Back in November, we posted part one of a two part experience with an online made-to-measure suiting company: Indochino.com.

The first part of our posting outlined the ordering process, suit selection, and customization options (read more here).

Now, we’re happy to share our ordering results, timing, and tips & tricks!

As you’ll recall from our post back in November, we highlighted the importance of men owning a perfectly tailored suit. Although off-the-rack suits are readily available both in terms of price and access they often lack the fit or finish you desire. Often times when buying off the rack you’re sacrificing either style for fit or vice-versa – which we at ShortPresents feel is a sacrifice that should never be made! To help end this sacrifice, Indochino has stepped into the market of offering made-to-measure (MTM) suits with a wide selection of materials, colors, and customization options.

To start the Indochino experience, we first had our measurements completed at an Indochino showroom  in Toronto. After creating our Indochino profile with our measurements, we then customized the suit, and placed our order for the Premium Midnight Blue Tuxedo. You can read more about sizing and customization options from part one of our posting here.

Approximately 4 weeks after placing our order, we received our tux. Here’s the results:

Initial Order:
When we received our initial order the suit didn’t fit like how we’d expect for a made-to-measure suit. In short, the jacket and shirt were inches too-wide at the chest leading to a terrible collar gap (e.g. gap between the shirt collar and jacket collar) and larger than expected shirt. In addition, the pants were inches too wide at the leg resulting in an overall ill-fitting look. However, this this was to be expected for the first-attempt of any MTM suit (see Tip #2 – Fit below).

For anyone who has had a MTM suit made in person you’ll know that you often need to have 2-3 fittings before the final suit is perfected. Generally the process follows such that at the first appointment measurements are taken, second the rough suit is draped and pinned, and third – the final suit is tried on with minor alterations made.

The long-short of it is this: perfection takes time. Fortunately, Indochino makes the measurement change and re-order process as easy as possible!

Suit Changes:
If changes are minor (think: pant hem, jacket sleeve hem, etc.) then you can take your suit to a tailor and Indochino will provide you with a $75 credit towards alterations.

However, if changes are more significant/structural (think: shoulder width, chest width, etc.) then it may be necessary to have a remake done. Obviously you need the expertise of a tailor to determine if the changes are minor or major.

After our consult with a tailor we determined that our suit would require a remake and so we began this process.

Remake Process:
As mentioned above, Indochino makes any changes to your initial order as simple as possible. They provide a alterations guide to bring to your local tailor (read more here), and once you have the changes required, and have taken several photos of the suit, you can update your Indochino measurement profile, send along the photos, and place the order for the remake.

Remake #1:
After placing our remake order, it took approximately 4 weeks for the order to arrive. The remake was definitely improved with the collar gap less noticeable, and pants looking more tailored; however, there were still some minor changes that needed to be made before we got that perfect tailored look: the chest and shoulder measurements needed to be reduced to pull in the collar gap, and the pants needed to be slimmed further.

Fortunately again, Indochino is happy to take the time and work with you to get it perfect. All that is required on your end is patience.

Remake #2:
After receiving our second remake Indochino had perfected the pants – infact, our model believed them to be the most perfect fitting pants he’s owned, and I think from the photos below you’ll agree. However, the jacket still wasn’t quite right.

Given our models thinner frame and unique challenges we had to consult the Indochino team and get their advice. The team at Indochino was very knowledgeable and by reviewing the photos of our model in the tux were able to make some great suggestions to help further reduce the collar gap without impacting the shoulder or chest measurements which were already perfected.

After our consult, we made some more tweaks to the measurements on our profile, uploaded some photos of our model in the suit, and placed our last remake order.

Remake #3:
After receiving our third remake we were delighted to find that the tuxedo had fit our model like a great made-to-measure suit should.

Not only did it fit perfect, but the color was brilliant, the customization’s exact, and the overall experience worth the wait.

Although this took some time to get it right, we were able to experience some unique challenges to hopefully help expedite your Indochino journey to getting the perfect suit! We’ve included some tips, tricks and general advice below.

Tips & Tricks:

(1) Timing – First off, when placing your first order factor in enough time to allow for at least one remake. This means, if you’re planning to order a suit for a special event (e.g. big meeting, job interview, graduation, etc.) plan your first order 8 weeks from the deadline. Once you’ve perfected your measurements, you won’t need this lead-in time but on your first order its better to have that cushion just-in-case.

(2) Fit – Although Indochino takes your body measurements, they build in tolerances to these measurements to allow for body movement. Since every persons body is different this can create some unique challenges if you’re a more muscular person versus a more slender person. A quick rule of thumb is this: if you have a real hard time finding a perfect fitting suit off-the-rack, you might need to go through one or two remakes before your measurements are perfected. As a result, you should factor this into how much time it will take to get your suit the way you want it.

(3) Tailor – If a remake is required be sure to engage a qualified and trusted tailor and/or the Indochino team along the way. They have the knowledge and experience necessary to help you get it righ, and get it right faster!

Conclusion:
Overall, we found the Indochino process to take some time however like anything of quality, patience is required before perfection can be achieved.

The great news here is once you’ve perfected your measurements Indochino retains your patterns on file and you’re free to order as many suits as you like – which given their fabric, color, and customization options are likely to be many.