As some of you long time readers may know, I have had a bit of a checkered past with Indochino. I had mixed results with the first two suits I ordered from them. Although the second better than the first, it was still not up to par, not to mention, many people I had sent to Indochino had less than favorable experiences. However, through all of that the company and I kept in touch and I gave them what feedback I could in an effort to help them better their practices. In fact, at one point Indochino’s CEO Kyle Vucko and I had a call to talk about things. Which I was quite impressed by, it showed me that the company was and still is quite committed to improving itself.
After the call with Kyle we thought it would be wise to do another review and see how things have changed. On the suit front, Indochino has adjusted its patterns which will hopefully resolve issues with shoulder and sleeve fit. They have also added the ‘wide peak’ lapel option, which I am a huge fan of. On the fabric front, Indochino has changed the way it selects and develops fabrics for its collections, which in my opinion has made a difference for the better. On the visual front, Indochino has changed its process for developing the lookbooks and images for its website. Which has made a huge difference over the past few seasons. Truth be told, this is all great on paper, but it means nothing if the suits don’t fit better. If you are too impatient to read the rest the answer is yes, the suits fit better. But I urge you to read on.
For this suit I used my own measurements. That is, I did not go to a traveling tailor, but used the measurements I use for pretty much every other custom suit. However, if you do not have your own measurements, Indochino has some great videos you can watch to take the measurements yourself or have someone take them for you. I also went through the rest of the ordering and customization process as is normal. The process went smoothly and the layout of the customization process is streamlined and easy to use.
I opted for the3 piece Summer Indigo Birdseye suit with the following options.
Jacket: wide peak lapels, 2 button, slanted flapped pockets, side vents, non functioning sleeve buttons, blue bemberg lining, functional boutonniere, pen pocket.
Vest: 5 button, lining back, normal opening with collar.
Trousers: no pleats, no cuffs, no belt loops, suspender buttons, side tabs.
In summary, I was happy with the fit of the suit out of the box. Indochino did a good job of interpreting my measurements. After alterations the suit looked even better, to the point that I would say I am very happy with the fit. There are a few things I would change like the gorge and buttoning heights but for what Indochino does, I think this worked out very well.
We have talked about the fit, let’s not talk about the construction and details.
Although I may sound harsh in some of my critique of the construction of the suit I still think the construction is pretty good. Certainly fair for the price point and an improvement from the last time I reviewed Indochino. You may not be able to tell from the photos but the shoulders have a very light pad in them and the chest piece is very soft.
In the past I have been hesitant to recommend Indochino, and at some times I would not recommend them at all. However, that was then and this is now. Now, I feel that I can confidently recommend Indochino. The increase in quality of construction and fabric certainly has something to do with this. But most importantly, the quality of fit has improved. Some of this is likely due to my own measurements being better than the traveling tailor’s and the other part due to efforts on Indochino’s part. I really applaud Indochino (and Kyle) for their efforts. I am interested to see where Indochino will take things and what they will do next to improve their suits. They are the largest online custom suit company in the world, at least as far as I know; so in some respects they have the ability to do as they please. Selfishly, I hope they begin offering more custom options like specific lapel widths, buttoning points and vest formations. But we shall see. If you have any questions, comment or thoughts of your own, please feel free to sound off in the comments.
–JLJ
Note: FYGblog did receive the suit being reviewed for the purpose of review. As always, the utmost effort was taken to maintain an unbiased stance on the brand and product at hand.
[…] Note: Since time of publication my stance on Indochino has changed. Please refer to this most recent review for updated thoughts. […]
Agreed on the button point. I would like to try out their stuff, but it is just too high for my taste.
Four years ago I ordered a suit and was not very pleased with it. The rise was not long enough like I indicated in the standard measurements and they did some things that were just plain bizarre. Using those zipper adjustment buckles you see on tuxedo rentals for “side tabs”, putting on belt loops that I did not order, the suspender buttons being only four total, and non-existent shoulder construction for “soft shoulders”. It was nice of Kyle Vucko to comp part of the cost for a review on my blog, but I just couldn’t recommend them in good conscience.
I’m glad they’ve improved on both the product and marketing front. I was perhaps a little harsh in my assessment, but didn’t feel at the time like they were worth the asking price considering another online tailor I’d used before had done better work for the same price.
I haven’t ordered from Indochino, so I can’t comment on the quality relative to Dragon Inside or 7 Regent Lane. However, the photos of the fit of the waistcoat did not appear that flattering (I’m not criticizing the author/model). Seemingly lots of gaping in the drape, despite your describing it as snug.
The non-functional sleeve buttons and stressed side tabs also seem unfortunate given the MTM competition at similar price points.
Seriously! You HAVE to stop calling that a “boutonnière hole.” A boutonnière should be pinned in the middle of the lapel and 2-3″ lower than the hole that you incorrectly name. That hole is an artifact left over from traditional English hunting coats that had a button on the backside of the opposing lapel. It allowing you to turn up your collar and button the top of the lapel in fowl weather. Every time you call that a “boutonnière hole” you lose a little credibility, and just sound silly.
Jon, I’m sorry but you are flat wrong. Flowers are best put through that hole as pinning them makes you look like an average high school prom date. Even Sean Connery as James Bond wore a flower through his lapel hole in Goldfinger. High quality jackets often have a stem loop on the underside so you can put a flower in there and keep it securely held. Regardless of what its function is on some sport coats or what it’s a vestige of, it has been used for flowers, or boutonnieres if you will, for a very long time. Worth noting that boutonniere is literally just French for “buttonhole”. 🙂
Hey Justin,
If you had to recommend or rate “Indochino” versus “Dragon Inside”, which would it be? This question can be directed for anyone who has tried on either or. I have bought a suit from Indochino and I am very happy with it. I’m just wondering if I should give Dragon Inside a try..
Hassan,
If you are happy with how your Indochino suit fits and Indochino has fabrics you want other suits in than it may be best to stick with them. However, if Dragon Inside has fabrics you want a suit in or you want more customization (which DI is better at), then go to Dragon Inside. I am personally more a fan of Dragon Inside’s cut and house style. But the quality of both is about the same.
-Justin
Hi, I am curious, how wide is IndoChino’s wide peak lapel? 4 inches?
Thank you for your clarification.
Is this an essential fabric or a premium fabric?
After reading your review and many others, it just seems that when you are a reviewer you usually you get a great or half decent product from Indochino. I ordered a suit from them on Nov 30 and to make sure that it fit I went to the NYC showroom to be fitted.
The experience was not horrible and I expected good things. But after checking the website for an update I realized that my suit was on hold because the sleeve was too short for my body type. This warning had been there for a week without anyone reaching out to me. When I called I offered to go into the showroom to be measured but they said it was not a problem. When a called a week later to complain what was taking so long, the response was you do not have to get the suit and you can have you money back. WOW. At this point, I would just wait to see what was going to happened.
When the suit finally showed up (Jan 15th 6 1/2 weeks after the purchase), it was huge all over. The explanation was that the sizes that were sent were probably changed by the computer the company uses. So why even take them in the first place? A remake had to be made but instead of taking new measurements, the gentlemen at the showroom, used the ill-fitting suit as a template (he did take pictures) and just deducted from there. After checking the measurements that are online currently, they still seem to big compared to new measurements that I took on my own.
It is now Feb 7 and no suit yet (11 weeks later). I did receive two free ties for my trouble when the remake was done but I just want my suit.
I actually have a good story with my suit purchase. I got a 3-piece suit online with 2 pair of trousers. My wife measured me twice and I fret forever over the suit until it arrived. It arrived a little bit late due to the holiday rush, but I received a free tie out of it. I have another suit, so I wasn’t overly inconvenienced.
I then ordered two shirts. They arrived with incorrect cuffs, but a good fit. Their customer service sent out new shirts with correct cuffs after verifying the fit. In about 3 months, I have a very nice upgraded wardrobe for 1/2 the price of anything I looked at in town. I also have measurements that enable me to quickly order a summer suit or next year’s Tux with much more confidence.
Really, customer service is what matters with online ordering and their customer service has been second to none. I will suggest that you should be very patient with them. However, for the value I received and the final suit/shirt quality, I am very, very happy.
Indochino is too expensive. OWNONLY is great. I bought a three piece suit only $369. High qualiy. And i find a website about ownonly coupon. https://menssuitsleo.wordpress.com/ownonly-coupons/
Is that 19th St. in Philly?
If so, have you since visited the Indochino store in Center City for another assessment?
Proof read your posts. Seriously.
Your photographer didn’t do a good job of selecting the right lenses either, let alone “keeping things in focus.” Oh, and you pose like a cardboard box.
Just wondering how the suit stood the test of time? Are you still wearing it sometimes?
Indochino can be very by-the-book on their policies and could leave you stranded. I now have 2 suits that don’t fit – Indochiono’s response is “we will not be able to assist in this situation anymore.” This was a few days after “Not a problem. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get your fit just right”.
I just want to people to know , that my 1 st custom made suit was with Indochino and it was by far my worst shopping experience ever. They made my suit 3 times my size,then each time i went back for alteration they never got my measurements right, I had my suit altered 5 times by the 6 th time they still did not get it right. Their staff are under qualified , most of them are fresh out of college and have NO experience in Mens suit wear. They are bluntly just greasy sales people, i asked for a refund and they wouldn’t give me a refund, it is by far my worst suit I own and I will highly discourage anyone to go get their suits from there. A WASTE OF MONEY AND OF TIME.
I ordered a suit and the measurements were so far off that the tailor was unable to fix the jacket. I was not prompt with my “remake” and was told that there was no way to get the jacket fixed after the 30 day window expired. If you order from here you better make sure you have plenty of time to rush to the tailor and get everything perfect right away or they will NOT help you! When trying to get an explanation the customer service rep hung up on me and refused to give me her managers number. GO ELSEWHERE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY AT INDOCHINO.
I ordered two suits on my initial order to take advantage of a two-for deal. I was a bit worried about jumping in with two suits right off the bat but luckily the suits fit perfectly. After I placed the order I read some customer reviews that graded the buying experience as unsatisfactory and that made me nervous. I’ve always bought suits off the rack and they never fit anywhere near as well. My wife was careful with all the measurements and double checked them. I’m extremely happy with the quality and fit of the product and recommend buying from Indochino.
To the folks at Indochino, if they are still reading, and to the FYG author, the checkered reviews in FYG have made me want to know for myself: I’m in the process now of buying a suit from there. I appreciate the feedback here, but what would be helpful would be some guidance on their infinite? customization possibilities. Should lining match felt in collar? Stitching? Should lining match the range of ties I expect to wear with the suit? I assume these answers are yes, but guidance along these lines would be helpful. I do not want to look like a candy cane.
Paul,
Thanks for reading. In short, stitching, felt color, lining color etc is really a personal choice for you to make. For what it’s worth, i find that less is often more in that department. I try to match the collar felt and jacket lining color to dominant colors on the suit. It will give you more flexibility in terms of matching with thing and is generally easier to wear. hope that helps.
Justin
Indochino suits came. Fit like a champ. Absolutely loving one of them. The fabric needs pressed, but looks and feels excellent.
The only potential problem I see with Indochino is judging what you see online with what arrives. One of the two (Tonal Indigo Glen Plaid Suit) matched, if not exceeded, expectations exactly. The other (Slate Blue Glen Plaid Suit), a darker color, matched expectations within an acceptable margin of error.
Here’s what I found: I chose the suits based on the textures from the photos. I wanted a little texture in the fabric. If you look at the pictures on Indochino you’ll see the textures. For example, here: https://d3dgk6r8ca2pzn.cloudfront.net/images/productimages/s/760×570/1474484921.91050387.additional.original.jpg. The suit that arrived is not as textured as it appears, which was a bit of a relief because I was worried it was too much. My only disappointment is that the second suit (https://d3dgk6r8ca2pzn.cloudfront.net/images/productimages/s/760×570/1468539201.1345592327.additional.original.jpg) seemed to have more texture and more robust colors than the one that arrived, which was slightly muted (more gray-blue than deep slate). All this is within the margin of error of expectations of buying a suit online and more than made up for by the fact that the measurements were absolutely dead-on (If I’m being picky, pants were possibly .25″-.5″ too long, but again well within margin of measuring error). Also, one of the nice things about the site is you get a measure of the fabric’s weight (e.g., 290gsm vs 285gsm).
So my advice would be to expect textures and possibly the colors to be a bit less amplified than what you see in the pictures and use the weight of the fabric as a guide to the weight (and possibly the texture) you can expect. For example, a 260gsm twill suit is probably not going to have as much texture as you see in the photos.
To Justin’s point about customizations: I chose a contrasting color for the stitching and the lapel button hole looks like a fly has landed there, so his less is more advice is good. I’m returning the BB suits I bought (not yet tailored). For me, there’s no comparison.
Thanks for the reviews.
Paul,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, much appreciated.
-Justin
One additional point: I had buyer’s remorse over one of the two suits. I called them up shortly after (after buying but before submitting the measurements) and they swapped one of the two suits out. So the company was helpful in allowing that (I wish they hadn’t because I think I would have preferred my original choice). Still they were flexible about that and helpful so for me it was a good experience.