Indochino’s
Essential Gray Herringbone Suit
When
it comes to suits, it doesn’t get much more versatile than gray.
When you’re feeling bold, a gray suit provides the solid foundation
upon which you can make a statement with colorful shirts, ties, and
pocket squares. When you’re just looking to ease your way through
the workday, however, a gray suit also lets you tone things down. And
when you head out for a night on the town, the jacket is equally at
home with a dark shirt and jeans.
Despite
gray’s versatility, I’ve always felt underwhelmed by various
manufacturers’ offerings. One thing that has always turned me off
of light gray suits is that the fabric is typically not uniformly
gray throughout, like charcoal or navy fabric is. To me, this random
variance creates the perception of roughness, even in suits that I
know are made of quality material. Although I’m sure there are many
men who like this about gray suits, it’s just a personal gripe of
mine.
Indochino’s
regular gray fabric (left) and gray herringbone fabric (right)
When
I happened upon Indochino’s Essential Gray Herringbone suit,
however, all of my qualms about color variance disappeared. My hand
was forced when Indochino offered a rare 20% off coupon, and I pulled
the trigger on it and the Gray Double Pinstripe suit (an excellent
choice, by the way). On previous suits, I had gotten my measurements
ever closer to my “perfect fit,” but I still felt there was room
for improvement. I was feeling rather brave, so I shaved down a few
of my dimensions, chose my options, and placed the order. It turns
out that I was a bit too brave on the measurements, but I’ll get to
that in a minute.
Fast
forward to five weeks later, and my suit arrived. Upon opening the
box, I was immediately struck by the herringbone pattern: I really
like it! In my opinion, the herringbone pattern adds a level of
sophistication that plain gray suits lack, yet it is not overpowering
and still plays well with patterned shirts and ties. Furthermore,
unlike windowpanes, the herringbone is slightly slimming and
contributes to the suit’s sleek appearance. I have a naturally slim
build, so I don’t necessarily require a suit with slimming
properties, but I imagine that this suit would complement larger men
nicely. Despite being listed as only Super 100s, the fabric itself is
quite smooth and soft, and has a nice drape. I looked at that Super
100s number with some trepidation, but I am very pleased with the
fabric’s quality.
The
blue Bemberg lining is a few shades darker than my royal blue tie
As
for custom options, I chose a two-button jacket with regular notch
lapels, two vents, functional sleeve buttons, a functional
boutonniere, a pen pocket, and blue Bemberg lining. I ordered the
suit right around the time that Indochino moved to offering only
Bemberg linings, and I am pleased with the material. The Bemberg
linings are not as shiny as Indochino’s older linings, and the
color does not have a pearly appearance in the light.
One
thing to note about the functional boutonniere is that it is not just
an open hole on the lapel: On the underside of the lapel, there is a
small loop that allows you to insert a fresh-cut flower and have it
actually stay in place without a safety pin. Although I have never
actually used it, I like knowing that I can. As for the functional
sleeve buttons, this is purely a matter of personal preference. I
have only needed to unbutton my sleeves once, but again, I like
knowing that I can. Before you order functional sleeve buttons,
however, make sure you have your sleeve measurements where you want
them—alterations are no small feat.
Now,
remember how I said I was overly brave when trimming my measurements?
It turns out that the suit jacket is a bit too tight in the
midsection. I should stress that this was no fault of Indochino,
because the jacket’s measurements are exactly what I entered. It’s
not too bad, however, and I haven’t felt compelled to have the suit
altered in the two months that I’ve had it. Plus, if I stand just
right, it looks like the kind of oh-so-perfectly-tailored fit that
you see on the cover of GQ. In all seriousness, though, don’t be a
hero—make sure you give yourself a little breathing room in the
chest and midsection. I’ve already gone back in and adjusted my
measurement profile accordingly. Despite the tight midsection, the
jacket fits to my liking where it really counts—the shoulders,
jacket length, and sleeves.
Doing
my best to channel Ryan Gosling in Crazy,
Stupid, Love.
As
for the pants, they are just how I like them. The waist is perfect,
I’ve got enough room in the crotch and backside, and the inseam
leads down to a full break at my ankles. I opted for no pant cuffs,
and I really think that this suit looks best without them. However,
everyone has different tastes, so feel free to get cuffs if you
really like them.
In
the short time that I’ve owned this suit, it has already become my
favorite. Even though I also own one of Indochino’s Vincero suits,
which I absolutely love, I find myself pulling the Essential Gray
Herringbone out of the closet more often due to its versatility.
Although it looks exceedingly sharp with a crisp white shirt and
power tie, I frequently pair it with shirts of almost every color and
pattern. One of my favorite ensembles includes a solid light blue
shirt and bright royal blue tie (pictured). It’s a safe combination
that never fails to receive compliments.
For
the bow tie aficionados like myself, however, just be sure that you
don’t wear a red bow tie with this suit. I found out the hard way
when I wore this combination to work and wound up as the butt of
several Pee-wee Herman jokes.
Just
in case you’re wondering, the pictured shirt is from Modern Tailor,
and I definitely recommend checking them out. Don’t get me wrong, I
like Indochino’s shirts, but Modern Tailor offers more fabrics and
options at a slightly lower price point. The tie is from The Tie Bar,
whose ties are absolutely amazing. I don’t know about other men,
but I’ve always had a hard time justifying $40+ ties. The Tie Bar’s
products are on par with the best ties I’ve ever encountered, yet
they’re just $15. Seriously, check them out.
Indochino
Essential Gray Herringbone Suit Reviewed by J.Z. Bales. Rating: 10/10
(Excellent) An extremely versatile suit with a touch of
sophistication.
Special
Bonus:
My friend, Calan, recently picked up the three piece version of the
Essential Gray Herringbone suit. He chose largely the same options
that I did, except with burgundy Bemberg lining and a seven-button
vest. He really likes the suit, but notes that he wishes he had gone
with the five-button vest. Check it out:
