Where to buy a suit?
 

I am looking for a good excuse to fly somewhere. I need to buy a suit. I know there are places (cities) where you can get a really nice custom suit made real cheap. What are some good suggestions?

There are plenty of good tailors in Asia.

Sam the tailor in Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

He CAN do it in 12 hours - but the longer you give him the better the quality!

Rubinacci in Naples.

I went to HKG on a class trip in 2004. Several of us (not me) went to Sam for suits. They were happy with what they got for about $250 a pop in 3 days. A few, uh, more discerning students (myself included) went to W. W. Chan & Sons, also on Nathan Road. I got two suits for about $800 each. They were noticeably better quality than the suits from Sam.

www.wwchan.com

They also make world trips a couple times a year to sell suits in different cities in the US.

Please define nice and cheap. ;)

What is "Really Nice and Cheap"? Hmm...

By really nice I mean tailored. Doesn't have to be extravagant or top notch, but should be at least the same quality that you would get if you went to quality store in the US. To be honest I don't shop for suits much so I probably would not know quality when it hit me in the face.

For cheap, let's say around $300. I don't know how reasonable that really is, but I know that my brother paid $250 a year and a half ago in Bahrain for a good quality suit.

Bangkok
 

Rajawongse Tailor on Sukhumvit Road (by soi 4). www.dress-for-success.com.
12,000 baht (about $375) for excellent suits. Look at their website, they have been outfitting all US State Dept. employees and visitors for years as well as a few US presidents.

You could try India or SE Asia. There, most good stores will make a made-to-measure suit. They'll ask you to choose the fabric (you'll pay by the yard / meter / some length measure), and then they'll take your measurements. Before the suit is complete, you'll have the option to go into the store, and try on the near-complete suit, and ask them to make changes.

Be sure to either bring a good-fitting suit or some pics of a suit you like. Keep in mind that styles change from region to region, and unless you want the local style, you'll need to tell them exactly what you're looking for. For instance, it's been my experience that Indian suit makers tend to make much tighter pants than those made in the US.

Then I echo Sam the tailor in HKG.

However, don't let the touts advertising 3 suits for $300 (or whatever price) distract you.

If you choose India, I highly recommend Vaish:

http://www.vaish.com/
http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/i.../vaish-tailors

They are not "made to measure", and the proprietor is perhaps one of the most helpful and friendly people I've ever met.

Do be aware that there is a rogue Vaish just around the corner. You want the one next to the movie theater. Watch the video, you'll know the right place when you walk in.

http://www.mensflair.com/shopping-gu...er-tailors.php

This article doesn't paint Sam's Tailor in the best of light. They don't even do adjustment fittings, according to the article:

"No fitting, no opportunity for adjustments. Just measurements and then the final suit."

It's not worth it to fly someplace just for a suit. Fly there for fun, too. India is not too much fun. I've been there. It is fun as it is different but icky, too.

Slightly off topic but may I suggest that if you're having a custom made suit to consider getting 2 pairs of pants. The pants wear out much faster than the jacket and it's a great way to extend the longevity of the suit.

BKK trip for suits....
 

Ive had about 80 shirts and 8-10 suits made at Rajas Fashion on Soi 4 in BKK over the past 5 years. I always get the Super 180 fabrics and try to pick the best shirt fabrics and have always been happy. Bobby and Raja always make you feel at home and always do whatever it takes to meet my schedule. I think for the BKK scene they are the top tier. Rajawongse mentioned above is Raja's brither and I've heard good things about them as well. I usually pay about $400 for Super180 suit and 5 shirts. You can get Super 120 probably for $200 range, but the quality difference in the fabric for the 180's is well worth it.

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/...6?pageNumber=2

BKK makes a fun trip for shopping and relaxing while you get your suit made as well. Great hotels, great food, great people. Good luck!