Q: I’m willing to invest in a good suit, but I don’t want the experience of acquiring one to feel like I’m dealing with a used-car salesman. A little help here?
A: Well, my friend, at least your head is in the right place and you’ve avoided the cardinal sin of suit buying: off-the-rack discount stores (i.e., suits in the $99 to $200 range). But even venturing into the back rooms of big-label boutiques can be daunting. Trying on a variety of looks will help you keep your cool under the sway of label-whoredom. Remember, even though the quality and the name may be worth the ticket price, the styles are often season-specific. That virgin wool three-piece may have been perfect for February, but summer is wedding season.
When you’re looking to thread it up, the go-to destination for a European Union’s worth of styles has always been Tom’s Place (190 Baldwin, 416-596-0297). They’re more than willing to guide you though a fitting session in order to make you look like you knew what you were doing when you walked in from the hash smoke and fish smell of Kensington Market.
Of course, the easiest way to find something that fits perfectly is to go all old-world and have a suit tailored for you. Mark Salgado from House of Salgado (TD Centre, 66 Wellington W., 416-865-0094) — who’ve been in the business for almost half a century — says it’s comparable to buying a high-end suit off the rack. Not only do you get to brand yourself, but you get real live quality assurance. According to Salgado, “We keep [our clients] on the cusp of fashion, but not too far in. If you wear my product, I want it to look good.” Could there really be a better way to live out your Mad Men fashion fantasies? I think not.
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