, though that did not include shirt or cummerbund/bowtie (I already had those).
My wife's job has us going to lots of Houston charity galas that are 90% black tie events. I purchased a $300 two button, classic black tux from Jos A Banks. I then took it to my local tailor and had it fitted very well. Its not the nicest tux around, but it fits perfectly and looks better than about 95% of the tuxes that the rich old guys wear to these events.
If you know your exact size, just buy it from Ebay. http://clothing.search.ebay.com/tuxedo_Mens-Clothing_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfromZR40QQsacatZ1059 You can buy some really good brands, for heavily discounted prices.
Jeff, If you're looking for a value buy, you might want to consider the tux rental stores like Mens Warehouse where they have a huge inventory of stuff previously on rental. That would be the cheapest route short of inheriting one from someone else. Otherwise, much like designer sports jackets, the big Department stores like Macy's, Nordstroms, and even Bloomingdales carry reasonably priced tuxes as befitting of their "place" in the retailer spectrum. Macy's would be the most affordable as you might surmise. But relatively speaking, in all cases you'd be getting the best value of the dollar vs. going to a boutique store. Boutique stores will be the MOST expensive b/c they simply don't have the scale to buy in size from the distributor or the designer. Also - consider the designer name and their breadth. It's not by coincidence that Hugo Boss appears very frequently. It's b/c they have strong distribution from the big retailers. Private label for retailers are also worth a consideration as you often don't have to pay the premium as you would with a name brand. Also - for what you save/don't spend on the tux. I would seriously consider investing in a nice shirt and a nice pair of shoes in that order. The shirt is KEY. Esp if you opt out of the vest and cumberbund which would be my suggestion. It's a sleeker look and simpler too. You can wear a nice shirt ANYWHERE and get away with not wearing the other stuff that's just way too hot anyway for this time of year. Great shirts will cost you upwards of $150 but they are well worth it. Lastly - women shouldn't have all the fun. You should definitely try out a few nice Italian suits and shirts just to get a point of comparison. Often, there will be similar remakes of those in private label of by other designers at a fraction of the price. But it will at least give you a starting point as to what you will supremely happy with as a tux is something that will likely stay with you for some time. Does that help? theSAGE
