Indochino is developing quickly. Just a few days ago, they introduced Thomas Mason fabrics for their shirts. Only a few years ago, the Indochino guys themselves didn't really know if their fabrics were wool or polyester. They sold their suits below $300 and talking about Reda or Thomas Mason fabrics would have been inconceivable. I remember readers were already protesting loudly when there was no coupon for a free shirt, a free tie and 20% off available for a few weeks - and I agreed with them, back then.
How things have changed. Look at Indochino today: digital cutting, professional pop-up stores, Reda fabrics, suits that sell for $600 (Vincero Line) and now Thomas Mason shirts for $149. That company is developing fantastically. They surely lost a number of their bargain seeking clientele along the way, but they successfully tapped into new customer groups, willing to pay more.
There have been a couple of major improvements that are perhaps not that obvious, but still very much worth mentioning, especially when you compare it to just a few months ago.
- All linings are now made of Bemberg. Previously, Bemberg lining has been only available for the Vincero line. In the normal suits, the lining used to be polyester until a few weeks ago! A big improvement, Bemberg is a far more breathable fabric and just much higher quality.
- BWF collar felts on all suits. Again, this is a major improvement.
- Real bullhorn buttons. A bit of a grey area before, at least for me. Clearly declared as bullhorn now.
- Helsa shoulder pads from Germany. Not sure what was used before, but Helsa has a really good name in the industry. Indochino's shoulders were always a bit of a problematic area, but this should really be solved now.
- Construction. Now using Freudenberg components (I guess the interlining). Well, this is a little bit more tricky. Remember Indochino uses their own kind of method, somehow between fusing and half-canvas. Well, it is still unique and now - I am sure the components are of good quality, but why not offer a proper full canvas upgrade? They also mention the construction is lighter now, there have been some issues reported on the forum lately about just that (thread 1, thread 2).
Together with the most recent overhaul of their website, they are without a doubt the major player in the online MTM tailor business by a very long stretch. The website has two main new parts:
Indochino Suits:
Learn everything about how Indochino works, their fabrics, customisation options nicely visualised and much more.
Indochino Shirts:
Same for shirts, go through the customisation options, check how the monogram will look like - really well done.
Indochino Suits:
Learn everything about how Indochino works, their fabrics, customisation options nicely visualised and much more.
Indochino Shirts:
Same for shirts, go through the customisation options, check how the monogram will look like - really well done.
The shirt bundle deal is still available and now it an altered version also applicable to the shirts. Use SHIRTBUNDLES at checkout to get two premium shirts for $269 or three regular shirts for $229. Also, watch out for a Black Friday sale, I hear they have something nice in store for everyone this year.
What do you think about the new shirts and the general development of Indochino?
