# Calvin klein suit?



## dormat029 (Mar 28, 2010)

Hey guys, I'm a new member and was wondering if anybody has experienced having a calvin klein suit. I know reading through the forums and around that they are not the best, but I can't afford super high quality. I can get a new one for $150 usd and it's a linen suit that I would wear in the summer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Scotch&Cigars (Dec 27, 2009)

My starter suits (before I found this place, obviously) were a couple of CK suits made for Macy's. The suits wrinkle too easily, and you can tell that the construction/materials are just not all that great. On the other hand, I was fortunate to find an incredible tailor in my area who was able to make these suits look good on me. Unfortunately, the cost of tailoring ended up not being worth it considering how short the lifespan of the suits was.

You can do better for not too much more money


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## dormat029 (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for the response. I didn't know if it would even be worth getting one since it's so cheap, but I guess not.


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## jojo (Mar 28, 2007)

They're not the best but for $150 I'd pick them up. I wouldn't expect them to last more than a few years but for the time they last they'd be stylish and functional enough.


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## johnpark11 (Oct 19, 2009)

I bought a few when I was short on funds early in my career and they last fine. I have one that's 5 years old at least and it looks new. They tend to be a little boxy though. For $150, you will get more than your $ worth.


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## dormat029 (Mar 28, 2010)

Is light beige a bad color to get? I'm going to be interning this summer and only have black w/ pinstripes, solid navy and dark grey. I haven't really been accustomed to people with suits so I'm not sure if the color would be appropriate for a law firm setting. Once again, thank you for the helpful information.


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## My Pet. A Pantsuit (Dec 25, 2008)

FWIW, an $80 Stafford suit from JCPenney is made at least as well if not better.


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## Scotch&Cigars (Dec 27, 2009)

dormat029 said:


> Is light beige a bad color to get? I'm going to be interning this summer and only have black w/ pinstripes, solid navy and dark grey. I haven't really been accustomed to people with suits so I'm not sure if the color would be appropriate for a law firm setting. Once again, thank you for the helpful information.


Depends on the firm. In big firms, you mostly see dark suits (though there are some individuals who veer). In smaller firms I've seen a wider array of colors, depending on the season.


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## dormat029 (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for the posts. I think I'll just pass and if need be buy one off ebay. I saw a thread for someone asking to spend around $200 so I'll just keep an eye on that. Thanks again, you guys saved me some cash as I would have purchased it without knowing any better.


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## Bradman (May 28, 2009)

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Calvin Klein has different levels of quality in their suits. There is the Calvin Klein, the CK line, etc... Of course these could all be not very good to begin with, but some I believe are better than others. I have a Calvin Klein suit that now compared to some of my better suits, feels thin and I would not rate it too high personally, but it is a wool suit. In the case of the linen one you are looking at, $150 for a new linen (name brand) suit doesn't sound like a bad deal.


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## thefancyman (Apr 24, 2009)

Bradman said:


> Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Calvin Klein has different levels of quality in their suits.


Yes, Calvin Klein has several lines of suits all of varying levels of quality. I think at the bottom there is CK by Calvin Klein which is a diffusion line marketed to a young, trendier buyer. Than there is Calvin Klein which is more traditional but still quite contemporary. Both of these lines are fused if I'm not mistaken. After that, there is Calvin Klein Collection which is made in Italy with finer quality fabrics like cashmere blends, wool crepes and supers wools but I believe these are fused as well. At the top there is Calvin Klein "Black Label" which is designed by Calvin himself and featured in runway shows. These suits are made in Italy and canvassed to some degree but I'm not sure about the maker or level of actual hand-tailoring involved.


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## jojo (Mar 28, 2007)

I've never heard of Black Label. I thought the highest level was Collection and that was the one designed by Calvin. Unless by runway you mean the kind of ridiculous pieces that were never intended to be worn by normal people anyway and thats why I've never heard of Black Label.


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## thefancyman (Apr 24, 2009)

jojo said:


> I've never heard of Black Label. I thought the highest level was Collection and that was the one designed by Calvin. Unless by runway you mean the kind of ridiculous pieces that were never intended to be worn by normal people anyway and thats why I've never heard of Black Label.


Sorry, I got my labels mixed up. "Black Label" is Calvin Klein Collection but I didn't realize that CK Collection changed their label from white with black letters to dark, grey with black letters. CK Collection isn't primarily designed by Calvin I believe he is just the creative director now. I also found some interesting information on the maker of the line which seems to be done in-house. In 2003, the line was licensed to Vestimenta SpA but changed to Fingen SpA in 2006. However, in late 2007, Phillips Van Heusen (parent company of Calvin Klein) ended the contract and brought the manufacture back in-house. I'm not sure who manufactured CK Collection before 2003 but it was most likely Gruppo GFT, which that company and the others listed leads me to believe the line is either fused or half-canvassed.


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## jojo (Mar 28, 2007)

Thanks for the info. Btw, I have a tie that just says "Calvin Klein" in black letters on a white label. Any idea what line its from?


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## thefancyman (Apr 24, 2009)

jojo said:


> Thanks for the info. Btw, I have a tie that just says "Calvin Klein" in black letters on a white label. Any idea what line its from?


Your Welcome. I believe that is the standard Calvin Klein label from the main line.


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

*Try Target*

One of the women who does tailoring for me sees many first suits in this university town. Her opinion is that the Target house brand (Merona?) offers the best value for money in an entry-level suit.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Maybe when they had wool suits, but it's all polyester/rayon blend now and you do _not_ want that stuff anywhere near you during summer. They've also discontinued the all cotton shirts (though a few of the sport shirts still are).


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