3 original photos
“Walk out the door every day like you’re going to run into an ex,” proclaimed Sunee LaClaire, my wise and skilled style guide. I was deciding what my very first made-to-measure suit would look like, and how it would fit. LaClaire, who works at the Indochino showroom in New York City, was pushing my admittedly less-than-bold style comfort zone through the solid-colors-are-best mentality. Her aim — land on something truly customized, and therefore unique. Because, the line of thought goes, if you’re buying something as important as a suit, why wouldn’t you make it your own in every way possible?
For this sartorial adventure, I sought a wedding suit that would knock the socks off old college friends and maybe even wow a bridesmaid or two. I needed and wanted something special, and, since I’m not a natural risk taker, I needed intelligent encouragement.
You see, I don’t always dress well. But, I have always enjoyed turning my look up to “impress an ex” levels, and I was also quite curious about what this made-to-measure business was all about. Indochino — which I’d heard mumbled praise about — claims to eschew the experience most men know so well: the flipping through racks of bland, oversized, probably overpriced and definitely uninspired off-the-rack two-pieces. In place of those doldrums, they advertise a stress-free process: be guided and fitted in a showroom, leave confident in choices, and a fresh suit shows up on your doorstep a few weeks later. It sounded like it was worth a test run.
3 original photos
During my visit, LaClaire first analyzed my existing look. I walked in wearing an old, untucked button-down, semi-nice jeans, Vans and a fuzzy fleece (like the ones ’80s ski instructors wear in B-movies). I didn’t scream “made-to-measure suit wearer,” so much as “we can do better.” And better we did.
The showroom is a simple, efficient affair arranged in stations: bolts of fabric, ties, shirting options (also made-to-measure) and more on display, which I pored over, then personally selected to outline each aspect of my forthcoming garment. LaClaire assisted in the process from start to finish, advising which fabrics would best complement my skin tone, which fabric weight to choose for my needs, which shirt type would be appropriate in terms of my other choices — a Dante in a simple-style man’s purgatorio.