Since I've spent all week writing about videogames and comic books, I figured I'd class the joint up a little bit and offer some fashion tips. Inspired by this rather, well, dull list of places to buy suits in Washington by the scamps at DCist*, allow me to suggest a few options that you may not have heard of. Note: This list is almost entirely aspirational. As a humble journalist my clothing budget is tight and new items are acquired on a need-to-buy basis.
Alton Lane
If you're looking for a custom suit on a (relative) budget, I hear Alton Lane is a pretty solid choice. One of these days I'm going to splurge on a custom blazer from them and it will be glorious. Just check out all the work that goes into making your clothing! Well worth the time and expense.** They've even been known to clothe presidents!
Geoffrey Lewis Ltd
When I got married, I got my tuxedo tailored here. And ever since I've been tempted to come take advantage of their famous "three pairs of pants for $600" deal. Of course, I've never been in a position to spend $600 on three pairs of pants. When my tell-all of life at the Free Beacon hits the New York Times bestseller list, perhaps then.
Dash's of Old Town
Townhall's Kevin Glass suggests Dash's of Old Town, which is pretty darn fancy. I've never been, but I have admiringly gazed at the store from the outside, like a street urchin in a Dickens novel desperate for a bite of bread.
Tom James
Scott Lincicome suggests Tom James. I imagine the bespoke suiting gets pretty pricey pretty quickly, but it looks as though they have a relatively modestly priced (<$500) run of suit separates, which isn't unreasonable at all.
Sarar
My colleague Bill McMorris suggested Sarar, no doubt wooed by the gentleman above on the front page of the site. They don't call him Fancy Bill for nothing.
And, obviously, I have nothing against classic options such as Brooks Brothers and J Press, both of which get namechecked by the DCist staff. But the above will give you something a little different.
*I like DCist quite a bit and don't want to rag on the folks over there. I imagine this was a tough question for them to answer because they probably aren't really asked to wear suits all that often. But when I go to a site like DCist (or Gothamist or LAist or other neighborhood blogs) I'm hoping for something a bit off the beaten path, you know? And when you start your list off with Jos. A Bank—a fine place to buy a lineup of starter suits on a budget (it's where I got my first trio of suits), but not exactly a place one has never heard of—you're not really meeting that mandate. Hugh and Crye is the closest thing to "off the beaten path" on that DCist list and they don't even sell suits. And matching a blazer with a similarly colored pair of pants does not a suit make. Remember that, kiddos.
**Just remember not to go nuts.