George Zimmer, Your Guarantee is A-Okay With Me

by rachaelgking on September 2, 2010 · 33 comments

***Hey, you. Yeah, YOU. You look like you might be in a “skimming” mood today. Look, that’s cool- we all do it. But do me a favor grande, if you please, and make sure you click here to read something very important wayyyyyyyyyyy down at the bottom. Don’t worry- there’s lots of shiny pictures along the way!***

Last Saturday, B and I donned our “classy” faces and headed over to the Men’s Wearhouse at Connecticut and K NW (Farragut Square) for some old-fashioned suiting. My darling dear had been invited to come in and experience their standard “Buying A Suit” experience.

We walked in and were instantly greeted by, well, everyone. And not in that overbearing, “CAN I HELP YOU PLEASE AND POSSIBLY MAKE A COMMISSION SLASH JUST GIVE ME THE MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKETS” way, but in a way that was warm, casual, and quickly identified who we were and who we needed to see.

The man we needed to see, it turned out, was manager Anthony Caudillo. To be honest, I always sort of imagined the store manager of a corporate suit shop would be something akin to your stereotypical used car salesman; slicked back hair, beady eyes, and a clammy handshake that withered a piece of your soul with each touch.

Anthony could not have been more different. He was truly friendly, efficient, and genuine, making you feel as though you were shopping with a friend (who just happened to know a LOT more about suits and all things menswear-y things than you). The boys immediately hit it off, talking about dood stuff while they casually sorted through the racks, discussing what B already had in his closet, what he might need for the fall, and of course, the Eagles and the Redskins. 

The journey begins.

Action shot! Look at those hands go!

Discussing sleeve styles, flat-front vs. pleats, and other manly suit stuffs.

Dayummmmmmmmmm.

While the men did their thing, I took the opportunity to capture the layout of the store. I was really impressed by the decor and stylings of the displays- everything was so chic and creative, while still maintaining the clean, classic look I personally associate with truly wonderful menswear.

Dapper Dan in da house.

It ain't just suits at the MW anymore.

Mmmmmmmm. Even men's shoes get my heart racing.

Heyoooooooooooo!

After B had selected a lovely navy AND a gorgeous olive with a faint blue pinstripe, it was shoe time.

Every man needs a good burgundy in his closet. (Apparently.)

Again, Anthony walked us through it step by step, considering what B already had against what would best compliment the two suits. Once a shoe was chosen, we moved on to the tailor for a fitting.

Sidebar: Though B and I would like to think we’re special, this entire suit-fitting procedure is standard for ANYONE who buys a suit at the Men’s Wearhouse. The tailoring is all done in-house, is a one-time cost, and is priced by what actually needs to be done, other than a “one size fits all” flat rate. After that, the tailoring is guaranteed for life, and you can bring the suit back in at any point to be resized, fixed, and even steamed for free, yo. WhaBAM!!!

A bit to the right...

A little to the left...

Perfect.

Finally, after the fitting, it was time for the accoutrements. (God, I’m fancy.)

Anthony handed us off to their stylist, who had pulled sets of shirts and ties that could all be mixed and matched between the suits, taking into account the environment he works in (conservative) as well as his personal style.

Rock that purple, baby.

We also ended up with a belt and cufflinks to complete the ensembles, and suddenly my already-stylish man went from a 10 to an 11 in the “Don Draper Debonair Department”.

The whole trip took MAYBE an hour, but we weren’t rushed for even a moment. The experience was easy and pleasant, and we felt well-guided without being smothered and forced into purchasing half the store. DeeeeLITEful.

B picked up his new duds yesterday on the way home from work, so of course I forced him to play dress up for you:

Pay no attention to the kibble strewn across the floor...

Murray can't wait to cover that with white fur.

Swoon, baby. *Swoon.*

Is that... is that a BAG I hear crinkling?!

Turns out the Men's Wearhouse had something for everyone.

So, all in all, a ridiculously awesome and successful Saturday afternoon. Ladies, if you ever need a gift idea for your man, I would highly recommend either a gift card to Men’s Wearhouse, or better yet, accompanying him on the journey and picking up the tab (if you’re in that place, of course). This ain’t no one-month anniversary present.

Finally, and without a doubt most importantly, the Men’s Wearhouse launched their National Suit Drive yesterday on Sept. 1st. Now through September 30th,  they’re asking for donations of gently-worn suits and professional clothing, which will be given to local non-profit organizations who will pass on the clothes to low- (or no-)income men in need of professional wear on their job hunt. Clothes can be dropped off at any Men’s Wearhouse store across the nation. More information about what and how to donate can be found here.

This is their third annual drive, and it is truly a fantastic cause. B dropped off a couple of his own suits yesterday, and (if you can find it in your closet/heart), so should you.

Disclaimer: B was given a gift certificate to Men’s Wearhouse in exchange for my review of the suiting-up experience, Barney Stinson style. All opinions represented here, however, are our own and 100% for reals.






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{ 33 comments }

1 MsDarkstar September 2, 2010 at 2:00 pm

Wow! B is totally stylin’ in his new clothes. Thanks for making him model for us!
And, yeah, Murray is eyeing up that suit to make sure that it will be maximally furry!
Glad to see even Axe Murderer got something out of the trip!

2 Amanda September 2, 2010 at 2:01 pm

You’re so patient! One thing that almost guarantees a tiff in my relationship is when the boyfriend goes suit shopping, I swear its as if he wants my opinion only so he can choose the opposite. In all seriousness though, the suit drive is a great cause and I will be letting people around my office know. Thanks for spreading the word!

3 RondaMarie September 2, 2010 at 2:06 pm

Awesome, I have two 3 piece suits that are brand new (worn maybe once) that were the exes and many, many shirts and ties, some with the tags still on them. I shall donate them this weekend.

4 Mandee September 2, 2010 at 2:13 pm

funny story. I actually worked at Men’s Wearhouse as a “stylist” when I was a teenager. I liked the experience and MOST of the people, but I hated the manager… he was a total d-bag. but their customer service is great, and the prices aren’t too shabby either! any time Sean needs new work digs, I send him there!

5 Skylers Dad September 2, 2010 at 2:19 pm

I used to have a job that required me to wear suits each day. I actually had a decent wardrobe, unlike my shorts and t-shirts for all occasions I am now sporting.

6 Liz @ Dogs & Wine September 2, 2010 at 2:23 pm

Ben is lookin’ supa dupa fly. I need to get Patrick a suit and find more reasons to make him wear it.

7 Summer September 2, 2010 at 2:26 pm

B looks awesome in his new suit. Also, I never knew that burgundy was a male essential. I always learn something when I visit here.

I, too, became ecstatic when I saw the shoes in the pic. Is that a good sign?

8 Heather Rose September 2, 2010 at 2:44 pm

Uh-mazing. B looks quite the adorable/professional dude, and the National Suit Drive is awesome. ^_^

9 lbluca77 September 2, 2010 at 2:48 pm

I love a man in a suit. I wish men wore them more often like they do on Mad Men.

And typical nosey cat getting excited when you bring a bag in the house. I think bags our like porn for cats.

10 Kelly September 2, 2010 at 2:51 pm

I love when men get all dressed up :-) My hubs has an obsession with french cuff shirts and cuff links… It’s all he will wear when he gets fancy schmancy…. (well – for the shirt part… of course he has a suit and tie too… And of course a pocket square because “one does want a hint of color”……..) And I always enjoy tagging along with his visits to his guy at Nordstrom that picks out all the lovely things for him to wear…..

11 Kelly September 2, 2010 at 2:52 pm

Oh… and I’m gonna have to have him go through all his old stuff and clear some out to donate…

12 Lindsay September 2, 2010 at 3:24 pm

This is such a great gift idea. I’m super broke at the moment, but someday I’d love to do this for my boyfriend.

13 Nora September 2, 2010 at 3:24 pm

Way to go B on the new clothes! He looks like he’s ready to take DC by storm :) Thanks for sharing the donation opportunity also!

14 yourstrulydear September 2, 2010 at 3:49 pm

well look at your little male model!! my hubs doesn’t even have a suit. he rented one for our wedding haha. all this swag looks super classy though. and i love how you said theres something for everyone about your kitties haha. we came home with subway the other day and jay-z was OBSESSED with the bags. it was kind of humorous..

oh…josh has some dress shirts though that we can probably clear out and donate. so we aren’t completely heartless failures ;] haha

15 Mar September 2, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Two Things:

#1. GOD. i love MEN in SUITS.

#2. um, can I have ANTHONY’s number? that boy is gooooooooooood lookin’.

16 J September 2, 2010 at 4:42 pm

As I was reading this I was all, “someone MUST have paid her to write this…I’ve never heard such glowing reactions to The Men’s Warehouse.”

But hey, sounds like they took good care of you. Like the people at my Cousin Vinny’s store in Queens. They’ll take good care of you too. Although they don’t sell suits. Well, they do. But honestly, what they really sell are ways to make your life better through connections to the Mafia.

17 Barbara September 2, 2010 at 5:02 pm

Lookin’ good B!

I love a man in a suit.

18 Anna September 2, 2010 at 5:06 pm

He looks amazing!!! What a cutie. And the picture of the cat in the MW bag – brills! :)

19 citygal September 2, 2010 at 5:29 pm

I heart men in suits, but somehow, I always end up with the t-shirt type. But if a man is smart, he’ll put on a suit if he wants a lil’ sumthin-sumthin ;)

20 Stevie September 2, 2010 at 8:22 pm

B looks dashing! Excellent suit. I absolutely LOVE shopping for menswear and have been with my brothers and a couple guy friends to purchase suits at Men’s Wearhouse. Each time was exactly how you described your experience – the staff was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and SO low pressure. The stores are clean and the displays are current and relevant. And each suit I’ve seen purchased at the store has been perfect. Way to go, Men’s Wearhouse!

I’ve donated lots of my own clothing to several organizations similar to the Suit Drive. It’s SUCH a great cause. I’ll go through the BF’s closet tonight :-)

21 Tom Goette September 2, 2010 at 9:12 pm

LOL! Great post! I just went there a couple weeks ago to get a new suit because I had some job interviews lined up the next day and I wanted to look super hot (okay, well, not as gross, anyway) and had a great experience there too. The best part is that one of the hiring managers saw me looking smooth in my suit and told the HR lady that “that’s the kind of guy I’m looking for for my department.” I start work on Tuesday.

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23 Kristin September 3, 2010 at 12:16 am

The hubs got a suit there and had a great experience! And your Mr. looks quite dapper!

24 Megan September 3, 2010 at 6:43 am

Husband rented a suit from Men’s Wearhouse when we got married, and it was a great experience! I loved that they had colors to match the colors at David’s Bridal, so I could get the best man’s shirt to match my sister’s dress. It was perfect!

25 Joshua September 3, 2010 at 7:38 am

Damn, that’s a nice looking suit. Might have to pay a visit for a new suit soon.

26 silverneurotic September 3, 2010 at 9:15 am

I went into Men’s Warehouse once with my friend who needed some slacks and shirts for work. Our sales guy was Creepy with a capitol C. He would not stop talking to us, and not just the normal small talk. I don’t get bad vibes too often but I could not wait to get the eff out of there!

Funny, as soon as I started typing this comment, a commercial for Men’s Warehouse came on television.

27 Allison September 3, 2010 at 11:25 am

Way to go, B! I’ve been in that store with my boyfriend and normally I get the “stop-talking-so-much” look, followed by an equally meaningful “just-let-the-experts-do-their-job” eye stare.

28 kate September 3, 2010 at 12:24 pm

Mmm…we went to a Men’s Warehouse to pick out the suit that my husband wore to our wedding. That place is awesome.

29 meleah rebeccah September 3, 2010 at 4:51 pm

Anytime I need to get my son a suit or even just shirt and/or blazer, I always take him to ‘The Men’s Wearhouse’. They have excellent customer service and very reasonable prices.

30 Heidi Renée September 4, 2010 at 12:55 am

You win so much for saying doods and accoutrements in the same post. And B is looking foooooine!

31 Katie September 5, 2010 at 7:53 pm

Wow – looking good for sure! I can’t resist my husband in a suit…I wish he had to wear them more often! I particularly like the shoes y’all picked out!

32 Lil' Woman September 6, 2010 at 6:00 pm

Woot Woot B!

33 Txtingmrdarcy September 7, 2010 at 4:32 pm

Great timing… we needed some advice on suits for the wedding, and B is a lovely model. :)

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