The Changing Face Of Online MTM Suiting

The Changing Face Of Online MTM Suiting

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Long time readers of this blog will know that tailored clothing, in particular made to measure suiting has been the most frequented topic discussed on The Fine Young Gentleman.  I would even go so far as to say that I have reviewed more brands than anyone else and that those reviews garner more traffic than other blogs reviews.  But I could be wrong on both of those.  Either way, my point is that I have been following the industry closely over the past 3.5 years, back when the industry was really in its infancy.  Now it is somewhere past its infancy and far from its maturity; but the players seem to be established.  Black Lapel, Indochino, Dragon Inside, Knot Standard are the bigger ones that I have reviewed and then a few I have not; iTailor and Modern Tailor (I do hope to review them in the future however).  Then there are countless lesser operations, some I have reviewed and some I have not.  You may ask what about Suit Supply, Alton Lane, MySuit, J Hilburn and all of the traveling tailors?  I am not including them in this discussion because they are either primarily a brick and mortar operation or they suck (ie Alton Lane).

As the online made to measure industry has grown, some of the brands have raised some serious capital and others have chosen to fund themselves internally.  Their consumer bases have grown both in number of customers as well as in the number of markets served.  I believe that future expansion will include both of these segments continuing to grow as well as growth through expanded product offerings (accessories, shoes, bags etc).  A key part of each brands future expansion will also include a more noted physical presence.  Warby Parker and Bonobos have excelled at this model; build your audience up online and then once you reach a critical mass (or at least enough of one) in a given market, build a physical presence.  Although many of the aforementioned mtm brands have had a physical presence in NYC to varying degrees it was not until the last few months that I think things have begun to really change in a noticeable way.  The best example being the opening of the Indochino store in SoHo.

Anyway, while up in NYC a few weeks ago I had the good fortune of stopping by the NYC outposts for Black Lapel, Indochino and Knot Standard.  I’ve included some brief thoughts and photos below. If you have any questions or would like more information on a given brand, please sound off in the comments.

Black Lapel – About a year ago Black Lapel moved into a new office (27th and 6th) with a dedicated showroom and fitting space.  They have a few more fabrics on display in the showroom than on the website so if you are NYC based I recommend stopping by if you are interested in using Black Lapel and their top tier customer service.  I have a very interesting and attractive blue/grey birdseye suit from their fall/winter collection heading my way for review.  Appointments requested.

black lapel nyc showrooom black lapel fitting black lapel tux black lapel nyc showroom jackets

Indochino – Indochino is the largest player in online MTM suiting, as far as I know.  They now also have the most prominent location and storefront, relative to their competitors, with the opening of their street level store at 435 Broome st.  Rest assured, the fit of the suits the mannequins are wearing is planned to be improved.  Stop by for yourself, no appointment needed.

indochino nyc store front indochino nyc display indochino nyc store shirts indochino store fabrics indochino nyc

Knot Standard – Knot standard is leading the pack with 6 showrooms, 5 in the states and one in Dubai.  I recently stopped by the NYC outpost (right off Madison Sq Park) and was impressed with the fabric selection on hand, which is far more extensive than what is on their website and the most comprehensive of any of the makers in this post.  Mills such as Holland & Sherry, Dormeuil and Ariston were all present.  I have a jacket in the blue check pictured in the last photo on the way, I cannot wait.  Appointments requested.

knot standard nyc store fabric books knot standard nyc store fitting knot standard nyc store display knot standard ariston fabrics

Dragon Inside – Although DI doesn’t have a physical presence in NYC yet I believe the brand is looking into something.  Either way, the brand must be complemented on its exceptionally strong fall/winter fabric collection.  I have really been pushing every mtm brand that I deal with to build out their seasonal collections, it is nice to see how Dragon Inside has built theirs (how much of that is based on my advice, I do not know).  The collection has some beautiful flannels from VBC as well as a few nice Donegal tweeds, like the one pictured below.

dragon inside tweed suit

JLJ

 

Note: FYGblog did not receive material compensation from any of the noted brands during the production of this post.  In the past and in the future, however, FYGblog has received suits and other goods for review from each of the brands.  Additionally, affiliate links are included in this post.  Please help support the production by clicking on said links if interested in purchasing a suit from Black Lapel, it will not cost you anything extra.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. I’d love to hear your thoughts about ITailor. I have bought two suits (one gray herringbone that is pretty nice and one white linen that I dont have the balls to wear yet) 2 shirts, and one pair of shoes. The great thing about Itailor is their excellent customer service, great price point, and nice array of options for customizable features (including pants with either button or tab adjusters). Some of the not so great things are the suits are wool blend, the shoes are “premium leather”, and the measurements can run a little on the small side. All in all, its not my most prized MTM stuff, but I like the options and feel safe ordering from them

  2. Great article. I’ve used Indochino and they have good stuff but I’ve had a tough time getting the fit dialed in just right. After three suits and a blazer, I’d say the fit is OK, but it varied from suit to suit, which I didn’t expect. I tried Black Lapel next and what an amazing experience it is to order from them! The personal concierge can not be beat. I’ve only ordered one suit so far, and we’ve made adjustments but I’m nervous about ordering the next one, given my experience with Indochino. If they nail it, I’ll be very happy. I don’t want to keep having to go back to my local tailor to fix things. I’m intrigued with Knot’s Standard and since they have a presence here in Los Angeles, I think I will reach out to them. I love the green blazer you show in your pictures. If Black Lapel and Knots Standard end up letting me down, I’ll probably consider going to a full service tailor even though it will be considerably more expensive. I wear suits because I want to and I enjoy them, but only if the fit and drape is right.

  3. Thanks for the insight! I am in the midst of trying to buy a suit for my wedding and have narrowed down my research to Black Lapel and SuitSupply. I live in the NYC Metro area so can make it to both storefront locations. With that in mind would you have any insight into who you would suggest?

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