Good news, gentlemen. A test is going on in the marketplace right now, and it is to your advantage to take part. Rich Brady, owner of Brady's, says plenty of men want designer fits and fabrics when it comes to their suits and sport coats, but don’t want to spend $800 or $900 for a set of duds. Well, the world of fashion has heard your cry and is offering a solution.
    From Polo Ralph Lauren comes a line called Lauren that offers more reasonably priced coats and suits. For example, a 100 percent wool navy blazer sells for $300 versus the $500 version in the traditional line. DKNY, a line from Donna Karan, is showing suits for $500 versus the designer $800 and sport coats for $350 versus $650.
    Of course, these prices are lower for a reason. "In large measure, these looks are similar to their more expensive counterparts," explains Brady, "but they're not made in Italy and may have slight variations in their construction or materials." In most instances, however, they are nearly as nice.
    "These lines make sense for men who don’t want a no-name suit from a discount store, but still don’t want to spend a ton of money on a designer label," says Brady. "If men keep buying in this price range, this trend could be huge, and other brands, like Hugo Boss, will catch on."

— Melissa Jacobs