Honestly, when Indochino first introduced the Vincero Line in 2011, I thought the suits were way overpriced. Sure, you get high quality Italian Reda fabrics, Bemberg linings (more breathable than the standard polyester linings) and BWF collar felts from Germany. But is that worth paying a premium? Starting at 599$, the Vincero suits are quite a bit more expensive than, for example, their Essential Suits priced at 379$, using fabrics sourced from Chinese mills.
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I decided to give it a shot anyway, tempted by the promised luxurious fabric, and successfully convinced myself a charcoal plaid suit was just what I needed. You can check if the Charcoal Plaid is in stock right here or find out about the Vincero range here (new products are added regularly). I was also hoping that the introduction of digital cutting earlier in 2012 would make sure the fit was just as I wanted it, without a need for annoying trips to the tailor or even going for a remake.
I had requested my usual specials: a lower button stance (my upper body is quite long) and less waist suppression (I like slim fitting suits, but I hate suits that give me a female shape by overly emphasizing the hips). Other than that I went for a pretty standard suit. 2 buttons, 2 vents, working buttonholes, cuffed pants (good for tall people) without pleats, slim fit shirts (I ordered 3 - see pic below).
The suit came out really well and didn't need any alterations. The fabric is indeed a great one. It's soft to the touch and has a very subtle sheen to it. You can definitely feel and see the difference between a Reda fabric and the Indochino fabrics used for their Essential suits. By comparison, my Essential Grey Suit's fabric (which is still one of my favourites) feels coarse and rough. It's not so easy to show the pattern in the pictures, but it's a really nice and subtle plaid, quite dark and appears solid from the distance or in low lights.
The Bemberg lining is perhaps not something you notice on first touch, but it's good to know it's there. Similar for the BWF collar felt - it's not like you run around with your collar popped, but it's good to know they used quality material.
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| Indochino Vincero Charcoal Plaid Suit |
I noticed a couple of improvements to Indochino's suit construction (I am not sure now if these are unique to the Vincero Collection). For example the way the pant's cuffs are done is not as flimsy as before and also the inside part of the pants on the level of the waist is reinforced.
Buttonholes and stitching overall is fine, but the sewing of the buttonholes could still be much clearer and tidier in my opinion. Furthermore, I would personally still love to have the option for a half-canvas and full-canvas upgrade - so far my Indochino suits held up really well (also because I avoid dry cleaning jackets), but it is just one of these things that would fit well with their high-end Vincero line. To clarify: Indochino now uses their own process that partly includes fusing (also parts that are usually not fused, according to a tailor).
I also got a couple of new shirts, mainly because I gave away my old OTR shirts to charity and Indochino had some nice substitutes. Fit is really perfect for me and while they could certainly dedicate more love to the details on their shirts (stitching, fabrics), they are really solid. Yes, a bit too expensive at 99$, but it's just really convenient to get everything from one source. I settled for the wide-spread point small collar a while ago, but still wish a proper wide-spread collar could be ordered. The cashmere in the pic below scarf became an immediate favorite of my girlfriend, I only managed to use it once.
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| Cashmere scarf, striped shirt, light blue gingham shirt, red & blue tattersall shirt |
Overall, a purchase I am very happy with. Not one of the most affordable suits in Indochino's lineup, but certainly the Vincero collection shines when it comes to fabric quality and high-quality appeal. If you can afford to spend 200$ more on your next purchase or there is a great coupon around, I'd say it's well worth it if you got your fit down. However, if you are buying your first suit or you are just building your wardrobe, there is not really a need to go for the Vincero line.
16 comments:
Thanks for the great review. I'd love to see close-up photos of the fabric and tailoring details.
Perhaps it is the photo. but your right sleeve seems 1/4-1/2" too short, and the trousers look skinny.
Thanks Richard. Will add some details of the fabric, buttonholes etc. The sleeve length is the same as on my other suits, have to recheck that on some other pics I took. Trousers are pretty skinny, but not uncomfortably so. Was considering to have the thighs let out a bit, still considering it.
It's not so much a matter of comfort as it is having the trousers in proportion to the jacket.
BTW, the jackets on IC suits suits are cut quite well at the shoulder and arm hole. I can't help noticing newscasters and others on TV with OTR suits with oversize shoulders, sleeves that the arms get lost in and excess fabric under the arms.
I ordered the Vincero charcoal herringbone and I also ordered the brown sharkskin suit and it is extremely noticeable in terms of the quality of the Vincero suit being a super 130s. I couldn't tell you how disappointed I am for not spending the $200 top get the Vincero brown suit. I personally feel its worth the price if I were to compare it to the MTM suits at Nordstrom, Saks, or at Neimans. Even though it is still $599 is still pretty expensive, you get what you pay for. I'm still waiting for a few Essential suits to come in and the material says its a super 100s but, I'm anticipating the difference. Even though the brown sharkskin suit is pretty crappy material, the fit is way better than a OTR suit. I agree with you on their shirts, very richly constructed at least in my opinion. Thanks for your updates!
Nick
Indeed - in your opinion, the proportions are not ok? I'm happy with the fit, the jacket is fitting pretty slim fitting too.
Re shoulders/armholes: IC greatly improved on these parts in the last year imho.
Would you say they look too skinny in comparison to the jacket? Jacket is pretty slim fitting too.
By the way, yes the high armholes are great and shoulder construction (not too much padding) is fine too now.
I actually was considering the brown sharkskin, but not anymore if you say it's rather crappy. Hopefully they will further develop the Vincero collection and add more fabrics, I would probably buy another one some time.
I would stay away from brown for business wear. It's OK for sports coats and other sports wear. Look around. Do you see any CEOs or others in the executive suite wearing brown suits? Disregard the above if you are in the creative field, such as archtecture or advertising.
I guess it depends on the work environment. I got one brown suit from Proper Suit and I do wear it regularly - my job is not necessarily limited to gray and blue suits, luckily. Also, I'm not sure if it's so good to always imitate the boardroom fashion at lower levels, right?
Good review, mate. With regards to price, I have to say it's getting dangerously close to some brick-and-mortar MTM shops. Louis Purple (NY) for example, offers MTM suits starting from $699. Fabric from Reda, too. Another bill for personal attention? For me it's a no-brainer (http://www.louispurple.com/en/).
Didn't Dennis from madtomeasureny.com introduce Louis Purple a while ago? By now, there is an abundance of affordable online and offline MTM tailors, hard to keep track of everything that is going on. I guess at the end it's a matter of personal preference and what works best for you.
Lorenz,
First, Great looking suit! I really think you got the measurement/ordering process mastered with this one. May I ask a few questions?
I think your trouser slimness proportion is perfect. Did you add anything to your leg measurements? I measured myself according to the videos, but did you have to account for Indochino making their pants too slim and add a quarter inch or two to your measurements?
For the lower button stance and less waist suppression requests, did you give them a specific measurement in inches or just ask them for "lower button stance" and "less suppression"?
Thank you!
Thanks Daniel!
I didn't add anything to the leg measurements, but after more than 8 suits ordered, my measurements are not what I originally measured but simply what I ended up with over time by adding 0.5 inches here, removing 0.25 inches there, etc.
As for the button stance and the waist suppression, I didn't give any specifics, I just asked for a lower button stance and less waist suppression (I also mentioned that I still want it to be a modern cut, but I want to avoid it having an already female shape to it).
Hope that helps!
Thanks so much Lorenz, I really appreciate your reviews and willingness to help. I'll use all the advice you've given, and hopefully the outcome is as good as yours!
I have the Brown Sharkskin and the fabric feels very similar to my Essential Grey, just a little less smooth/soft.
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