How Much to Spend on a Suit for a Man

Updated on April 05, 2012
K.R. asks from Fort Collins, CO
14 answers

Hi ladies. My husband is about to start interviewing for jobs, and his suit is 8 years old, and admittedly out of style. He would like to budget $300 for a new one. While that doesn't seem horribly excessive, I do know that we are on a serious budget since we will shortly be selling our house and relocating to a new state, probably without any corporate relocation benefits. Does anyone have any advice on where to shop for a nice suit (we are in the Dallas, TX area), and what do you think is a reasonable amount to spend on a suit? He works as a supervisor in the construction industry, so he won't likely wear the suit much except for interviewing and very special circumstances.

Thanks,
K

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J.K.

answers from Kansas City on

Do you have a Men's Wearhouse near you? We are in the KC area and they are all over the place around here. We have bought suits for my husband, as well as rented tux's there for weddings, and they are very reasonably priced. $300 is plenty enough to get something nice.

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I would not spend under three hundred. Suits get noticeably crappy at that point. I spend five hundred on my suits. My ex spends over two thousand.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

That's fairly low-end for a suit.

600-900 is in the low middle range
###-###-#### is midrange
Above 1500 things take radical leaps into the 5-10k range as they become tailored instead of off the rack

Make sure he buys flat front pants, and a shirt that goes with jeans, and only the coat will be sparingly used.

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J.S.

answers from Columbia on

May I offer a male perspective - as one who wears suits when I go the office (and everyday before being a wahd)?

All of my suits are from an outlet mall. Haggar outlet has suits around $120 - very nice and fashionable. Recently I upgraded to Brooks Brothers Outlet - $250 and super nice.

Skip the shiny polyester ones no matter where you go. They are the cheapest and any man who wears a suit will spot them a mile away.

Also invest $30 - $50 on a great tie. A sharp tie will set hi
apart from the crowd. :)

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Go to a department store.
Macy's, Penney's, etc.
It will cost lower there.
But, $300 is on the low end.

Now, what is the typical "interview" attire in your area for the construction industry? At his level?
For example, here in Hawaii, in the construction industry per Supervisor level, they do not interview in "suits." We have our own locale specific, dress/interview style. Which is not the same for every industry.

Also important is that he get his resume and job references and letters of recommendation, in order, and updated. I assume he did that already. And sent out resumes already?

Then, do you even know what new state you are moving to?
And I assume, he will be interviewing there for jobs?
And are you going to be moving, despite not having sold your house yet?
IF he gets a job in that new state in the meantime?

Suits, a good nice one, is more than $300.
But again, check department stores, and sales. To control budget.
And don't forget dress shoes to go with his suit and tie and shirt and socks. That is in addition to the cost of the suit.

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C.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

I think $300 is probably a reasonable price for an interview suit in the construction business. He won't wear it much so I wouldn't go too excessive. He needs to show interest, but this will not be his regular work attire, correct?

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

my boys all bought basic black suits at mens wearhouse for less than $300 each. They are all adults so not kid sized suits but adult mens suits. A separate thought is to try some thrift stores. there is one called the suit bank near us. nothing but mens suits and dress clothing. I know we bought my middle son a very nice suit in brand new condition for $28 bucks including a shirt and tie. so just a thought to try it. people donate all kinds of really great stuff.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

We got my husband a really nice suit a while back for less than $100 but it was at Wall's. They had a truck load of them from somewhere that had a fire. The suit had a faint smoke odor but was fine as soon as it was cleaned. The price tag said it was originally just over $1000. I really like it and wish we had had the money to buy a couple more.

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L.F.

answers from Chicago on

If you have a Macy's near you, you should be able to find a suit for around $300. If your husband is hard to fit, he can buy suit separates. This way, you also don't have to worry about alterations.

I think Calvin Klein pants (on sale) go for about $80, and the jacket would go for about $200. Good luck! Get him a black or charcoal gray suit, and he should be able to use it for any other occasions too (funeral, wedding, court dates, etc.) Pick up a nice tie for him at Marshalls for $10 too. Good luck!

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

My husband gets custom suits and shirts and they are great but pricey...thats our choice......BUT... You can get reasonably priced suits with alterations at K&G and Men's Wearhouse.

We have purchased extra pants from KG that are ok quality. Dockers from Macy's, etc are good for basic pants.

Brooks Brothers is another source but not as economical as the stores I already mentioned.

Good luck!

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R.M.

answers from Dallas on

You need to look into Jos A Banks. They are always having sales. I waiting and got my husband a $1000 suit for $500 at one of their sales. So you could probably find a $600 suit for $300. just watch online or sign up for e-mails. There is one in Southlake, a few in Fort Worth, so i'm sure there is one or two in Denton.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

My husband is a mechanical systems engineer... translated into "fashion terms", he wears jeans and a golf shirt every day because he's climbing around dirty/oily machines all day long. However, he does own one really nice suit and a nice sport coat with grey dress pants combo. We purchased all of the above at Macy's during one of their "door buster" sales.

Be prepared to spend more than $300, but not much more if you catch a good sale. Go with something "classic" like a charcoal grey or dark navy. Black is pretty "severe" for someone who won't wear it regularly. Dark grey and navy are great options for later weddings/ funerals/ parties, etc. A dark colored, single-breasted suit will not be "outdated" in the near future.

I just checked their website and Macy's is having a sale right now on men's suiting. If you have a Macy's card and one of those weekly coupons, you will get a good deal. Also consider grey dress slacks with a navy sport coat (paired with a crisp white shirt and conservative tie). Same concept...much more versatile!

Good luck to him!

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C.H.

answers from Chicago on

Every man needs at least one nice suit. My husband spends a lot on his, but you can get a nice one for $300 to $500 on sale. He has good luck with Macy's sales.

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S.W.

answers from Amarillo on

Check out Dillards. My hubby got a $600 suit for $250 to $300. Along with the tie, make sure he has a nice pair of shoes too. Dress the part for the job but don't over do it.

Congrats on the interviews and a good job.

The other S.

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