Whether you live somewhere without a ton of great shops and tailors, or you just enjoy the convenience of your couch, ordering a suit online can be a surprisingly good way to get a reasonably-priced and well-made suit. But just like buying a suit in the real world, there’s a lot of variety online, both in terms of price and the kind of suit you’re going to get. When you’re buying a suit online, it helps to know the different kinds of tailoring that are available online — after all, it’s not as simple as just picking a size “L” and clicking add to cart.
When it comes to a suit, the three broad categories are off-the-rack, made to measure and bespoke. As the name implies, an off-the-rack suit is bought from the store, as is, without an opportunity to customize any details. Most of the time, you’ll still need to take an off-the-rack suit to a tailor to get the pants hemmed and, if you like, tapered. The advantage of an off-the-rack suit is convenience and cost. For not as much money, you can pop into the J. Crew at the mall, pick up a suit, have it tailored and bring it home that day. The drawback with off-the-rack is that the fit won’t be as perfect as if it was made for you.
With a made-to-measure suit, you get a suit that’s customized to your body measurements, and you can choose many of the details to your liking. A made-to-measure suit will be constructed using an existing pattern, which will then be altered to fit you. Bespoke is a step up from made-to-measure, in that the suit is constructed entirely from scratch. This allows you to choose every detail and have a suit that’s built for your body. However, bespoke is much more expensive and time-consuming, and you have to visit your tailor for multiple fittings.
Remember: To truly wear a bespoke men’s suit with style, it has to fit you properly, and that’s why we highly recommend taking any suits you buy online to a tailor. It’s possible you know your measurements so well that the suits you buy online fit like a glove, but there are always tiny adjustments that can be made for the perfect fit.
We’ve rounded up some of the best places online to buy a suit below. These include made-to-measure and custom shops, as well as stores that sell suits off-the-rack. Retailers on this list include direct-to-consumer brands as well as department stores that sell men’s suits online. Besides a jacket and pants, many of the brands on this list also offer dress shirts, accessories and ties. (And if you need help matching your dress shirts to your ties, we’ve got a guide for that, too.)
1. Bonobos
BEST OVERALL
We love Bonobos here at Spy, and they often appear in our fashion guides. Whether you need a new pair of tailored dress pants, stylish golf shirts or the perfect business-casual sweater for fall, Bonobos is one of our go-to shopping destinations for menswear. And while Bonobos has become a better destination for more casual apparel like t-shirts in recent years, the brand cut its teeth on clothes you wear for the office. And if you’re on the hunt for the best places to buy suits online, our number one recommendation was a no-brainer. Bonobos makes it easy to buy custom-fitted suits online, and they also have stores around the country where you can see their latest products and get fitted for a bespoke suit.
There are lots of places to buy suits online, but Bonobos specializes in bespoke menswear and suits. In addition, they have modern, stylish clothing for every occasion, with perfectly reasonable prices. For the best suits under $1,000, it’s hard to beat Bonobos’ style, selection and prices. Bonobos sells stylish and on-trend blazers for $300-$500, and dress pants and shirts start at about $100 apiece. and they have a solid selection of tailored pieces that are built to move with you (many of the suits have stretch). For their Jetsetter suit, you can choose color and pattern and select a fit, including tailored, slim and standard. The suits are sized using standard jacket and waist sizes. You can customize certain details, but Bonobos’ online offerings are primarily off-the-rack.
Buy: Bonobos Italian Stretch Cotton Suit $550.00
2. Indochino
BEST VALUE
Indochino is a slightly more affordable alternative to Bonobos, offering suits in the $400 range, compared with Bonobos’ roughly $600 suits. That said, Indochino still offers a lot of choice, with more customizable features than Bonobos. You can choose everything from the lapel style to the button color and even the number of vents on the back of the jacket. Indochino also provides video guides to help you accurately get your measurements. While Bonobos wins out on overall style and selection, Indochino is an excellent alternative if you’re on a tighter budget.
Buy: Indochino Hemsworth Navy Suit $449.00
3. Suitsupply
BEST FASHION-FORWARD
Suit is right there in the name, so it’s hardly surprising that the brand has a wealth of tailoring options. The brand offers a slightly trendier take, with suits in unique colors and patterns, and even some pants with sweatpant-inspired drawstrings. Their customization section is impressive — you can choose from a wide variety of colors, patterns and fabrics, including wool, cotton and linen. Then, you can get into details like button type, lapel and pockets. Prices vary widely by material.
Buy: Suitsupply Taupe Havana Suit $599.00
4. Charles Tyrwhitt
BEST FOR THE OFFICE
If you need to buy a collection of suits for the office, then we highly recommend checking out Charles Trywhitt. While brands like Bonobos offer more modern styles, Charles Tyrwhitt offers classic looks with British charm. Based in the UK, this men’s apparel company has an excellent selection of dress shirts, suits and dress shoes. While you might assume that fine British tailoring would cost you thousands of dollars, the company has surprisingly affordable suits for every possible occasion. Thanks to the wide range of styles, fabrics and colors, as well as the reasonable prices, it’s an excellent place to buy suits online if you need multiple suits for work.
Buy: Textured Tonal Check Business Suit - Midnight Blue $399.00
5. Nordstrom
BEST DEPARTMENT STORE
Bonobos, Indochino and Suitsupply products are all also available at Nordstrom, along with tons of other suiting brands in a variety of price brackets. Besides those brands, some of the common suiting options include brands like Ted Baker, Armani and Boss. In many cases, you can get your items the same or the next day with in-store pickup, which is perfect for those last-minute events when you realize that that suit you bought in college doesn’t still fit you. You’ll need to know your measurements, and we highly recommend you take your suit to a tailor to get it properly fitted after it arrives.
Buy: Ted Baker Solid Wool Suit $798.00
6. Black Lapel
BEST FOR WEDDINGS
Black Lapel has been around for a decade, and the brand’s offerings come in at a similar price range as Bonobos and Suitsupply. They have slightly more classic and traditional offerings, which is why they’re one of the bestt places to buy suits online for weddings in particular. Black Lapel also has a robust weddings section, which makes it even easier to find the perfect sartorial solution for upcoming events.
Black Lapel is also laser-focused on tailoring — unlike Suitsupply and Bonobos, there aren’t any t-shirts, jeans or shorts (though they do have some men’s accessories). Similar to Suitsupply and Indochino, it’s easy to customize details like buttons, vents, lapels, pockets and lining color. Included pictures and descriptions make it easy to choose what you want, even if you’re not as familiar with the terminology.
Buy: Black Lapel Blue Fresco Windowpane Suit $699.00
7. xSuit
MOST COMFORTABLE SUIT
xSuit isn’t like any of the other retailers on this list. This direct-to-consumer company doesn’t offer the range of styles that you can find at Bonobos and Indochino, nor the variety of brands you can shop at department stores like Nordstrom. So why is xSuit one of the best places to buy suits online? xSuit has designed one of the most flexible, lightweight and breathable men’s suits on the planet, and they have something of a cult following among guys who are tired of dressing in wool from head to toe. The latest iteration of the xSuit is also machine washable, which is unheard of when shopping for men’s suits. The xSuit 3.0 is available in three colors and will only set you back $495, so if you’re looking for the best men’s suits under $500, you have to consider xSuit.
ON SALE NOW
Buy: xSuit 3.0 $495.00
8. Mr. Porter
BEST FOR LUXURY SUITS
If you’re looking for luxury, Mr. Porter has you covered. From Tom Ford to Paul Smith, Mr. Porter has a ton of designer suits, including classic navy two-pieces and more out there, high fashion suits. These are off-the-rack suits, so you simply need to pick your size. The pieces are also generally sold separately, giving you more choice on if you just need a jacket, pants or a whole suit.
Buy: Tom Ford Silk and Linen Blend Blazer $4,600
9. Macy’s
HONORABLE MENTION
Macy’s online shopping experience is not as smooth as digital-native retailers, and it’s also not as smooth as other traditional department stores like Nordstrom. That said, it has a great selection of well-known brands like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and DKNY. Macy’s wares, including their suits, often go on sale, making it a great shop for the budget-conscious shopper who still wants a good suit.
Buy: Calvin Klein Suit $640.00