It’s not difficult to think of worse ways to meet your favourite fashion editor than overhearing them describe your suit as resembling “a bin bag cinched at the waist by a terrified goldfish”. Yet that was how I made the acquaintance of Oliver, then fashion director of a top interiors magazine, in an east London café one sweaty June morning. I still cringe thinking about my first “real” fashion job interview.
Four years into university and armed with nothing but a degree in literature and massive delusions about myself in the style department, I had managed to save up almost my entire overdraft on what I thought was the sleekest suit ever. It was navy, shiny, and I informed myself proudly that it was “premium”. The fit? “Contemporary.” Thanks for that, me.
Two sizes too small. There I was, opposite Oliver dressed head-to-toe in Comme des Garçons studiously examining me as if I was a poorly hung painting in the Louvre. “The suit,” Oliver finally said, stabbing a pen at his notebook. “Where is it from?” Swallowed with pride, I told him where I’d got it: a well-known high street chain who, apparently, specialised in producing suit styles that looked suspiciously like current men’s fashion favourites from TOPSHOP and COS, but at three times the price.
He nodded once.
Jotted something down. And said no more on the subject. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job.
Two years later I did end up working at the same magazine (life events have a funny way of working out) but he told me over beers after work that my awful suit had been the determining factor. “You looked,” he told me, never one to beat around the bush, “like someone who had wrapped themselves in a bin bag and then been tailored by someone having a seizure.” OUCH. Harsh? Maybe.
But not entirely inaccurate. My suit was awful. Made from the cheapest polyester imaginable, it had proportions that mocked my undoubtedly strange figure and construction that fell apart after two wears.
Like many first-time suit buyers, I had confused shiny for luxury, tight for tailored, and brand recognition for quality. It’s been 15 years and countless suits bought since then (some good, some bad, many learnt from) but I finally feel like I have a solid handle on where and how to shop the British high street for a good suit. The good news?
You absolutely can get a proper suit without having to remortgage your flat or sell a kidney to afford it. The bad news? It takes more know-how, planning, and patience than simply browsing in-store and buying whatever looks good on the mannequin.
If there’s one universal truth when it comes to buying suits on the high street, it’s that money matters – but not necessarily in the way you think. Contrary to popular belief, you can definitely get a decent suite for under £300. It’s now quite rare, however, that you’ll find a high street suit of an acceptable quality for anything under that price point.
The sweet spot used to be £150. Now, expect to pay at least £250-£300 to get something that won’t make you cry if you have to wear it to work. Sure, you can get cheaper (I have about six no-brand-but-I-bought-them-online suits from before I knew better that autumn into this category), but those prices traditionally come with caveats regarding fabric quality, construction, and longevity that usually make them false economies.
This isn’t to say you should start your search at £800. Far from it. It just means that the jump in quality between a £150 suit and a £300 suit is usually exponentially better than the difference between a £300 suit and a £500 suit.
Below a certain price threshold, you’re basically buying single-use party dresses for men – aka those ridiculous disposable cameras from the 90s, but far less nostalgic when they inevitably autumn apart on you. Which stores are best for these sorts of prices? Sadly, the men’s British high street has changed dramatically over the last 15 years.
Longstanding champions of affordable tailoring such as Debenhams have closed their menswear departments ( RIP ), Burton has significantly downsized and many department stores have cut their suiting offerings. Marks and Spencer However, there are still some stalwarts remaining. Marks and Spencer still (and I still can’t believe I’m saying this) offer some of the best high street tailoring options around.
Their £200-£300 suits, especially those in their “Tailored Fit” and “Italian” lines, are actually really respectable for the price. The reason M&S has been able to maintain fairly high quality control at the lower price points is simple: volume. They sell so many suits that they’re able to hold direct relationships with fabric mills and manufacturing facilities that are actually nice.
My mum has an M&S suit blazer from the 90s that still looks brand new because they were using good materials from the start. My colleague Jamie – who wears a suit near-daily for work – is a huge fan of their Italian wool line which starts at around £250 for the two-piece suits. “Honestly,” he tells me. “They’re not sexy. But they’re good solid suits that don’t look like crap when you wear them regularly.” Other plusses?
Decent enough fabrics (usually wool with a synthetic blend to prevent wrinkles) for the price, half- canvassed jackets (where a layer of canvas goes in the chest of the jacket and helps it maintain its shape) on a lot of the jackets, and easy access to alterations if you need them. Prices start around £300 for Charles Tyrwhitt’s entry-level suits, though they often go down to £250 or less when they’re on sale (and trust me, they’re on sale nearly all the time). They’ll forever be known for their shirts but Tyrwhitt makes some underrated suits.
Go for their classic English cut – medium structured shoulders with a defined but not clingy waist – and you’ll be hard pressed to find better fabrics at this price point. Their business suit range in particular is great: acceptable quality, decently priced, and styles that won’t date too much. Suit Supply Suit Supply occupies that weird sweet spot of affordable but high-quality menswear that’s been pretty much revolutionise the market since launching in the UK.
You can get their entry-level suits from around £350, which is pricier than M&S but about half the price of a bespoke suit. Their suits mark a noticeable step-up from the above-mentioned options, with significantly better construction and fabric sourcing than you’d be able to find ten years ago at that price point. Expect modern(er) cuts that nod to current style trends – higher armholes, slightly cropped jackets, and more tapered trousers than your typical British brand – as well as a wide range of sizes to fit most body shapes.
Jumping to Suit Supply from something like M&S or Charles Tyrwhitt is the best place to start if you’re wanting to start branching out into tailoring without breaking the bank. Where Suit Supply really starts to shine for high street suit shoppers, though, is their in-house tailoring service, and the fact that most Suit Supply suits are fully canvassed. This might sound incredibly niche but bear with me.
Suit canvassing essentially refers to how the jacket is constructed; a fully canvassed jacket has a layer of cotton mesh material that runs throughout the entire front of the jacket and acts as a second skin between your chest and the outer suit fabric. It’s what allows a tailored jacket to mould to your shape over time and give it a bespoke-like fit. Cheap suits (including, for the most part, all suits under £250) will be fused – essentially, the outer fabric is glued to a lining, with no shaping whatsoever.
It’s the difference between laminate and hardwood flooring. If you can stretch your budget up to around the £400-£500 mark then you’ve entered Reiss territory. Like Suit Supply, they offer a more design-led take on suits that are ideal if you’re wanting something with a bit more personality than your standard-navy number but don’t want to drop a grand on a suit that feels dangerously fashion-forward.
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Construction is generally on the better end for the price you’re paying, though bear in mind that you’re also paying for design and branding here, and not purely superior materials. A great mid-budget alternative if you prefer a more classic cut is Cordings of Piccadilly who offer ready-to-wear suits from around £500 that boast superior fabrics and more traditional English construction than their high street contemporaries. They don’t play too heavily in the fashion department, which means their suits will generally age better than something that feels overtly trendy – perfect if you know you’ll be wearing a suit weekly.
Now that we’ve gone over where you should be shopping let’s dive into what you should be looking for regardless of where you end up buying your suit from. The first thing to think about is fabric. Cheque the composition label inside the jacket – it should ideally be 100% wool, but at least 80% to ensure the suit will hang nicely on your frame, breathe and last you for years to come.
A high polyester content might make the suit cheaper to buy and more resistant to creasing, but it will create a visible shine over time, won’t breathe as well, and just looks cheap – even when it’s new. Speaking of how the fabric feels, take a moment to run your hand up and down the material. It should feel smooth to touch.
Rich fabrics should never feel sticky or tacky. Next, feel the weight of the material. Heavier fabrics will obviously be more expensive but they also tend to contain more wool, which means a smoother finish.
A super lightweight suit won’t necessarily look cheap but it will probably be made with less wool, which means shorter lifespan. Finally, take note of how the suit is woven. You’re looking for a solid or simple twill weave here – avoid anything with a sheen to it unless you’re intentionally looking for an evening suit or fashion-forward option.
You want your suit fabric to look matte, not shiny. With that in mind, here are a few recommendations to save you some shopping time: Budget Under £250 – M&S Italian Wool Suit || Mid-Range £250-£350 – Suit Supply Essential || High End £350+ – Suit Supply Granier As you can see from the images above, fit is probably the easiest way suits can go wrong on the high street. Slim is in, and have spent many-a-man buying suits far too small for themselves because they think it’ll make them look more “tailored.” A tailored jacket should allow you to button it and comfortably cross your arms over your chest.
There should be no strain across the shoulders or chest when buttoned. The seam of the jacket should finish directly on your shoulder – not drooping below, or cutting off halfway through your shoulder. The best way to ensure you get a good fit is by trying suits on in multiple sizes.
A lot of high street brands now offer a range of fits-Suit Supply, for example, offers classic, tailored and slim fits across their suits. Don’t get suckered into buying a suit that doesn’t fit your body just because it says “modern” or “skinny.” Let your body shape dictate the fit of your suit, not marketing speak. Another crucial piece of advice?
Get it altered. As important as the suit itself is how it fits you. No matter how much your suit costs, it will look cheap if it doesn’t fit correctly.
Equally, a cheap suit that has been taken in by a tailor will look far more expensive than it really is. Here are the key alterations you should always ask for when purchasing a suit: Basic Alterations That Cost Around £30-70: – Taking the waist in/out of the jacket – Hemming trousers to correct length – Taking the waist in/out of trousers – Tapering trousers if needed Alter your shoulders/take jacket longer/shorter are almost never worth the price on high street suits. Make sure you can get the fit of these important parts right before purchasing.
Tailoring is the secret hack of the budget suit-buyer. Almost all mid-tier brands will offer some sort of sale at some point during the year – most tend to drop their prices by 20-40% around spring and autumn when they’re looking to shift inventory to make way for new stock. Plan accordingly.
Suit Supply, for instance, rarely discounts items – but everything is heavily discounted at the end of each season to clear out past-season stock. Sample sales and outlet shopping are also both excellent ways of getting higher-quality suits for less, so long as you don’t mind buying without a specific occasion in mind. Bicester Village is the O.G. of UK outlet shopping and is worth the trip if you’re looking to build up a high street wardrobe.
Brands such as Hackett and Paul Smith sell their last season suits there for up to 60% off retail price. (Just be warned: Outlet shopping is great if you’re building an arsenal, terrible if you’re looking for a suit for an event next week.) These will come in handy when the inevitable sales emails start popping into your inbox from your new favourite suit brands. Signing up for brand newsletters and following your favourite retailers on social media is always the best way to hear about sales and offers before everyone else. Cringe alert: remember when we talked about how Oliver compared me to a bin bag?
Yeah. Avoid navy. It’s the most versatile colour out there, not black (save that for funerals and awards ceremonies), not grey (auburn knights flattering to fewer people), and definitely not doing your first suit in a bold print.
Navy. I can’t stress this enough: navy. In a solid weave, or failing that, the finest herringbone pattern you can find that’s barely visible to the naked eye.
Trust me. Unless you work in fashion, you’ll never need to wear a bold or coloured suit – that’s what your cheaper suits are for. Start with navy and you can always work your way up to fun colours and patterns once you’ve mastered the basics.
If you’re struggling to visualise what I’m talking about, take note of my styling essentials below. These are what you should be looking for when you want a suit that will transcend trends and take you from the job interview to wearing daily in the office: – Moderate notch lapels. Too wide and your suit will look old-fashioned.
Too skinny and it’s 2003. – Two buttons on your jacket and double vents at the back. – Four buttons on each sleeve – true menswear heads will argue over whether two or three is correct but you won’t be spotted out wearing four. – Plain front trousers over pleated to keep that slimline silhouette. – Trousers with either no cuff or a small cuff. Larger cuffs can work for taller men but will shorten your legs.
Got all that?
Now a few things you should avoid: Again, referencing my outfit above: No fussy details. Lapels that are too wide or too skinny, unusual button arrangements (I’m looking at you third button), trousers that look like they were painted on, loud patterns or linings you can see poking out of your jacket like that one guy at every party. Bear in mind that the bells and whistles you may have noticed on high-end suits that *hint* at good craftsmanship – working sleeve buttons, aka “surgeon’s cuffs”, pick stitching, hand sewn buttonholes – are no longer reliable indicators of quality.
Many brands will add these touches to otherwise mid-range suits purely for aesthetics. I’d also advise steering clear of any suit that feels super slick to the touch, despite what that idiot sales assistant at your local tailored may tell you. This is polyester, people.
Specific Recommendations (based on what I currently own and love): Budget Recommendation: M&S Italian Wool Suit in Navy || Mid-Range Recommendation: Suit Supply Essential Granier in Navy || Higher End Recommendation: Reiss Ludlow Suit in Navy Okay, final words. Go forth and buy a suit you’re confident in. One that you can dress up or down depending on the occasion.
Something that won’t embarrass you in front of Oliver. And for the love of Jesus, please promise me you won’t buy anything shiny?
