Pier 3 Condo

As you’ve probably noticed in recent years, the mega-marts are now offering inexpensive tuxedos (including shirt and tie) for sale in about the same price range as a good pair of jeans and a sweatshirt — often less than $100.

If you are in the market for a new tuxedo, buying one while you are out supermarket shopping may seem like an expedient and inexpensive way to make the purchase. Whether it is a wise choice, however, depends on a number of factors.

The first factor to evaluate is how often you believe you will be attending a function or venue which will either require you to or at which you would desire to wear a tuxedo. Clearly if you only need it for a limited occasion like a single wedding or funeral than an inexpensive tuxedo may be appropriate. Purchasing a $1000 custom make one makes no sense for such a limited use.

Certainly, if you can’t afford an expensive designer tux then it’s worth considering. The problem arises if you are likely to be wearing it quite frequently.

The quality and workmanship will be much higher in the better tux. Just like other cheaper suits, it will crease and wrinkle much quicker.

Many of the cheaper tuxedo’s are simply not crease resistant. One full day at the office and it will certainly look a mess, and after a week it will possibly need a dry clean too.

The signs of wear will also appear much more quickly. Fabrics may pill and wear out and seams are likely to come apart (as they’re not as strong as quality and hand tailored tuxedos), and buttons may quickly fall off or hang loosely.

Color options may also be limited to black or dark gray, making them acceptable for a wedding or funeral, but necessarily the style you’ll want for other social gatherings where color or specialty fabrics will impress.

Lastly, you’ll be settling for the normal sizes when buying a cheaper tuxedo. You’ll not gain the expertise of professional tailors and seamstresses that fashion the high-end tuxedos; fit will definitely suffer. So, consider the cost comparisons for your tuxedo; does an inexpensive tux work for a single or infrequent event, or will the higher cost of a quality tuxedo better serve your needs for looking good on many occasions?