Buying a Suit: A Primer

Long before Covid came along to decimate commercial real estate, there was something called “Casual Fridays.” That one day a week of switching to khakis and polos had tentacles that spread to other days. Suddenly suits were not required attire in many businesses, just as office attendance has widely transitioned to remote work.

But there are signs that things are changing. More and more companies, including Amazon and Apple, are insisting that their employees return to the office. Turns out there was much to be said for office culture — socialization, mentorship, productivity, and a sense of professionalism that was hard to sustain when people were working at home in their pajamas.

Welcome back, suits. Depending on the occupation, they are once again the uniform of success. But for many younger generations, they are something of a novelty, bought perhaps for graduation or a family wedding. If one is going to invest in investment dressing, how best to go about it? We asked local suit purveyors for some guidance.

HEINZ HEALEY
“When you go into a store, you need to make sure you have someone who can actually talk to you, give you the attention to measure you properly, explain the fabrics with which things are made,” says Eileen Schaldenbrand of Heinz Healey. The late Chas Schaldenbrand founded the business nearly 40 years ago and his wife continues to operate the gentlemen’s apparel store in Market Square.

BROOKS BROTHERS
“If you don’t know your proper size, the first thing you should do is work with an experienced salesperson who can help you try on a few things in different sizes to find your best fit,” says Michael Bastian of Brooks Brothers, which invented the “off the rack” suit more than 200 years ago. It’s located at 600 Smithfield St., Downtown.

SURMESUR
“We ask a lot of questions. How many suits do you own? How often do you wear them? We try to narrow it down for them. The process can be very overwhelming,” says Zach Barzanty of Surmesur, a Canadian-based firm that has operated near the corner of Liberty and Fifth avenues in Downtown Pittsburgh since 2016. Surmesur offers customers more than 10,000 choices of fabrics.

TOM JAMES
“You establish these relationships with these guys over the years. A half-hour of it is just catching up with your buddies and the last 15 minutes, you talk clothes and you handle all their needs,” says Grant Engel of Tom James. His father, Bob, adds that the international firm has a different approach to sales. “Our business model is to serve busy executives by coming to their offices and doing suits, shirts, sport coats, ties — the whole wardrobe planning process — to save them time.” Tom James offers clients made-to-measure clothing from 11 manufacturers.

LARRIMOR’S
“We think all gentlemen should have a quality suit in their closet for a variety of occasions. If you’re only going to wear a suit to weddings and funerals, you probably only need one. If you’re going to wear one more often, you probably need a couple,” says Tom Michaels of Larrimor’s. Located at 249 Fifth Ave., Downtown, Larrimor’s has been in business since 1939, filling what Michaels calls a “high-end niche” in men’s and women’s clothing.

PASQUALE CUSTOM TAILOR
“In today’s world, people don’t wear suits for everyday work. People are more casual,” notes Patsy Calabro of Pasquale Custom Tailor, located at 4000 Washington Rd. in McMurray. Calabro has been in the men’s clothing business since 1971 and the custom clothing business since 1999. “In the old days, guys had 10 suits that they’d rotate in their closet. Today they’ll spend a little more for a custom-made suit because they only have to buy one.”

SAMUEL BARON CLOTHIERS
“I don’t recommend that men wear black suits during the day unless they are carrying on business that goes on into the evening,” says Amy Brourman of Samuel Baron Clothiers. “Navy is the power suit. Gray is the confidence suit.” The company was founded in 2011, and Brourman named the South Highland Avenue store for her grandfather. Everything is handmade locally. “What makes a great custom suit is a great fit.”

AND MORE ADVICE:
Custom fit is particularly important for men who are either larger or smaller than standard sizing, or have a build that does not fit into standard sizing.

What’s the best all-purpose suit? The broad consensus is navy blue or charcoal gray. Among blue suits, there is a trend toward brighter shades.

“A navy blazer goes great with a pair of slacks or denim. In addition, those navy dress trousers look great when matched with a tasteful sweater,” Bastian of Brooks Brothers says.

The experts caution against going too slim or too trendy. A well-maintained, properly fitted, quality classic suit can last 10 to 20 years.

Part of an investment in a suit is owning the proper accessories, starting with a pressed dress shirt, a brown or black dress belt that matches polished lace-up shoes, and socks that go over the calf.

“You can’t look neat if your shoes look beat,” Michaels of Larrimor’s says, noting that an unkempt pair of shoes can make as negative an impression as a good suit can make a positive one.

Ties are less de rigeur than they once were — a starched dress shirt open at the top button suggests a new casual elegance. That said, every man should have a good assortment of neckties, including a foulard, regatta stripe, and dark solid. “I believe ties are important when you’re dressing in a suit,” says Brourman, who offers custom ties.

“A pocket square is always nice to add a pop of color,” Barzanty of Surmesur says.

Maintaining your suit for the long term is fairly simple, but it requires a degree of diligence. Always hang it on a fuller suit hanger with a pants bar.

“If you hang it up, things breathe in a natural way. Wools and cottons breathe naturally and expel their odors, and it makes it a great, long-living thing,” Schaldenbrand of Heinz Healey says.

“After you wear it, hang it up but don’t shove it back into the corner of your closet. Hang it out overnight on a door hinge. The odors and the wrinkles that you got from wearing it will come out,” says Grant Engel of Tom James.

Suits should be dry cleaned only on rare occasions. But having a dry cleaner press your suit if it’s wrinkled is a good option. Steaming a suit is gentler on the fabric. But if a suit does require dry cleaning, make sure both pieces are done at the same time because the process can alter the color.

Clayton Trutor is the author of “Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta — and Atlanta Remade Professional Sports and Boston Ball: Rick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Gary Williams and the Forgotten Cradle of Basketball Coaches.“ Website: www.claytontrutor.com Twitter: @ClaytonTrutor IG: @ctrutor