Suits focus: Reidy Menswear, Galway

We chat to Galway suits expert Paul Reidy of Reidy Menswear about why it's essential for a man to own a suit, and why the most expensive item might not necessarily be the best.

Reidy Menswear are relatively new when it comes to the business of selling suits, but there's plenty of experience behind Galway's leading suit suppliers.

It’s tough enough for any business to survive in the current economic crisis. But for a new business it’s doubly tough.

Of course it helps if you know what you’re doing and if you’ve a longstanding passion for what you do.

Which explains why Reidy Menswear, which was started by Paul Reidy just as the recession started to take grip in the summer of 2008, is still going strong.

On 1 July Reidy Menswear, which is situated in a prime location in the Galway shopping centre, celebrated its third birthday and the future looks bright, with suit sales showing something of a boom despite, or because of, these difficult times.

Reidy have become something of a success story. Their method for doing this is based on two simple elements – quality suiting and good service.

Despite being at the helm of a relatively new venture, Paul started the business with more than two decades selling menswear behind him.

“I started Reidy Menswear at the start of what has turned out to be the worst recession ever,” Paul says.” I’d had 22 years in the rag trade and needed a new challenge

“I’d been planning to go it alone for the year before taking the plunge and taking over the business where I’d previously been an employee.

“It’s certainly been challenging, I couldn’t have predicted how bad the recession would get, but we’re three years open and we’re still in business.”

With the current economic situation, people are becoming more discerning. If a customer is going to a business of any kind with a view to making a purchase, the person doing the selling needs to go the extra mile and make their customer feel valued. Fortunately, that’s second nature to Paul and to Paul’s associate Andrew, who has 15 years of experience.

So what goes into getting it right when it comes to buying a good suit?

“Choosing the right fit is vital,” Paul says. “The suits we stock are either fitted or regular. As well as that, suits will come in either short, regular or long. Once you have determined the customer’s size and the correct fit, then you’re halfway there.

Halfway there, but still with some way to go and with plenty of scope for getting things wrong.

“The biggest mistake people make when purchasing a suit is being ruled too much by price. A customer may have a budget to stick to and if they stick too rigidly to this it could influence them into purchasing an ill-fitting suit,” Paul says.

And that doesn’t simply mean that the staff will push you into a more expensive high-quality suit. While it’s generally true that the more you pay the better the suit – often using higher quality cloth – it could be that a suit that is not so expensive suits your body shape perfectly.

If a cheaper suit is perfect for you, then that’s the one that Paul and his team will recommend. And he’s not just saying that.

“Our business depends on repeat business, so we guide the customer the best we can. An ill-fitting suit does noboby any favours. That can sometimes mean guiding them to buy a cheaper suit than they planned to if it looks better on them. If they walk away happy then there’s a good chance they’ll come back again and again.”

At the moment, the most popular suits are two-button suits in various shades of grey, which are then paired with shirts and ties in warmer colours. A lot of the heavier pinstripes are in decline, but the subtler stripes are still selling well.

The majority of suits that Reidy Menswear sell are two-piece, but they also sell waistcoats for certain suits, which can convert a two-piece into a three-piece.

Whether two-piece or three-piece there are definite age-related trends when it comes to cut and the general look of the suit that men go for. “Younger men tend to go for the more fitted options, whereas our other customers tend to opt for the regular fit,” Paul says.

Sheen

“Some suits can have a bit more of a sheen than others and have more of a lustre off them. Younger fellas might go for fitted suits with a bit of lustre off them, probably because they tend to be looking for a suit to be worn in social environment rather than in an office.

“Our younger customers will often pair a fitted suit with a nice fitted shirt worn open necked. My advice to a young guy buying a suit is to choose well initially and then get plenty of use out of it. Don’t just wear a suit for one occasion, find reasons to wear it again and again.”

Across Ireland, sales of suits are on the increase. Despite the recession, or more likely because of it, people are making the most of times when they can feel their best. And wearing a suit can most definitely help a man feel better about himself.

“A smart suit can transform a man into a different person," Paul says. “It’s essential for a man to own a suit if he wants to look his best, and there are always occasions in a man’s life when looking his best is really important.

“Some guys who don’t regularly wear a suit for work can be transformed by a good suit. It puts a spring in their step and is good for their confidence. You particularly see it at weddings, where the men in good suits are getting almost as much attention as the women do. Especially if you’re talking about someone who doesn’t normally wear a suit.

“We have the Galway Races on our doorstep, and as well as being a racing festival it’s also a dressing-up festival, where you get the chance to show your sharper, smarter side. Men will invest in a suit for the Races because it’s important to them that they look well.”

A good suit can sometimes do more than make you feel good, it can help sealing your future, most obviously in the case of buying a suit to wear for job interviews. Again, this is where a company like Reidy excels.

“You always want to do your best for your customers and make the buying of a suit a good experience. If a lad is going for an interview and comes into us we’ll do everything to make sure that they look their very best,” Paul says.

“Hopefully the interview goes well. If it does there’s a good chance they’ll come back to you as their career progresses.”

Reidy Menswear, Galway Shopping Centre, Galway. Tel: 091 565 459.