Indochino Review: The double-breasted blue pinstripe superhero suit

A few weeks ago, I was sorting through my wardrobe and discovered that all my suits are similar in certain ways. They are all 2-button suits, come with 2 vents and have notch lapels. Time for something special.
I ordered one of the Superhero Suits, the now sold-out Blue Pinstripe Suit. It's made of 100% Australian Merino wool (120s) from an Italian mill and feels & looks great. A double-breasted suit simply calls for peak lapels and I also decided to go for slanted pockets and a ticket pocket. I also chose one of the special linings that comes with the suit. Other features include contrasting buttonholes, meaning that the last cuff buttonhole is in a contrast collar as well as the boutonniere, and I also thought I'd give the pick stitching another try. 

I do have plenty of shirts from Indochino, but until a while ago there was no option for a real cutaway collar. The Gray Striped Shirt, part of the Superhero Collection, looked like a nice addition to my wardrobe, so I ordered that one too.

Indochino ties are an interesting topic. According to the descriptions, they are all 100% silk, but I remember my first tie from them felt clearly like polyester (and still does if I compare it to other ties). The one I ordered this time is actually the tie on the model, and it feels & looks nice. The material and the construction could still be upgraded in my opinion, especially if compared to a Zegna or Gucci tie. To be fair, those ties do cost quite a bit more, but sometimes you can find them on sale and then they obviously are the better choice.

DB Info: Do you know what an anchor button or a jigger is? It's the interior button of a double-breasted suit and it should always be fastened first. Esquire even refers to it as the "male equivalent of the bra". Then fasten the middle button on the right side and you are all set (source:  GQ, Esquire).

I added one more item to my order, the small silver tie clip. It's one item that was missing from Indochino's lineup for a long time. They had their slim ties and skinny ties, but the tie bars were of standard length and actually far too long for their ties.

Things at Indochino are constantly moving on and it can be hard to keep track. One example is the measurements page or rather the way measurements are being displayed. Whatever used to be before, what you see now (if your profile has been switched to digital patterns), are the real measurements of your garment. I was a bit confused when I saw those "new" measurements on my profile, but the suit fit great right out of the box.

I added cuffs on the pants to add some weight and thus keep the crease sharp. Might have to get the pants shortened a little, I got used to no break, this is almost at full break. Everything else is just really good. Wish I could wear the jackets a bit shorter, but my legs are really short compared to my upper body. Anyway, now I am waiting for the right occasion to wear this suit at work without outdressing the CEO.

For the interested reader: A Primer on Double-Breasted Suits

Early double-breasted suits via esquire.com

Double-breasted suits are an interesting topic. I don't want to spend too much time meandering about its history here, but it basically all started out around the 1930ies. Roomy, double-breasted suits became fashionable around then stayed until the 1950ies. They had a revival again around 1980-1990 and then gradually went out of fashion again. They are certainly back now, one can hardly open GQ, Esquire or any fashion blog without coming across them.

Double-breasted suits have their own set of rules, some of them quite different from single-breasted suits. Here are the most important one (sources: gq.com, esquire.com, thestyleblogger.com):

1. Peak lapels instead of notch lapels (part of the bigger personality of a DB)
2. A wider lapel (slim lapels don't fit very well with a DB)
3. 6 buttons (Indochino's only option for DB)
4. Slim-fit, narrow waist
5. Shorter length (very much a question of preference and body style)
6. Always keep the suit buttoned, also when seated (there is too much fabric around for keeping it open)  

Indochino Double-Breasted Suit Reviewed by by Lorenz Loidl. Rated: 9/ 10 (Excellent) A stylish edition to your wardrobe, recommended.