Groom Tuxedos and Attire
My husband wanted to wear a classic, black tuxedo for our wedding. He rented a tuxedo for our engagement shoot from The Black Tux. The jacket fit him nearly perfectly, but he wished he could’ve tailored the pants more. That is why for our wedding, he chose to get a made-to-measure tux from Indochino. He felt like it would be nice to own a custom fitted tux that he could wear again for our anniversary dinner. Prior to deciding on a black tux, he was also debating wearing a navy blue or white tux for the wedding. He opted to get a white dinner jacket that he could change into.
Groom Tuxedo
Indochino Made-to-Measure Hampton Black Tuxedo
Bow Tie and Handkerchief
J.Crew English Satin Point Bow Tie
Nordstrom Rack Solid Silk White Pocket Square
White Dinner Jacket
Indochino Made-to-Measure Hampton Black and Ivory Dinner Jacket
Tux Rental for Engagement Photoshoot
The Black Tux Shawl Collar Tuxedo Rental
Indochino Experience: We had an appointment 8 months before the wedding. They advised us to come back later when it was 3 months before the wedding. (Why though?) Okay, so we made an appointment 4 months before the wedding (I get anxious about timelines). He was measured for his dress shirt and tux. Unless you know suiting very well, we recommend going into the store to order your garment opposed to online ordering. There are many things you get to decide on when ordering your suit or tux, which the associate will help explain. I’ll include that list of options at the end if you’re interested in reading it. We received the tux and dinner jacket 6 weeks after ordering. The supposed perk of ordering your garment through Indochino is that they provide in-house tailoring.
Indochino Tailoring Nightmare: We had to go in a total of 6 times for tailoring and pick up appointments. At first what we needed to address were the following: 1) sleeves were too long and uneven, 2) the roped shoulders had an uneven appearance, 3) the jackets needed to be taken in, 4) there were loose black threads that showed through on the white dinner jacket, and 5) the pants needed to be more fitted at the calves.
The reasons we didn’t enjoy the tailoring experience were:
1) Inconvenient Tailoring Hours - You are asked to come in M-F while the tailor is there during business hours. That’s really difficult for someone who works M-F 8am-5pm. He was forced to take time off of work, drive into downtown, and find parking for these appointments. Also, you never actually work directly with the tailor. It’s the associate who will mark the changes needed on your suit, print it on a ticket, and then they give it to the tailor who is working that day.
2) Inconsistent Associate Service - The associates were inconsistent. We were met with different associates at the time of our appointments. We were advised tailoring wasn’t necessary, because everything looked great. That contributed to a loss of trust, because that indicates they don’t have a discerning eye and can’t tell when things are uneven. Also, it would be better if they first listened to how we felt about the garment, rather than tell us how we should feel about it. Please don’t tell me it looks perfect when it isn’t.
3) Poor Quality Tailoring - The tailor didn’t seem to have enough care in their work, and all the problems amounted to our loss of trust and confidence. It was frustrating they couldn’t get the tailoring done correctly the first couple of appointments. What’s worse is they made the tux and dinner jackets even worse! They caused a ripped seam in the back of the dinner jacket. There was also a hole in the tux jacket’s lining where the arm hole was. Also, the more the tailor worked on it, the more the jackets developed a worn and pilled appearance.
4) Major Stress Inducer - The worst part of our experience was the massive stress they caused, especially right before the wedding. We went in 4 days before our wedding to pick up the jackets (our 4th appointment). Instead of shortening the left sleeve, the tailor lengthened the left sleeve by two inches; therefore, exacerbating the existing sleeve length difference. We went in again 2 days before the wedding to pick up the jackets (our 5th time). Somehow they messed up the back of the jacket and sewed it incorrectly, which caused the jacket to severely wrinkle and not lay flat (as to why the back was even touched, I don’t know, only the sleeves had problems). They said they could correct it, and we had to pick it up the day before our wedding after our rehearsal (6th time). Just writing about it now makes me incredibly stressed and upset.
I felt so bad for my husband. A lot of the wedding industry is centered around the bride. I really wanted this tux experience to be special for him. Expectations are high when you get a suit or tux made-to-measure and Indochino did not deliver. That is why I say the whole tailoring experience was a nightmare, and frankly, unacceptable.
Overall Indochino Impression: His favorite part was the custom dress shirt. It’s the best fitting dress shirt he owns and it was perfect upon arrival. He doesn’t love the tuxedo and dinner jackets, but he’s happy he can keep them and wear them in the future.
The Black Tux Experience: As I mentioned, we rented a black tux for the engagement photoshoot. We went to The Black Tux showroom at Alderwood Mall so he could try on the garments and order the correct sizes. The associate was not so awesome. When he asked to try on a different size, the sales associate responded by saying, “That won’t fit you. I’ve been doing suiting for years, and I know what I’m doing.” My friend, have you ever heard the phrase, “the customer is always right?”. I had to go out to the associate and ask him to please let us try on a smaller size jacket. He finally brought out the size we wanted to try, and voila, it turned out the smaller size was the perfect size. Now, besides that snafu, the rest of our Black Tux experience was great! We ordered the tux set 2.5 weeks prior to the shoot. It arrived 1 week before our event day. This allows you to try on the items and exchange it if necessary. Everything was clean and in great condition! We then packed it up and shipped it out within three days after our event. Easy peasy.
Hubby’s Recommendation: I asked him if a friend was about to get married and he asked whether he should rent or buy a tux, what would you recommend? Hubby said he’d recommend renting from The Black Tux. If you really want a custom made suit that you can keep, then you can go to Indochino. Just be prepared for the risk and stress that may come with it. Also, go to Indochino 6 months in advance (don’t listen to their nonsense about coming back later). Be prepared that it may take many appointments for them to get the tailoring right.
My Recommendation: I think The Black Tux is lovely, affordable, and good suiting. I love how smooth the rental and return process is. The cost to buy a tux from Indochino and The Black Tux are comparable (~$550). If you choose to get a tux or suit from Indochino, then I recommend forking out the extra money and getting it tailored somewhere else!
You can read my blog about how to choose the right photographer and videographer for your wedding day, and our wonderful experience working with Sam and Sola!
Recommended Tailors
American Freestyle Alterations (Redmond, WA)
Adam Tailoring and Alterations on Rainier Avenue (Seattle, WA)
*Indochino Suiting/Tux Options
Shoulder: Roped, Standard, and Soft
Lapel: Notch Slim, Notch, Notch Wide, Peak, Peak Wide, Shawl
Buttons: One, Two, Three, Three Button Roll-Over, Four Button Double Breasted, Six Button Double Breasted
Button Color: Black, Brown, and Cream | Satin Covered Buttons reserved for tuxedos
Pockets: Pocket Flaps, No Pocket Flap, Pocket Flaps Slanted, No Pocket Flaps Slanted
Vents: One, Two, None
Lining: They have many lining options that vary from a solid color to designs. Hubby wanted a black jacquard paisley for his black tux, but they were out of stock of that fabric. He ended up choosing micro polka dot in black.
Monogramming: You can add a monogram to your dress shirt cuff and the inner pen pocket of your tux.
Additional Jacket Customization Options: Waist Pocket, Pen Pocket, Functional Sleeve Buttonholes
Pants: Pleats or None
Additional Pants Customization Options: Suspender Buttons, Belt Loops, Side Tabs, None