Help, Help Mens Suits- striped ones, plain ones, fitted ones... Help!!

[wanttomakeadifference]

I do some voluntary work with people with visual impairments. I am taking a man shopping tomorrow who is partially blind. I haven't met him before but I have been told he wants to buy some suits and would really appreciate my advice while we are shopping. He has a full time job in the financial sector and feels his suits are 'old and tired'.

I have a mental image of people in the banking sector and similar wearing striped suits- but it has been a long while since I walked the streets of the big city so I may well be out of date?

Can anyone tell me what is in, and what is out in terms of suits for various occasions please?

I would go somewhere like John Lewis as they are always incredibly helpful when you need it. They will be able to let you know what their bestsellers are and what would be suitable for your friend.

There are loads of striped suits which aren't too heavy and city looking. Herringbones are a good compromise to a plain suit too (self stripe in the fabric).

Find out his budget per suit and that will be a good way to assess which shops to go to (although sales are on which helps)

A good suit retailer will guide you through their stock and find what fits best (not everyone suits the more fitted styles). Fixed suits are where the jacket and trousers come as a pre paired set. Mix and match are where the jacket and trs are sold seperatly. Prices are usually similar, mix and match are good for awkward sized men, but they also allow a second pair of trs to be bought to extend the life of the suit (some customers love this others feel that once the trs are worn out then they will just buy a new suit).

Alterations are quite common for men's suiting (leg length and waist alts are most common) this is not nessacarily a way of shoe horning the customer into the suit - but a making it fit better when the next size is not right either. A suit that fits properly will wear better.

Can you tell I've worked in a men's suit retailer for the last 8 yrs