I disposed of the last of my Hugo Boss suits last weekend. They were great looking suits in their time, and they still held up well, but some of them were over 5 years old and they looked odd when I put them on. I used to love Boss suits, especially in the 1980s when they made them in West Germany and they took the time to make them fine.
However, I haven’t bought a suit from Hugo Boss (or any high end line) for years. Instead I buy my suits from Zara. I do that for a number of reasons:
Price: in Toronto, a high end suit that’s not on sale can cost between $1000 to $2000, if not more: a typical Zara suit costs less than $300-$400. On sale they can cost less than $200.
Style: I like my suits to be stylish but not too stylish (hence Hugo Boss and not Gaultier). Zara’s men suits have that. Even if you wear the suit often (like a charcoal gray one that I picked up a few years ago) and it starts to come apart after 3-4 years, it is very likely at that point that cut of the suit, the style of the lapels or the position of the buttons will look outdated and you will want to replace it. During that time the suit cost you $100 per year vs $400 to $700. You can use the $300 to $500 you saved for something other than suits. (If, like me, you have kids, I am sure you can think of lots of other things you can do with that money.)
Quality: the standard suit at Zara is a very lightweight wool (mind you, Zara changes a lot, but last time I checked, that was true). And that fabric drycleans well, is wearable most of the year and it looks great. Once the low end suit makers used non natural fibres for their suits. Zara uses mostly wool, although for the spring/summer lines they also feature cotton — a drycleaners dream suit! – and linen. You can find better quality wool in high end suits, but you pay considerably more for that.
While the fabric is good, the overall construction of the suits is not bad but not great. I have had one suit pucker on me after a few months (it was final sale, which meant I couldn’t return it, alas). And I expect none of pants to last longer than 3-4 yrs. But so what; I’ll be tired of the suit by then and I won’t feel bad about ditching it.
Convenience: Zaras are everywhere it seems, and there are a number of them in Toronto. So are discount stores like Winners. But buying a suit at a discount store is really hit and miss (although the one on Bloor near Avenue Road in Toronto has a great selection with high end lines like Armani, Valentino and Costume National…highly recommended). And like a lot of guys I want to go in and get it done. Zara is great for that.
Finally, Zara isn’t perfect. I’m not a fan of their shoes (I prefer Browns, B2 or even Aldo for casual shoes). And their sweaters are “meh”. For really really basic stuff like t-shirts and casual wear, I go to H+M or even Old Navy or Walmart (I bought “George” stretch t-shirts for $8 that cost $25 at the Gap and other places.) Club Monaco I also like for coordinates, although they cost more than Zara (their slacks are better constructed, though, or at least used to be.) Same with Banana Republic: nicer clothes than Zara but I find better value in Zara.
Now if money were no object, I would have closets full of Prada and Armani and Jo Ghost shoes (ok, I do have a lot of the last one) but I am a middle class guy with two kids and all the costs associated with that. But I still like to look sharp. So I head to Zara.
8 responses so far ↓
Steven Miller // February 17, 2009 at 10:20 am |
Nice to know another Zara buyer!
Chris // March 23, 2009 at 7:08 pm |
Great articles great stuff
Rodlie Ortiz // June 1, 2009 at 7:42 pm |
works for me! never had a zara suit before, but i’m online to replace a few of the suits i have had. a little too boxy…want a more slim and modern cut, and from what it seems, they have that in a price range i can afford.
thx!
smartpeopleiknow // June 1, 2009 at 7:44 pm |
There are other places that may have that cut, but like you said, the price is right at Zara, and at least in many cities, it is easy to find a store. Let me know how it works out!
bartman905 // June 8, 2009 at 2:02 am |
Hey Bernie, if you visit me here in Tokyo, you can go shopping at Zara, I’ll take you
. Don’t ask me about prices, as I didn’t check them (sorry, I don’t normally shop at Zara, I’m not as fashionable as you).
PS. This must be a good post, you are still getting comments 9 months later!
umer // July 12, 2009 at 10:31 pm |
let me tell you today i roamed around all over houston to buy me a suit for my wedding, went to armani,prada,versace etc and then i had it for the and then i thought i havn’t checked at Zara yet as i was about to Galleria Mall.
I went inside and first thing that i saw was brilliance, charcoal grey very minimal shine to make it stylish and fitted me so well as if it was made for me. It was THE SUIT for my wedding. I bought it for 300$ which is a very nice price, i just loved it, now can’t wait to get married and wear that suit.
Alex // August 13, 2009 at 9:43 pm |
Does Zara also sell suits for teenagers? I got a 16 year old son and i’ll been meaning to take him out to buy a nice suit for specials occasions.
smartpeopleiknow // August 13, 2009 at 11:21 pm |
Alex, it depends on the size of your son. They have suits from size 38 up to 46 I think (those are US sizes for men). If he is bigger like a football or basketball player, then he should be fine. However even if he is smaller, he might be fine, since they make alot of “slim” suits that are perfect for younger men who are thinner than middle aged men, for example.
Try to make sure the suit fits. Obviously pants can be hemmed and taken in to fit. For the jacket, do these 3 tests. Have him put on a jacket and stand up straight and put his arms down to his side. If he curls his fingers, the bottom of the jacket should just sit in his hand. If it is above his hand it is too short (unless it is a very trendy jacket) and if it sits in his hand it is too long. As well as doing this, you should also have him pull the lapels forward and then down and then slide his hand into where his heart is and push out. If that is hard to do, then the suit is too small around the chest. on the other hand, if there is alot of give, then the suit is too big. There should be a little room, but it should “fit” the chest area. Final test is to have him move his arms a bit and his shoulders, then stand up straight. If the back of the jacket collar is too far from the back of his neck, then it is too big. (Make sure he has a dress shirt on when he does this).
Don’t let sales people try to get you to buy a jacket that doesn’t fit. Some will. If you are going to spend money on a suit, make sure it fits in the pants and especially the jacket.
Good luck!
Bernie