This affordable suit review is a part of a quest I am on to find out which affordable suits are worth looking into and which ones to avoid. Finding a great suit can be difficult just by looking at a product page so, in this post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the Jos A Bank Reserve Collection Tailored Fit Suit!
First, let’s look at Jos. A. Bank and who they are.
The company that would come to be called Jos. A. bank was started in 1905. At the time, it was called L. Hartz and Bank. In 1945 the name was changed to Jos. A. Bank and then in 2014 it merged with Men’s Warehouse but kept true to its operating methods. Men’s Warehouse outsources its brands whereas Jos. A. Bank makes their own suits.
Jos. A. Bank offers a number of different styles of suits. In another review, I looked at the 1905 Navy suit. The company also offers a wide variety of colors and fabrics, so you can find the perfect suit for your needs.
In this review, we’ll take a look at one of their affordable suits from their Reserve collection.
Jos Bank frequently runs sales on its suits, so you can get a great deal on a high-quality garment. This suit from the Reserve Collection was reduced from its original retail price of $620 to a great, and affordable, $149.
The Pants
Flat Front
Button-Clasp-Button with a zipper
Two side pockets with a mini pocket in the right side.
Also, two pockets with buttons in the back
There are enough pockets for anything you might need to take with you. AND a mini pocket within the front right pocket.
Trousers came unhemmed. That way you can get them hemmed to the length that you prefer.
The website listing says they are lined to the knee, which is also accurate. The lining feels nice and, when I tried them on, goes just below my knees.
100% wool, I can definitely say that these pants do feel nice. And the stitching looks really good, too.
It’ll cost you around $15-$20 to get these hemmed and you’ll be able to get the perfect fit.
The reason why many companies don’t pre-hem their pants is that it cuts down on inventory costs. With unhemmed pants, a store could have a shelf with one type of pants, 10 different waist sizes and 10 pairs of each. That’s 100 pairs of pants.
If they did pre-hem the length similar to how we get jeans at retail stores, they would only need about 5 pairs of each at 10 different waist sizes, which is 50 pairs. But then when you account for the 10 different lengths as well, that would be 500 pairs!
Three times as much inventory would be needed for each type, and color of pants. From a business perspective, it makes sense.
And, since a large portion of suit wearers get their pant legs adjusted to their preference of full break, half break, or no break, it also makes sense for customers.
Anyways…
Similar to the 1905 Navy pants, these are a little bit snug for the size 42 waist. I know that some of you guys might be thinking “oh… I just gained some weight.”
No.
Nearly all of my pants, slacks, and jeans are a size 42 and they all fit just fine. So, just as a reminder, if you decide to get these, go up a size in the pants for the best fit!
Overall, the pants are pretty nice.
Let’s talk about the jacket.
The Jacket
I tried both the 50 long and the 52 long. Since these suits are mass-produced, I wanted to make sure that I had one with a good fit to review. Here are some of the key points mentioned on the website:
● Two-button jacket
● Notched lapel
● Side vents
● 100% wool
The label on the jacket says that it is super 110s wool which is a decent enough quality wool. It’s pretty comfortable and durable, and also made in the USA.
With the 1905 navy jacket I reviewed before, I have to go with the 52 long but looking at these, I think that the 50 long fits better.
Again, this is a result of clothing being mass-produced. The size you wear for one brand or type doesn’t always carry over to a different one. Even within the same manufacturer.
The shoulders fit well and there’s no tugging on the sleeves. The sleeve length is good enough that I shouldn’t need to get it adjusted. Suits aren’t made to be playing basketball or football in but you should able to lift your arms parallel to the floor. That is how a suit should fit.
There are 4 kissing buttons on each sleeve. Like most affordable suits, these are only for decoration.
There is an inner lining on this jacket that is similar to the 1905 navy suit but this one also has a half canvas. That means that there’s a piece of material between the inner lining and the outer fabric. This is going to allow the suit to fit better over time and, because it’s not fused with glue, it breathes better.
You don’t find many affordable suits with a canvas lining.
There are three pockets on the inside of the jacket and three pockets on the outside.
Like with most suits, the pockets are sewn closed so you’ll either need to cut them open, which is pretty easy, or have a tailor do it. Some tailors will do it for free but some may charge around $5 and it only takes about 2 minutes.
Conclusion / Update
All in all, I would say that this is absolutely a suit worth buying. The canvas lining alone makes it worth the price. And with it being on clearance at $149 down from $620 makes it even better!
UPDATE: Jos bank has recently removed the Reserve line from being available as an Off-the-Rack suit. It is now available as a custom made to measure suit. You can go online or into a Jos Bank store, get custom fitted for one of these suits (not Bespoke), and pick out the lining and features you want. And your suit will be ready in a few weeks for you to pick up.
If you are interested in checking out what Jos Bank has available on clearance right now or to get your own Reserve suit made to measure, check them out here with the latest promotions.
If you want to see some other reviews from suits to wallets, be sure to check out my other posts here.