How To Spot A Cheap Suit - Gentleman's Gazette

SHOP THE VIDEO:

00:00 Introduction

00:33 1. Collar
You'll need to flip up the collar and look at the seam underneath. In a cheap suit, this seam will always be machine-made. So how can you tell it's a machine-made stitch? Usually, it's like a very regular triangle versus a handmade stitch is irregular.

01:19 2. Buttonholes
You can identify handmade buttonhole by flipping over the buttonhole from the back and if it's irregular, it is handmade. If it's machine-made, it is very very regular and it looks about the same as it doesn't in the front. That being said, you can also have a really crappy sewn handmade buttonhole which doesn't make for a nice suit.

02:45 3. Fabric Reserve
Why would you need one? If you want to alter your garment; it's always good to have extra fabric, otherwise, you cannot make anything bigger. On a cheap suit, the three and a half yards of fabric is probably the most expensive part in the entire suit and so manufacturers try to cut corners and minimize the use of fabric wherever they can.

03:50 4. Stitching
First, I look at how the lining is sewn into the sleeve at the end of the sleeve, if it's sewn in by hand it's likely a quality suit, if it's sewn in by machine, it's different. There are two kinds; on the one end you can have it sewn in so there is no flexibility and that's a very cheap suit, on the other hand, you can sew it in by machine with a stitch it is very loose and it's a better way and it's also what you get with a handmade stitch.

04:43 5. Buttons
Most cheap suits have plastic buttons. Sometimes the buttons look painted and it's because they are, on the other hand, I have also seen higher-end plastic buttons that are made to look like horn buttons and it's much more difficult to determine a difference. Sometimes you can take two buttons together and look for a specific sound, I find that works quite well.

05:59 6. Lining
Another great way to spot a cheap suit is by identifying if it's a polyester lining or not. Quality suits have linings made out of sometimes viscose which is less expensive. A higher-end option would be silk, sometimes you also see cotton, but very cheap suits have polyester lining or blends with polyester.

06:47 7. Outer Fabric Material
Most quality suits are made out of a hundred percent wool, the problem is, manufacturers can sometimes add one or two percent of an artificial fiber and still call it a hundred percent. In that case, you have to rely on the brand and look for a brand label.

08:00 8. Glued Or Fused Interlining?
When you have the suit in front of you, what you can do is you can take the upper layer of the fabric and pinch it with your finger. If you can actually remove this layer from the layer that's underneath a bit and you can still feel it, it means you have a suit with a canvas that was sewn; if that's not possible, it means you have a fused garment, sometimes a fused garment is also a lot stiffer especially if it's a cheaper suit so if something doesn't drape well and feels very plasticky and thick, it's probably a cheap suit.

#howtospotacheapsuit #menssuits #notsponsored
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Popular videos:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Want to stay updated? Sign up here for free:

Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gentleman's Gazette

[alexsmith]

This video isn’t essentially a cheap suit spotting guide but rather an expensive suit spotting guide. It’s more for vintage/outlet shopping.

[MintStiles]

Firstly, love the video. Just want to add that Machine made are not always bad. Often, having the seams done (well) with machine means you have a very consistent garment that will not cost 5, 000. While horn is better, SOME plastic buttons can be very good. The one thing that consistently make a cheap suit apparent is the poly material and fused construction - IMO of course.

[bishopscore]

The way he says "cheeeap" makes you feel even more broke than you truly are. smh

[gaybear]

I might be wrong, but isn't the cheap price the first sign of a cheap suit?

[mintico]

Basically cheap is machine made. Expensive is handmade. Who cares if its machine or man made? As long as it fits you nicely and looks good.

[claremckechnie]

As expected from this channel, this is superb and spot on. I'm a female, I don't wear suits, I make them, it's wonderful to have our craft appreciated. Properly made garments cost more, that's life. The dbl. breasted Merino suit is amazing, only specific strains of the Merino breed are capable of producing the extremely fine microns required for such work. The breeders who manage it are a master of their craft, much like the tailor who made this suit! *I grew up on a merino stud farm in Australia

[yourlocaldoomer]

Your suit doesn't have to be hand made with only the finest materials. Remember, fit is the #1 rule. When I go to the thrift stores in my town, I don't look at the stitching, I look at the fit. Why? Because fit is key. Don't even worry about that other stuff.

[kolbesmith]

One thing I don’t enjoy when it comes to this channel is that he always connects price with how good it will look. I’ve seen plenty of budget outfits look really good and quite frankly, some of this guys suits don’t look the best although they cost a pretty penny

[hickok]

My mother is a tailor and this gentleman's observations are spot on. She will have me check these things at the store to ensure I'm purchasing the best suit. Also it makes it easier for her to tailor it to me.

[cocolahoff]

Thanks so much. I got a quality suit from a thrift store, with the help and advice of this video. Keep up the good work.

[ashbridgeprojects]

The height of the arm holes is a great way of finding a cheap suit too. Lower cut arm holes fit more people and make the suit cheaper to manufacture.

[NatSatFat]

I like this channel! However, these comments about "cheap & expensive" suits are really mostly irrelevent? you cannot afford a tailor made suit?, hand sewn seams! usually machine made is much better (except maybe the interlings, hand sewn in is very good, I know).

The only things that matters are :-
1. Does the fabric look & feel nice?
2. Does it fit nicely?
3. Does it look good, on you
4. Can you afford it?

[groho]

When I was making a lot of money I had the four figured priced suits both custom and off the rack tailored. There is a big difference in feel and wear. I owned one suit where the fabric feel was so astounding I never felt that quality on any suit ever since. I do own lesser quality that looks great as well. If you're poor you buy what you can afford. At least you have pointed out what to look for in a quality suit.

[ChrisSPCs]

How to tell if a suit is cheap or not: It's cheaper than the expensive suit.

[sheman]

Why does machine stitched mean cheap. I have few expensive branded machine stitched suits. Doesn’t make sense to me.

[IanSinclair]

If this was called "How to identify a handmade/bespoke/tailored suit" the comments would most likely be less heated. Repeatedly saying "cheap" as an implication of low(er) cost and quality will not win over most people that would be interested in watching this. I doubt guys with bespoke Italian suites are scanning YouTube for handy hints on what others look for.

Secondly: many points, while valid, are not useful in most situations. Inspecting threadwork is not needed when I'm going to get a suit. If I'm getting an off the shelf suite, I'm not expecting hand stitching. If I'm getting a bespoke 5k suite ...I still don't care as they will make it look and fit well - however they get that done is up to them. The most applicable place for these rules to possibly apply is going to a second hand/thrift shop - which you admitted to doing in this video. You can certainly make an argument that you got an "expensive" suit "cheaply" but your mixing definitions to fit your argument and inconsistency doesn't build credibility.

The points about the lining and being aware of mixed materials were good. Thought this would cover the different wool types - which would be one of the most obvious things to look for, yet wasn't there.

You have useful information and a wealth of knowledge and it is appreciated. Please be aware that language matters and the people on the internet are not in your store.

Wearing an expensive, costly suit does not make you important or rich and doesn't get you respect (especially if your having to flip your collar over so people know it's bespoke). The wealthiesth people I know rarely wear suits. Food for thought...

[Vanithoth]

This video help me so very much. I found a Black, Loro Piana cashmere sport coat for $4 at a goodwill. I went home and looked up the retail price, and I was blown away by how expensive it was brand new. It is my first Cashmere coat I have owned, and I am in love with it.

[SevenRiderAirForce]

All these people moaning will probably come back under the cover of night next time they need to buy a suit 😂

[TravelingThruLife]

I noticed you have a collar gap, indication of an ill fitting suit.

[TFM]

The problem with knowing all this is that you realize how little quality stuff there is out there... you'll never want to take an off-the-rack suit ever again. Or worse, you get angry at brands like Hugo Boss that charge hundreds of euros for a suit with nonworking cuffs, machine made and some even have polyester.... Get a grip!