Alex Mill Cooper Suit Review: One of the Best Affordable Casual Suits, Period

Everyone loves a good suit—this isn’t exactly breaking news—but over the last few seasons, I’ve been thinking about how to better weave them into my wardrobe rotation. Recently, my menswear third eye was pried open with the collective realization that maybe, just maybe, we could treat a suit like a sweatsuit. Before the menswear denizens gather their pitchforks and declare me a heretic, I kindly ask that you hear me out.

A sweatsuit’s true versatility doesn’t come from wearing it head-to-toe; it shines when it’s split up—a hoodie with cargos, a fleece with sweatpants. Apply that same logic to tailoring, and suddenly the suit feels far more approachable. Sure, it still works with a necktie, but the dandy contingent won’t clutch their pearls if you wear it with a T-shirt, either.

What I look for in a suit is pretty simple: it needs to come in navy or heather charcoal (maximum bang for my bucks), lean classic-to-relaxed in fit, and hopefully clock in under $1,000. I’ve trusted New York label Alex Mill before, whether it was solving an outerwear crisis with a barn jacket, turning out some of the best French-leaning chore coats around, or going blow-for-blow with tote bag titans, so it felt only right to let them armor me in tailoring next.

I’d been eyeing their Cooper blazer and trousers since they landed on the site earlier this season. The fact that they come in both navy and heather charcoal had me circling like a hawk, but I didn’t fully commit until they were recently discounted. I went with the navy, and I’ll say this: the worsted wool twill feels comparable to suits that comfortably clear the $1,000 mark. It’s a true three-season weight, milled at an Italian factory, and—rest assured—no corners were cut in its construction.

Leon Hedgepeth

Leon Hedgepeth

I took a size small in the blazer (roughly a 34–36 chest), and it doesn’t feel restrictive at all. With notch lapels, welted flap pockets, corozo buttons, and a full lining, it’s got all the trappings of a 9-to-5 workhorse, yet the soft shoulders mean it won’t fight you during the 5-to-9. The trousers are a size 30 with a 32-inch inseam, and it has a relaxed cut through the leg with a straight opening.

Leon Hedgepeth

Leon Hedgepeth

Lately, I’ve been wearing the suit with a pale blue oxford, a V-neck sweater, and cognac roper boots. If that reads a little night adjunct community college professor for your taste, swap in a denim shirt and black derbies. Either way, it’s a failsafe look that’s nearly impossible to mess up.

Alex Mill’s Cooper suit is another reminder of why you should have a navy suit in your wardrobe. It covers date nights, winter wedding plus-ones, and the emotional preparation required to answer the avalanche of January emails waiting when you’re out of office. On top of that, it looks downright handsome even when worn separately. You pair the blazer with chinos or jeans, the trousers with sweaters and devilishly good winter outerwear. Winter is long, and the days blur together, but at least you can find some comfort in a new suit.