Indochino raises $4 Million venture capital

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Heikal and Kyle are happy about the 4$ Million investment 

Indochino Top Story of the day - Indochino raises $4 Million in venture capital from Madrona Venture Group and Burda Media (a German company that had invested in Indochino before). $4 Million dollars, that is quite something, given the fact that they just reached $1 Million sales (I assume in 2010, 35 employees by the way). In order words, that means around 3.300 (if you calculate with an average of 300$ per suit) per year or around 9 suits per day.

According to the article on Timescolonist.com, the $4 Million will be used to "help the firm grow and innovate as it continues to expand", with a focus on improving the shopping experience. 

I'm curious to see the first effects of that investment, be it marketing campaigns (coupons!?), whole new product lines (such as the rumored shoes and cardigans) or improved quality. Whatever it is, 2011 promises to be an exciting year for Indochino and us customers!

What I missed from Indochino last winter...

Sunday, March 27, 2011


what indochino missed this winter
GQ's 9 best heavyweight sport coats

No, none of those sport coats above is from Indochino. Quite a pity, I would have loved to have one for the winter - just discovered this slideshow on GQ now, but perhaps it can be an inspiration for the Indochino guys next time around!

Pinstripe suits added to Indochino's Collection

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Indochino Professor Pink Suit
The Financial Architect Suit - 529$

Today Indochino added 4 new pinstripe suits to their non-permanent collection. It's not really a new collection, just some additions. The trend of offering high-quality Chinese fabrics (more about it here in a recent interview with CEO Kyle Vucko) continues and so does the trend of comparably high prices. I just recently found an old Indochino ad online - the price for a Charcoal Suit was 199$ including a free shirt - today a suit can cost you 549$. Of course, the 199$ dollar suit was probably a polyester blend while today's suits are either 100% wool or a wool/cashmere, wool/silk blend with a much improved construction quality.

The Financial Architect Suit pictured above is probably the boldest addition to the lot - it is basically a silk suit (43% silk, 57% wool), so it has got quite the sheen to it.  "subtly shiny silk" they call it on the Indochino website. The other 3 suits are all quite nice looking to me, but as I just got a 3-piece suit I'm not overly thrilled by the additions. That "Legal Counsel" suit pictured just below would definitely be a good choice if you are looking for a light gray suit and you want a better fabric than the (rather basic) Ultimate Gray suit. 

Legal Counsel Gray 3-piece Suit - 499$

The Deal Closer Suit - 549$

The Professor Pink Suit - 549$

Probably we will see a bigger collection in April, last year around it was a special Linen suit collection. I wouldn't mind having another one like that this year, soon the tweed suits will be too heavy for the rising spring temperatures!

In other news, I received my Indochino Associate 3-piece suit yesterday and wore it today for work. The fabric is extremely nice, feels like it's very high quality (e.g. compared to the Ultimate Gray Suit, which is still one of my favorites). The suit fits great as usual, the vest will probably need a remake - it's 1-2" too long in the front. By the way, the color of the suit is gray, but it has much more of an orange hue compared to the photos on the website. Also, the buttonholes on my suit are not in black, but in gray. Full review to follow soon!

Indochino Associate 3-piece suit (without vest)
tailor-made white shirt
Indochino tie

New Indochino March Collection coming up!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Indochino March 2011 Collection Teaser
Indochino to release a new collection for March 2011

Indochino just released 2 pictures of the upcoming March collection on both their Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is interesting to see that both of the teaser pics show 3-piece suits in a shade of gray, both with patterned fabrics. The model seems to be new as well, the guys from last time were criticized quite a bit...

I'm curious what else we will get - I'd be in the need of a linen suit actually, hopefully they will release some soon (they did last year in April). I've been writing about those cardigans for ages, not sure if we will ever see them - perhaps they are just not ready with it? In any case, I believe that we will have to see some kind of innovative product sooner or later. There have been many indications so far (interviews, surveys) and I'm sure they are working hard on it in the background. 

I'm also wondering if they will get back to their 2-week delivery time again. The Chinese Year must be well over by now and I believe by this time last year we were already back to the two weeks. I already heard some people say the 4-6 weeks will be the new standard. What do you think?

A Primer on Indochino's Accessories

Sunday, March 13, 2011



Indochino Accessories - Tie Bar Cufflinks
Are Indochino's Accessories worth your money? Here's my opinion.

For those like me who have known Indochino for more than a year, we got used to having deals that gave us 20% off, 2 free shirts and a free accessory - and deals like that were around pretty much all the time. It was because of this that the perceived value of Indochino's shirts and accessories was very low. You learned to wait with your purchase until a new coupon code came up and I don't think many of the Indochino regulars considered paying extra for a shirt, ties or other accessories. The nominal price of the shirts was 99$, the perceived value almost zero. 

Since then, the availability of coupon codes has changed significantly. It seems to be more profitable for Indochino to focus on Groupon deals instead - a new "150$ for 50$" deal has been popping up every other day for months and as it's an online deal, it's available for purchase for everyone from the US and Canada. The fact that customers from Europe and other regions cannot access these deals doesn't seem to matter much for Indochino (even if Groupon is present in many parts of Europe). This surely also reflects their business focus - they might ship everywhere, but mostly they sell to the US and their home country Canada. 

What does that mean for us customers? There are basically two things we have to consider here.
  1. First, Indochino raised the prices for suits considerably (and also upgraded the fabrics) in the last couple of months.
  2. Second, if you buy a suit for the nominal value of 500$, a Groupon deal will give you a 20% discount (I substracted 100$ not 150$, as you paid 50$ for the coupon). No free shirts, no free ties.
So compared to, let's say half a year ago, Indochino does not only give less discount/less freebies, they also raised the prices. At the end this means we pay more and they earn more - fair enough, it's their goal as a company to earn a profit. It's just interesting to look back at what happened here. 

Furthermore, all this also had some effect on the perceived value and costs of their shirts and accessories. You can now get a shirt and a tie or cufflinks/tie bar for effectively 50$ (with a Groupon coupon worth 150$ that you paid 50$ for), but you can't get it for free anymore. On the other hand, one might argue that it's still a very good deal for a shirt and a tie (or a 2nd pair of pants for a suit).

Now, let me get to the point why I originally started this article - are Indochino's accessories worth your money? 


Ties and Bow ties - priced at 29$ - 59$
It has to be said that fabric quality improved considerably over the last few months. The ties now actually also feel like they are made of silk. The construction is fine, the couple of ties I own don't have any loose threads or other problems. By the way, their Bow ties (except the classic bow tie - thanks Ryan) are not pre-tied.


a small selection of Indochino ties

The selection is not bad and often new ties are introduced with the monthly new collections - some of them are very versatile pieces such as the solid colored or many of the dotted ties. Others have a very retro-inspired look and don't fit with every combination. It's obviously convenient to buy a suit and get a fitting shirt and tie at the same time - the price is fair too, I'd say. The ties are all pretty slim (2.75 inches), which is in line with current fashion trends, but not suitable for all body types.

It also becomes clear that ties are not a priority for Indochino. For example it would be great to have some customization options, such as width, length or tip style available.

Alternatives: 
Dolbeau because they are customizable, but not necessarily fit for business

Cuff Links and Tie Bars priced at 25 - 59$
Many of the Indochino Cufflinks look quite cool, they don't appear to be obviously cheap but it is also visible that they are not of very high quality (I talked to my brother, who is a goldsmith about it). If you ever come to Hong Kong or Shanghai you can buy them in bulk for a mere fraction of the price.

I'm glad to see no "BMW logo" or the likes and some of Indochino's cuff links are of a very nice design. However, it would be nice to have some silk knot cuff links for example. The Indochino Tie Bar is quite alright, perhaps a bit too long for the slim ties. Overall, I bought those items because it's convenient to shop for everything at once, while you are at it. I'm not sure if it's the best value for money you can get, but as long as you don't expect the Indochino products to be pure, heavy sterling silver you will get some stylish pieces.

Indochino Cuff Links


Alternatives:
thetiebar.com obviously for tie bars (and cuff links) also mentioned by GQ
Silk Knot Cufflinks (first Google result)

Pocket Squares priced at 29$
The only Indochino Pocket Square currently available is the standard, white pocket square with the Indochino monogram. It's pretty cool though, I like simple pocket squares (and you can't go wrong with a white one). Indochino also usually has lots of different styles that come with the collection of the month and are of limited availability.


Indochino Pocket Square on the left

Learn how to fold them here.

Alternatives: 
J.Crew Spring Collection (via Gearpatrol)
Dappered's best pocket square of 2011
GQ Slideshow (love the Canali pocket square!)

To sum up, accessories are not Indochino's core business or competency, but if you are in need of some cuff links, pocket squares etc. Indochino is probably a good place to start - especially if you have a Groupon coupon ready to use. For one coupon you can get quite a couple of cuff links, a pocket square and a tie bar to be ready for a stylish spring.

I have tried to list a couple of alternatives for each accessory, so if you have any more suggestions please let me know in the comments section I will update the article accordingly! How 

Indochino Suit Review: The Essential Gray Suit

Friday, March 4, 2011

Indochino Essential Gray Suit Review
Indochino Ultimate Gray Suit Review - A Hipstamatic Collage
click to enlarge to see it in its full vintage style glory

A light gray suit is one of those suits every man should have, they say. Well, to be honest I didn't have one for quite a long time. I guess Mad Men and Don Draper had something to do with my decision to buy one after all. I went for the Indochino Essential Grey Suit, it's currently priced at $449 and a coupon can bring down the price significantly. When I ordered it last year I was lucky and used one of those magical "20% off + 2 free shirts + 1 tie" coupons that seem to have disappeared now. Yes, I do wish them back too. Especially as there hasn't been a Groupon deal available for anyone outside the US/Canada yet!

By the way, I realize some of you want photos with the perfect white balance. For this review, I can't really fulfill your wish, because my girlfriend isn't at home and took the Canon with her. I decided to call my brother and have him take some photos with Hipstamatic (you know, that iPhone app everyone is talking about). The outcome is interesting, I really like the photos - the real colors are shown on the Indochino website anyway and if you want to be completely on the safe side, you might want to order the Tailor Kit with the fabric samples. 
For the suit I went with my usual customizations - normal width lapels (I believe they are slim enough as they are), brown lining this time (fits well), functional sleeve buttonholes, functional boutonniere for the imaginative flower I never use. Options such as the Higher Armholes or Natural Shoulders were not available then, but they are now and they are actually the standard, so you don't have to choose anything. If you are not sure what advanced options to get, I'm working on a guide to the advanced customization options - it can also be found in the Indochino Guide (input welcome, as always)

Indochino Essential Gray Suit Review
Functional Sleeve Buttonholes

On to the suit, it arrived within 2 weeks and it was my first Indochino suit to fit perfectly right out of the box. Everyone loves unpacking presents and I too just love opening the Indochino box, taking out the suit, putting it on and checking myself in the mirror. It's not ideal of course - it's always a bit wrinkled out of the box. What I usually do is hang it in the bathroom for 30 mins while my girlfriend is taking a hot shower. The steam does wonders to smoothen out those wrinkles!

Indochino Essential Gray Suit Review
Indochino Essential Grey Suit, Indochino Navy Blue Tie
& Light Blue Striped Shirt from a local tailor

I've been wondering why I've never had any huge problems with the measurements - the only reason I can think of is that I really took my time properly measuring myself with the help of my girlfriend (actually I did it a second time a day later). I keep track of all the measurements on a Google Docs spreadsheet and adapt it if necessary. So far this has worked out fine, so I think measuring properly (and according to their videos) is really key.

Indochino Essential Gray Suit Review
Indochino Gray Suit Review

The suit itself is really good value for money, very versatile too. Super 120s wool makes it light enough to wear in summer and just heavy enough for spring and autumn. The light gray can be combined with a number of pattered or solid colored shirts and ties, the possibilities are really endless.

One word about fabric quality - it is nothing to write home about, but definitely good enough for the price. In other words, I can't see anything wrong with it - it doesn't feel extremely soft or anything, but it's really solid and doesn't feel cheap.

I can only wait and see how my Indochino suits stand the test of time - my oldest one is around 1 year now and it doesn't show any signs of wear. I'm using the Essential Gray suit probably once a week, but I usually only hang it out at the open window for the night and I don't bring the jacket to the dry cleaners (brush + wet towel for spots). 

The Essential Gray suit reviewed here should be available most of the time, because it is part of their constant collection. If they run out of fabric it can be gone for some days, but it is usually up again very quickly - trust me. If you are looking for alternatives, there are other gray suits available now that might be interesting for you.

Hope you enjoyed this review, looking forward to reading your comments and don't hesitate to contact me at indochinoreviews@gmail.com with any questions you might have!

Indochino Essential Gray Suit Reviewed by Lorenz Loidl. Rated: 10/10 (Excellent). A great and very versatile suit for a good price. Essential indeed.

Indochino Evening Collection - would you wear it?

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Indochino Evening Wear Collection
Indochino Evening Wear - can you pull it off?

What a day - Apple is going to show off the iPad 2 and Indochino a new Evening Wear Collection. It's quite the erm, interesting collection. It's something I'd imagine David Hasselhoff to wear - and he's probably the only one who could pull off that look. Or perhaps one of you guys reading this could manage too? I'm quite convinced that I couldn't unless it's carnival season and I had some proper drinks. Ok, it's not all bad. The fabrics are good - it's all either silk or silk/wool blends, no polyester (I feared so at first).

The prices are pretty hefty with the blazers starting at $449 and the shirts at $109 but I guess that's the price you have to pay if you want to be the star of the evening. I would have loved to take part of the brainstorming session when they decided on the names of the new items. "The Double-Oh-Seven Suit", "The Partystarter Shirt", "The Masterpimp Trousers" (alright, I made this one up) - those are just some examples. It almost seems bit tongue-in-cheek and actually, the whole collection is probably for people loving to exaggerate and who have the confidence to do so.

Actually, I have an idea. I might just be the wrong person for this collection, but this doesn't mean there isn't a demand for it and I don't want to be judgmental. Just because I have to spend my days in a serious suit doesn't mean those suits don't have a purpose. I am giving out a 150$ Indochino coupon to the first person who buys one of those blazers and then sends in some photos and a short review of him wearing it. Does that sound tempting? Let me hear your opinions on those new additions, I'm really curious!


Indochino Evening Wear Shirts
Indochino Evening Wear Shirts - that's where all the excess lining went