Slaters

Slater’s is a life-​saver for a big guy.
So I just had a dinner suit purchased with custom tailoring for a very reasonable price, all things considered. I got a blazer, trousers, ties, and a shirt for a decent price all together. I am a big guy and so shopping for clothing –let alone formalwear –is a daunting task. But, the folks at Slater’s took good care of me and made sure I saw all the options available for what I was looking for. In the end, they told me that the alterations would be done in three days total, which was a concern for me as I needed the suit in a specific timeframe.
I haven’t picked the suit up yet, if anything goes horribly wrong I will update my review to reflect that. But, I don’t foresee any problems arising as the staff at Slater’s were upfront about everything and they have a good reputation in Edinburgh. I would say that the only negative thing I could find was that the suit salesman was quicker to show me the more expensive items. I had to be extra clear about my price range to get him to show me the right items. But, these guys work hard to up-​sell items, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
If you have an idea of what you are looking for, and have a specific budget, Slater’s is a place that will take care of you. If you are a big guy, Slater’s is the least expensive option in the city (in my opinion). If you are in a hurry (like needing alterations in under a week), Slater’s can handle that as well. I will definitely be back for my suit and possibly for some shoes as well on my next visit. Their selection is actually quite good, even at the bigger sizes, and their staff is very friendly and welcoming.

Okay, so all I know about men’s suits is that when your boyfriend is a giant but not big all round they are agony to buy.
Previously, we’ve headed to High and Mighty but, though they cater very well to the well proportioned, ‘tall’ is less on their agenda. Additionally, I find their selection limited and recently found the staff quite pushy (but that’s for another review). So, with summer weddings in mind and a tight enough budget we went looking for Slaters.
On entering we were directed upstairs to the suits where a lovely young man asked what The OH wanted out of his suit. Then within five minutes we had a pile of possibilities, which the suit-​guy was patient enough to pin and tuck as I cast my critical eye over everything. I liked that both me and the OH got a say (it’s his suit, but he brought me for a reason).
Then we were directed to another section where a lady took over for all our shirt, shoe and tie needs. It’s a good set up and you don’t feel under any pressure from any of the staff.
The range is huge, it’s not all Italian fanciness or Ted Baker but when you’re used to ‘do you want brown or black’ it’s such a breath if fresh air to have so much choice. Their range of sizes is excellent (up to a 38 leg in most of the trousers, not sure about chest and shoulders though). The wide range means affordable too.
While trying on the sales assistant acted as a tailor, measuring, tucking and pinning. This meant we knew the suit fit and won’t be in for any nasty surprises next week when we pick it up after it’s free alterations (any subsequent alterations will also be free, for the life of the suit!)
Because it’s a big place there’s a bit of a factory feel to it, but the well-​dressed, helpful staff go out of their way to make you comfortable so this wears off quite quickly.
It’s not high street and it’s not bespoke but it’s a darn good suit, so I’ll be back.

Amazingly helpful, when they did not have the correct size for the hat I wanted in stock, they offered to order it, but also suggested where I might find one in town. Really outstanding customer service.

Umm… I’m not a man, so this is probably biased. BUT I have two brothers and a dad, thus I often find myself in here sitting around or giving opinions etc etc.
Whoa, what a shop. If men are into shopping this is their haven. Everyone loves a man in a suit, and I love a man in a Slaters suit.
The quality is brilliant, I never really noticed how important the cut of a mans suit was until I watched people try on suit after suit until they got the one that was juuusssttt right (sorta like Goldielocks).
As well as being gorgeous, the staff are extremely helpful and attentive.
The missing star is for the price though… maybe that’s how much a suit costs these days, but c’mon, really?

As the epitome of suaveness, I do appreciate a nice suit. I’ve only got one however, and it’s starting to look a bit more like it belongs to an eccentric old wino than James Bond. It will soon be replacement time, and Slater’s will be my first port of call.
Ranging from quite cheap to quite expensive, it’s a bit of an institution in Scotland, and it’s practically a rite of passage for any oily 16 year old in Central Scotland to get his first suit from here, and nail the interview for that shelf stacking job at Lidl.
Salesmen often a bit smarmy and pushy, but it all adds to the experience.

This is the sort of place that women come to drag their other halfs, sons or fathers to force them to get a new suit, because the one they have is literally falling apart at the stitching. Que my father, who would walk around in shoes with no soles on them unless you made him buy new ones. How my Mum managed to keep him presentable for 30 odd years I do not know.
We came here on one such occasion where my Mum was at the end of her tether and papped my Da off to me, so I had to take him for a new suit. Slater’s Menswear has always been a very well respected name in Men’s tailoring, so we came here. The staff were lovely, incredibly professional and very well presented, and we left with a shiny new suit for a wedding, the trousers of which we got altered in the store for free! Fantastic.

Selling suits and formal wear for guys, Slaters is a well known name and they do fantastic quality suits some of which are very affordable indeed. My brother got his suit for his school leavers dance from Slaters and many of my friends have recently had to invest in a suit for Grad Balls and Slaters seems to be the most popular option. It also seems like the most wallet friendly option as a friend of mine got his suit for £80, I didn’t realise you could get suits at such a bargain price! Prices range from under £100 to £200+ so it depends how flush you’re feeling I guess.
You don’t have to go all out and buy a suit or kilt you can also hire them if you don’t really need them all that much, just don’t get carried away with the red wine.

My Dad was getting married last September and I finally convinced him that he would need a new suit for it. So we tralled Edinburgh before stumbling upon Slaters, and I am glad we did. This store stocks a huge amount of suits in every colour imaginable. As well as some other smart clothes, like your tweed coat yah.
The service was fantastic, there are few shops which offer such a high standard of service. The shop assistant was very polite and listened to what my dad was looking for and came up with a tonne of options. He gave advice and was really helpful. We settled on the second suit my Dad tried, and the best thing is they alter for free! This was the Monday and the guy said we could pick up the altered suit on Saturday. As my Dad doesn’t live in Edinburgh I said I would pick it up but it would be two weeks later as I was going on holiday on Saturday. Not a problem, he organised the suit to be ready for the Wednesday.
My brothers picked up their suits from another branch of Slaters and they were just as good.

Huge range of suits with some names you have never heard and some very familiar bigger brands such as Jaeger (funy as its just next to Jaeger). This is not high end but more mid to low and should you need suited out for a wedding you can turn up here and get shoes suit and tie. Not quite for me but then Im daft enough to buy by label.
Time your visit carefully as summer weddings can mean a wait for help.
Parking hit and miss on George street.