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| The Indochino Classic Camel Linen Suit - the perfect summer suit |
I wanted to post this already a month ago, but better late than never, I guess! So here is my review on the Indochino Classic Camel Linen Suit (349$) - luckily still available, just like many other suits from the recent Linen Collection and the Cotton Collection.
The fabric
As mentioned on they product description, the Linen suits are actually a blend of 55% linen and 45% cotton. This way you can prevent the worst wrinkles and the suit is still light and breathable for the summer - in the pictures I posted, the suit has actually already been worn for 2 days. So, yes it's not completely crisp anymore, but still quite acceptable. I am working in an environment that requires me to wear suits, but I would appear overdressed in a 3-piece pinstripe suit - a linen suit in summer is definitely ok, but I guess that might be different for those of you who are working in the banking industry.
One drawback of this year's linen suits is the fact that the jackets are all fully lined. In the summer it would be great to half some lighter, half-lined jackets. I remember you could request that option at Indochino last year, but this year it's all full lining. I could have used my 75$ tailor credit and half a local tailor do that, but at the end I decided against it... now that I think of it, it could have been interesting to do it and take some pictures of the inside of the suit. Perhaps with the next one.
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| close-up of the fabric |
One drawback of this year's linen suits is the fact that the jackets are all fully lined. In the summer it would be great to half some lighter, half-lined jackets. I remember you could request that option at Indochino last year, but this year it's all full lining. I could have used my 75$ tailor credit and half a local tailor do that, but at the end I decided against it... now that I think of it, it could have been interesting to do it and take some pictures of the inside of the suit. Perhaps with the next one.
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| Buttonholes - could be a bit more accurate |
The fit: the pants
It is worth mentioning that so far my suits have not required a remake. I had to go to a tailor to fix a thing or two sometimes, but these were minor issues. On the first suit I had to correct the pants length and the length of the sleeves (my measurement mistake), once a collar felt was not properly sewn, but that is basically it. So quality on my suits has been very consistent. However, this time the pants didn't fit that well. They were unusually baggy and that didn't work with the tailored fit of the jacket. I am not sure how this happened - I had actually already lowered the crotch measurement, but they still came out baggy. Perhaps it's their house cut that changed slightly? We have all noticed the models wearing the pants a bit loose.
Anyway, I applied for a remake with further improved measurements and received my new pants last week - the fit is excellent. I have to say that the process was smooth and simple. All I have to do now is find a cheap way to send back the original pants to Indochino.
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| everything fit fine after the pants remake |
The fit: the jacket
For my first suits, my shoulder measurement was 18'. That was very snug and I felt it restricted my movements a bit when I bowed forward or leaned on a table. I talked to Angie/Indochino Customer support about this and I changed my measurements to 18.25", emphasizing that I really just want the shoulders to be a tiny bit larger than 18". I had done the same already with my Tweed Suit and the result was very convincing. Now the shoulders still end exactly where they should, but I do have a bit more freedom to move.
Another thing that I always request is a bit less waist suppression than usual. I had seen a couple of pictures where they really overdid it and I wanted to avoid having a female silhouette.
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| jacket fit just fine out of the box |
The lowdown:
Ultimately, another Indochino suit that worked fine for me. I like the fabric, the suit is cool enough for hot summer days, even if it's fully lined. The fit is just as I wished for after all. I hope I can avoid a remake on the pants next time and they keep on working on their quality & consistency. One thing I'm a bit unsure of is the style on their models. It changes a bit every month, does that mean the suits change too or do they stay true to the measurements? It might just be that my pants were too baggy because the style of their suits changed. Which could mean that my next pants could end up far too tight, depending on the style of the collection.
Furthermore, am curious to see what the 4$ million investment from a few months ago will change or lead to. Shoes? Finally the cardigans that were already talked about at the end of 2010? Customizable ties (length, width)? Silk lining instead of the polyester blend we have now? There'd be plenty of possibilities.
Ultimately, another Indochino suit that worked fine for me. I like the fabric, the suit is cool enough for hot summer days, even if it's fully lined. The fit is just as I wished for after all. I hope I can avoid a remake on the pants next time and they keep on working on their quality & consistency. One thing I'm a bit unsure of is the style on their models. It changes a bit every month, does that mean the suits change too or do they stay true to the measurements? It might just be that my pants were too baggy because the style of their suits changed. Which could mean that my next pants could end up far too tight, depending on the style of the collection.
Furthermore, am curious to see what the 4$ million investment from a few months ago will change or lead to. Shoes? Finally the cardigans that were already talked about at the end of 2010? Customizable ties (length, width)? Silk lining instead of the polyester blend we have now? There'd be plenty of possibilities.
