“No matter how much I lust after big, bad suits,” laments Tyler Chin, GQ’s associate commerce editor, “my lean frame means that it’s best to stick to tailoring that’s a tad more, well, tailored.” Chin especially appreciates the Kincaid’s natural shoulders, which helps the jacket feel like it was made just for him, and the “middle-to-high rise” of the trousers. And, lest you think Mashburn wasn’t serious about you looking molto bene in this suit, it comes with unfinished sleeves and trousers that can be hemmed to your exact specs.
Best Affordable Suit for Fashion Guys: Mfpen Wool Twill Suit
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Bowen Fernie
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Bowen Fernie
Pros
- Hardy deadstock wool-twill fabric
- Lightly structured shoulders
- Slouchy-but-not-sloppy cool-guy silhouette
Cons
- Mfpen runs large—like, really large. Size down for a more tailored fit, and double-check your measurements in advance
If your dressy wardrobe is dominated by tiny black shoes, huge black trousers, and rumpled party shirts, the standard navy three-roll-two isn’t going to cut it. Until you’re ready to step up to the rarefied air of the Balenciagas of the suiting world (or if you just want something a little subtler for the office) Mfpen has your high-fashion tailoring needs covered at a more accessible price.
True to the brand’s Scandi roots, everything in this two-button jacket is as considered as a Finn Juhl chair, thanks to a slouchy fit, lightly structured shoulders, and a somber deadstock wool twill fabric. The patch pockets give it a casual vibe that help it look just as good with battered work pants as it does with Mfpen’s wide-legged service trousers in matching black wool. Short kings beware, though: when we say this suit is slouchy, we mean it. In fact, to give you a proper estimate of its drape and heft, we roped in GQ fashion assistant Charlie Johnson as our model, who rightly eschewed the usual dress-shirt-and-tie combo in favor of an artfully-tucked vintage tee and hefty derbies.
Best Affordable Suit for Summer: J.Crew Japanese Cotton Chino Ludlow Suit
J.Crew
Ludlow Slim-fit Suit In Japanese Cotton Chino
Pros
- Lightweight and quality fabric
- Tailored Fit
- Wide range of sizes
Cons
- Silhouette skews slim, especially for a lightweight suit
Summer’s a rough time to wear a suit. Anyone who does so willingly is either a tailoring geek, lowkey crazy, or both. Whether your summer suiting is voluntary or not, the best option is to go with a lightly structured suit made of either cotton or linen. J.Crew’s among the best in this regard thanks to its uncompromising fabric choices and tailoring prowess, and the Ludlow suit has been the preppy brand’s bestseller for years thanks to its streamlined design and svelte cut.
This summer-appropriate version features an ultra silky Japanese cotton chino fabric that gets better with a little rumpling. As for the finer details, the suit features a classic notch lapel, handsome button stance, and double rear vent for a look that’s both up-to-date and timeless.
More Sub-$1,000 Suits We Love
Spier & Mackay
Revenge Neo Cut Suit
Spier & Mackay’s value-to-quality proposition is well-known in nerdy menswear circles. Details like a proper 3-roll-2 button closure, full canvas construction, and Italian flaneur-approved spalla camicia shoulder make the label’s suits feel way more expensive than they actually are. And while they clearly do a navy suit very well, they’ve got an expansive range of fabric choices from a who’s-who of fabric mills including this handsome charcoal gray wool fabric Vitales Barberis Canonico.
Another Great Option for Fashion Guys: Toast Canvas Suit
European label Toast is known for its quality garments that edge toward thoughtful minimalism—but a little more fun. Case in point, this double-breasted suit. It’s made of a sturdy canvas material which gives it structure without the traditional lining and shoulder pads. It falls somewhere between workwear and fine tailoring which makes it a wonderfully stylish head scratcher.
Another Great Option for Menswear Nerds: Natalino Double-Breasted Woollen Flannel Suit
The best way to capture the seemingly effortless swagger that’s synonymous with southern Italian tailoring is to take a trip to Naples and go buck wild at one of the city’s many revered tailoring shops. The second-best way might be this sleek DB suit, which captures the essence of sprezzatura in its look (peak lapels, soft shoulders), feel (buttery-soft Vitale Barberis Canonico wool), and details (spalla camicia sleeves, half-lining, and patch pockets).
Another Great Double-Breasted Option: Knickerbocker Miles Suit
Knickerbocker’s channeling of classic mid-century cool doesn’t stop with beefy chinos and camp collar shirts. The New York label makes some head-turning tailoring as well and its Miles suit is prime example. The 2×2 button front is a pointed departure from the usual double-breasted button configurations we’re used to seeing and gives the suit a retro feel in a way that’s actually hip and not dated. Add to that a feather-y light linen-cotton blended fabric woven in Italy, and you’ve got a suit that feels as cool as it looks.
Another Great Affordable Option for Summer: Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Soft Linen Suit
Ralph Lauren’s tailoring is one of his many strong suits (heh, suits). One of his shining achievements was outfitting Robert Redford in his portrayal of Jay Gatsby. And while this suit isn’t exactly the same as the one in the in the 1974 film, it’s just as sharp and primed for a summertime shindig. It’s made of a breezy all-linen material, half lined, and comes with a soft shoulder—perfect for warm weather weddings. Unlike a lot of suits, this one works well worn as separates with a pair of mismatched cotton chinos which gives the already-affordable suit even more value.
Why Are Suits So Expensive?
Suits aren’t cheap compared to a lot of the other things you wear, but there are good reasons for this. For one, suits—particularly suit jackets—are complicated things to make, and the more skilled handwork that goes into them, the better they tend to be. For another, good fabric isn’t cheap, and aside from the labor of cutting and sewing, the quality of the cloth is what determines the price of a suit. With all that said, you can still add a beautiful suit to your wardrobe for under a grand, provided you know what to look for.
What to Look for in a Great Suit
The top-line criteria include fabric made of 100% wool (the ultimate suiting fabric for durability and breathability) or cotton (cheaper and less durable, but still good). You can also look for hallmarks of quality like full or half-canvassing, which is the invisible layer inside the jacket that gives it shape. Fortunately, there is a whole rack of dapper options that meet these standards, from classic navy notch-lapel units to swishier double-breasted pinstripe numbers and professorial corduroys. Just make sure you get it tailored before you step out: a cheap suit that fits you really well will always look better than an expensive one that doesn’t.
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
