Suitsupply Sport Coats: Same Price, Different Game

Suitsupply is a popular menswear brand that offers a range of clothing items, including suits, sport coats, trousers, and overcoats. The company was founded in 2000 and has since expanded globally, offering high-quality suits at relatively affordable prices. The price range for their jackets is between $399 and $599, while suits start at $399 and can go up to $1000 for off-the-rack options.

Suitsupply provides a unique shopping experience with both online and in-store options. Their custom program allows customers to design their garments with various fabrics, constructions, and details. The brand has received mixed reviews, with some praising the fit and quality, while others have faced challenges finding the right fit, particularly for those with non-standard body types. Overall, Suitsupply is a good option for those seeking well-priced suits and sport coats, especially if they can access a physical store for measurements and alterations.

Suitsupply's custom program

The process begins with choosing a fabric from over 700 Italian options, including wool, linen, cotton, alpaca, cashmere, and silk. The next step is to select a suit style, with the Havana, Lazio, and Napoli being popular choices. The Havana is a slim-fit suit with an unstructured shoulder, available as a single-breasted or double-breasted jacket. The Lazio is also slim-fitting with a lightly padded shoulder and is only available as a single-breasted jacket. The Napoli is similar to the Lazio but with a more regular, traditional fit and slightly more padding in the shoulder.

After selecting a style, customers can then choose from a range of customisation options, including the number of buttons, button type and placement, pocket styles, waistband features, lining, and canvas construction. Suitsupply also offers a Size Passport, allowing customers to create a personalised profile with their exact measurements to ensure a perfect fit.

The custom-made suits are crafted and delivered within 2-3 weeks and start at $673.

The quality of the fabric

SuitSupply works with highly-regarded European mills to source its fabrics. These include VBC, E. Thomas, Angelico, Ormezza, Carlo Barbera, Drago, Ferla, Ceruti, Huddersfield, and Colombo. The company's suits are made with Italian fabrics and manufactured in China.

SuitSupply's jackets and blazers are made from a variety of fabrics, including wool, silk, linen, cashmere, and cotton. The company's coats are made from wool, technical fabric, silk, traveller wool, and cotton.

SuitSupply's jackets and blazers come in a range of colours, including blue, navy, grey, brown, green, black, off-white, light blue, light grey, light green, light taupe, sand, mid brown, dark green, dark brown, and mid green.

The company's suits are built on a foundation of classic suits but with a modern cut, featuring shorter jackets, Italian or Southern European details, and bold fabrics. SuitSupply suits are cut very slim, with shorter jackets, higher buttoning points, and higher gorges. They also tend to have little to no padding in the shoulders.

SuitSupply's custom program allows customers to select certain details, such as the lining, buttons, silhouette, chest, waist, and length. The custom program starts at $600, with most suits ranging between $650 and $700.

SuitSupply's made-to-measure program, introduced in 2019, allows customers to select from over a thousand fabrics and make adjustments such as having a lower shoulder on one side. Prices for made-to-measure suits start at $999.

The price range

SuitSupply is a fantastic option for suits, blazers, shirts, and other tailored menswear apparel. The company was started in the year 2000 by the then-college student Fokke De Jong, who is still the CEO today. The company is also still privately held. SuitSupply suits are made in China from imported materials (e.g. Italian fabrics). The price range for their suits starts at $399 and goes up depending on the fabric and customisations. The jackets are typically in the $399 to $599 range.

SuitSupply also offers a custom program, which is not custom at all but more like a limited made-to-order program. It allows for certain selections such as the lining or the buttons and the silhouette and measurements such as the chest, the waist, or the length. The Suitsupply custom program starts at $600, but most suits range between $650 and $700.

SuitSupply also offered a made-to-measure program in the US in 2019, which allows for more than a thousand fabric selections. The prices for the Suitsupply MTM suits start at $999.

The fit

Suitsupply is known for its slim-fit suits, which are designed to be shorter and slimmer than traditional suits. The company offers three main fits: Napoli, Lazio, and Havana.

The Napoli fit is a more regular cut with a bit more room and a natural shoulder structure. It is single-breasted and has a bit more padding in the shoulder, giving it a more traditional or English look.

The Lazio fit is slim with a lightly padded shoulder and is also single-breasted.

The Havana fit is slim with a natural unstructured shoulder and is the most popular style. It is available in both single-breasted and double-breasted options.

In general, Suitsupply suits are designed for men who want a slim-fitting suit with a modern silhouette. The jackets are short across sizes and often don't cover the rear, with a relatively high buttoning point. The shoulders are relatively soft, with a small amount of padding, and the sleeves are cut trim.

For those who want a more conservative look, Suitsupply recommends the Napoli fit, which is not slim enough to be noticed "in a bad way". The Lazio fit offers a slightly sharper look while still being business-centric, and the Havana can be worn in a conservative or business setting as long as a conservative fabric and colour are chosen.

Suitsupply also offers a custom program that allows for certain selections such as the lining, buttons, silhouette, chest, waist, and length. However, the custom program has been criticised for its limited options and vague terminology.

Overall, Suitsupply suits are designed to fit a specific body type, and those with different body shapes may find it challenging to get a suit that fits well off the rack. The custom program can help accommodate different body types, but it is important to get measured in person to ensure an accurate fit.

The in-store experience

SuitSupply's in-store experience can be a mixed bag, depending on the location and the staff on duty. The brand has showrooms and brick-and-mortar stores across the US, with a presence in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago.

Some customers have praised the in-store staff, describing them as pleasant, helpful, and easy to work with. However, others have criticised the staff as pretentious and condescending.

The in-store tailors are a key part of the SuitSupply experience, as they can make alterations to garments at the factory level. These alterations can be done on the same day, ensuring a quick turnaround.

SuitSupply offers a custom made program that allows customers to design their garment online and then finish the process in-store. This program includes suits, sport coats/blazers, trousers, shirts, and overcoats. The online custom suit designer is user-friendly and intuitive, offering a wide range of customization options.

Overall, SuitSupply's in-store experience can be positive, especially for those who want to take advantage of their custom-made program. However, the consistency of the staff's expertise and attitude may vary across different locations.

Frequently asked questions