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| Indochino Ultimate Gray Suit Review - A Hipstamatic Collage click to enlarge to see it in its full vintage style glory |
A light gray suit is one of those suits every man should have, they say. Well, to be honest I didn't have one for quite a long time. I guess Mad Men and Don Draper had something to do with my decision to buy one after all. I went for the Indochino Essential Grey Suit, it's currently priced at $449 and a coupon can bring down the price significantly. When I ordered it last year I was lucky and used one of those magical "20% off + 2 free shirts + 1 tie" coupons that seem to have disappeared now. Yes, I do wish them back too. Especially as there hasn't been a Groupon deal available for anyone outside the US/Canada yet!
By the way, I realize some of you want photos with the perfect white balance. For this review, I can't really fulfill your wish, because my girlfriend isn't at home and took the Canon with her. I decided to call my brother and have him take some photos with Hipstamatic (you know, that iPhone app everyone is talking about). The outcome is interesting, I really like the photos - the real colors are shown on the Indochino website anyway and if you want to be completely on the safe side, you might want to order the Tailor Kit with the fabric samples.
For the suit I went with my usual customizations - normal width lapels (I believe they are slim enough as they are), brown lining this time (fits well), functional sleeve buttonholes, functional boutonniere for the imaginative flower I never use. Options such as the Higher Armholes or Natural Shoulders were not available then, but they are now and they are actually the standard, so you don't have to choose anything. If you are not sure what advanced options to get, I'm working on a guide to the advanced customization options - it can also be found in the Indochino Guide (input welcome, as always)
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| Functional Sleeve Buttonholes |
On to the suit, it arrived within 2 weeks and it was my first Indochino suit to fit perfectly right out of the box. Everyone loves unpacking presents and I too just love opening the Indochino box, taking out the suit, putting it on and checking myself in the mirror. It's not ideal of course - it's always a bit wrinkled out of the box. What I usually do is hang it in the bathroom for 30 mins while my girlfriend is taking a hot shower. The steam does wonders to smoothen out those wrinkles!
I've been wondering why I've never had any huge problems with the measurements - the only reason I can think of is that I really took my time properly measuring myself with the help of my girlfriend (actually I did it a second time a day later). I keep track of all the measurements on a Google Docs spreadsheet and adapt it if necessary. So far this has worked out fine, so I think measuring properly (and according to their videos) is really key.
The suit itself is really good value for money, very versatile too. Super 120s wool makes it light enough to wear in summer and just heavy enough for spring and autumn. The light gray can be combined with a number of pattered or solid colored shirts and ties, the possibilities are really endless.
One word about fabric quality - it is nothing to write home about, but definitely good enough for the price. In other words, I can't see anything wrong with it - it doesn't feel extremely soft or anything, but it's really solid and doesn't feel cheap.
I can only wait and see how my Indochino suits stand the test of time - my oldest one is around 1 year now and it doesn't show any signs of wear. I'm using the Essential Gray suit probably once a week, but I usually only hang it out at the open window for the night and I don't bring the jacket to the dry cleaners (brush + wet towel for spots).
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| Indochino Essential Grey Suit, Indochino Navy Blue Tie & Light Blue Striped Shirt from a local tailor |
I've been wondering why I've never had any huge problems with the measurements - the only reason I can think of is that I really took my time properly measuring myself with the help of my girlfriend (actually I did it a second time a day later). I keep track of all the measurements on a Google Docs spreadsheet and adapt it if necessary. So far this has worked out fine, so I think measuring properly (and according to their videos) is really key.
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| Indochino Gray Suit Review |
The suit itself is really good value for money, very versatile too. Super 120s wool makes it light enough to wear in summer and just heavy enough for spring and autumn. The light gray can be combined with a number of pattered or solid colored shirts and ties, the possibilities are really endless.
One word about fabric quality - it is nothing to write home about, but definitely good enough for the price. In other words, I can't see anything wrong with it - it doesn't feel extremely soft or anything, but it's really solid and doesn't feel cheap.
I can only wait and see how my Indochino suits stand the test of time - my oldest one is around 1 year now and it doesn't show any signs of wear. I'm using the Essential Gray suit probably once a week, but I usually only hang it out at the open window for the night and I don't bring the jacket to the dry cleaners (brush + wet towel for spots).
The Essential Gray suit reviewed here should be available most of the time, because it is part of their constant collection. If they run out of fabric it can be gone for some days, but it is usually up again very quickly - trust me. If you are looking for alternatives, there are other gray suits available now that might be interesting for you.
Hope you enjoyed this review, looking forward to reading your comments and don't hesitate to contact me at indochinoreviews@gmail.com with any questions you might have!
Indochino Essential Gray Suit
Reviewed by Lorenz Loidl. Rated:
10/10 (Excellent). A great and very versatile suit for a good price. Essential indeed.
