Lands’ End Tailored Collection Suit
Do you even know how much I owe Paul Bernie who runs Manshion?
No, I am in no kind of gambling debt with him, but rather indebted for providing me inspiration to start Made To Measure and for his consistently amazing and affordable finds at places you would never think of looking.
One of his most recent is from Lands’ End (yes, the brand you find at Kmart) called the Tailored Suit Collection. I was so weary at first but after he posted photos I had to dive in. I dropped $150 + shipping and when it arrived I took it straight out of the box and it fit like a CHARM. Made of lightweight and 100% wrinkle free merino wool, this charcoal pinstripe piece completed my entire wardrobe as I now have every “essential” suit.
Let me get into what $150 can get you by first showing you how EXCELLENT it is cut. Medium lapels, pinched waist, slim cut but not too tight pants. Way better quality than an H&M number:
The only thing I had Matt at Imparali do was move the top button on the blazer over to bring the sides in a bit. Other than that, I see no need for extra tailoring on this. I MAY have the legs tapered a little more but I think they are fine right now. Anymore may prove to be sausage tight. I absolutely love he little details they added as well. First off, the buttons are nice. Not cheap looking like most OTR suits. And a ticket pocket? They got you covered.
When you get to the inside of the jacket they give you 4 pockets in total which is a VERY nice touch considering most OTR suits just offer you two.
There’s a really nice blue and white striped interlining on the inside of the jacket sleeves as well. Lands’ End also offers a hemming service on the pants which I chose and had my pants hemmed at 31.25 giving them the PERFECT break.
What I love most about the suit is that everything falls really well on the body and there’s no pulling or sagging. The merino wool proves to be very comfortable and made from excellent stock (feels like super 120) making this suit a fantastic buy all around.
You can purchase your own here:
Lands’ End Tailored Collection
As for the measurements I chose, here they are:
Jacket: 38R
Pants: 33 waist, 31.25 inseam.
Trust me on this one. You will love it.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again Dennis. I have been following your blog for 28 days now and you are a great, and vividly, timeless inspiration. I began my sartorial journey sadly through a tragedy. I lost alot of loved ones due to the devastation in Haiti… but it forced me down a new path: To help others and myself reach a personal happiness through sartorial behavior. I am currently in the US Navy (two years February 12th) and will be stationed in Seoul, South Korea in June of this year.
I used to promote nightclubs here in the San Diego area, but have been focusing on self-improvement and sartorial mastery for 28 days now!
I am happy to say I ordered my very first Indochino suit today (Navy Cotton, w/ purple lining), and I used your measuring tips word for word. I will give you a full review in two weeks… but thank you again.
I found some vintage knit ties on eBay and tomorrow I am purchasing Allen Edmonds “Park Avenue” (black) and “Strand” (walnut-calf brown) shoes. I LOVE Tax Season!
I won’t need the winter boots till fall time (that’s when it snows in Korea).
My sartorial makeover should be complete within the next four months, so we’ll see. I already own a three-piece pinstripe suit from Express Men that fits like a glove. After 6 weeks I’ll purchase another Indochino, preferably Ultimate Gray, and I’ll let you know how it goes.
If you ever want to catch up with me, I’m working on my blog http://www.thesartorialway.blogspot.com, and I’m on this blog watching daily man. Paying attention on how to better myself as a man… and as human being. Thank You again Dennis. You make this Haitian Man proud.
- Fair Rose
What a wonderful comment.
I am so happy you have found inspiration through my posts and am looking very forward to reading yours as well.
That you were able to turn something so tragic into a positive personal journey has me more than a bit touched this morning.
Please keep us all in the loop of your sartorial and personal journey.
Thank you again,
Dennis Cahlo
What are your “normal” measurements for OTR to compare?
Believe it or not a 36R and a 32 waist is what I usually go for but it’s always a gamble with OTR.
If it’s H&M. Then I go for 38/34.
Best,
Dennis
Hi Dennis
Is this the Pattern Wrinkle Resistant year’rounder suit?
Looks very good for the price! Good to see that they also do overseas shipping
Regards.
I bought this jacket: http://www.landsend.com/pp/2buttonWrinkleResistantYearRoundSuitCoat~182598_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::XCL&CM_MERCH=IDX_00001_0000000399&origin=index
And these pants: http://www.landsend.com/pp/TailoredFitWrinkleResistantDressPants~182593_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::XCL&CM_MERCH=IDX_00001_0000000399&origin=index
Hope that helps!
I’m normally a size 36 (small). Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there are any jackets smaller than a 38. Dennis, have you found that the 38 at Lands End would fit someone that’s normally a size 36?
It will fit you but you will most likely need tailoring if you are a 36. Mostly I would be concerned about the shoulders if you have a smaller frame.
Best,
Dennis
Glad to hear the suit works for you. I’m a huge fan of Lands’ End and they provide an incredible value. Not everything is great but the liberal return policy makes up for it.
The suit definitely sounds like a wise purchase for those embarking on job interviews but have a tight budget.
Dennis, what is the length of the rise on the pants?
From the “X” seam in the crotch up to the top edge of the pants..
ie: Are these pants like “Slim fit” pants?
They’re not super slim fitting. They’re just cut well.
I don’t have a measuring tape, man, so I can’t help you out on that.
I’ll tell you that they won’t kill your nuts if that’s what your aiming at.
Best,
Dennis
Are you paid by Lands End for these opinions – too gushing to be truethful.
Andrew,
Your question is completely laughable and the answer is no.
And you spelled truthful wrong.
Sincerely,
Dennis Spellcheck Cahlo
…That’s ok, you spelled ‘wary’ wrong in your article. You spelled it ‘weary’.
Careful when making fun of speling errers
Had to tease…..
Dennis!
Thanks for the second opinion on the Land’s End Tailored Suit! I read Manshion’s review and saw that you also bought the suit a few weeks back. I’m sold on this now, but there aren’t any left on the Land’s End website. Guess I’ll just have to wait it out until they restock and go on sale again.
Again, thanks for reviewing this suit!
–
Rufino
Dennis…
Indochino vs. Lands’ End…care to compare?
Patrick
Hey Patrick,
That is a great question but there really is no comparison.
Indochino wins the fight hands down because of what you can DO with your suit in terms of customization and because it is cut to your own unique measurements so you get a better fit.
But if you are really strapped for cash and in need of something quick that looks great off the rack, I say go for the $150 Land’s End.
Best,
Dennis
This is a great find. I’m glad you took the time to write about it. I’m also a 38 so it’s nice to hear they fit well. I wanted to check out the fit of Target’s Merona brand wool suits, so a couple months ago I bought a 2-piece. They run a little smaller than I anticipated, so while the jacket fit nicely the pants were a bit snug (I ordered a 32… should’ve gotten a 33.) I ended up returning the whole thing, but as far as I can tell they weren’t bad for the price point ($150 total.) I have a feeling the Land’s End version may fare a little better.
Hey Barron,
I think you will be very happy with the Lands’ End fit. I may actually have the legs tapered a little as they’ve loosened up a bit after a few wears. Shouldn’t cost more than $40, though so worth it in the end.
Thanks for reading!!
Dennis
I’d ask the tailor to move the button back to where it was. The “X” around the button indicates a jacket that’s too tight.
Funny, when I wear it, it’s not tight at all on me. Without the button moved it was way too boxy for my taste.
The problem with just moving the button is that it’s a jury-rig fix.
If you wanted it slimmed, the tailor should have opened up the jacket and properly suppressed the waist.
Moving the button is like replacing a car antenna with a hanger – sure it might work, but it’s not the right way to go about it.
Well, here’s the thing:
It wasn’t boxy enough to go with a full on alteration in my eyes. My tailor (in all fairness) felt it looked too tight but being a great guy he did what I insisted on.
Anyway, the suit is with him right now getting some alterations. Once it comes back and I do my second update on it, how about you put your 2 cents in then?
Deal?
-Dennis
In your defense, I have done exactly the same thing at times. Being a slim fellow, sometimes you are in between needing a true tailoring and a slight adjustment. The nice thing is you can always move it back at a later date without harming the jacket. You can’t say the same thing after a full tailoring
[Of course you presume that you won't need to do anything more....but after years of wear and possible weigh gain or loss....you never know. ] Men’s suits last a long time, I think it looks great on you.
Do you know how much extra length there is to le tthe sleeves out?
A,
I’m not quite sure but I am having them let down significantly. Once I get them back from Matt at Imparali, I will try to remember to ask how much he let them down.
I’m also having the legs tapered because they were ballooning too much which you can’t really see in the photo.
Take care,
Dennis
Are the waist of the pants true to size or vanity sized? i.e. is a 33 waist 16.5 inches laid flat, or more like 17-17.5? also, what is the leg opening on the pants?
Hi Will,
As soon as I get the suit back from my tailor I will let you know those measurements. I finally got a tape measure!
-Dennis
Will,
So sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I’ve been slammed lately.
The pants are a vanity waist. I will give you the measurements of that and the leg opening as soon as I remember to measure the damn thing.
Take care,
Dennis
Funny I found your blog because my husband walked out of the house this morning, wearing this exact suit for the first time, looking all kinds of fantastic! He hasn’t yet had the chance to have it tweaked by a tailor, but it indeed came out of the box as close to just right as we could hope for and with that return policy, you just can’t go wrong. (By the way, they have Land’s End at Sears, not Kmart, and you can pretty much always get free shipping if you just call and ask).
I also ordered him one in navy and what we noticed is that the navy was made in Mexico while the charcoal stripe was made in India and the navy is slightly slimmer in the jacket. Don’t know if this is always the case, but he liked the fit of the navy jacket.
All in all these are a huge step up from the More Expensive suits he’s been wearing, (but with a traditional fit), which I Hated.