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Getting a suit can be a stressful and expensive outing. Usually you’re suiting up in preparation for a big event, a wedding, or a job interview, and the goal is always to look sharp and feel comfortable so you can present your best self.
As we've covered before, Indochino wants to make the process of buying a suit more personal and affordable than ever before.
The company makes suits tailored to your body and allows you to customize everything from your lining to the stitching around your buttons, helping to make the suit entirely your own.
Last week, Insider Picks (a.k.a. Breton and I) visited one of Indochino’s showrooms in downtown NYC. The experience was easy and painless, and during the process of creating our suits, we learned a lot and were saved from making a few fashion faux pas.
Tl;dr: This is a great deal on a suit made exactly to your specifications by a company loved by finance and regular guys alike. Use "INSIDERPICKS" at checkout to make sure you're getting the lowest price available ever for Indochino. The deal ends Friday, July 1.
If you can’t make it into a showroom, you can visit the Indochino website and take all of your measurements on your own. They’ll still make you a custom suit, and if it doesn’t fit, they’ll remake it, or give you $75 credit to take the suit back to your tailor to clean things up. But if you can make the time to visit a showroom, the experience is well worth it:
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Walking into the showroom
Tyler: I didn’t really know what to think walking into the Indochino showroom. Part of me felt woefully underprepared — the only two suits I've ever owned were standard, off-the-rack fare from Men’s Warehouse. I liked them both a lot, but I had very little knowledge of what they looked like. Upon entering, a receptionist was quick to offer coffee or water, which I greatly appreciated. Then we took to browsing around the showroom, getting a feel for our potential options before the work really began.
Breton: I initially thought all the sample fabrics were scarves before realizing they were the wools we'd be looking at, and realized it's been a while since I've been to a showroom. I had a few shirts made several years ago. The most intimidating thing about getting custom clothes is the service-heavy shopping experience. Like most guys, I'm used to being ignored in the store and quickly and quietly finding what I need and getting out. Once you get used to the difference, it feels good to take time and think through what you're going to buy.
Choosing a fabric
Tyler: This was by far the most nerve-racking decision of the day; I was a bit overwhelmed by the options available to me. I’m at a point in my life where "wedding season" is about to become a very real thing, and I wanted something fun that would make me feel like the life of the party, even when awkwardly sitting to the side of the dance floor.
At the same time, I wanted something safe enough that it could work for most occasions. After narrowing it down to about three fabrics, one of the stylists came over, heard my reasoning behind the selections I had made, and picked out another option. It was a subtle pattern over a deep navy, and it was just what I was looking for. Pretty sure he saved me from making a mistake.
Breton: I own one suit, and it's navy blue, which is torture in the summer, as I discovered a few weeks ago. That one covers most of my professional and formal events, so I chose a light grey fabric that will serve me well for summer weddings.
Choosing a fabric is easily the most difficult choice you'll make, unless you're getting multiple suits because you wear them everyday. Indochino had tons of options— solids, pinstripes, plaids, and so on — that would be ideal for work, all the way up to some really outlandish ones, if that's what you're into.
Customization
Tyler: Customization was something I wasn’t really prepared for either, basically because I didn’t know how many aspects of a suit could be customized. The highlight was picking out a suit lining, pictured above.
I found something of a floral/fractal pattern in light blue that went really well with my fabric. Beyond that, there were decisions to be made regarding pockets, buttons, and lapel shape. It would’ve been easy to get lost in, but my stylist pointed me in the right directions with tips like, “this is a more traditional look, whereas this is a bit more forward.”
I tried to make safe decisions, because I thought the easiest way I could mess things up would be by overdoing the customization, which I think was the right play.
Breton: The key choices to make when buying a suit are: Number of buttons, lapel structure, back vents, and pockets.
Buttons: Two-button is what you'd pick 95% of the time. One-button works too. Three-button was big about 10 years ago, but has gone out of style.
Lapel: Notch is the standard shape you'll see on 85% of suits. Peak lapel is more formal, but both work anywhere.
Back vents: One in the middle or one on each side. Having one in the middle is more casual and American. Having the side vents is considered more European. Entirely based on personal preference.
Pockets: Straight or hacking. Again, straight is more common, hacking is a little more fanciful. Entirely based on personal preference.
Aside from those, pick a cool lining — it's the crazy socks part of the suit. Since few people will see it, you can get very creative.
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