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| LIGHT. INVITING. ACCESSIBLE. |
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| VS. THE TRADITIONAL SUIT BUYING EXPERIENCE |
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| SUITSUPPLY BRIGHTENS IT UP |
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| THE SUITSUPPLY NEWSLETTER IN WSJ ISSUES LAST WEEK |
SUITSUPPLY SHAKES UP MENSWEAR AND POURS A POTENT FASHION COCKTAIL
Rules for men's dressing change slowly, about as fast as a glacier melts. So around 20 years ago when the Casual Friday trend started chipping away at the suit and tie office uniform, men raised an eyebrow and they liked what they saw.
Twenty years later, the glacier that was the formal work wardrobe is now a pool of lukewarm water swirling around the drain of sartorial history. T-shirts, jeans, polo shirts and flip-flops have consumed the male work wardrobe in an effort to appear comfortable and successful, with nary a straight crease in sight.
So obviously now must be the perfect time to open SuitSupply, a Dutch chain of menswear stores built on a foundation of tailored clothing now open in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and New York. But wait a moment before you speed-dial your broker to sell short.
SuitSupply is the brainchild of CEO Fokke de Jong. His idea is that menswear today is sloppy, not casual and that the original motivation for men dressing casually for work -- to differentiate themselves from conventional wardrobes of their bosses -- has completely shifted. It's the casual dresser that's conventional today, so SuitSupply provides the outlet for the modern rebellious dresser.
de Jong's philosophy is on display in every aspect of the store design and merchandising, product selection and pricing. To achieve their goal, SuitSupply examined the antiquated model of suit shopping -- racks packed with navy and gray suits in a corner of the sales floor or stacked three racks high with poor lighting, high prices and disconnected service -- and it has completely destroyed and rebuilt it.
The design and interior architecture of the Atlanta store I visited last week is open, airy, clean and bright. The suits are presented as dressed-up sportswear, paired with a range of shirts, sweaters and accessories from the brand's complete furnishings and sportswear collection. There seems to be equal distribution of hanging display space and display space on tables and on mannequins. Alterations, promised within three days, are performed at the front of the store by a suited employee and in an area that is the focus of attention. The sales team is knowledgeable, friendly and are the best examples of how to wear the clothes in a work environment -- with confidence and style. SuitSupply shares knowledge with customers, highlighting the quality and history of fabric mills that supply materials and informing shoppers about the unique construction of their clothes that match the finest craftsmanship in the industry.
Refreshingly, the price point of SuitSupply items approximates the lower end of department store outlets including Nordstrom Rack and Off Fifth. Suit prices range from $399 to $695. A cotton/silk suit made from Beste mill fabric is $599. A peak collar two-button wool/linen jacket with fabric from the Fintes mill in Italy runs $399. Dress shirts run around $129.
So before you call your broker now, check out the SuitSupply newsletter insert that came with every issue of the Wall Street Journal last week for a peek into your sartorial future. High service. High style. Realistic prices. Clear vision. That's SuitSupply. And I'm buying.
