Gilt City Deal: Indochino Essential Two Piece, Shirt, and Tie – $339 ($527)
Regular Prices: Suit – $379, Shirt – $99, Tie – $48 Credit to John T. for the style tip via twitter.
Looks like Indochino is getting back into the deal game.
Sort of.
This one is confusing. The main text says this:
At first, you might think you can get a suit for 35% off. That’d make one of their essential suits $246. And that of course includes a $75 credit for retailoring costs. So if you’ve had good luck with Indochino in the past (and yes, it’s more than clear that many have NOT had good luck with them) you’d be basically looking at a suit with high arm holes and minimal shoulder padding for $175 – $200 off the rack and before you get it tailored to your exact specs.
But that’s not the deal. At all. You have to buy the package that they’re selling. Which is a suit, plus a shirt and tie. Which many of us don’t have any desire for. It’s more of a $40-off-a-suit-plus-free-shirt-and-tie deal than anything.
If you’ve got any experience with Indochino shirting, leave it below in the comments. Because I’ve got none. But for $100 a shirt, we’re talking made-in-the-USA Ratio Shirt prices. So that seems a little high. And while their ties sure look nice, the one they included in their suit accessories kit awhile back felt awfully flimsy. But it’s worth looking at a combination before writing the deal off. Here’s one potential example of what the deal could buy for $339:
The Suit: Essential Gray Wool Suit (reg. $379)
Most American men think they should own either a black or charcoal suit. The style community favors navy. If you don’t have a lighter gray yet, this lighter shade should be near the top of your list when it comes to making the next addition to your suit collection.
The Shirt: The Consultant Navy Blue Gingham (reg. $99)
If they’re going to throw in a shirt, might as well make it a pattern that’s not the easiest to come across. Sure there’s navy gingham shirts out there, but they’re not as ubiquitous as solid white dress shirts. Go with the oddball here.
The Tie: Black Silk Knit (reg. $39)
Wearing a traditional shiny silk knit tie on top of the more casual gingham shirt might work, but the best play with a more casual shirt like this is to take the dressed up feel of your tie down a few notches. That’s where a solid knit comes in. All together it should make for a not too bad late in the week office or after work happy hour getup.
The Deal’s Grade: C
Ehhh. It’s disappointing that they weren’t doing a 35% off one suit deal. Maybe that’s just not possible with costs rising, but even a 20% off deal would be better than the extra shirt and tie for many of us. It has this odd feel of the shirt and tie being throwaways. Bait. Premium floor mats with a new car. And while the audience is split on whether or not they like Indochino’s suiting, the number of people who actively seek out their shirts and ties seems to be much lower than those who like their suits. So no thanks on this end. And you? Leave your grade below.
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Regarding Indochino’s quality, I’m in the “Hate it” crowd. Ordered a Commissioner coat from them with accurate measurements, and needed to adjust every single one of them by at least 2″. Some up, some down. Some more then 2″. The sleeve diameter at the wrist was as large as the hole at the shoulder! The material they used was cheap-feeling and very thin. I returned it, and because they’re in Canada and don’t cover return shipping (even for remakes) I put down over $30 just to return it and get my money back. Definitely something to keep in mind when you’re playing this crapshoot: if it doesn’t work out for you, you’re still out the cost of international shipping.
Put me in the camp that loves their shirts (in fact, I have that exact navy gingham and it’s my favorite of all my shirts). Would I pay $100 for them? Abso-freaking-lutely not. But do I like what I have from the Groupons I bought them with? Hell yes.
My brother was already in the market for a new Indo, so this deal came at exactly the right time for him. So, it may not be for everybody, but sure helped him out!
I clicked on the Ratio Shirt link and I’m honestly more interested in that than Indochino. Any reviews for those?
Ah, google is my friend:
http://dappered.com/2011/08/the-splurge-ratio-clothing-custom-made-in-the-usa-shirts/
Ratio shirts are second to none. I have 3 of them.
Their shirts are fine. Perhaps not worth the full price at 99$, but the fit is usually good and the material is 100% wool. I guess it is much easier to do well fitting shirts, compared to jackets… The deal is not too bad overall, the days of the poly blend suits on Indochino are gone and as someone said, the biggest risk you take is having to pay for the return to Canada.
In the past I’ve taken advantage of free shirts with the purchase of a suit and I absolutely adore the shirts of theirs that I do have. The fit is perfect, the materials are nice and at least in my case they offered a pattern I was in love with (brown gingham). They’re not worth the full price, but they’re definitely better than most of what I have experience with.
If you recommend a friend they get 20% off their first order and you get 20% off your next order. That should bring the cost down to $271 which I think is quite the deal.
A deal on the suit only would have been better. I ordered a cheap charcoal suit (hasn’t arrived yet) from Simons, a local store in Canada. Don’t know how it will fit, but I’m pretty sure a discounted suit from Indochino would have been a better deal for my first suit.
And speaking of navy gingham shirts, I bought the button-down version from J.Crew Factory. The navy is very dark, I thought it was black in lower light. I still don’t know how to wear it. Any ideas?
I tried indochino and the results were an utter failure. They delayed getting the suit to me by over a week, quality is poor and the measurements were all wrong. Had to have major alterations and I am still not happy with the suit. Also had to remind their team about the alteration credit which I still didn’t get. Buyer beware!
Wool shirts??
I’ve tried a lot of customer shirtmakers – Indochino, Ratio, Alexander West, Biased Cut, and ModaSuite.
By far, Ratio was the best. Indochino was definitely near the bottom. The fit was “alright”, but the material and collars are very flimsy. Maybe worth $45, but definitely definitely not $100.
And Indochino’s ties are a joke – awful synthetic-feeling, cheap material. I gave it to my cat as a toy. Seriously.
Cotton, sorry.
How/where do you recommend a friend?
I have their purple gingham shirt and love it. I did have my wife do the measurements so that they would be better than doing them myself. I would never buy it for $99; I had a groupon so the shirt, tie, and cufflinks were a total of $70ish. Also, because this was my first shirt that was made or tailored for me it has made me appreciate tailored clothing so much more. The deal is tempting but we’ll see if I have an extra $340 sitting around.
Does anyone know if this will work for the Navy Cotton Suit? I wanna get those for my wedding in July.
This reminded me I need to email them for a status update on a remake request that’s going on 3 weeks now…
If you’ve been waiting to buy an Indochino suit, this is a good opening, especially if you’re starting out and could use the shirt and tie.
If you have several suits, you could use the $379 discount on a higher priced suit.
Not included in their Essentials lineup for the offer:
http://www.indochino.com/collection/Gilt-City-Essentials
Top right theres an +invite friends link
Yes, the offer can be applied to any suit. If the suit is $379, you don’t have to pay anything extra, if the suit costs more than $379, you just pay the difference.
Damn it! This is a great deal and I already have an order for an Essential Suit in house with Indochino. Basically it’s less than what I already paid AND you get a shirt + tie. I for one really like their ties. I sent them an email. I hope they give me this deal in place of my current order.
I’m getting read to get a first suit… read so many mixed reactions of indo….tough call
I’ve got over 14 indochino suits/blazers and about 30 shirts. They gave me a free suit, shirt and 2 accessories to reward my business. I’ve ordered suits from iTailor.com, Suitopia.com and bought OTR… NONE of them compare. If your initial suit comes in the wrong size take the time to fix the measurements with a good tailor. That’s what I did. And even though my first suit wasn’t a perfect fit my last 8-9 have been ready to wear right from the box.
At least they’re having a deal, as opposed to none. It’s been a while for a decent sale… I agree the first suit can be a little difficult to get right, but after that, more often then not they are good to go. I own three Indo suits, and three shirts (never had a problem with the shirts) Also, I never returned my first re-make, they didn’t seem to care.
I’m with Omar. I’ve ordered a bunch from Indochino. There’s been screw ups but they fix it. Quality is superb. I’m only upset right now because I JUST ordered an essential navy suit and now they offer this for less money, and more stuff (shirt+tie). I hope they honor this deal so I don’t feel ripped off.
They are fantastic, and have excellent customer service. After reading the review from Dappered and one other I found through Google I took the plunge and they are excellent. The sleeves can be a bit tight if you have very thick arms but for me they fit perfectly as I’m the tall, skinny, lean type. I’ve made two more orders since my initial order and fitting.
Yes they will pay for *minimal* fixing at a good tailor. Shortening a sleeve or the length of the garment or taking in the sides, for example. If they mess something up that requires restructuring (like adjusting nearly every dimension of my Commissioner coat) then you’re still on the hook for international shipping. And another wait. AND possibly even more time at a tailor if it isn’t quite right. AND if it’s wrong enough again, more international shipping for a return and refund. It just isn’t worth it, deal or no deal, with their reputation. Maybe if they had an address in the US to cut shipping charges (which would have gone from $34 to something more like $7) and their good/bad was more like 80/20 instead of 20/80…
With jeans. Boom, you’re welcome!
(Just kidding, I’m sure you thought of that.)
I have bought three of them: white, blue houndstooth, and blue mini gingham. All are excellent quality, and the service was beyond what I hoped. Eric and I e-mailed back and forth for several days before my first order to be sure they had everything right.
Back in the day the sales were always get a shirt free. This was maybe three years ago. My suit was garbage, didn’t fit well (though the shoulders and lay of it were good). I forgot to send it back and ended up eating it. Thank you finals month.
Anyways, the shirting ended up being the saving grace of the deal. Great, thick dressy fabric and a perfect fit. If I could confirm that it is still that way I would consider giving this deal a shot.
I’ve changed what I buy – no more stuff from China. I don’t like the way Chinese employees are treated, or the government that their taxes support. I’ll wait for another sale at Hart Schaeffer Marx.
Noah… I hear you man. Some would consider me an Indochino Honk, and in all honestly I think I’ve had seriously good luck with them. But if I were you, I’d start with off the rack two button for your first suit, and find a great tailor. That’ll help you understand what it takes to manipulate a made to measure from the net suit. More here: http://dappered.com/2011/02/how-to-buy-a-cheap-suit-and-still-look-like-a-million-bucks-2/ But yes, Indchino is great for some. Awful for others. If you’re short on cash and time, stick with department stores or Banana Republic when on sale. Just my take. Trust your gut here. And remember, it has to fit in the shoulders no matter what.
I saw some video where they switched to a laser cutter thing for the fabric recently – supposedly to reduce variation – anyone know if that has that helped?
it’s being introduced for all customers now slowly. it should help a great deal!
I have seen some of your pics posted on their FB page, really cool!
They responded. They won’t honor the deal even though (A) they already charged my card (B) they didn’t ship when I sent my email (C) my order is for an essential navy suit which fits this. Is it just me, or is it bad business to do this to a customer? I’ve been defending them all along, but they just straight up smacked me in the face with my own money. I feel ripped off.
They told me they’d give me a free shirt IF I place ANOTHER order. What?! Insane.
Thanks for the reviews, gents. I may have to make the plunge, as I really like what I see regarding fit on their website.
having a rough time deciding for a first suit I want a gray suit. I just bought the alfani red suit in the light gray on sale for $210 but now with this deal Im thinking of getting either the essential gray or prince wales suit…. any ideas keep the macys suit or go indo?
Funny, I got the deal and am also trying to decide between the essential gray or prince of wales. Did you make the decision, and does anyone have recommendations?