[REVIEW] Indochino Traveling Tailor/Chicago Review

[Furious Styles]

I just got back from Indochino's Traveling Tailor (ITT) and I enjoyed the experience. ITT was held in Union Station's Great Hall, and it consisted of mobile dressing rooms, fabric racks, tables of accessories, dressed mannequins, and a check-out (for those who dared).


I was a few minutes late for my 5:15 appointment but was pleasantly greeted by a concierge, who introduced me to my tailor. The measurement process was good, though I found it a bit confusing that when I was handed jackets and slacks to try on, they were in sizes like 5 and 6, rather than 40 or medium. That said, my tailor was very accommodating and worked with me to answer my questions and made the necessary size changes as requested. If there was a negative, it was that he never really introduced the brand to me or did a check for my knowledge of Indochino. We kind of went straight to measuring.


He then introduced me to a lady stylist, who gave me a perky walking tour through of Indochino's fabrics, customization process, and merchandise. I liked her a lot, as she wasn't afraid to check with another rep when I asked about customizing button height and cost differences between lining fabrics. And, most importantly, she wasn't pushy; after she attempted a "so would you like to place an order?" pitch, she didn't try again, but reminded me of how my sizes were saved for whenever I wanted to go online and buy. And then she said she'd be around if needed. It was informative and respectful.


She also told me that one of the Indochino owners was still there. I had an idea of who to look for, as I'd seen the company's YouTube promo video. Lo and behold, I saw Indochino President/Co-Founder/CCO Heikal Gani. I went up to him, introduced myself, and complimented him on the ITT. He was soft-spoken but friendly. I let him know I'd learned of Indochino through Dappered.com and he broke into a smile and said "Thank you! I really like that site."


We exchanged some other pleasantries (I felt great when he said "you look good!" because I was budget-fashionable in an Express suit, H&M shirt, Stafford wingtips, and Wal-Mart pocket square), and I thought "When am I going to be with this business owner again?" so I asked for a picture. Heikal went to the front tables, got a box and his iPhone and returned with one of his staff. We took two pics with my phone and to my surprise he took one with his.


The best part? He said "Here's a gift for you" and handed me the box, which contained the Suit Kit: Indochino black tie, pocket square, cuff links, and tie bar! The cost of these at the merchandise tables was well over $150.


So color me impressed. It was absolutely worth it to see and feel Indochino's fabrics and to get precise measurements. I told Heikal that I look forward to being his customer real soon. And a shout to Dappered Joe, for not only introducing me to Indochino but for being a good enough partner that name-dropping the site helped break the ice.


PICS:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rs1Xi0Hy7ZDsnFDlxNIcwzUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GTW1Unoedcr9B6--ur75nzUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bgAae4xlpCz4SX8_AxcwezUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GCztai1VEgHFEehKZDJRpTUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YCVnzyrxMzlDvOxHCsPhdDUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_LVHCnSUm2jAbfttvTneXTUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NNV_bfq8f4XlxxpQK8dlcDUyBhH_NWhNIaLefirN-R4?feat=directlink


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

[LosRockets]

This need to makes the main site in some way. Awesome story and way to seize the opportunity and introduce yourself - not an easy thing to do! Looking good too!

[oakleysale]

oakley sunglasses were developed in 1975 by James Jannard; however these aren’t your usual sun glasses. These sun glasses are designed and created for outdoors wear, particularly for those who are rough and tumble. All Oakley polarized sunglasses must pass rigorous testing prior to being polarized. These tests ensure the glasses will not shatter or the lens doesn pop out of the frame. Due to the rigorous testing, these sun glasses are now among the most popular among professional athletes and others who spend a great deal of time outdoors.


Buying top quality sunglasses could be very high-priced however with the top manufacturers, you can be sure with the credibility and quality of the product or service. The discount oakley sunglasses along with frames in the tastes cheap reproduction colors are produced from second-rate grade components and though lighting on the wallets, they will often end up being quite heavy on your wellbeing. Other benefits of developer sunglasses are generally that they help avoid primary make contact with of the eyes using the wind flow, airborne dirt and dust, dust and other pollutants. This can be a big benefit when you find yourself driving a car or perhaps actively playing within the field. cheap oakley sunglasses are usually extremely preferred for such cases while they reduce the resembled glare to a minimum.

[bruschetta]

Furious Styles, sounds like a great time!

[kenneth]

That sounds incredible, Furious! Everything about that review rocked.


Aside - white shirts on a navy suit rock, but white shirts never work well with yellow ties. :P


I really, really wish that the ITT would come to Atlanta, I'd definitely get another suit if they did.

[Furious Styles]

Thanks fellas. It really was a great marketing tactic for an online retailer. I'm all for buying stuff online, but at the end of the day nothing beats feeling the fabric, looking at their work with my own eyes, and talking with staff. To Kenneth's point, it makes wanting to buy a suit easy.


...and I'll keep that in mind about the yellow tie/white shirt. I got compliments from people on Chicago streets, so it can't be all bad!

[jicarv]

@Furious Styles - Thanks for the great review! I hope they come to the NY area because I would like to check them out in person also.


PS. Your outfit looks great!

[nicholascrawford]

I'm so jealous! That is awesome!

[Philpot]

Wow, I need to look into these for the next time I need a suit. Just checking out the website, they look awesome. Especially for the price point. Those pictures are great! Looks like an awesome time.

[runners n jeans]

Here's another review by jeffreyd, a tailor who frequents StyleForum: http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/...othing-to.html

[greg_s]

The white shirt/yellow tie thing is particularly true for those of us with a light complexion. In that case there is almost no contrast.

[Jeremy B.]

I've got my appointment at 3:15 today. I'll report back. Just hoping they don't try a hard sell.

[Furious Styles]

No hard sell, Jeremy. I really liked that they treated me as a customer who thinks before dropping $375+.


Thanks everyone. I'm so happy about the free suit kit that I still haven't taken the components out of the box...

[redbeardedmike]

So I've been meaning to post my impressions after hitting Indochino's event a week ago. I think there were some interesting insights into their business model (especially sizing).


So the first thing you do is to get sized up. Here is where some behind-the-scenes thing emerged. They took measurements of my chest, waist, bicep, neck, and possibly one or two others that I forgot. They consulted the iPod and found that I best fit into an Indochino, size 5. They got the suit and had me try it on. The chest and shoulders seemed to fit well. The sleeves and jacket werew too short. The attendant said the Indochino rule is that the jacket should hit the first knuckle on your thumb (seems like a variation on the curl your fingers rule) and suggested adding an inch each to the sleeves and jacket length. They did not have a 3 way mirror, so I could not see the back, but she said it looked fairly clean. The pants were certainly snugger than I'm used to. The attendant sugggested that I squat down to see where I felt pressure. We added a little extra room in the knees and thighs.


So what I found most interesting here is that there was an Indochino 5 which seems to fit a lot like most other trim 38 sized jackets I've tried on. I know these MTM places are not true custom. They are working off of a patterned set of proportions. I'm not sure if Indochino 5 = 38 is a transparent concept to their employees, but I'm betting that when you send in your measurements, they are fitting it to one of their internal sizes and tweaking it a bit as they deem necessary. Maybe this was obvious to some, but it was a new realization to me. Maybe that's why some of the suits just seem a little off: you're being fitted into a slotted Indochino size/proportion with some adjustments. That's got to be hard to do without trying things on (which is why the offer the credit).


I was pretty glad to have had the chance to try their size 5 on in person and for them to record the minor adjustments I would need to make for a good fit. I certainly would be more likely to purchase an Indochino suit now that I've had my measurements taken because I think it's more likely that the final product will fit me well. But more than anything, I'm encouraged that their internal sizing fits me well with only a few required tweaks. If someone does not fit well into their internal sizing and would require a lot of adjustments, then I think you might see some of the really ill-fitting suits that we've seen in some pictures.


So, my conclusion is that internet-based made-to-measure is still a crapshoot. I hope that Indochino does more of these roadshows so that people can dial their measurements in. I am not in need of another suit, but if I see a good deal (like sub $300 for the suit alone), I might take the plunge on a patterned number, like the Prince of Wales suit which has a handsome, subtle blue stripe running through it. At least, I think that's the fabric I admired when I was there. My style consultant said that the fabric I liked cost more than their Essential/introductory suits (he said it was from their Executive line). But the website does not show any additional Prince of Wales option or mention anything about an Executive Line. The style consultant didn't seem particularly well-informed, so I'm not giving his comment a lot of credence. I'd confirm with Indochino before buying anything to make sure I knew what I was getting, of course.

[Jeremy B.]

@Furious I think your experience was pretty unique. I ended up getting the essential navy suit with the "free" shirt and suit kit. I think you got your suit kit because of your rapport with the owner. They were only handing them out to people that bought suits when I was there.


Like others have said, the process occurred in two stages. The fitting with the tailor and then picking out a suit with the "stylist." The fitting was fantastic. If my suit arrives the way it was measured, it will be the most fantastic fitting clothing I own. The tailor really dialed everything in down to taking a quarter inch off the thighs of the pants. The "stylist" was something else all together. He walked me over to the fabrics and basically said "This is what we got, which one do you want?" He got a little more responsive when he sorted out that I was actually going to buy a suit, but was not very helpful and really tried to rush me along. I found out that all of the tailors and stylists were locals that they had hired through craigslist of all places so @redbeard is right with his idea not to trust them. Overall it was a good experience, but I did leave thinking that there was no way that I would try to measure myself like that and order online. We'll see for sure on the 9th when my suit arrives.