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| Indochino Vincero Collection The Vincero Navy Blue & White Pinstripe Suit, 649$ |
Indochino is constantly changing and in many cases, improving. Advanced options have been reworked (photos of the options are now available) and simplified (higher armholes became standard), their much-discussed shoulder construction has been upgraded (now lightly padded shoulders).
They have also completely changed their prices and sales strategy. Just a year ago you could get 20% off an Indochino suit plus 2 free shirts. Today, there are almost no coupons (just some small official sales) and prices have increased significantly. I remember when you could get the suits for 299$ after using a coupon - now their monthly collections cost significantly more. This has surely left many former customers disappointed and looking for bargains elsewhere - StudioSuits.com comes to mind, I actually have a review coming up within the next weeks.
The reasons of the change in strategy and price increases are manifold. First of all, Indochino has been growing quickly and now wants to start making profits and grow into a strong brand, not depending on short-term sales initiatives using coupons and discounts. Furthermore, cotton prices have been increasing significantly over the last year, thus negatively affecting profit margins. Indochino has actually raised prices for blazers and some basic suits by around 30$.
Today's new suits, titled the Vincero Collection, are yet another step in a higher price category. Prices start at 649$, this has been unheard of before - the most expensive 3-piece suit even sells for 829$. However, this is not all without reason. Quite on the contrary, today new suits stand out like no other collection before. Read on below for more info.
There has been the recent pants collection with higher priced Italian fabrics (at the same time, prices of their basic pants actually increased too), the Vincero Collection is a logical next step. When the first rumors of the Vincero Collection spread around the Internet (see my story on it here), we didn't know many of the details.
There has been the recent pants collection with higher priced Italian fabrics (at the same time, prices of their basic pants actually increased too), the Vincero Collection is a logical next step. When the first rumors of the Vincero Collection spread around the Internet (see my story on it here), we didn't know many of the details.
Here is what makes the new suits truly special and still worth a consideration at 650$ (or more):
- high quality Italian Reda fabrics
Reda is an Italian company, producing high-quality fabrics for many top brands.
Read more in this short case study. - Bemberg linings
considered the best lining for suits (some say even better than silk). It's nice to the touch and most importantly, very breathable - BWF collar felts
produces for most top-market suits
In addition, there is now finally detailed information on the fabrics, such as the weight and composition incl. descriptions. They have even go so far to indicate a 0,4% polyester content that is used for the pinstripes. I assume this kind of information is easily available for Reda fabrics, in contrary to no-name fabrics sourced from Chinese mills.
The Indochino Logo has also been slightly updated, now featuring a grey or white (for Twitter/FB) background with "Indochino Custom" written on it. I prefer that one to the overly flashy golden look.
All in all, 8 new suits have been introduced. There are great fabrics and designs - from pinstripes to plaids. The Light Grey Herringbone Three-Piece is the most expensive piece of the collection at 829$. That surely is quite the price for online MTM - but the suit does look exclusive with peak notch lapels on both the suit and the vest and if you want Reda fabrics, you have to be prepared to pay for it.
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| Indochino Vincero Light Grey Herringbone Three-Piece Suit, 829$ |
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| Indochino Vincero Charcoal Plaid Suit, 729$ |
The Vincero Charcoal Plaid pictured above is one of my favorites, very versatile, yet with a twist that makes it stand out. I like those suits that may just seem solid colored from the distance, but reveal their finesse at closer distance.
The Ultimate Grey Suit's rich cousin, the Vincero Light Grey Suit (799$) is another fine suit, just like the Light Grey Plaid suit, at 629$ one of the cheaper ones.
The only thing I am missing a bit are some more solid colours - brown, navy blue, charcoal - but I you can't have it all and next Tuesday is coming up soon.
So, I think overall the suits look great. There is no doubt the fabrics are fantastic, so are the lining and the collar felts. The only very important thing they have to get right now is consistency.
Update: See my review of the Charcoal Plaid here: http://www.indochino-review.com/2012/03/indochino-review-vincero-charcoal-plaid.html
The Ultimate Grey Suit's rich cousin, the Vincero Light Grey Suit (799$) is another fine suit, just like the Light Grey Plaid suit, at 629$ one of the cheaper ones.
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| Vincero Light Grey Three-Piece Suit, 799$ |
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| Vincero Light Gray Plaid Suit, 629$ - a bargain? |
So, I think overall the suits look great. There is no doubt the fabrics are fantastic, so are the lining and the collar felts. The only very important thing they have to get right now is consistency.
I know this is not very flattering for Indochino, but I want to be honest here. If you finally get the perfect measurements for your Indochino suit (and that already can be a stony path), it has to be 100% guaranteed to have the exact same fit on your next suit. This is especially important if the suit costs 650$ and not 299$.
You can expect a customer to go to a tailor or for a remake on his first suit, but then it just has to work or many will not consider it worth the hassle. I experience it a bit on my suits - I want to have sleeve cuffs with 7", yet it seems to get changed to 9" constantly, I also had some troubles with the fit of their pants recently. Obviously, there is that 100% fit guarantee and their very forthcoming customer service aka Angie, but that still leaves you with the hassle to go to a tailor or for a rework. Of course you can never eliminate all errors, but if they manage to get those quirks ironed out, there is hardly a reason to look anywhere else for suits.
How do you feel about the Vincero Collection - will you spend 650$+ for an Indochino suit or are they coming close to a price range where you might as well just visit a local tailor? Curious to hear what you guys are thinking!
You can expect a customer to go to a tailor or for a remake on his first suit, but then it just has to work or many will not consider it worth the hassle. I experience it a bit on my suits - I want to have sleeve cuffs with 7", yet it seems to get changed to 9" constantly, I also had some troubles with the fit of their pants recently. Obviously, there is that 100% fit guarantee and their very forthcoming customer service aka Angie, but that still leaves you with the hassle to go to a tailor or for a rework. Of course you can never eliminate all errors, but if they manage to get those quirks ironed out, there is hardly a reason to look anywhere else for suits.
How do you feel about the Vincero Collection - will you spend 650$+ for an Indochino suit or are they coming close to a price range where you might as well just visit a local tailor? Curious to hear what you guys are thinking!
