Esquire.com - The World's Best $500 Suit

The World's Best $500 Suit

$500 is the cusp between bad suits and good suits. If you're in the market for the latter, try this Brooks Brothers wool one.

Five hundred dollars may or may not seem like a lot of money. For a pair of hand-rubbed shoes, it's a bargain; for a pair of sunglasses, it's highway robbery. With a suit, $500 is either a high price for a bad one or a low price for a good one, and the trick is being able to tell the difference. When you pinch the fabric, does it bounce back without wrinkling? That's good material. Does the jacket sit naturally on the shoulders and chest without making you look like a 1980s comedienne? That's good structure. This blue two-piece from Brooks Brothers rings up at just under $500 and occupies that sweet spot between craftsmanship and affordability better than any other new suit we've seen this season. Sure, there are suits for every budget but at $500, this is a suit for every man.

The Extra 10%

How to top off this suit without breaking the bank

Cotton shirt ($45) and silk tie ($35) by Perry Ellis.

Rhodium-plated-and-woven-silk cuff links ($40) by Thomas Pink.

Silk pocket square ($70) by Ermenegildo Zegna.

Leather belt ($88) by Brooks Brothers.

[Origin of the Species]

Jacketology from Esquire

Five obscure bits of suit jargon you may never need to use but might be glad to know all the same.

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The drop: The term used to denote a suit's shape, e.g., a drop six means a trouser waist six inches smaller than the chest.

The jigger: The single internal button in a double-breasted jacket, which you should always fasten.

Besom pockets: Pockets cut into the suit's fabric, usually covered with a flap.

Kissing buttons: How cuff buttons on expensive suits are sewn so they almost overlap up the sleeve.

The scye: The term for the armhole, the size and shape of which often determine the jacket's fit.

[Origin of the Species]