Chicago's Menswear Scene Just Got a Whole Lot Hotter

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From the beginning, you've heard us talk about it and we know you're there with us--excited. We can relax now we know there's now a better option for menswear in Chicago. Suitsupply, which opens tonight, is marking their latest expansion in the United States with a Chicago penthouse. The store encompasses everything you would expect and more from the European tailoring specialists; a roof top garden oasis, espresso bar, free wi-fi and alterations while you wait. The terrace features a lounge for clients to enjoy solace high above the chaos of the windy city.

Suitsupply creates an entirely new market in retail men’s fashion and sets them apart from every other boutique retailer. Their use of only the finest Italian fabrics, European styling, in-store service and attainable price points presents a revolutionary approach to men’s fashion. There are three labels of suiting in the store which are color coded by a small thread X on the cuff differentiating fabric quality. The least expensive is the blue with purple being the middle range and red (named Jort) being the most expensive and features more hand finishings.

We meet Fokke de Jong, fresh off the plane from Amsterdam and he brings us toward the back of the shop. Here, he shows us a room exclusively dedicated to making custom suiting. "So if you can't fit into a normal suit or have very specific requests, you have about 1200 different fabrics, 300 different patterns, so you can combine and style your own thing", says Fokke. "We've also begun expanding our bags and more tailored casual wear for the weekend".

Walking around the store, near the massive shirt wall and rainbow of neckties we feel an array of silk, cotton and cashmere blended tight-gauge knits easily worn under a blazer. The colors aren't too flashy and are very well fitted. Even in their casual jackets in washes each has a fit that feels correct. We realize, the core of Suitsupply is tailoring, reinforced by the two on-site tailor stations present in the middle of the store (as soon as you get off the elevator) with alterations done on-site, most while-you-wait. Shirt prices average around $99 with suits ranging from $399 to $999 with the average suit costing $469.

When we asked Fokke how he thought [the stereotype of a] Midwestern gentlemen would respond to their sometimes racy ads, very well-fitted clothing and hyper-masculine atmosphere citing the conservative nature, he responded. "We have people who work and have to function in 'the system' but don't want to completely surrender to it. We have these people in Europe, in New York and in Chicago. Suitsupply's mantra isn't that you have to fit into the clothes that we have, its that we make the clothes to fit around you".
· Suitsupply [Official Site]
· All Suit Supply Coverage [Racked]