Central PA Menswear
RENT or BUY? What you need to know to save money!
Should I rent or should I buy my suit has become a very popular question these days. With the price of suits coming down reasonably and some of the national chains' rental prices becoming increasingly more expensive, the bottom line between a rental and retail purchase at some outfitters is fairly close.
Now…A Local Tuxedo Rental shop is usually a lot more price conscious than a national wholesaler, firstly because of the lack of shipping costs associated with keeping the rental merchandise in stock for customers. The second is they're usually spending a whole lot less on marketing budgets…therefore the reduced overhead is usually enjoyed by their customers.
The decision to purchase will rely on a few key questions:
1. Will I wear this again?
If yes, how many times? If the answer is 3 or less times then you may find yourself saving money by just renting. This is sometimes an easy factor for choosing your suit or tuxedo style too. A navy blue suit is something that is very easy to wear to multiple weddings and still add different shirts, ties and accessories to change up your look considerably. A Tuxedo though is worn a lot less frequently, you may not find yourself needing another tuxedo for years at a time. By then you may not even fit your tuxedo anymore and what use is there in an ill fitting tux?
2. Is the fit of the rental product keen to my liking?
If you're renting a suit, the only alterations able to be made to it are the length of the sleeves and the length of the pants. Having items tapered or taken in will result in an alteration process that is not suitable to renting clothing.
If the items fit to your satisfaction and you are not likely to wear this exact suit color or style more than 3 times…it may make sense to simply rent your suit or tuxedo.
3. What's my budget?
Suits will cost for just the jacket and pants between $200 for a very low quality suit to $500 for a high quality suit. Suits costing less than $200 are probably not worth even owning and items priced above $500 should be something made to measure or custom made specifically for you.
By the time you factor in a Shirt, a Tie, a Belt, Shoes and a potential vest you will be all in between $400-$700 on a non custom made suit. Which is usually just over 3 times the rental rates for the same item.
4. What color am I dead set on wearing for my wedding?
There are some color suits which are not made in quantity for rentals. Suits in Coppers, Rusts, Dark Browns, Teals, Sage, Burgundies and Purples are usually not something made in quantity for a rental. Those are usually something we turn to a custom made book for since it is not as popular of a color to be needed as often for a rental.
Drew was a recent groom who really wanted to have a specific slim fit, velvet tuxedo coat for his wedding. The only possible option for Drew was to have his items custom tailored for him.
Why Rent?
Firstly, Cost. Rentals through a local tuxedo shop should not exceed $200 unless you are ordering a very specific brand or color. The majority of your rentals should fall in the $140-$180 price range. Be sure to check for Groom’s discounts if you are the one getting married. Many places will do a Free Groom Rental with 5 or more paying rentals.
LET TALK ABOUT RENTAL FIT
Many tuxedo and suit rental shops have updated the majority of their patterns to better fit a slimmer and trimmer generation. Most places will have a standard fit, a trim fit, an ultra slim fit and some styles will have a skinny fit option for renting. If the suit fits you well and you don't have a need to own that exact color...renting is ultimately your best option. These are not the sack suits of old where places are just throwing a coat and pants on a guy and wishing them well. You can rent a really high quality item these days for 1/4 the cost of buying.
THE BEST WAY TO CHOOSE
We recommend to all our new grooms that they come take advantage of the vast inventory we have at our warehouse and showroom in Lancaster. From there grooms may try on rentals items in person to see if they like the colors, the styles and the fits. That will usually give them the best overall idea of whether or not they want to actually own that look or just rent that look. By putting everything on they can be given a more exact quote on price and they get a better idea of what they are actually looking to wear on their wedding day.
Central PA Menswear