On The Height Street: Reiss

A quick look in the Gallery will show you that this is one of my absolute favourite places to shop as a taller man. However, it isn't always the cheapest, and sometimes alterations may be required. Let's take a look.

Reiss has fast become a leading high street staple since it's first appearance in London in 1971. Today, the brand inhabits a space at the upper end of the mid-price market, where you can expect to pay between £300-£400 for a suit, and around £70-120 for a jumper or pair of trousers. Individually, the cost of these items can add up rather quickly, but it's hard to look past the sheer quality of what you're getting, and once you become accustomed to the attention to detail put into the design of their pieces, they can often become hard to overlook. And besides, there's still an inherent pleasure in buying British, isn't there?

Suits

All Reiss' suits come purely in inch chest size measurements, with no option for long sizes available, which means tailoring/lengthening can be required on some of the jackets and trousers. It's also worth noting that different suits constructed of different materials often come in different cuts, which means that depending on the suit and the fabric, a 40" in one suit might fit a little tighter than a 40" in another, or may have slightly shorter or longer arms, for example. Equally, depending on the suit, you'll find there are three cuts available, classic, modern, and slim (in order of slimness), but be aware that each suit comes in its own cut alone, and not all suits are available in all cuts. Lastly, as mentioned, all suits here come in inch chest size alone, with Reiss employing a fairly industry standard six inch drop between their blazers and trousers when bought together. In simple terms, this means that a 38" chest blazer will always come with 32" inch waist trousers, a 40" with 34", and so on. This can be less of an issue if you are buying in store, or if your jacket and trousers are available for separate purchases online, but is worth bearing in mind should you buying a complete suit via their website.

In some cases, the trousers often come unhemmed, meaning they have no fixed leg length and you will require a tailor to hem them to your desired length. This tends to be more on the summer suits, particularly those constructed of linen. Any alterations you do require can be done by Reiss for an extra fee, and in my experience I've found this to be negotiable down if you don't mind haggling a bit. However, even with a good haggle, I'd wager that Reiss' tailoring prices are a touch on the high side, and ultimately I'd recommend using a local tailor or alterations shop, with the added benefit that you can start to build a rapport if you plan on making future (and frequent!) visits.

Knitwear

In my experience things can get a little sketchy when it comes to knitwear, primarily down to discrepancies in their medium and large sizing. As a slim man, often I'll find that I will be stuck with the age-old conundrum of a medium jumper that's perfect in the body but too short in the arm, or opting for the large to achieve the better sleeve length but feel billowy in the boxier body. That being said, I do veer towards the lither end of the scale, and any gent with increased musculature or larger chest size will almost certainly benefit from the large sizes and above.

The quality is still without question, however. In particular, Reiss often do a fine selection of bulkier jumpers for the colder months, where a little extra fabric is part of the character of a cable knit, for example. Additionally, their oft-returning line of 'Emperor' and 'Hart' jumpers (frequently available in both crew and V-neck) are the perfect option for layering over a shirt and under a suit jacket for some added winter warmth or a business casual approach.

Shirts

If there is an area that I think lets Reiss down, it is the shirts. It irks me that for a store that does such fantastic suits for both work and play only offers its shirts in a S, M, L, XL etc option. Whilst I appreciate that they are ultimately a high street store, the lack of options even in collar size is bemusing, and again you can find yourself torn between sacrificing arm length for fit, or vice-versa. If you're on the hunt for shirts more casual in nature, or not to be worn exclusively under a suit, then the quality is still very good and you can always roll the sleeves for a preppier or summer look. Regardless, it is a pass from me here, and as there's no 'Tall' range or similar available I'd ultimately recommend shopping elsewhere for long-sleeved shirts.

Shoes and Boots

A little disappointing as they only go up to an 11 in UK sizes (45/6 EU, 12 US), which really does cut us taller men off at the toes! It's a real shame as they often have some very nice styles available, but it the majority cases it will result in you having to go elsewhere. If there's a silver lining here, it's that their shoes a little pricier than I'd be willing to spend on the quality, only by around £30 or so, but there are some great bargains on footwear available elsewhere.

Miscellaneous

Once you're familiar with Reiss' sizes you can do a lot of your shopping via their (excellent) website if you prefer. Their styles are readily available and they publish a fantastic blog, as well as a solid lookbook ahead of every seasonal release. Even better, you'll find that their site also contains their own outlet built in, which you can find via the link on the top left of their homepage. What's more, usually twice a year (once around Christmas and once in the run up to summer) that 'Outlet' button changes to 'Sale' which actually offers even deeper discounts of up to 60%! Be warned though, at those prices, things don't last long!

Summary

A personal favourite of mine, especially for suits, but with some of the higher prices and lacking in just a couple of areas it certainly isn't a one-stop-shop. If you're willing to pay for the quality there are some premium items here that really do feel a cut above what else is available on the high street, and you'll definitely feel the value in the extra expenditure.

Suits: 5/5

Knitwear: 4/5

Shirts: 3/5

Shoes and Boots: 2/5

Affordability: 3/4