The Ultimate Guide to Buying the Perfect Suit Online

The modern selection of men’s suits is vast. No matter where you look, there’s a suit shop at every corner, and malls are teeming with some of the best places to buy a suit or tuxedo.

However, there’s a flip side. Going from one store to the next is time-consuming, and you must often navigate endless crowds. By the time you find the right product, all the enthusiasm will have waned.

But don’t throw in the towel just yet because we’ll tell you where to buy a suit more conveniently. What we are suggesting is for you to buy your suit online.

In this article, you’ll discover why you should purchase your suits online. You’ll also learn what to look for in your online provider and how to customize your garment to maximize your investment.

Why Buy a Suit Online?

Once you check out all the benefits of buying a suit online, you’ll never again ask yourself: “Where can I buy a suit?” The internet is the ideal place to purchase stunning suits. Here’s why:

• Convenience – To buy a suit in a brick-and-mortar store, drive your car, navigate rush-hour traffic, and waste time finding a parking spot. Plus, the shop might be jam-packed, making it even more time-consuming. None of this is an issue with online suit shopping. You need only turn on your smartphone or PC, browse the collection, and press “Add to Cart.”
• Low prices – If you’re looking for the best wedding tuxedo or best wedding suits, you’ll need to pay a premium price if you buy the product at a physical store. These providers must recover the money lost on rent and overhead. For this reason, online stores often provide much better deals.
• Easier to compare suits – When you browse suit collections online, you can easily compare multiple suits side-by-side. By contrast, comparing two suits in a store is hard, especially in a crowded place.

Types of Suits You Can Buy Online

Today’s fashion is nothing like it was 50 or 60 years ago. You can find a variety of styles nowadays characterized by professional and laid-back features.

Men’s suits are no different in this respect. They’re available in several styles, and you can find them all in a reliable online store:

• Tuxedos – You can find pretty much any tuxedo style that comes to mind by visiting an online shop. This garment is similar to a suit, but there are a few clear differences. Primarily, tuxedos have satin lapels and satin linings on the trouser sides. They also come with satin, cloth-covered buttons.
• Business suits – If you’re a business person, you can complement your garment collection from an online store. Internet providers have many formal business suits available in different colors, including black and navy blue.
• Two-piece and three-piece suits are the most common suit, featuring a matching jacket and pants. They’re mainly worn at semi-formal events, such as cocktail weddings. On the other hand, three-piece suits also have a waistcoat as a distinguishing factor. Three-piece suits are generally considered more formal. Whether you prefer one or the other, web stores won’t disappoint you.

Understanding Suit Fits

Another great thing about buying suits online is discovering a nice suit in any size. When looking for your suit jacket and pants, here are your options:

• Classic fit – Traditional or classic suits are evergreen, and online stores recognize this trend. A dependable internet shop has a myriad of classic fit suits that feature a comfortable, looser fit that gives you more breathing room. At the same time, they’re not baggy, giving you an elegant look.
• Slim fit – On the other side of the fit spectrum lie slim fit suits. Available in almost all online stores, these garments are narrower across your chest and shoulders. They also feature a tapered leg and waist, making you appear slenderer and taller.
• Modern fit – What if you prefer neither classic nor slim fit suits? Internet providers of men’s suits have you covered with modern fit options. They’re tighter than classic garments but not as close to the body as their slim-fit counterparts. They’re a perfect middle ground, as they blend elegance and breathability.

Best Places to Buy Suits Online

Now that it’s clear that the internet is the best place to buy suits, it’s time to narrow down the choice further. Countless websites offer high-quality men’s suits, but some providers are better than others. Those crème de la crème options include:

Generation Tux

When renting a suit or tux for a wedding or any other event, the first question you may ask is: “How much does it cost to rent a tux or suit?” The price depends on various factors, such as the quality of the garment.

The price can be high, but some suit rental stores go the extra mile to make the service more affordable, including Generation Tux.

There are many reasons Generation Tux is a top online platform for men’s suits, but free fitting is a major highlight. You can order any suit or tux and try it on at home. If you don’t like it, return the product and order a new one. You won’t have to spend a dime.

Besides free try-ons, Generation Tux allows you to rent pretty much any suit. Whether you need a classic black tux or contemporary beige suit, you can find a stunning outfit in the vast collection. You can even find a whole host of top-rated groomsmen suits.

Finally, Generation Tux's variety of colors is as good as it gets, offering suits in various colors to accommodate all tastes, including black, navy blue, brown, tan, gray, and now a green suit.

Nordstrom

Another place where you can buy suits online is Nordstrom. This Seattle-based company has operated for more than a century, providing gentlemen with all types of suits. Whether you need business garments or semi-formal apparel, their assortment brings a lot to the table.

What’s good about this brand is that it’s flexible. They offers suits in different sizes and colors, meaning there’s a model for everyone. Likewise, the store features accessories to spruce up your appearance, such as ties, pocket squares, and belts.

Suitsupply

Suitsupply isn’t too shabby, either. Many people rely on them due to a wide variety of suits in stock, trousers, blazers, vests, overcoats, knitwear, and accessories. Still, nice suits are their bread and butter.

Most of their suits are classic, featuring a fit that goes easy on your body and provides ample breathing room. Slim-fit garments are also available, along with more modern products, such as shorter jackets and bold fabrics.

Suitsupply places a large emphasis on customization too. You can tweak various measurements, like the length, waist, and chest to make sure the suit fits you perfectly. Other details you can tweak include the buttons and lining.

Banana Republic

Last but not least, Banana Republic is one of the best places to buy suits online. Apart from the standard fit options, Banana Republic also has extra-slim suits. The shoulders are even more tapered than usual, and you get slimmer silhouettes.

Furthermore, Banana Republic mostly makes its suits using lightweight or medium-weight fabrics. These are ideal for year-round use, and some are even stretchy to reduce the risk of tears.

What to Look For in an Online Suit Shop

When looking to buy men’s suits, you should only rely on trusted providers. To speed up your search, only consider the companies that check the following boxes:

• Wide selection – If the wedding day is right around the corner, you don’t want to waste time going from one website to the next because neither has a large selection of suits. So, the first thing you should check is how many products you can find on a particular page. There should be a large assortment of styles, materials, colors, and accessories.
• Reliable quality – Exceptional quality is just as important (if not more important) as the size of the assortment. You want to work with a provider who consistently offers durable suits. A great way to check if that’s the case is to read customer reviews.
• Smooth shipping – A customer-oriented suit shop shouldn’t have exorbitant shipping fees. The cost should be minimal, and the transportation itself must be fast. If the wedding day is right around the corner, delayed shipments will only make you anxious. Some providers offer expedited and free shipping to simplify the buying process further.
• Robust return policy – If a shop doesn’t allow you to return every suit you try, it defeats the purpose of internet shopping. You should be able to try and return the item for free. To find out if that’s the case, contact a provider’s customer service before ordering a garment.

Customizing Your Suit

You want the suit to look like it was made for you (just the way this one looks good on George Clooney). The secret lies in customizing the garment. A made-to-measure suit lets you achieve the custom fit you’ve always dreamed of.

Many directions are possible when getting a tailor-made suit:

• Go for a standard cotton suit, or try a different material. For instance, a merino wool or silk suit might make more sense if you’re preparing for a summer event. Velvet is an excellent choice for nighttime winter parties.
• Pick notch lapels if the event isn’t as formal. By contrast, choose peak lapels if you want to achieve a sophisticated look.
• Include just one button for a casual appearance or three/four buttons for a touch of class.
• Get a double-breasted jacket if you want to keep all eyes on your upper body, or a single-breasted garment to divide attention equally.

Suit Separates: Mix and Match

Suit separates allow you to choose a combination that reflects your personality best. You’re not limited to just one or two colors. Instead, let your imagination run wild here and make sure each element is an expression of your style.

Jacket

When buying a suit online, everything starts from the jacket. It lays the groundwork for every other element, so you need to get it right:

• Wear a default black or navy blue jacket if it’s a formal or cocktail event.
• Go for a plaid jacket if the dress code is more relaxed.
• Pick a charcoal gray jacket if you need a slightly less formal yet highly versatile option.

Pants

If you’re wearing separates, your pants and jacket shouldn’t be the same color. Take a look at some of the most popular combinations:

• Olive green jacket and charcoal gray pants
• Navy blue jacket and light blue pants
• Burgundy jacket and dark blue pants
• Black jacket with white pants

Dress Shirt

Selecting the right dress shirt can add a new dimension to your apparel. You should choose it after selecting your jacket and pants. A few reliable combinations include:

• Olive green jacket, charcoal gray pants, white shirt
• Navy blue jacket, light blue pants, white shirt
• Burgundy jacket, dark blue pants, burgundy shirt
• Black jacket, white/gray pants, white shirt

Shoes

The importance of shoes can’t be overlooked. After all, the famous shoe designer Christian Louboutin boldly declared: “Shoes transform your body language and attitude. They lift you physically and emotionally.”

Therefore, it’s essential to select the right shoes when mixing and matching suit colors:

• Olive green jacket, charcoal gray pants, white shirt, black Oxford shoes
• Navy blue jacket, light blue pants, white shirt, brown loafers
• Burgundy jacket, dark blue pants, burgundy shirt, black derbies
• Black jacket, white/gray pants, white shirt, brown Oxford shoes

How to Ensure the Best Fit

Don't forget how a suit or tuxedo should fit you. A suit should fit you like a dream. It shouldn’t be too tight to prevent you from breathing comfortably but not too loose either so you look inappropriate. To avoid this, take the necessary measurements when ordering your suit online:

• Chest (directly under the armpits)
• Waist (just above the hips)
• Inseam (from the crotch to the ankle)

Popular Suit Brands to Consider

These five suit brands dominate the suit industry:

• Ralph Lauren – Stylish suits for semi-formal and casual events
• Michael Kors – Ethereal suits for white tie and black tie occasions
• Calvin Klein – Super-comfortable suits for cocktail parties
• Ted Baker – Renowned maker of top-quality wedding suits
• Tommy Hilfiger – Versatile manufacturer of affordable suits

Dressing the Suit Up or Down

Whether you should dress a suit up or down depends on the occasion. If it’s a black tie, white tie, or cocktail event, you should dress your suit up. Conversely, casual events allow you to dress down a bit.

Let’s take a look at a few events and figure out how to categorize them:

• Dress up – Nighttime winter weddings, business celebrations
• Dress down – Daytime beach weddings, outdoor birthday parties

These are just general guidelines. Ultimately, it’s the dress code on the invitation that determines whether you should dress up or down.

Conclusion

There’s no need to second-guess your decision to buy quality suits online. With just a few clicks, you can find the perfect suit for any occasion. Just make sure to customize your garment carefully and select the right fit. It’ll help you create a lasting impression.