A few questions about suits. (I have only owned one, off the rack)

Should I buy it here (bespoke) or in Taiwan (I will probably end up there)?

What color? I am thinking black just b/c traditional and goes with any and every thing. But charcoal gray, gray, or blue might be nice as well.

What about jackets...buttons? breast?


Feel free to talk about the USA show Suits as well 

I would like advice about dress shoes. Whenever I buy shoes in Korea they tend to fall apart pretty quickly and I don't want to pay 300,000 won for shoes that won't last a long time. If someone can reccomend good leather shoes that don't look shabby that would be much appreciated.

I usually get custom made suits in Korea at around 300,000 or less depending on where you get it done. In my opinion even a 300,000 suit is a good deal because in the USA you could expect to pay at least 1000 dollars for a custom made suit, so I am stocking up on suits here while I can. The three basic starter colors are charcoal gray, navy blue, and black. I recommend charcoal gray for the first suit because it is a little more versatile than the color black which seems too formal in some cases. Black is good for funerals, weddings, formal events. Charcoal gray is more adaptable. Also sometimes black looks cheap in my opinion.

Noted about the colors. Thanks. How would you say the quality is? I have heard that going to Hong Kong is the best idea. Is this true? Or is quality about even all over Asia?

No idea about shoes. Do the dept stores sell western brands like Florsheim?


Thanks JRussian. I will look more into the blue/gray suits then.

Def watch suits. My fav show on tv pretty much. (but that could be b/c I had always wanted to be a high priced lawyer and attended law school for a while haha)

My husband and I have both had suits made in Songtan. His looks good, mine a little less so, but I suspect that was more due to the fabric I chose. It looked good on the bolt but when it was turned into a suit I realized it was a little too shiny and felt thin (he thinks it looks very disco). His on the other hand looks pretty sharp and professional.

First custom clothing I've ever had made so I didn't really know what I was doing when I was picking things out. It's good to go into it having a general idea of what you want in terms of style, cut, etc. I went into it clueless so there was a lot of flipping through magazines, "hmm, I like this part but not this part" etc.

I think the particular tailor I went to wasn't used to making suits for women so that was probably a factor (I just went to that one because it's the one my husband had used previously).

We're both planning to go back and have another one made before we leave, although I think I may choose a different shop for myself.

This is for all you new people.

http://kickassfacts.com/suit-up-infographic/

Very good start with the most common options highlighted, and even explains why you chose one style over another.  Be aware that the current trend in korea is to have large boxy suit jackets and loose fitting slacks. If you want a slim fit you must ask for it.

Itaewon as decent suits but the quality is lower because of the sheer volume. I'd suggest checking out the nearest U.S. army base to you, they almost always have tailors. I've visited 5 shops in Itaewon 2 in Gunsan and 2 in Osan. Osan had the cheapest prices, best turnaround and most freebies (SERVICEEE!!) of the tailors I checked.

I agree with, appropriately, grey, but it will also depend largely on your body type. Not to pry, but could you give us an idea of what shape you are, and I can recommend a general suit style, color, and some suggestions for shirt/tie pairings as well.

Custom tailored suits takes at least 6 weeks to make (usually). They are not a case of getting measured once or twice. A properly tailored suit involves dozens of hours with expert hands. To think of Thailand and Vietnam as great places for suits is not actually true.
They have great tailors in places but generally the tourist shops are trash. They are just the same as a machine made suit and sometimes the stitching is even worse than machine. To have a tailor make a suit for you for $600 dollars is not a great suit.
The material for a good suit alone would set you back this amount normally.
A cashmere suit would run into the $1500+ range and more.
good quality wool would of a similar outlay as well.
Thailand and Vietnam have some good tailors for sure and their high prices reflect that. To get a suit $100-150 dollars don't expect anything to be good with that. 
It won't last long and the material will be cheap.
I have friends who have bought materials in Thailand and Vietnam for good prices and great quality but you have to know what you are doing in order to seek out them out. they themselves are involved in the fashion industry.
My brother-in-law gets his made in the UK by an Indian tailor. He travels to the UK from India several times a year. He rents out a nice suite in a hotel and you make an appointment with him that way. He measures you and goes through the materials with you. He then measures you and then you order whatever you want.
In a couple of days you go back and he measures you again. This is sent back to India and they make it for you and post it back to you. This type of service is not even custom tailoring. It's like the middle between off the shelf and custom tailored. He charges about 600-800 sterling per suit.
A real high quality suit will cost several thousand dollars....

I think you need to decide how much you are willing to spend based upon how much you will wear the suit and the people who will see you in said suit.

I personally in my life right now would never spend more than 400 on a suit. This is because I might only wear it twice a month, 4 at the most. I also am not surrounded by people who would be able to discern the different levels of quality in a suit, so as long as it has a nice fit nobody will really care or notice.

If I needed to wear a suit everyday and was surrounded by people who could tell the difference between an ok suit, a good suit, and a fabulous suit then I would drop some serious dough and get a fabulous suit.

For me fit is the most important aspect of a suit because I am very skinny and feel like I am drowning in clothes or going for a zoot suit look in anything that isn't slim fit.

If you really care about how you look and if you think it is important to your career to have really good suits then buy an expensive suit or two. If not then spending less on a suit is perfectly fine and most people will probably not care or even notice.

Speaking for myself and not the OP, the reason I am even interested in getting a suit is that:
1.  I believe, as most men do, that a man should own one nice suit for special occasions.

2.  Ladies love a man in a suit.

3.  You never know what job you might get in the future.  It is always good to have something nice to wear in case you need one for future employment or interviews.  It is better to get it now than settling for some cheap thing to please your boss / interviewer.

I agree with what the last two posters said.  That is why I am dragging my feet.  I rarely use them nor do I really want to use them.  Currently, if I were to get one I would wear it maybe, maybe, once a month.  However, if life has taught me anything, always be prepared for anything. 

Be aware that the current trend in korea is to have large boxy suit jackets and loose fitting slacks. If you want a slim fit you must ask for it.

Not for the under-40 crowd, everything is slim, or fitted. But it depends if you're as slim as a Korea or not, if your not, then you'll probably only find baggy suits. Probably have to get it custom if you want it fitted.