Inside the Indochino Traveling Tailor’s Visit to Washington DC

The gang from Indochino, including CEO Kyle Vucko and President Heikal Gani, has arrived in Washington.  From March 2nd through the 10th, the company’s tailors and stylists will show customers around their product line of suits, shirts and accessories and take measurements out of Living Social’s 918 F Street NW location. Here’s a look inside the experience based on a visit during their March 1 media preview.

Update: Indochino has since opened 3 stores in the greater metro Washington, DC, including a showroom in Georgetown in 2019.

Upon entering, customers are met by a concierge who will check them in and walk upstairs to their fit specialists and stylists. Upstairs, the space is separated into two rooms: a showroom and fitting rooms (fitting pods, actually).

In the showroom, large bolts of  suiting fabrics are laid out along with samples of finished suits, shirts and accessories.  As someone who has never ordered from Indochino before, it was nice to have the opportunity to see and feel fabrics in person as well as to talk to some of the many team members humming around the installation.

Over at the fitting rooms, a tailor will take a series of measurements and ask questions about fit preference.  It helps to go in knowing and being able to articulate what you like.  The tailors — or my tailor at least — don’t just take measurements and ask whether you want  a “classic” or “modern” fitting suit.  From the height of the armholes to the amount of tapering in the legs of the trousers, there were a lot of decisions to make, which is great if you have ever given these things some thought but might be intimidating if you have not.  (Customers can take advantage of Indochino’s fit promise if their garment doesn’t come out the way they imagined, but knowing things such as how form fitting you like your pants and where you want your suit jacket to fall will help get the suit right the first time.)

The best way to guarantee a visit with the tailor is to make an appointment, though Indochino indicated that they are accepting a limited number of walk-ins as well.  Buzzing around the space during the media preview, a representative said the company had already met its targets for booking appointments, suggesting that DC men are at least intrigued by Indochino and its contribution to alternative retail.

It is nice to see companies like Indochino and Bonobos using Washington to experiment with non-traditional, digital-age retail concepts. Through March 10, you can check them out for yourself.