For some 50 years or so, we have been selling menswear by Magee of Donegal, specialising in formal wear and mens suits for business and special occasions. It is an Irish owned company that employs hundreds of workers in its joint location of Donegal town and Ballymena.

With a Magee suit, the trend and classic colours and designs are brought to life in their world-renowned luxury fabrics to create the ultimate feel good garment. The Autumn/Winter collection is no different and recently a director of the company summed up what we can expect from the latest offering of mens suits.

“Our focused tailored-look and classic-fit suit offer is comprised of super wools and wool rich blends in micro designs, checks, strong and shadow stripe designs in flannel and pressed finishes.

The flannel look is a key trend for AW10, a move away from the chintz look of previous seasons. Soft, brushed fabrics with cashmere touches are a key trend across the entire collection as customers seek traditional luxury.

Regarding the fit- the silhouette is still narrow, tailored and neat. Waists are nipped, lapels and pocket flaps are thin, shoulders are narrowed and trousers are slim. The trims are colourful and made from natural materials.

The trend and classic colours and designs are brought to life in our world renowned luxury fabrics to create the ultimate feel good garment.”

Just before you have been invited to an old friend’s wedding, you have suddenly realised the invitation stipulates that it is a black-tie affair. This doesn’t mean that you should be engulfed by panic, even if the wedding is imminent.

There are basically two options:
1) Get on the phone and reserve a tuxedo at your local suit hire outlet or
2) (increasingly becoming  more popular) Buy a new dress suit online from a formal wear store such as www.tom-murphy.ie

Most websites that sell formal wear will deliver a tuxedo to your door within a couple of days. Going for a brand new tuxedo ensures you will look your best on the day and have a tux permanently in your wardrobe instead of having to rush in and hire a tux at the last minute.
The most popular type of tuxedo at the moment is the two-button notch lapel style. It suits all shape and sizes and can have side vents, centre vents or no vents. Our Scott tuxedo is a two-button style with side vents and, at €149, represents seriously good value.
Another popular dress suit that we sell is from, Dutch super brand, Van Kollem. At €249, a Van Kollem tuxedo is slightly more expensive but then again, it is made from a high-end fabric and the manufacturers have done their homework, as the fit is superb.

It looks great with a skinny tie and black shirt as you can see from the picture of Tom below. For a  more conventional look, tuxedos can be simply worn with a black bow-tie and wing collar shirt

Miriam O'Callaghan with Tom Murphy and freinds

Wilvorst

For a number of seasons now we have been offering a made to measure wedding suit service. This year has seen a huge growth in the number of grooms opting to have their wedding suit handcrafted by our business partners and top German suit manufacturer, Wilvorst.
The colours and fabrics that are on offer are wide and varied. Top quality wool suits are available in different lengths and numerous style combinations. The customer can choose any type of lapel or fit that he wants. All he has to do is come in and be measured by our expert tailors and wait 8 weeks until the suit is ready and delivered to your doorstep.

The suits can be made in a two or three piece combination. Generally grooms will order a waistcoat, neckerchief and cravat to accessorise the outfit. The good news is the prices usually stay around the €600 mark for a bespoke suit that represents seriously good value.

The most popular colours that are chosen would be the black suit, grey suit, beige suit and brown suit. When I spoke to Tom he told me;

Wilvorst

“Another reason for the popularity of made to measure suits for grooms is that the rest of the party can be co-ordinated to match the groom from our suit hire collection. This saves on the overall cost of kitting the men out and allows the groom to stand out at the same time.

Recently Tom Murphys  launched a new range of discount suits that have been a huge hit instore and in the online shop. The secret of their success is that they are selling for under 100 euro and that represents serious value in the men’s suits business. According to Tom himself the recession has forced retailers to lower the asking prices for the suits they sell and this is the single biggest reason why so many people are looking for cheap suits.

“A couple of years ago i would never have envisaged us selling suits at this price level but one of the consequences of the recessionary period is that there is a huge demand for cheap mens suits”.

Suits under 100 euro

These suits come in a wide variety of patterns and fabrics and another reason for their popularity is that they fit very well. They are ideal as business or occassion suits and some wedding parties have been buying them for the whole group.

Currently the website has 12 suit styles available in the 100 euro and under category but there is a strong possibility that these will be added to in the near future so watch this space carefully.