Introducing ProperSuit - The Review

My Modern Brown ProperSuit suit

Important: use the coupon indochino-review to get a free full canvas upgrade and free shipping! Only valid for the first 20 customers.

You might have read Part 1 introducing ProperSuit & the interview with McGregor and Richard, the founders of ProperSuit. Here is Part 2, the review. I had originally planned to make this an Indochino vs. ProperSuit review, including having a tailor examine the construction. Due to time constraints and some complications (Indochino jacket is getting remade), the review will now focus on ProperSuit alone. Read on below for more.
I will however go to the tailor soon to have the suits cut open and examined. I'm aware the color doesn't come through perfectly fine in all the pictures - see the fabric close up from ProperSuit's website below for reference.

Modern Brown Fabric

First of all, there are certain limitations to ProperSuit's website and many of you have mentioned that in the comments of Part 1. There are no model shots yet, what you can see is a detailed pic of the fabric. Customization options cannot be selected on the website directly.

There are reasons for that, one being that ProperSuit is still mainly an offline business. McGregor and Richard are travelling all over the US, hosting fitting events and meeting potential clients. Their web presence is rather new and will be improved further in the coming months.

Their approach to customers is more personal (obviously, Indochino is much bigger) and they will gladly take the time and talk you through all their customization options - and there is a lot, including different shoulder types. A detailed PDF file available for reference, you will find many items similar to what you already know from Indochino. In a nutshell, online, you choose the fabric you want, submit your measurements and then ProperSuit will call or email you to get the customize your suit - see them as your personal concierge. Furthermore, I believe a major update of their website is on the way too.

The suit & the fit:

I went for their Modern Brown suit, it was one of the colors that I was still missing in my wardrobe and I thought I'd look nice. Admittedly, brown suits perhaps don't have the best image - many regard them as a bit outdated. However, I believe a modern, proper cut can make any suit contemporary and I see now reason why brown would not be a good choice.

My suit is very similar to my other suits in terms of the specifications. I have somehow settled on a couple of specs like:

• notch lapels, 
• 2 vents, 
• 2 buttons, 
• flat fronted trousers and 
• no cuffs.

Actually, I plan on getting cuffs next time. The guys from ProperSuit chose a cool lining for me, they have a huge choice available. I didn't get working sleeve buttons, as they don't do that on first orders - I actually do have to get my jacket sleeves  and pants shortened quite a bit, but I think it's because I was a bit confused about how to measure the sleeves (remeasured completely, didn't want to use my tweaked Indochino measurements).

Suit from behind, side and front

Production time was quite quick, similar to Indochino - my ProperSuit arrived on my doorstep within 3 weeks. I took the suit out of the box and I knew right away that I was holding a piece of quality garment in my hands. There are a couple of details I noticed right away - and some more subtle details that only came to the light after some wears.

The fit is excellent - I put it on and felt comfortable right away, the cut is excellent. I actually wore the suits a couple of times before I sat down to write this review - had a busy month. You (may) know how it is, the suit only shows its real "personality" after a couple of wears and I have to say that my ProperSuit suit became an essential part in my weekly rotation very quickly - even with the unaltered sleeves and pants.

The details are beautiful - see the pictures below for more. I especially like the stitching around the shoulders and along the outlines of the pockets on the pants. The pick-stitching looks impeccable too. The buttons (real bullhorn, of course) are sewn with great care. That is something that always matters for me, I had suits were buttons just fell off after a couple of weeks and I just find that very annoying. See the little slit at the back of the lapel, just below the buttonhole? It's for the case when you are really butting a flower in there and you want to fix it there - never seen that before.

ProperSuit Details: well done buttons, interesting lining, shoulder stitching, etc.

Something that really stands out to me is the shoulder construction. Just the right amount of padding was used and it seems it is worth using those German shoulder pads mentioned in the interview. The result are very clean shoulders.

Overall, I think it's a great and convincing product. Surely worth the money. It compares well to my Indochino suits - true, the website doesn't offer the same shopping experience, but Richard and McGregor make up for it with their personal commitment. Indochino's price point is still unbeatable and their innovative power (see today's Travelling Collection) continues to amaze me. ProperSuit is priced above but they do deliver what they promise, great attention to details and impeccable construction. 

Before I forget, I actually have a kind of a ProperSuit present for you - remember you get free shipping with my coupon indochino-review? Well, now the deal just got sweeter - you get a free full-canvas upgrade as well! This is only valid for the first 20 customers, so good luck.

As previously, please leave your comments here, McGregor and Richard with both be checking by regularly to respond to you. 

Proper Suit Review

Reviewing a great suit from ProperSuit.com

Fantastic custom suit, excellent materials and construction.

Written by: Lorenz

Proper Suit Modern Brown Suit

Date published: 05/10/2011

10 / 10 stars