Photo:The Guardian
Over the years I have purchased their clothing and have always felt that their fit and cut suits most of us. Marks and Spencer (M & S) single breasted two or three buttoned suits are actually quite good machine made ready to wear items (RTW) that, whilst have fused canvassing in the front (or chest), have quite a good fit and drape to it. They may not have working buttons on the sleeves but they come with buttons where there are supposed to be buttons - sleeves and lapel, vent or vents at the rear (instead of a potato sack look to it) and the appropriate length - just covering your behind. They are mostly fully lined items and may wear a little warm for our tropical climate, but when buying off the rack, you cannot have everything. And since you're purchasing this for use almost straight away (as tailor made would mean fittings which you do not have the time for), beggars cannot be choosers. Even suits by other high street retailers are either more expensive (Massimo Dutti or Sacoor Brothers which both make decent quality RTW suits and jackets) or without proper details or too fashion forward to be business-like or be truly well-dressed (like those from Zara or H.E by MNG). Some are also badly tailored. So with M & S, it actually achieves a good level of quality for its price. Enough said.
On the point of whether the jacket has a floating or fused canvas on the front, I honestly do not think nor care whether it would be a problem as 99% of the people around you would not be able to recognise this 'quality' detail in one's suit jacket. As long as the suit jacket fits you nicely it is fine enough. This means making sure that the sleeves end about a centimeter above your shirt sleeve and that the length is correct - just covering your behind (M & S suit jackets come in Short, Medium and Long, so choose wisely).
I actually learnt of this little tip sometime in 2005 by reading through Saville Row tailor Thomas Mahon's blog, founder of English Cut. A few of his articles actually suggested M & S. I was already purchasing M & S pants then (usually buying their wool blend as well as those made of cotton and linen - to this day) and liked how they sat on me. I suppose I needed some assurance to back up my quite compulsive purchases from M & S. Of course, the photo on top is of the previous Chairman of M & S, Sir Stuart Rose, pictured in a M & S pinstripe suit. Note that the cut and fit is pretty good for something off the rack. If the suit is good enough for the Chairman of a multi-million Pound company, it is actually good enough for one who is in desperate need of a decent suit.
Anyway, I personally do not own a M & S suit. Why so? Firstly, when I first started work, I already have a well cut, well made bespoke double breasted 4x2 suit in black, made for moot court (and amazingly still fits me fine after over twenty years of service....albeit with some alteration in the waist to fit my expanded girth. This is surely a testament towards going bespoke) .
Secondly, my work, even from the days of a lowly paid Legal Executive seldom required more than the standard Malaysian business casual dress code - a dress shirt and a tie. Even later on, up till now, my work environment has been the even more casual than that and work meant I would only be required to use a tie or just throw on a sports jacket/blazer at certain meetings. Of course, this basically meant having a few good sports jackets and blazers. Which I do have a lot of, bespoke and RTW. I suppose I am slightly blessed with casualness. And these days, if I needed a suit, it usually is Made to Measure or Bespoke. You do graduate up after a certain period of time. Yes?
So anyway, buy a Marks and Spencer suit. If you want a proper, affordable suit to wear.
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