Designer Spotlight #2 - Indochino

Having left this series on an Oriental note in the last post in this series, I would like to continue as such and introduce you to Indochino, a Shanghai based company that focuses on made-to-order clothing. What sets them apart from other similar companies is that they do not only offer suits and shirts made to order but also winter coats and vests. Prices are also quite affordable ranging from $299 to $499 for their made-to-order suits and $79 to $99 for their shirts.

What I like most about Indochino, from what I can gather from their website at least, is that they put their customer's satisfaction first and that they run a very smooth operation from the time you place the order online till your item of clothing arrives at your doorstep in one of their very nice Indochino boxes. Indochino has summarized their process of making a suit jacket from start to finish in this short video:

A funny fact that Indochino prides itself with is that they are the only designer to feature a 40-character long monogram on the inside of their jackets.

How It's Made #3 - Suits

Suits are one of the staple items of a man's wardrobe and unless you've had the privilege of having a bespoke suit made, you may not be fully aware of the amount of work that goes into making a suit, even if, as is the case in the video below, the process is highly automatized. Next time you think a suit you see in a store is way too expensive, think again and come back to watch this video.

Are you UNIQLO?

Whether you live in SOHO or not, you should have heard of UNIQLO by now. This Japanese Brand has been slowly expanding in the West since its official opening in 2005 totaling 58 stores outside of Japan and has managed to impose itself on the US market despite it having only one store in SOHO, New York City. The amazing thing about this store is that all their items are under $100 without compromising the quality.

I had heard about UNIQLO a while back but it caught my attention again recently, when one of their suits was featured by Star Trek's Chris Pine in the June edition of GQ. I must admit I was a little surprised with how good the suit looked on the new Cpt. Kirk. Browsing around UNIQLO's website, it's a little hard to picture how the clothes they sell actually look like, when all you get is a picture of the item as if it were on a hanger. This is one of the things I find very annoying with some online clothing stores, UNIQLO included. They don't show their clothes on a real model, be it a mannequin, a hot new actor or any average Joe. It's true I can see where they could be coming from, not wanting to type-set the image of the brand by the physique, physiognomy or racial category of their models, as other brands like Ralph Lauren or Burberry do. But regardless of their reason, not seeing how the item you want to buy fits on the body is a great turn-off from actually purchasing anything. I'm surprised some clothing designers haven't done their online marketing research yet.

All business aside this azure/baby-blue summery whipcord suit is just the epitome of what a light modish suit should look like. What I like the most about it, past it slim on-the-body look, is that when paired with a white shirt the whole suit works together to bring all attention to one's face. A very interesting article I just read by GQ/Esquire writer-at-large Tom Junod talks about the influence his father's fashion tips and grooming advice have had in shaping him as a person. One of the tips that he considers most important and applicable is "always try to wear white to your face, never brown or grey". As you can see, the suit's light hued colour doesn't take all the focus, that together with the white shirt which slightly contrasts the rest of the suit and Chris' face creates a nice profile that accentuates his facial features and bronzed skin. All this at a very affordable price of $120(Coat + Pants) and little extra for possible alterations from a good tailor and you're still way under the price range of similar quality suits. You can order the coat ($79.50) and the pants ($39.50) separately or together directly from UNIQLO, by calling their NYC store at (877) 4-UNIQLO (toll-free) or e-mailing them at (917) 237-8811.

The Bliss of Apposite Gingham

In case your fashion sense has been hibernating recently, let me break it to you: gingham is back and à-la-mode! As long as you don't go into gingham overdrive, it can serve your otufits as being that splash of colour and texture we all should wear in the spring and summer seasons, without making your outfit seem contrived, on the contrary giving it a younger rebelde look of nonchalance.

A combination that is a perfect example of how to make gingham work for you comes from the cover of the May 2009 issue of GQ. A fashionable blend of Dolce & Gabbana bespoke silk suiting, combined with a Thom Browne blue gingham shirt, yields a suprising yet somewhat unexpected cathartic product. It is definitely one of my favourite GQ "looks" so far, because the more I look at it the harder I find trying to bring the combo down from casual-business limbo. The playful texture and crisp tailoring work well together regardless of where the status quo finds you, either in business or casual situations.

Having none other than American heart-throb Zac Efron serve in re-ginghifying (I might have just created a new word!) fashion in style, is the "cherry on top" of this chequered denouement.

GQ - May 2009