Indochino suits?

[deep purple]

Thanks for posting the "real" videos. I was under no illusions that the marketing video was just that....marketing. It is the same reason why companies use models to market their product. It is the illusion that is being sold. I have seen tailor shops in Thailand and India and the conditions seem to be very similar to the Chinese shop.

 

[GettinCutBro]

Is a cotton suit ok and fashionable? Will it wrinkle all the time when I sit down for long periods.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by GettinCutBro

Is a cotton suit ok and fashionable? Will it wrinkle all the time when I sit down for long periods.
Cotton suits are fine for late spring and most of summer, but yes, they will wrinkle more than wool suits will. That's to be expected with cotton, linen, and other vegetable fibers, and it's part of the look. They don't trap heat the way wool does, so you'll stay cooler during the hotter months. But the tradeoff is that they're more prone to wrinkling.

 

[saiyar1]

I must say it is quite surprising to me how, in my opinion, what started out as true difference in quality decades ago has persisted and basically become a deep seeded, yet hidden, sense of exaggerated nationalism and superiority. In this day and age to think that places like China just could not produce a top of the line suit is rediculous.

I think we should actually take a different general approach to Indochino. The business savvy of these guys is quite impressive, and I think they actually do agree with a lot of the comments made on this forum in terms of quality. Yes, the main guy is quite uninspiring in his tone. But, I think he is quite knowledgable about what exactly he is doing and what "level of craftsmanship" he wants to provide relative to his market.

When I read this 7 page thread, I can't help but feel this sense of nagging skepticism that remains with Styleforum, even after many posting their experiences. I can't see a downside if you were to step into a room with their tailor to personally measure you. In the end, expertly tailored or magnificently crafted is not a function of the neighborhood in which the fabric is bought, the luxuriousness of the surroundings during construction, and definitely not a function of nostalgia brought about by the romaticism of the suit industry as it was half a century or more ago. To spend one's money on that, while hiding it behind blanket statements which frankly no longer really hold true, is a statement of unfounded superiority.

Is the sartor just afraid of change?

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by saiyar1

I must say it is quite surprising to me how, in my opinion, what started out as true difference in quality decades ago has persisted and basically become a deep seeded, yet hidden, sense of exaggerated nationalism and superiority. In this day and age to think that places like China just could not produce a top of the line suit is rediculous.
I never implied that China can't produce a top quality suit (see: Chan, P. Lee, and some of the other Hong Kong tailors favored by many on SF). But your typical Chinese outsourcing is not about quality; it's about saving costs and cutting corners. Indochino isn't making suits in China because it's aiming for "top of the line." It's making suits in China because they're cheaper to make in China. No one's bringing nationalism into this discussion but you. I would have the exact same rationale against Indochino if they made suits in Malaysia to save money, or poorer sections of India to save money, or freaking Afghanistan to save money. The point is that they're farming out their labor to keep costs down and margins up, and the consumer should be aware of that when making a purchasing decision. Whether or not China is capable of producing a quality suit is entirely irrelevant to this discussion. It's not at issue. The crux of your argument seems to be that we shouldn't assume something is of low quality just because it's made in China. And I agree with you under other circumstances. But in the circumstance of Indochino, we have a pretty good idea why the good is being made in China, and the reason is cost related. I'm not knocking that as a business plan, either, mind you. It's a great business plan. Indochino deserves a lot of credit for targeting an under-served niche in the low-cost MTM market.

 

[saiyar1]

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

Indochino isn't making suits in China because it's aiming for "top of the line." It's making suits in China because they're cheaper to make in China.

This wasn't directed right at you, but there is an issue with the above statement. Almost everyone takes the China issue as an extreme: If you want quality, you're going to find it in Italian or British suits. If you want to cut corners make it in China. No. How about Indo chino is aiming for high line AND taking it to China so that the cost is cheaper than anyone else.

The old mindset is that you pick a level of quality which dictates where you construct it and who will buy it. China will give it to you for cheaper but the quality will not be there. Therefore, you do it locally and pass on the costs to your consumer, who realizes that the price is directly traceable to the quality.

Nowadays, the business plan is what dicatates the level of quality. The target consumer must also be chosen. While it is linked to the level of quality, I am trying to point out that in these days it is not longer one in the same decision. Indochino gets it. They are giving you a really good product that was previously not offered at that price point. They are farming out work to be produced at their level of quality at a cheaper price. They are breaking the midset that you pick either cost OR quality.

Styleforum constantly strives for value. This is good. Indochino is taking this to the next level. The consumer does not need to know if anything is being farmed out, just for the sake of knowing. Unless there is some atrocity being committed in the production of the suit, all that matters is the quality being given for the price. What the consumer needs to start realizing is that you can't say "If it's too good to be true then it is" - case closed, keep skeptical.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by saiyar1

How about Indo chino is aiming for high line AND taking it to China so that the cost is cheaper than anyone else.
That would be fine if it were what Indochino is really trying to do, but it's not. I'm going to exit stage left now, before this starts descending into a fruitless semantics argument about the definition of quality.

 

[GettinCutBro]

did the

guy just kill this thread?

 

[linsook]

haha no of course not. I will continue to post updates in here with pictures. Its just that AB jumped the gun in thinking that some of us were delusional; thinking that indochino offers a suit on par with what the big timers around here get.

 

[Don Carlos]

 

[mjc]

Originally Posted by saiyar1

Styleforum constantly strives for value. This is good. Indochino is taking this to the next level. The consumer does not need to know if anything is being farmed out, just for the sake of knowing.

Actually, this consumer very much likes to know exactly where his suit is made, and I applaud Indochino for being very upfront in explaining their business model, and the fact that the suits are made in Shanghai.

Indochino suits are excellent value, and I hope they kill off the OTR suit business that provides so many awful-fitting suits to the masses!

- Mike

 

[elgreco]

I have an Indochino suit that I bought a couple of years ago when the business was still nascent and the customisability options were limited. The suit itself fits pretty decently and looks pretty good, but the fabric is nothing special at all and if I wore suits more regularly, I'm pretty sure it would have fallen apart shortly thereafter.

However, I agree with mike/mjc's comment above - for someone right out of college and/or graduate school who needs a decent fitting suit for interviews/the office, I think this is a far better option than buying items of similar-to-worse fabric and construction quality from BR, H&M, Zara, etc.

 

[jwalker]

Indochino offers custom tailored suits for such low prices because the fabrics they use are low quality wools made in China. A true custom tailor shop offers hundreds of different wools such as worstead, twill, tweed, mohair, casmere in all different patterns and colors that are milled by top designers in europe. The customer must have a selection of fabrics depending on weather he wishes to have a suit made for winter or summer...etc.From what ive read, it seems that this company is in the business of "assembly-line custom tailoring" due to their lack of keen attention to detail compared to garments made in hong kong or savile row. Another feature i found a little funny was how they charge you for small "extras". the fact of the matter is...the tailors do not charge extra for these "extras", it does not cost them anymore to add on the "extras" they charge for. it is simply a way to jack up the total retail price. Plus it seems they have this unhealthy obsession with trendy 60's ad man suits. although this is a very popular style, this site doesn't see to get that not every man can pull off the slim fit suit...not to mention that their trousers seem to fit very tight.

 

[amplifiedheat]

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

a fruitless semantics argument about the definition of quality.

 

[linsook]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Indochino offers custom tailored suits for such low prices because the fabrics they use are low quality wools made in China. A true custom tailor shop offers hundreds of different wools such as worstead, twill, tweed, mohair, casmere in all different patterns and colors that are milled by top designers in europe. The customer must have a selection of fabrics depending on weather he wishes to have a suit made for winter or summer...etc.From what ive read, it seems that this company is in the business of "assembly-line custom tailoring" due to their lack of keen attention to detail compared to garments made in hong kong or savile row. Another feature i found a little funny was how they charge you for small "extras". the fact of the matter is...the tailors do not charge extra for these "extras", it does not cost them anymore to add on the "extras" they charge for. it is simply a way to jack up the total retail price. Plus it seems they have this unhealthy obsession with trendy 60's ad man suits. although this is a very popular style, this site doesn't see to get that not every man can pull off the slim fit suit...not to mention that their trousers seem to fit very tight.

What extras do they charge you for?