Clicking around on the Suit Supply website today led me to their "Shop By Look" option, in which a whole outfit is available for purchase. Such options are quite useful because they take the guesswork out of putting together an outfit. In other words, they provide an answer to the "How would I wear this?" question. Furthermore the picks are always from the company's top stylists who foolishly give away their ideas for free. The internet is so nice.
Suit Supply has been on my radar for a few months now but I never visited the site until I heard they were dropping prices of a few select items. A normal retailer may call this a "sale" but for whatever reason Suit Supply just drops the price and doesn't announce it.
Despite the recent price drop, their items are still prohibitively expensive for someone like a part-time employee of a nonprofit, which is what I happen to be. However, I've done some searching to find some equally stylish yet more affordable alternatives.
The Blazer: Baron Boutique Custom Linen Blazer
Shown in blue but Baron Boutique will make it in almost any color you like. (Any Colour You Like?) The picture shows 4 pockets but if you only want 3 like the Suit Supply option you can customize your clothing in the order form. $239 is still pretty pricey but it's custom made and still comes in less than the Suit Supply option at $399.
The Cardigan (Vest): Uniqlo Extra Fine Merino V-Neck Cardigan
The option from Suit Supply is a cardigan vest but one with sleeves will be much more versatile for your wardrobe. Comes in a myriad of colors but the green most closely matches the "army" color from Suit Supply. $39.90 isn't bad compared to $89, especially if you consider the free sleeves.
The Shirt: J. Crew Factory Slim Washed Shirt
The Suit Supply shirt has a really cool dot pattern but a small gingham will provide enough visual interest and looks just about the same from a distance. This option from J. Crew comes in both slim and regular versions and looks good with just about anything. Blue not your thing? This shirt comes in a ton of colors to help you spice it up. $34.50 vs. $125 at Suit Supply.
The Scarf: H&M Herringbone Patterned Scarf
H&M finally launched online retailing last week and fans of the "Fashion Ikea" couldn't be happier. This scarf is the closest match I could find to the cool steely grey one from Suit Supply but I know I've seen even closer matches in-store. The scarf isn't pictured on the model in the photo, so it's really up to you how to work it in. Just $10 compared to $59.
The Belt: Dockers V-Weave Belt
Braided belts remind me of wearing jean shorts in elementary school but maybe they're back? The Suit Supply belt has different color leather woven in the middle. This version from Dockers doesn't have that feature but the leather does have some contrast to it. This particular belt is $28 but JCP has a lot of similar ones on sale for less. Either way you'll be spending a lot less money than $89 for a Suit Supply belt.
The Shoes: Land's End Archer Welted Bucks
I have a pair of these shoes in grey and they are amazing, very well built and a classic style. Not much more to say except you'll be paying a lot more for the brown lace-ups at Suit Supply. $259 vs. $119. However if you wait for a 30% off code you can have them for under $100.
BONUS: Sunglasses: Warby Parker Percey
Same acetate construction and polarized lenses as the sunglasses from Suit Supply but for about $30 less. Plus you can feel good about yourself because Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to a child in need for every pair you buy. Available in several colors, all of them quite dashing.
Buying the items from Suit Supply for this look will run you $1024. That's a lot of cash for one outfit and it doesn't include the sunglasses. Use the list above and you can get the same look for $565.35. Just a little more than half and it includes those rockin' shades.
Suit supply has made it easy to dress like their models with the "Shop By Look" feature but hopefully they won't get too angry at me for doing all the work to play the system.
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