Wedding Suit - Does brand matter

So I'm currently hunting a wedding suit and with so many different brands can someone help to explain if all wool suits are the same and the marketing just increase the cost. For example MJ Bale have high price tag on their suits where as Daniel Hechter is wool also.

Is it bad that I feel like a cheap suit will be cheap quality? My friend just got institchu and doesn't rate it at all

*EDIT

I feel is the cut of the suit potentially rather then the brand. I will try get a better sizing and see how it looks.

Update *

Cheap suits - But i did go up 3 sizes in pants and a jacket or two from orginal.

Comments

  • +6

    What is the weather typically like around your wedding date?

      • +62

        April in Melbourne or Darwin?

        • +31

          Profile says Melbourne

          PS: I wore some random business shirt from my existing wardrobe in front of a judge. 20 years later, still very happy married. You decide.

          PPS: Noone cares about the groom. Not even the bride lol.

          • +12

            @gimme:

            Noone cares about the groom. Not even the bride lol.

            Lol, solid advice.

            Weddings are all about the women anyway

            • +2

              @montorola: Agreed. Thongs and footy shorts, nobody will notice. Or even one of those $5 court suits from Big-W.

          • +4

            @gimme: "I wore some random business shirt from my existing wardrobe in front of a judge. 20 years later, still very happy married finally out of jail".

            Get decent clothes for a big occasion

            • +2

              @derrida derider: Horses for courses. Ppl who make their wedding a highlight, don't leave much room for the actual marriage

          • @gimme: Lol so true, i'd much prefer a gathering around a BBQ with beers than being stuck in a suit with petit fours and champagne…

  • +27

    I suspect most will be focused on the bride…

    As long as you look good, I doubt your brand of suit would really come into play. But I'm basing this on who I would and did invite to my wedding.

    • +1

      Yes concur with this i believe.

      • +6

        Wore a suit (tux) from Politix for my reception - honestly no one cares on the brand long as it looks nice

        I have not worn it since wedding

        • +1

          This. A proper fitting no-brand suit will look a million times better than a poor fitting branded suit.

  • +1

    Brand is pretty irrelevant imo and if your friends and family care they will probably be unimpressed it’s not hand made in Italy by a 50 generation suit making family anyway…

    Institchu is iirc all made overseas anyway, and yes there is threads and threads about super polarising experiences… had a few mates go with them and I felt the end look has always been alright

  • +11

    If you think MJ Bale have a high price tag, you probably don't want to get into looking at what a quality suit will cost. MJ Bale will be moderately better than cheaper suits, significantly better than much cheaper suits, but all require that you roughly fit the build they design for.

    Suitsupply is prob the best 'off the rack' store, but MJ Bale does a fine job for what they charge.

    • Do you have any examples of a quality suit? I do like my super 130s suit but the brand tag has faded.

      • Anthony Squires generally have good suits at a mid range price. Up to you if you like the designs, I think they work.

        As for the question whether brand matters, the answer is no. It comes down to materials and construction, just like leather shoes.

    • +2

      I’m wearing a mj bale to my wedding in march. Was about 1k inc tailoring. Not crazy priced but definitely not cheap. Might depend on how often you’d rewear it / how many suits or already have etc when deciding your budget too

      I personally wouldn’t go bottom of the barrel after seeing how much photographers cost. Don’t want to pay that much for photos and be wearing a suit that isn’t tailored quite right or looks cheap.

  • +7

    I would go with the nicest suit your budget can afford that fits you reasonably well, but allow another $100-200 for alterations at a reputable tailor. Brand is not really important.

    Obv how the bride looks is the most important, but you don't want to look like you are wearing your dad's suit on your wedding day.

    • +2

      …you don't want to look like you are wearing your dad's suit …

      What if OP's 40y.o. father wears one of his classic black Armani suits daily?

      • +2

        Ask to borrow one?

    • What if OP already has a dad bod?

  • +5

    Wedding Suit - Does brand matter

    Only to you and your partner. You are the ones deciding on the style of the wedding, so you make the call about what you want to wear, how much you want to spend, etc.

    • +10

      Also - don't invite people who will look down their nose at you if you don't have a fancy brand name on your suit.

      • Exactly. If you have friends who care more about your dress brand than your happiness, they will not go long way with you.

        • unless they paying for your suit you cannot pronounce…. in which case invite away!

  • +19

    Only Birthday Suit matters on wedding night

  • +5

    It's a bit chicken and egg. Whilst brand does not the materials and cut of the suit will make a huge difference but to get this then you have to find a manufacturer who does a decent job. Catch my drift?

    My advice would be don't go for a suit that is on trend or the cheapest one you can get. Cheap suits, especially the ones that are on trend, look like trash and you can spot them a mile away. You don't want to look back on your wedding photos and think WTF was I wearing?

    A well-cut suit (i.e. not too tight or too baggy) will never go out of style. For example, look at Allan Rickman's suit in Die Hard, even though it's double breasted it is extremely well cut and has never not looked stylish.

    Whatever you do don't look like a real estate agent (i.e. cheap, 'trendy', suit and expensive car)

    • Suits from SEA work fine, my friend got his and their groomsmen suits tailored in Vietnam…

  • +2

    Just go MJ Bale, Hetch, PJs and see which fits the best… They are all of decent quality.
    And yes, fit is the most important, and what necessarily fits well may not look good, or what fits well may not be comfortable.

  • +3

    IMO I quite like Daniel Hechter suits and tend to be my go to for work, I find them blander (in a good way), are more forgiving in their shape and tend to be quite comfortable. MJ Bale I don't like their styling quite as much but it's also my shape, the only MJ Bale suit I bought needed quite a bit of tailing to get to a reasonable fit, Daniel Hechter I used to be able to try 2-3 suits and at least one of them would be like it was built for me.

    Fit matters the most with a suit, IMO. Especially if it's only for one day and you don't need to worry about it lasting a long time. So long as it's not a Kmart polyester job or something, that is.

  • Not quite sure what you are looking for, but I've found the MJ Bale business suits to be fine at their price point. In terms of the total cost of "x" suits over "x" years, it seems to be good value.

  • My nephew recently got married - he and his groomsmen were wearing suits, not tuxes, if that makes a difference. They were happy for the GMs to wear suits they already owned if colours were similar and they looked good.

    Nephew's suit was going to need alterations, whatever he bought - his fiancee found a place in Brisbane they could go to where he they could pick the fabric, he would get measured and a suit would be made to measure. When ready for collection, it was fitted and any alterations needed would be done. $600 all up. And it was beautiful.

    They spoke to the GMs and offered to pay half if they wanted to go that way. As the fabric and style was already selected, they could go to the Gold Coast to meet the tailor just to get measured. They took up the offer.

    Suits were made in China and sent within two weeks.

    If you chose to go this way and anyone asks, just say it is bespoke.

    • no one would believe you if you said you bought a bespoke suit.

    • Am I weird, I would tell people that I got it measured up, then sent from china?

      • +2

        I did this, except the guy from Hong Kong came to Sydney for the measurements.

        Long story short, it was a stressful experience, and I ended up paying more than I would've if I'd bought local.

    • I add to this.

      for my wedding anniversary, I had the option to buy the readymade suite and make further alterations and my budget exceed more than 1.5K. I came across a recommendation from my friend Rajafashion https://www.raja-fashions.com/stores/australia-shop from HKG. Prior to covid, he used to visit Sydney and he took measurements and did a detailed analysis about my look, walking, shoes I will be wearing etc he stick 2 trousers, 1 suit and 1 white 100% cotton shirt all for A$ 600. No doubt the suit fits right on the first attempt and in case you still feel you need little tucks n loose then he offered to fix it when he travels again in 8-10 weeks.

  • Taro cash has large collections for weddings, but I'm not an expert on fabric quality though.

    • +45

      I thought Tarocash specialised in suits for Magistrate Court appearances?

      • agreed

      • +1

        Yeah but you know, if you only need a suit to look good for a day you can opt for a cheap poly suit. You're gonna sweat though and they turn shiny real fast.

        • +1

          …if you only need a suit to look good for a day…

          I think OP can wear whatever they want to wear, but if they want to wear a suit I'm sure there are better options available.

      • -1

        Court, wedding, what's the difference; all ends up with a punishment…

      • err… the entire professional portion of my wardrobe is Tarocash - is this a concern?

      • +1

        Also first job interview out of uni suit

  • +11

    Brand doesn't really matter, but more so the fit of the suit that really matters. A million $ suit will look terrible if not fitted properly to your body. A lot of places are off the rack and need heavy modifications to fit your body. That money is best spent on getting it made to measure instead.

    Though certain brands are of low quality such as Tarocash and YD. My first suit for highschool was from Roger David. Looking back on it, it was ok at the time it was cheap ($220-300 at the time or so) but nowadays I do appreciated a well fitted suit. For special events like a wedding I would focus more on fit and finish VS looking at a specific brand. Get it properly fitted… trust me.

    I think Institchu for what it is, is decent for the normal person. I wore one for my wedding and the fit and the material and customisation I liked and was easy to do. Though I have had suits made in Malaysia and they are more than half of what I paid for here in Oz.

  • +1

    If you are only going to wear it the once - on the wedding day - then the most important thing is that it look good, and be comfortable.
    So you want it to fit well, and be a breatheable light-weight fabric.
    There are some decent deals on at the moment at Hawes & Curtis if you want to have a look: https://www.hawesandcurtis.com.au/sale/mens/clothing/suits

    • darn they look nice but dont have one of the groomsmens sizes

  • +2

    Use an overseas Tailor, a tailored suit feels like pyjamas to wear and much better quality than anything you could buy for the same price. I've used Nita Fashions who are based in HK, they tour over the world and took my measurements over a Zoom call, your fiancee or whoever takes the measurements with instruction from them. Has worked fantastically and I've got a couple of suits from them now, all totally custom as you have an almost unlimited option with fabrics, patterns, stitching and lining. A fantastic suit from them that I get constantly complimented on cost about $1,200. You'll have it for life and you get lifetime free adjustments from them, all you have to do is send it over requesting what you want. Can't recommend them highly enough.

  • +1

    If the suit suits, then it's suitable.

  • +2

    I wore a $40 microfibre suit to 2 weddings. Got it on sale.

    • Classy.
      I wore hemp pants and a hemp shirt to my wedding, cost less than $100.

      • +4

        People don’t really notice, they’re too busy worrying about themselves.

    • You wore a suit made out of cleaning cloth?

      • +1

        According to wikipedia: "Microfiber can be used to make tough, very soft fabric for clothing, often used in skirts, jackets, bathrobes, and swimwear. "

          • @[Deactivated]: My mistake, I've just checked the tag on the suit, and it's made of polyester.

            • +2

              @ForkSnorter: ewwww ….. did you know that microfibre is actually more breathable than polyester?

              • @[Deactivated]: It's fine, only needed to wear it for a few hours in cool weather. 100% cotton shirt makes a difference.

  • +1

    Highly recommend getting a tailored suit if it’s your own wedding. I got my suit from Oscar Hunt in Melbourne it was pricey but well worth it. The suit and the 3 fittings I had with my groomsmen was an great experience.

    • I did the Oscar Hunt experience too. We'll worth it!

  • I went shopping for suits for a long time and found that the off the shelf ones from MJ Bale etc didn't fit me well. Ended up going with Institchu and was happy with the fit. There was an Amex special at the time as well so that was a nice bonus

  • +2

    Brand doesn't matter, how it looks matters. If you're not going to reuse it again, then just rent it. A style suitable for a wedding is probably not a style you'd use many times in the future (eg as a business suit), and after being married the odds are your shape is going to change so it won't fit again anyway….

    • Remember Guy's suits don't carry the label of the brand like TShirts, what it matter is the perfect fit and style.

  • Its your wedding. Buy something nice !!!!

    • +6

      meh. don't fall into this trap with everything, you'll end up overspending on things that don't matter or last.

      • +1

        Personally we decided to ditch the wedding rings and honeymoon and upgrade the Camry instead. No regrets and the 2004 Camry is still going strong.

        • I spent a bit more on the rings (still not a lot) because the rings will last fingers crossed

  • +1

    Brand names didnt worry us as long as you feel good in what you choose. Anyone who goes on about brand names and thinks less of you are not worth your time.

  • Who would actually look at the tag anyway. Are there sad people that look at other people's suits labels to see where they bought it. What a sad world we live in. Christ if big W did a nice suit that fitted well I would buy that for a wedding particularly if I wasn't going to wear it again.

  • +1
  • +4

    It may not answering OP's question - just sharing.

    Both of us rented (with some modifications) our wedding suit / gown - I wanted to wear white suit (only for our wedding, never wore white suit for other occasion), and my wife wanted a white and golden ballgown wedding dress.It was cost our fortune if we bought these, but we thought we made good decision to rent - we had what we want, and saved our savings for more important things.

  • +3

    All of the guys in our bridal party wore $150 Tarocash suits and you would have never known. That was over a year ago and haven't worn it since. Spend your $ on something better for the wedding

  • Kelly Country $99

  • How much do you want to spend? My husband bought a Calibre suit for our wedding. They have some really great sales and will put together an outfit for you not just as a matching suit, but including the shirt, shoes, accessories, etc. He can re-wear this suit pretty often too.

  • I went for a Peter Jackson suit for my wedding.
    Wool and they do slim cuts so if you are slim then it'll fit really well and won't look like you have a wizards sleeve.

    Get something that's wool for comfort and that fits….don't go for name brand just cause. Not worth it.

    • thought he only made movies

  • +1

    Take it from someone who's been married, no one cares what your suit looks like, all the focus is on the bride.

    You're talking about a suit that you are going to wear for a matter of hours, 9-10 max probably. Your best bet is to grab your groomsmen and go to somewhere like Ferrari or Peter Jackson and hire suits for the day.

    • that same suit is going to be worn at funerals too

      • Not if it is a cream or white suit, or a bright plaid, etc.

        • +2

          true… unless it's a South East Asian funeral then white is suitable

  • Unless you work in the fashion industry or are a real aficionado, people couldn't identify the brands of any male formal attire.

    What matters is how it looks, the cut, the style, the colour, and if you're visibly comfortable in it.

    If you have the money I'd go somewhere that can help you get an off the shelf suit that you like and also tailor it to your size and dimensions. That's usually cheaper than buying a full custom suit.

    • unless it was bought at Lowes lol

      • Hey lowes has some good shit. I got a couple of formal Christmas shirts recently.

        • I wouldn't say good

          It's more economical

  • I think fit, style and material are more important than brand. Bride will choose her dress style and material for weather so look at this first to make sure you are comfortable. Make sure it can be tailored to your size.

  • Wedding suit? At LOWES lol

  • 4yrs ago friend's wedding has suit made here, groom and rest of the cast.
    https://institchu.com/

    Tailored suit was okay quality for the price.
    I continue to wear it for many work functions afterwards.

  • Not to me….but you ideally want to suit to look good

  • +1

    honestly go as cheap as you can while still looking good. I assume you don't expect to be wearing it again, if so spending huge amounts of cash on quality makes no sense. no one will be able to tell the difference anyway so unless you tend to need such a suit regularly you are just throwing away money, better still if you expect it is a once off wear then rent it.

  • nothing beats seeing the big Lowes logo on the back of your tie when it flaps in the wind

  • I feel is the cut of the suit potentially rather then the brand.

    You can get it custom tailored. Eg : YSG Tailors etc. but its would be much more expensive.

  • i can vouch for Hallensteins wool suits… i used for my wedding and groomsman (i got a 3 peice, groomsman just jacket+pants). Granted it did cost almost the suit price to get it tailored in the Sydney CBD for me…. i actually just used it again recently for a black tie event 7 years later and its held up well.

    • +5

      You fit into your wedding suit 7 years later?

      Respect.

      • +1

        Yeah, chriskq can probably take his wedding ring off whenever he wants as well!

        • your wedding ring still fits?

          Respect.

  • -1

    Go a Van Heusen wool suit. Affordable and smart. Appears to be a sale on now.

    https://www.vanheusen.com.au/mens-suits/shop-all-mens-suits?…

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