Thoughts on Suit Supply 'Perennial' Line?
Hey folks 👋
So, I need a formal outfit for a friends wedding reception next month, and having absolutely no formalwear whatsoever, I figure it may just be time to pick up a suit more generally - although I can't envisage it getting heavy usage at present in all honesty...
Based off recommendations from here/elsewhere, I've been browsing Suit Supply (UK) and came across their entry level 'Perennial' line - looks like you can pick up a navy suit in either a 'Stretch Wool' or 'Pure Wool' for £379 (excluding alteration costs).
https://suitsupply.com/en-gb/men/suits/navy-perennial-havana-suit/P7430.html
https://suitsupply.com/en-gb/men/suits/navy-perennial-havana-suit/P8339.html
1) Would these be servicable options? Is there anything between the two that makes one look more appealing than the other, either in terms of general versatality and/or longevity?
2) I know that menswear has shifted towards wider/straighter fits - does tailoring exist in a slightly different world here or would something like this also look pretty dated?
If there are other alternatives in that price range (I'm happy to go a little higher if there'd be a big benefit) or even cheaper based off my intended (lack of) usage, then I'm also open to suggestions!
I may have some more q's, but just wanted to jot this down now before I put it off yet again...
Navy Perennial Havana Suit in Stretch Wool | SUITSUPPLY United...
Shop the Navy Perennial Havana Suit in Stretch Wool at Suitsupply. Enjoy FREE delivery and returns on all orders.
Navy Perennial Havana Suit in Pure Wool | SUITSUPPLY United Ki...
Shop the Navy Perennial Havana Suit in Pure Wool at Suitsupply. Enjoy FREE delivery and returns on all orders.
10 Replies
1. Don't get stretch wool
2. The perennial line is in fact serviceable for the price
3. Don't worry overmuch about trends, just try to avoid anything super trendy unless you're into it. Suitsupply does run slim, but IMO as long as the silhouette fits your own body shape, it'll look good for a good long time, even if trends swing back to full-cut.
In the UK, one potential alternative to look into is charles tyrwhitt, generally considered decent for the price, much like suitsupply.
There are I am sure others. But within your budget I don't think I know them off the top of my head. There's at least one very popualr one state-side (spier&mackay) whose import duties and shipping fees make it no longer worthwhile in europe, generally.
If you are worried about slim, suitsupply does make less-slim stuff (still slim, but less so.) Unsure if it ends up in the perennial price range. Let me see ... https://www.misiuacademy.com/suitsupply-suit-fits/
Kostas Mandilaris
Misiu Academy
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Thanks for answering those q's - very helpful!
Yeah, I suspected that stretch wool be advised against - although just for my own knowledge, what's the reasoning behind that recommendation? I'm guessing that any stretch is liable to impact the sillhouette over time? And yes, Spier & Mackay are a brand I've seen a lot about on here, but the import/shipping is an obstacle. Hoping they do make the jump over here at some point. Good to know re: the Perennial line, and also the CT option - will take a look!
Yeah, I suspected that stretch wool be advised against - although just for my own knowledge, what's the reasoning behind that recommendation? I'm guessing that any stretch is liable to impact the sillhouette over time? And yes, Spier & Mackay are a brand I've seen a lot about on here, but the import/shipping is an obstacle. Hoping they do make the jump over here at some point. Good to know re: the Perennial line, and also the CT option - will take a look!
Stretch wool tends to drape worse, breathe worse, age worse, and usually is used as a replacement for proper fit. Not all the time, but usually.
Gotcha - makes sense!
Have spent a bit more time looking at Suit Supply and have second guessed the Perennial Havana (https://suitsupply.com/en-gb/men/suits/navy-perennial-havana-suit/P8339.html) I linked above because I'm not sure about the 3-roll-2 closure in all honesty.
Do you think either of these options would be decent option for the price?
https://suitsupply.com/en-gb/men/suits/navy-havana-suit/C6765-S.html (Havana in 'Pure Wool Traveller' by VBC)
https://suitsupply.com/en-gb/men/suits/navy-lazio-suit/C4778-S.html (Lazio in 'S110's Wool by VBC)
tbh, I might just be overthinking the 3-roll-2 closure! I probably need to head down to a store and try a few things on
I like 3-roll-2 myself, it's pretty solid. It's honestly the same exact fit as 2-button, except there's a hidden 3rd button.
So, generally, I would say that any suitsupply jacket/suit with a "standrard" or "workhorse" VBC fabric is pretty decent for the price. VBC is a name that, yes, you pay a modest markup for, but I tend to recommend VBC as a do-almost-anything mill to almost anyone who is unsure, because it's one of those things where yes you can get a less expensive fabric of equal quality or a similarly priced fabric of higher quality, from mills with less of a brand name strength, but you trade money for time: you now have to research a slew of mills and look through books and figure out what they sell and then search online for people's professional and hobbyist / "je ne sais quoi" opinions of it; on the flip side, if you go for a mainline VBC fabric through a large tailoring company, you're basically paying a modest fee for something you know will be good.
Next, moving on to suitsupply itself as a company: they are not the "great deal" they may have once been when they were breaking into the market, but they are a solid company making solid garments at a solid price. On one hand it's nothing special, but on the other hand, so many of their competitors in the price range are not making solid garments for the price. Pretty much anyone with a "fancy" brand - like hugo boss, or armani, for example - makes either trash at that price, or decent stuff at a much higher price, and none of it is really worth the money paid unless the fit is perfect and silhouette is exactly what you want. Suitsupply delivers solid value for what you pay, assuming, again, the fit and silhouette are good
(Of course, the fit being "slim or slimmer" for the most part, and silhouette to match, it's somewhat limiting to both body shape and style preference. Anything that doesn't fit isn't really worth the money.)
Finally, those specific suits? Seem fine to me. But note carefully that they are styled fairly differently. One is on the more relaxed end of the spectrum - shirt-sleeve / spalla camica shoulers, wider lapels, that sort of thing. On the flip side, you have what is I think supposed to be a natural shoulder but is photographed more like a roped shoulder (check these things carefully before you buy them -- ideally in person) which looks significantly more severe, not relaxed. So just because they are both perfectly fine suits for the price does not mean they are the right suits FOR YOU, you have to decide that yourself
Thank you so much - this is all super helpful and given me some things to think about.
Truthfully I wouldn't have really noticed the difference in the shoulders but now I definitely do. Also good to know re: the 3-roll-2 having the same fit, as I thought there may be a difference.
Yeah, I think my best plan is to head into a store and to try some on
For sport coats / blazers / suit jackets, when it comes to front closure, there's single breasted and double breasted.
Single breasted comes in a few options but fundamentally there are only two "fits": true three-button, and one-button-plus-extras.
Okay, so, when you have a true 3-button jacket, like this one https://www.ebay.com/itm/394891717221 note where the lapels are.
Now compare it to the jackets you linked.
See how the lapels in a 3-button jacket are 1) fairly short, and 2) angled pretty widely out from the top button to the sides? Like, if you draw an angle between the vertical line and the lapel, the angle is much larger for a 3-button than your standard 2-button.
In theory, some lapels can be re-rolled and re-pressed from 2-button to 3-button, but it's usually not what you want to do. Depends on the lapel structure, really.
Anyways, so the reason I say there are basically two fits is, a true 3-button is designed to button the middle button and usually (but not always) top button. That requires the lapels to be shaped the way you see it. The other alternative is the much deeper V, where you only button one button - the cardinal button. Whether it's a 2-button, 3-roll-2 button, or 1-button jacket, you're only buttoning ONE button, and it's always the same one, so they all go for the same fit.
The one caveat with all this is button stance. Where the cardinal button is, vertically, on your body, is the button stance. On a well fitting jacket, this can vary from just below your navel, to quite a bit above your navel. Button stance is, generally, a matter of style and preference. On any 2-button or 3-roll-2 button jacket, the button stance can be somewhere within that range. However, on a proper 1 button jacket (as opposed to a 2-button that had its bottom button removed since you never used it), the button stance is always fairly low, right around the navel. 2-button can be and often is higher (but I prefer navel-ish.)
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That is a lot of words to say that a 2-button and 3-roll-2 are essentially the same thing except with a hidden button; a 1-button can be identical to a 2-button with the bottom button removed, but not always. I look for a deeper V and lower button stance (right around the natural waist, the navel, and often just barely above the line the pockets make across the front) in general, but not always.
Thank you again for this info - super super informative.
I've ordered the Lazio in the S110 VBC, as I'm unable to make it to a store this weekend as I had been hoping - nor next weekend - and at this stage I just want to try something on as the date edges closer.
(And their returns seem hassle-free, which is a bonus!)
I'll see how I feel about when it gets here, and if I do decide to keep it then I can head instore for any alterations