Your first suit

[RobinHood]

I'm sure many of you have had to face buying your first suit. Whether it was after graduating or before.

At the moment the only suit I have is some $50 one from when I was 14. I have never dared to wear it. If I have a job interview I go casual, which is supposedly considered "arrogant" . However, this does not help me acquire a job, so I'm looking to buy my first proper (non-14 year old) suit so I will no longer be cocky(turning off your phone helps too).

So for those of you working in finance related sectors or anywhere else requiring suits, could you share how much you spent on your first suit? $500? $1000?
Is it worth it shelling out what seems like exorbitant sums when your working P/T and still at college/uni?
How important is the quality of the suit when making a first impression?

 

[prawn_86]

Just go to Asia nad get one tailor made and fitted for like a quarter of the price of what the same service and material would cost here

 

[Surfer35]

Dude,

Do not go to Asia and buy a suit. Sure it will be cheap as chips, but it will look like a potato sack after a couple of weeks. Plus, if you are buying a suit to make an impression for work/interviews it is unfortunate, but true, that appearances count. There are a few people out there who will pick a cheap Hong Kong special for just that.

If you are a slim guy, look at some of the offerings from Calibre, if you are larger, then Country Road will get you into a decent suit. Once you start earning, upgrad to Zegna or better. You will feel great and won't look like a plain clothes policeman in a bottle-green, micro-fibre, double-pleated, ventless number with cuffs.

 

[IFocus]

Still wearing my birthday suit

 

[Nyden]

Plus, if you are buying a suit to make an impression for work/interviews it is unfortunate, but true, that appearances count.

I honestly hope this changes one day. I only buy clothes for comfort, function, & style (even if it's from Hong Kong!) - although most are designer p; this is merely coincidence, & brand honestly means very little to me.

Surely there are more important things in the world, than the brand of the suit one wears, & how much is spent on it. I wouldn't have much respect for an employer (no matter what the industry) that would / wouldn't hire based on the expense of the applicants attire. Education, & people-skills should be all that matters; unless of course you're applying to become a model! Then, I would imagine at least - that style would be an issue

This is why the business world simply doesn't appeal to me - arrogance, & very snobbish tendencies. Certain people will (a cliche, I know) judge a book by its cover far too quickly, & will even look down on those that don't meet their own standards of what they perceive to be wealth ... I could have all the money in the world, & I would still not spend 10k on a suit. How can anyone be happy in such an environment? Far too cut-throat to be happy, easy enough to be high, but not happy.

 

[prawn_86]

I have never had any problems with suits made in Asia.

I dont buy the cheapest ones there, i usually spend i bit more for better fabrics etc. I normally spend about 400 - 500 per suit and they would be at least 4 - 5 times expensive here, plus they are tailor made, not just ill fitting off the rack ones.

Also, i dont see how people can tell exactly what an expensive suit is/looks like. I sure cant, but i dont spend that much time looking at them. As long as the cut is up to date and the material of good quality how can you tell them apart?

 

[cuttlefish]

This is all very much a matter of personal preference but in my opinion - yeah it doesn't hurt to buy a decent suit but don't break the bank - any decent mid-range suit from a major department store (DJ's, Myers) or good mens clothing shop/specialist suit shop would be ok for a first role I reckon.

I'd recommend contemporary but conservative and a make sure its a good fit. Don't skimp on the tie either - no point having a decent suit and a $20 tie. (I always made sure they were woven silk).

As you move into more senior roles and particularly corporate sales roles or senior management roles that involve presentations and negotiations then it becomes more important to have a quality suit.

Get used to wearing one because people in a suit that aren't used to wearing one stick out like the dogs proverbials. Same goes for quality - other people can't necessarily tell (though don't count on it), but as the wearer of the suit you know its quality and this is important for confidence when dealing in real business situations.

The whole purpose of a suit in business is that you don't have to think at all about your appearance and can concentrate on the job at hand. Good suit, well fitted - its simple and everyone is dressed the same.

Wearing a suit around the office when you're on $40k a year in a backroom role that doesn't involve any client meetings, while all your peers are in casual gear will also have you looking a bit silly.

 

[sam76]

Like with everything in life.

Always get the best you can afford.

 

[2020hindsight]

Forget the first suit , but herewith three quick anecdotes..

1. Once when I was in Thailand, I bought a couple of suits with two pants each - tried them on with a few hours to go before I had to go to the airport. No probs so I paid and packed them and soon after headed off. Trouble was the pants I hadn’t tried on didn’t have pockets and were seriously inferior.

3. At the same time, my friend (about 6 feet three) also had a final fitting with a couple of hours to spare – they had decided his leg measurement must have been wrong – and had subtracted 100mm lol.
so his trousers ended half way up his calf....

- and the tailor – always thinking, always thinking lol – says – quick as a flash ….
“you know cuffs are very popurar !!”
yeah mate, but 6 inch cuffs !! lol.

3. Finally bought a decent woollen suit – then one of my sons borrowed it to go to an end-of-school formal – managed to fall into a muddy ditch at some stage of the evening - gave it back next day covered in mud, a few tears lol. A moral there somewhere.

 

[theasxgorilla]

So for those of you working in finance related sectors or anywhere else requiring suits, could you share how much you spent on your first suit? $500? $1000?

Is it worth it shelling out what seems like exorbitant sums when your working P/T and still at college/uni?
How important is the quality of the suit when making a first impression?

RH, I think that with fashion and quality garments its often a case of you don't know what you don't know. The ladder for suits begins way down low and goes up to levels most people couldn't fathom (myself included). You may not be able to see the difference, but someone else can. To me this means that it only benefits you to impress someone with a good quality suit if that person knows how to identify one. Otherwise it's more important to present well overall, and this is more than the suit...it's the shirt, the tie, the shoes, the belt, the colors of all the aforementioned and how they go together, your haircut, cufflinks etc.

Generally, a lot of finance types get better suits by accident...it comes as a function of where they shop and that comes as a function of where they live and that comes as a function of what they can afford, along with which post codes are deemed acceptable within their peer group.

If you're a kid from out in the suburbs and you're going for a city job then it would probably help you to go shopping in town or at one of the more upmarket malls. And even within shopping precincts/malls there are usually the parts you can buy a suit/shirt/shoes from and parts where you can't. Sounds pompous I know, but hey, there are people who actually find such things in life enjoyable...and that's okay.

In fact, do you know anyone who enjoys the whole good suit/shirt/tie/shoes/belt thing? I'd get in contact with someone like that actually...they might be able to put you onto a good place where you can get value for money.

Last word, if you're a young guy, keep in mind that you can get away with things the old guys will look silly in. Use that your advantage...chicks will dig it

 

[nioka]

If I wanted a good suit and money was tight I'd go to one of the "better" suberbs, look for an OP shop, St Vinnies or the like, and see just what they had. My wife helps out at one and keeps telling me how much top quality "stuff" goes through them. ????????

 

[marklar]

My first one was purchased in 1998, when I was looking to get out of the public service & in to IT contracting, it was just before the dotcom boom, cost me $600 from Oxford and I've still wear it at least once a month.

Have a friend that was applying for a job with a very large accounting firm about the same time, they flew him from Canberra to Melbourne for the interview, he spent $1000 on his suit. He got the job, only feedback he got was "we like you, but you're going to have to do something about that cheap suit ". I saw him again a couple of years ago, in an Armani!

m.

 

[tech/a]

Recieved this advice from a woman.

When you get a chance to wear a suit,its your chance to make a statement on where you are.
Where in terms of How you feel about yourself,your personal pride.
Where in terms of confidence--even if you have little.
Be the sharpest guy in the room.

You know when youve got it right.
Heads will turn when you walk in the room.
Whispering will echo amongst your friends.
Women will actually come up and make conversation (so make sure you can hold one!---another topic).
There WILL be comments.
You'll look and feel 10ft tall.

She went on to say its about the cut,style,how YOU WEAR the suit,and most importantly the ACCESSORIES.

Shoes,
Shirt,
Cuff Links,
Tie,
Watch,
Socks,
Hair,
Aftershave.

She was right,and she COULD and DID turn a head everytime she walked into a room.
A stunning girl who died far to young from breast cancer!---

 

[Trembling Hand]

Yoni the great thing about getting a trading job is you will have to turn up in a suit until such a time as you can take a couple of thousand ticks out of the market per day. Then no ones going to give a toss what you wear. Trading rooms have a culture of "stuff the suits I'm a trader" more likely to see jeans and a T shirt than expensive suits.

But with that said you have to look a million bucks first to get that million dollar job. Oh and if you are a **** trader you going to need lots of good suits, lots of interviews and trials

 

[Trembling Hand]

Oh if its for Propex I can tell you the dress code.

Interview; definitely sharp suit.
Trainee Trader; Neat Casual Biz dress, like pants and sharp biz shirt.
Trader; Neat to sloppy Biz dress.
Big Dick Trader; Whatever you want.

 

[Bomba]

i bought tailor made suits from Bangkok a few years ago. Never had any problem with them. As said before if you get the good material, the suits look great.

 

[wayneL]

Oh if its for Propex I can tell you the dress code.

Interview; definitely sharp suit.
Trainee Trader; Neat Casual Biz dress, like pants and sharp biz shirt.
Trader; Neat to sloppy Biz dress.
Big Dick Trader; Whatever you want.

LOL

Private trader; boardshorts, truckie's singlet and thongs... if you can be bothered.

 

[Sean K]

LOL

Private trader; boardshorts, truckie's singlet and thongs... if you can be bothered.

I spent a day in boxer shorts and a bonds singlet recently.

But usually I mange to get some jeans on.

My first suit? A grey double breasted thing about 2 sizes too big. Had some nice brown shoes, but the white sox didn't look that flash in retrospect.

 

[wayneL]

Recieved this advice from a woman.

When you get a chance to wear a suit,its your chance to make a statement on where you are.
Where in terms of How you feel about yourself,your personal pride.
Where in terms of confidence--even if you have little.
Be the sharpest guy in the room.

You know when youve got it right.
Heads will turn when you walk in the room.
Whispering will echo amongst your friends.
Women will actually come up and make conversation (so make sure you can hold one!---another topic).
There WILL be comments.
You'll look and feel 10ft tall.

She went on to say its about the cut,style,how YOU WEAR the suit,and most importantly the ACCESSORIES.

Shoes,
Shirt,
Cuff Links,
Tie,
Watch,
Socks,
Hair,
Aftershave.

Amen,

Given the choice, I would prefer to dress like Fagan, but if the occasion demands, will get schmicked up to the eyeballs. The difference in how you are perceived and treated is absolutely astonishing.

Once more (I find) that you will stand just a bit straighter, puff the chest out a little bit more and use better body language if you are confident that you look as flash as a rat with a gold tooth.

You don't have to go over the top with the $$$, but make sure it fits and pay attention to the bolded items above.

 

[wayneL]

Just to add; nothing looks worse than a crap, ill-fitting suit.

Worse than not wearing one at all IMO.