I'm seriously thinking about bying a Prada men's suit before going on my job-hunting trip to Italy. It's expensive as hell, and really out of my price range, but it seems that in order to be taken seriously, a nice suite is necessary.

Hi Marcello,

Just remember that for a good suit it is more important to get a good fit than a good brand. Yes, good suits do not come cheap, but sometimes even expensive off-the-rack suits may not fit you well. Try and take a friend experienced in buying suits to advice you when you go shopping, so you get a suit that flatters you.

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Ok an important advice...
Prada is a brand wich follow the fashion.. you will pay a lot of money for something than in 2 years is out...

if you are going in Italy I suggest you to buy an hand made suit from the tailor...

believe me!! It will be yours forever!!!

OK, thanks for the advice, Guido and Bubbles. My wife and I was planning going suit shopping here in US this weekend, but now that you mention it, a hand made suit in Italy sounds very appealing. My only concern is that with the falling dollar I fear it would be very costly to do something like that.

Does anyone have any idea what I should expect to pay for a good handmade suite in Italy? Like Bubbles said, the brand or having the absolute latest in fashion is no necessarily that important; just as long as I look like a million bucks

A custom-made suit is definitely a good option, but it is also expensive. Martha says in this same thread that she paid 800 euros for a custom-made suit in 2003.It will be more expensive now.If that is within your budget, target custom-made.

If you already have suits that you wear in the US, a custom-made suit in Italy is very good.If this is your first suit, buy off the rack, in a safe color like blue or black.

A brand like Canali, Bonia or Valentino Rudi may not be too high priced.

What suit you buy also depends on your figure. If you are on the slimmer side, most of the American brands will not fit you well, because they make suits for heavy-built businessmen. Go for Italian or British brands, because their suits are slimmer.

Yo can also look at buying a suit that almost fits, ie is correct at the shoulder and sleeve-length, and then get it altered by a good suit tailor. There are some limits with what a tailor can do, but a lot of people will require some tailoring - not everyone gets a perfect fit right off the rack.

If you have a little money to spend, find the best tailor in town and go to them for alterations, not the in-house tailor at the store. The tailor should be able to give you an honest opinion. If they can't get it to fit properly, you simply return the suit to the store and get your money back.

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Marcello,
where exactly in Italy? I can advice a tailer in rome if you are in Milan =)...

Well, I almos feel blasphemic ditching the idea of getting a specialmade suit while in Italy - it would have been fanstastic - but I just decided I couldn't afford paying 1200-1500 Euros with the way the dollar is going right now.

Instead I went ahead and bought one very nice looking suit, not designer, but tailored by my wife's favorite tailor. It may not last me 10-15 years like an italian one would have, but if it looks good (which it will, I'm pretty fit and slim I think it might work out after all. At least that's the story I'm sticking to, so those of you who already have a handmade italian suit and could not even IMAGINE wearing something else, keep your comments to yourself (Sorry, maybe I'm just a little envious)

hi marcello

handmade italian suit are really expensive..
so in my opinion get one tailor made for you in the US which i think i far more cheaper than getting a prada suit..
sometimes the price-quality relation of branded stuff is not as god as we think..
a good fit it better than a branded one..
cheers

Good Marcello,
I think that a suit tailored by your wife is better than anythng else =)..
by the way you can find also tailors not expencive...
ciao
G

Are squared toe shoes still in fashion in Italy? I bought a pair in sicily several years ago and they are great. I am returning to Roma the end of May and wondered if I should pack them or leave them at home.