While I am by no means a personal shopper, there have been occasional times when I have been recruited by friends, family, and acquaintances to assist with shopping for a special occasion, and I am happy to oblige! In this case, it was to take my business partner’s nephew, Drew, shopping for his first suit….a recent college graduate who worked with us as a summer intern, handsome as the devil and sweet as pie – an easy task for sure! Before deciding on where to go, needed a sense of his budget…his family informed me that he was given a $500 gift card, and he was prepared to add a bit to that if need be…OK. No brainer. Without hesitation, decided that we would go to the JCrew Ludlow Shop in Boston’s Copley Place….Quality fabric, classic styles, and not the baggy/frumpy fit that can be found at some stores geared to the older/stouter men…..
I was waiting in the store for Drew, already knew he wanted a navy suit, already saw the best choice: a tropical weight wool which would be something he could wear year round…around $400 for the jacket, around $200 for the pants….Drew walked in, excited to start the process, and said, “Oh, I’d like to keep the total suit under $400.” Pause. My response: “It ain’t happening. This will be a bit more, but it is an investment, a classic that you will wear for years.” Moving right along…..Next step was to try on the two different styles – Ludlow or Crosby…Ludlow is a slimmer fit, I expected that to be better for him, but it was way too slim and tight in the shoulders….the Crosby fit was perfect… What is always so remarkable to me when someone is wearing something that looks great is how it lights up their face, it has an affect on how someone feels, how they carry themselves…Once Drew had on the right size/style he was beaming and displayed an added air of confidence……..so important for creating that positive first impression on job interviews… Wouldn’t YOU hire this guy???? 🙂