D.C. isn’t necessarily known as a “business casual” city. Take a stroll downtown during the work week and you’ll see for yourself: everyone is dressed to impress. As such, it’s important to own a decent suit, if not more than one. Something that’s stylish, bold, but not too loud. Or maybe you want something loud that makes a statement? Whatever the occasion, there’s plenty of options for suit shopping in D.C., whether you’re looking to show off or if you’re on a budget. Below, DCist writers share their favorite places to get a suit in the D.C. area.
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JOS. A. BANK: It’s not exactly a hip store, but Jos. A. Bank has a line of slim-fit suits, called the Traveler line, which runs for about $300, and they look pretty good. And considering it’s Jos. A. Bank, there’s always some kind of crazy deal going on. They may or may not be the highest quality suits in the world (I’ve only worn mine once, for a wedding) but they look good and aren’t too expensive. A good option for folks who don’t need to wear suits every day. And who knows, maybe they really are made well—I just haven’t worn it enough to find out. — Andrew Wiseman
Jos. A. Bank has five locations in D.C., which you can find here, as well as numerous other locations in Maryland and Virginia.
H & M: H&M sells slim-cut sport coats and pants as separates, but many will go together as suits, and most will run you less than $100—I bought a blue linen sport coat and a green one with a funky lining for about $70 each. The downside? H&M mostly sells smaller sizes, so you may get frustrated trying to find pants with bigger than 32″ waist. — Andrew Wiseman
H&M has locations at 1025 F Street NW, 1133 Connecticut Avenue NW, and 3222 M Street NW.
BROOKS BROTHERS: Do you have a job where you can really express yourself? Where you can rock your dopest Converge t-shirt and show off that sweet D.C. flag tattoo you got last week even though you’re from Wisconsin and just moved here a year ago? That sounds super tight! But look: A lot of folks in D.C. have jobs where they just need to blend in—where self-expression could be a fireable offense. If your boss doesn’t want anyone to know you’re there, Brooks Brothers—a bastion of traditional American suiting—is the place for you. Brooks Brothers, at this point, is essentially a mall outlet with slightly higher quality products: many of their suits are made in Italy or Massachusetts and will generally look and wear well for years. — Ron Knox
Brooks Brothers has locations at 1201 Connecticut Avenue NW, 3077 M Street NW, and 5504 Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase, Md.
J. PRESS: Like Brooks Brothers, at J. Press, most everything is well-made, but watch out whippersnappers: most everything here will be really, crazy traditional. Think flannel sack suits with 3/2 roll lapels—basically, the kind of thing you’d wear if you want to dress like your grandpa, if your grandpa went to Harvard. Or, you know, if you’re really into normcore. Plan on dropping around a grand at both J. Press and Brooks Brothers, but both have substantial sales a few times a year. — Ron Knox
J. Press is located at 1801 L Street NW.
BLOOMINGDALE’S: Bloomingdale’s is a venerable old joint where they have everything your sad, suitless heart desires. Sure, the places is stodgy and generally reeks of the kind of moneyed jerkoffs you probably don’t want to hang around, but if you can tip-toe through the minefield of $3,500 zebra calf handbags and $7,500 candelabras, their suits can run the gamut—from workaday gear to luxe stuff for corner offices. At the lower end, you can cop an on-trend Theory suit for around six bills. At the other end, you can spend upwards of two grand on a Canali suit that will maybe help fill that pit of loneliness inside of your dead heart. Is two grand a lot of cash to spend on something? Yeah, totally! But I don’t know, maybe you just want to blow a bunch of a bones on a really nice suit. Who am I to judge!? — Ron Knox
Bloomingdales is located at 5300 Western Avenue in Chevy Chase, Md. and at 8100 Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Va.
SUIT SUPPLY: Hello fashionable young human, do you need a new suit? Great, go to Suit Supply, a place that sounds like a Chinatown warehouse where they stock the finest polyester “Louis Vittone” and “Gucchi” wares but is actually a Dutch retailer that has seemingly perfected the art of taking really nice wools and linens and turning them into solid suits at very reasonable price points. A shop that sells a classic gray suit in a nice wool for $400 is a welcome sight, but beware: Suit Supply bows down to the gods of Fashion Week, and their stuff can be trendy to a fault. Forget the skinny lapels of H&M and Ben Sherman, Suit Supply lapels get wide—too wide to be fronted upon!—and their fabric patterns can require earplugs. But hey! Maybe you have, like, a clown funeral to go to or something! — Ron Knox
Suit Supply is located at 2828 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
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HUGH & CRYE: While Hugh & Crye doesn’t outright sell full suits—their thing is mostly shirts and jackets—they do have an impressive arsenal of blazers, sport coats, and jackets that can be paired with the right pair of pants for a makeshift suit. That kind a thing is ideal for someone who, like me, doesn’t have the money—and wears suits infrequently enough—to go out and buy full fancy suits. Fake it real good, am I right? Anyway, not only are Hugh & Crye’s selections fashionable and sleek, they, unlike H&M, know that not all men are of a skinny European frame, and offer plenty of options for dudes with broad shoulders. With jackets no more than $300, Hugh & Crye is a good option for those who want to look sharp on a budget. — Matt Cohen
Hugh & Crye is located at 3212 O Street NW #5.
MEN’S WAREHOUSE: Men’s Warehouse, like a Bar Mitzvah, is were boys go to become men. I mean, it’s right there in the title “Men’s” Warehouse. If I’m being honest, I don’t know much about suits, but I’ve been buying suits—or rather, my parents have been helping me buy suits when I need them—from Men’s Warehouse my whole life. So that must mean they’re good, right? The dude from Men’s Warehouse promise that “you’re going to like the way you look.” He even guarantees it. In my case, he hasn’t been wrong, and they seem like reasonably priced suits, so I’ll keep going there when I need a suit. — Matt Cohen
Men’s Warehouse is located at 1024 Connecticut Avenue NW.
J. CREW: Earlier this summer there was an event I had to attend where I needed to dress fancy, but not suit-worthy fancy. Thus, I was in a predicament, because all I owned was my trusty fancy suit (thank you Men’s Warehouse) and some ratty old tweed jackets (no comment). The former being too much for the event, the latter being too, uh, schlubby. Thus I went on a hunt for a decently priced sport coat, and that landed me at J. Crew. Sylish and affordable, don’t sleep on J. Crew for suit and jacket needs. Shit’s legit. — Matt Cohen
J. Crew has numerous locations throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Find them all here.
MACY’S: While the days of the grand department store are all but gone, D.C.’s downtown Macy’s is still a reliable place to get suits. One night before Carol Burnett was honored at the Kennedy Center last year, my date for the evening still did not have proper attire. The poor planning coincided with one of the many decent sales the department store runs on suits, leaving him with a good-looking black suit for under $100. The sales staff was extremely helpful, even directing us to a tailor that could alter the suit that day. The wonderful women at VIP Custom Tailor stayed open past closing time to make sure my date was not drowning in his new pants. —Sarah Anne Hughes
D.C.’s Macy’s is located at 1201 G Street NW.
