I walked away from buying a new suit today. It was a lovely suit, dark blue with pin stripes, double vented in the back and it fit me splendidly. It was a Cerruti suit, reduced from $1,600 to $495. Quite a reduction but the store lost its lease and is closing. I was all set to buy it and it was going to be the first new suit I have bought in several years. I've lost quite a bit of weight lately and was thinking it might be time to make an addition to the wardrobe. I was very excited about it. Then I noticed that the suit was made of 92% wool and 8% polyester. $495 for a suit that was not pure wool? Are they serious? I flatly refused to buy it at that point. They tried to explain that these suits sold very well and that the 8% was used to keep the suit from wrinkling. So what? Polyester does not breathe that well and even 8% was too much for me. Am I too fussy? Maybe. I am certainly particular and I made the mistake once before not paying close enough attention to the fabric of a jacket. That was a good mistake since I now pay better attention.
This was just the suit that got away.
Posted by Random Penseur at November 15, 2004 02:04 PMIf I could afford it I would get the 100% as well, though I prefer 100% cotton or silk to wool. Wool is too itchy. But quality lasts and lasts and lasts.
A well tailored suit stays around in the closet till it goes of style and comes back again.
I don't understand about the wrinkling part; I suppose if one commonly throws one's clothes on the floor that would be true, but if one is paying $1,600 for the suit (which is what it was expected to sell for) I would think one would take better care of the item.
Posted by: Rachel Ann at November 15, 2004 03:38 PMSheesh, I think if you loved the suit so much, then you should have moved past the 8% poly. You probably wouldn't have noticed - my guess is it's just enough for the suit not to wrinkle as easily, but not enough for the fabric's breathability to be compromised. Poly's come a long way since the 70's, you know...
Actually, I thought I could feel it when I ran my hand over the lapel (which I was doing to see if I could feel whether it was top fused or hand sown since they feel different and this was the first Cerruti suit I ever looked at). It just didn't feel correct to me, the fabric. That's why I looked at the label so carefully. It had not occured to me that the suit could be anything other than wool until I felt it more carefully.
Posted by: RP at November 15, 2004 04:52 PMwell, not sure about evil
but
good eye RP...
Hey man, you're absolutely right. I no longer bother buying any kind of clothing that I don't feel 100% comfortable with. It's just not worth it. You'll hesitate before grabbing it every time you see it hanging in your closet.
Good eye!
Posted by: Mick at November 15, 2004 09:23 PMI sort of have to agree with Indigo. I mean, lovely suit? Cerruti? Big reduction? As a woman, I get subjected to clothing horrors all the time-thongs, high heels, waxing. To me, an 8% difference wouldn't have made any difference at all.
BUT-the good news is, you know what you like and what you're comfortable in.
*shakes head over loss of Cerruti suit*
Posted by: Helen at November 16, 2004 02:44 AMWell, the suit was lovely looking, but not nice feeling. It has to feel nice and I could, with my thumb and index finger, detect that there was something off with this fabric. I don't care for polyester and would not expect it in a suit that claimed to be of such a high caliber. As for horrors, I think women suffer more bad clothes then men do. In fact, above, all the men agree with me and the women are less inclined to agree. I think you are just trained to suffer more than men are (clothes wise)! :)
Is Cerruti a big deal, Helen? I'm just not familiar with Italian suits.
Posted by: RP at November 16, 2004 05:43 AMI think you should have bought it, if for no other reason than "Shopper's Remorse". I still yearn for clothing I didn't buy. The beautiful Italian jacket that was on sale that I didn't buy.
Those gorgeous shoes I didn't buy. That beautiful blouse I didn't buy back in '93.
I think many women remember the clothing purchases we *didn't* make and we forever mourn their loss.
So perhaps we women are looking at it as "Random's Suit That Got Away". You'll be talking about it wistfully years from now..."Remember that suit I didn't buy, hon? Yeah...I still dream about it at night sometimes."
Like we do. ;-)
Posted by: Amber at November 16, 2004 11:40 AMNot a chance, Amber, not with this one. This time I feel like I narrowly missed making a mistake.
Although I certainly understand that remorse thing. I've had that before. But usually, the remorse would come from hurrying into buying something. To borrow from a quote, buy in haste, repent at leisure.
Posted by: RP at November 16, 2004 12:01 PMI'm sitting here, bemused smile on my face, because I absolutely LOVELOVELOVE and did I mention LOVE the fact that you, as a man, are comfortable enough to discuss the cut, fit and composition of an article of clothing you place on your body?
Do you know how friggin' GAWJUSS that is?
You, sir, are DA. MAN.
Good call, BTW. If you ain't gonna be happy with it, it just doesn't matter if it was hand-sewn by virgins and annointed by Gawd -- it's not something you should do. I, of course, have never been that smart -- I purchase in haste and repent at my leisure.
But that has got to be the best post I've seen today.
Bless you.
xoxo
Posted by: Margi at November 17, 2004 04:19 AMOh, and I didn't read the comments until AFTER I posted.
Purchase in haste, repent at leisure. Imagine that.
::: wanders off, shaking her head :::
Posted by: Margi at November 17, 2004 04:24 AM