Would you recommend Indochino custom suits? Where can I buy the highest quality, but affordable custom suit? Are Indochino suits worth it? What are your thoughts on Indochino? What's your review of Indochino custom suits? These are questions I get asked all the time, so I figured it was about time that I go into detail about Indochino custom suits, so everyone can benefit! The short answer is, yes at the right price they are definitely worth it. A custom suit for around $300 is a serious deal especially when you think about the cost of buying an off the rack suit and having it altered, easily over $300. The long answer…well that’s below.
Click here to visit Indochino.com. If this review helped you in anyway it would be great if you could follow my links to visit Indochino.com. This is greatly appreciated as a content creator, writer and photographer. Thank you! Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you need help picking out a suit, I'm always happy to help!
Indochino Suit Review Summary
If you don’t want to take the time to read the entire Indochino suit review, I recommend at the very least reading the below points to consider when purchasing an Indochino suit:
The process will take at least 2 months and it could take even longer.
Once you lock down the right fit for your Indochino suit, shop after seasons for major sales.
Don't be afraid to style your new custom suit in a variety of ways for all occasions! Suits aren't just for the office.
Indochino vs SuitSupply vs Oliver Wicks each have their place, but Indochino is hard to beat from a quality and price perspective.
In this article I’m going to breakdown each of the points above and talk you through the Indochino custom suit process and my review of Indochino custom suits.
This post is NOT sponsored by Indochino and even if it was this is exactly how I would write about them! I have received free suits from them to post on Instagram, but a review was not part of our agreement. If you do check out their website it does help me if you click the links here and buy after clicking.
Where to find the best details on Indochino suits...their sale section!
Indochino custom suits are worth the price when they are on sale, you can typically find them around $300 - $400
Ten years ago a custom suit for $300-$400 would have been unheard of. Well, now that Indochino has rapidly expanded in the custom suit business it’s a $300-$400 custom suit is a reality. After also taking care of alterations and potentially having to send back the suit to get remade if it doesn’t fit right, I don’t know how they are making any money at all. But, them making money isn’t our concern, that’s for them to worry about. We just want a cheap, high quality custom suit!
If you were to go to Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, or practically any department store, the lowest you might pay for an off-the-rack suit is around $200 when it’s on sale. Then if you need any alterations you’re looking at around $50. So when Indochino suits go on sale for $300-$400 it’s a no-brainer.
The quality surpasses expectations when you are valuing the suit at $300-$400 and not the MSRP. Is Suit Supply higher quality? Yes. Is Oliver Wicks higher quality (click here for my Oliver Wicks review)? Yes. Is your custom suit shop in your home town higher? Yes. If you’re paying full price for an Indochino suit then you could be better off going with a higher quality fabric or suit-maker, but even then you’d be paying over $1000. So, even at the normal price of $800 it still is a good option, but at $300 it’s an easy purchase.
The 2 Indochino suits, 1 Indochino tuxedo and 1 Indochino blazer that I own have all held up very well over the last several years! The double-breasted Indochino blazer is 2-3 years old at this point and it’s been worn a lot. It’s started to show it’s age a bit, but overall I have been very pleased with the wear.
I recommend the following quick tips for taking care of your suits:
If you’re going to be sitting for long periods of time, it’s good to take off the jacket if you don’t need to be wearing it.
If you’re traveling, especially driving, take off the jacket so you’re not putting strain on the stitching in un-natural ways.
When hanging the jacket, use a wide hanger even if it’s just the plastic one that comes with the suit.
If you happen to live in an older apartment, it’s good to keep the suit in the suit bag that Indochino gives you with the suit. This prevents dust from accumulating on the suit.
Get a lint brush and brush it off after each wear.
Always hang the suit up, never store it by bunching it up (like how you stored your clothes in college.
Get it dry cleaned only when necessary: after a couple wears without sweating, immediately after any really hot days where you might be sweating.
For additional information be sure to check out my full suit guide by clicking here.
The Indochino process will take at least 2 months and it could take even longer
Allow at least two months for the entire Indochino customer suit process, which is even being generous for Indochino. I don’t even know what their lead times are anymore on their website, but let’s say at the quickest it’s two weeks (likely a lot longer). When you get the suit you’ll definitely need alternations or you might even have to send it back if the fit is totally off. If you take it to your local tailor to get altered then you’ll have it back in a week or so and if you take it to Indochino for alterations then it could be up to four weeks for more complicated alterations.
Always allow way more time for the process than you think you might need. If you’re getting the Indochino suit for a serious life event, then you know about that life event way ahead of time, so get a head start on the suit process by ordering several months in advanced. The last thing you want to do is cut it close to the time you need the suit and have to rely on Indochino to do something fast.
If you receive the Indochino custom suit there is always a chance that it needs to be entirely remade which means the measurements were really messed up. This isn't common, but it's also not totally unheard of. So, if this is the case that is where it will definitely take two months start to finish. Just prepare well in advance of actually needing
the suit and you should be good!
Now that I’ve told you this, you have no excuse not to order it ahead of time and if you screw this up and your significant other is pissed at you, well I tried!
Getting measured in an Indochino store can be very beneficial since they use their try-on garments to get a more accurate fit
If you want a high-quality custom suit fitting experience, then you should not go to Indochino. They do a nice job there, but they aren’t spending a significant amount of time with every customer and they haven’t been doing this for decades like if you went to your custom suit shop in your hometown. Actually every time I have gone into the Chicago Indochino, I never really feel welcomed in there. It’s a kind of experience where you walk in and everyone working is just at the computer and you have to go to them to let them know you’re there. I have actually heard Chicago sales people turn away customers because they don’t have appointments, so make sure you make an appointment. Note to Indochino: you might want to work on this because turning away a customer who intends to purchase is never good customer experience.
Going to the store to get measured is a serious advantage compared to the online measurements. If you have an Indochino near you, then it’s worth making an appointment and taking the journey to the store. The reason being is that they have try-on jackets and pants in the store, so you can get a better idea of how it’s going to potentially fit. Then they use those to dial in your custom garment. If you’re doing this fully online then you’re relying on their algorithms, which of course can be great, but you don’t have the option to really explain and see how you might want it to fit.
Prior to going into the store, make sure to do a little research online about how a suit should fit. I would recommend clicking here to check out my suit guide as a starting point, where I talk through the basics of suit fit. The sales people there (as stated above) are likely not the best to rely on. This isn’t to say you might not have the greatest experience ever, it’s just typically what myself and others I know have experienced.
Do your size profile in the store and check out the fabrics, but do the ordering online. This ensures that all the details are accurate and you’re in control.
I referenced my in store experience above which is referencing the Indochino Chicago store location, but I have experience in the Philadelphia store as well a few years ago. Overall, it's very dependent on the staff who you happen to be working with.
You can always contact me with questions in my contact section of my site and I’m always happy to help!
Once you lock down the right fit, shop Indochino after seasons for major sales
Locking down the right fit can take time, patience, and a lot of back and forth with Indochino. I recommend doing whatever it takes to get the suit fitting exactly the way that you want it to fit. At the end of the day, that’s what you are paying for. It’s different from having your local tailor redo something five times because it’s not perfect, Indochino is a major corporation and you should feel comfortable getting your fit right regardless of what it takes. This is why giving yourself enough time is so important.
They have a huge selection of suit fabrics and they are constantly running sales on off-season items or just fabrics that are not selling as well. Since they are always pushing new products to get people to pay full price, this means they are cycling through their older stuff into the sale section.
To give you an example, since it’s not always easy to understand, suits for the winter can be made with heavier fabrics and suits for the summer can be made with lighter fabrics. On the Indochino website it will tell you the weight of the fabric.
Summary of suiting fabric weights:
All season suit fabric is around 280 gsm
Winter suit fabric is around 380 gsm
Summer suit fabric is around 215 gsm - 260 gsm
If you’re shopping the sale section in the middle of winter or towards the end of winter, likely the winter suits will be on sale. These are the suits with the heavier fabrics. If you place the order at the end of winter, you’ll have the suit probably to wear for a bit before it gets too warm. Then, you put it away until it gets cold again and BOOM, you have a new suit to wear. The same, but opposite is true in the summer.
The major advantage to buying all-season fabrics or even the lighter fabrics is you can always layer them with a sweater for colder weather.
Inspiration: Don't be afraid to be bold with mixing and matching your suit for various occasions!
Here is an easy example of a full Indochino suit paired with a Vandre Brand luxury baseball hat. This is perfect for heading out to dinner or a way to wear a suit, but to also have more of a casual vibe. If you're going to go through the process of owning a custom suit you might as well find a lot of different occasions to wear the pieces! I often throw on the suit jacket as a blazer when we're heading out to dinner on the weekends or to family events. The suit can even more work with a tucked in t shirt! I'm likely the only one wearing a blazer/suit and that's okay!
Three ways to style a custom suit
Here are three custom suiting style inspirational ideas to help you get creative with your suit! These are all very easy to pull off and look great for a variety of different occasions, work and beyond!
The first look is a suited look with a custom shirt also from Indochino. It's the perfect look for almost any office occasion. Especially today with more casual attire being work, a tie isn't always necessary. Without a tie though, the focus is much more on the suit, which a custom suit will always help elevate the look.
The second look is a suited three-piece combination feature a plain blue tie and a waistcoat. In an effort for the custom suit to really standout more on its own, and really wanting the waistcoat to shine, a plain pattern tie is always a safe way to go. I would recommend a three-piece suit for any event wear a suit is preferred or expected. I wore this exact look to my own rehearsal dinner and it was quite the hit!
The third look is a casual spin on the custom suit look. If it's the spring or summer you can swap the turtleneck for a crew neck heavy cotton t-shirt. The turtleneck and suit look is a great way to wear your three-piece suit in the fall/winter, but not wanting to come off as too dressed up. I would recommend this look for holiday occasions!
Take advantage of all the custom details that Indochino offers, which are included in the price of the custom suit
When you are ordering online or even in the store, take major advantage of all the custom suit options. Functional button holes on the sleeve jacket are an absolute must! I typically go with their wide peak lapels with pick stitching. Side tabs on pants are always a nice touch over belt loops if you’re feeling bold. It’s nice to have a suit that doesn’t look like every other off the rack suit.
Here are my preferences and details of my Indochino suit orders, so you have a reference when you’re going to order yours. As always, contact me here if you have any questions or would like an honest and professional second opinion.
Indochino Suit Preference Recommendations
Jacket
Lapels: Peak Wide
Vests: Two
Buttons: Two
Pockets: Pocket Flaps Slanted
Lining: GO BOLD!
Button Color: Black buttons, but brown can be nice as well
More Jacket Customizations (PAY ATTENTION - this is how you get to all the fancy options):
Pick Stitching: Yes
Pen Pocket: Yes
Functional Sleeve Buttonholes: Yes (MUST CHECK YES, in my opinion)
Functional Boutonniere: Yes
Collar Felt Color: Pick a nice complementary color or leave it standard so it blends in
Buttonholes Color: Pick a nice complementary color (I really like burgundy in most situations)
Pants
Pleats: None
Hem: Blind Hem (although I do occasionally like a cuff on a nice fitting pair of pants)
More Pants Customizations (open up this option for the fancy options)
Suspender Buttons: Yes
Waistband: Side Tabs (I really like side tabs on a custom pair of pants, which makes it so you don’t have to wear a belt, and it’s also a dressier look)
Indochino vs Suitsupply vs. Oliver Wicks
This was briefly mentioned above, but to ensure I hit on this point directly, I would recommend Indochino when you are purchasing one of their suits on sale. The $300 Indochino sale is one of the best, but even at the $400 range it's still an incredible custom suit deal.
Suitsupply offers a trendier, higher-quality suit at a higher price point. They have two options for suit purchasing, regular and custom (+$100). If you go into a Suitsupply store you can most likely find an off the rack suit from there that they can alter to your specifications. Otherwise, they have their custom suit option available. They do offer several entry-level suits under $500, which might be a great in between option, but to really get the most out of the Suitsupply suit, it's more often at the $1,000 price point.
Suitsupply has a really great rounded peak lapel option in addition to a pattern with a reduced shorter pad which is really nice. They also offer great waistcoat options and are generally more fashion forward than Indochino.
Oliver Wicks (click here for my review) seems to strike this middle ground between Indochino and Suitsupply. Their suit quality is on par with much of Suitsupply's offering, but at a reduced price point (about $200 - $300 less than Suitsupply). Unlike Indochino and Suitsupply, Oliver Wicks is an online-only company, so there is no option to go in-store. This means you have to rely on your ability to measure yourself. They do provide very clear instructions, but it's still a factor to consider when comparing all your options.
