The shopping habits of consumers worldwide have changed drastically during the past decade or so, with most consumers now doing the bulk of their shopping online. From buying one’s groceries to a new pair of shoes, today’s always connected devices bring a world of options directly to one’s fingertips in an instant.
Unsurprisingly, brick and mortar stores are reinventing themselves out of necessity to keep up with the times – and men’s fashion retailers are no different.
Samsung C&T’s Fashion Group signed an exclusive distribution agreement to bring the world-famous Suitsupply to South Korea, which also brings with it a new way for modern gentlemen to get that perfectly-tailored suit.
Suitsupply merges the online and offline shopping experiences by offering a wide range of on-site and web-based tailoring, style and color selection tools, in addition to international shipping or in-store pick-up options for fashion-forward men.
To further bolster the removal of online-offline shopping barriers, the Fashion Group’s young and modern fashion brand Rogatis, has introduced its “Online to Offline” (O2O) experience, complete with a ‘Smart Suit Finder’ style assistant, providing a level of digital convenience millennial shoppers are accustomed to.
Let’s dive deeper into what’s new in the world of suit shopping!
The Ultimate Modern Tailoring Experience
Today’s shoppers have come to expect convenience and customization, looking for maximum integration between the digital world and their shopping.
To accommodate changing shopping norms, Suitsupply offers three distinct ways to get one looking their best in no time, which are explained in greater detail below:
1. In-Store Tailor
For those who prefer working with a tailor in-person to achieve an impeccable fit, Suitsupply’s expert staff and in-house tailors offer a wide-range of alteration points available for your newly purchased off the rack suit.
This in-house tailoring service offers nearly 20 simple alterations, including shirt, jacket, and trousers, to ensure that customers can leave the store with a flawless suit in their hands that same day.
However, if you prefer a more extensive set of alterations, these can be done for most suits within a maximum of 3 days, and customers can choose to either come back to the store to pick it up directly, or have their suits delivered to an address of their choice, anywhere in the world!
2. Design Your Own Suit
The ‘design your own suit’ program brings modern convenience to the traditional suit-buying experience. From any internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone device, anywhere in the world, or even from within the store itself, suit-savvy shoppers can customize their suits in ways not possible before.
Starting from scratch with a choice of over 70 fabrics, customers can choose from 5 different styles of fits, order separate jacket and trouser sizes, and design their own dress shirt, choosing from a plethora of collars and cuffs to truly add that personalized touch to one’s look.
This service provides the ultimate in convenience for shoppers as suits can be pre-ordered online ahead of time, and then picked up in Seoul. Additionally, for any last-minute alterations needed to get that perfect fit, the in-house tailors can quickly make simple alterations when the suit is picked up.
3. Made to Measure
The made to measure service is the ultimate in head-to-toe personal suit customization. The program features fully measured suits, jackets, trousers and coats with full canvas construction as well as over 3,000 Italian fabric varieties to choose from.
But one’s suit customization experience should not end with the suit jacket and pants; for the ultimate personalized fit, one’s dress shirt must also be customized to perfectly cling to the unique characteristics of one’s body shape.
With Suitsupply’s made to measure shirts, shoppers can choose from over 300 different fabrics, complete with numerous shoulder, cuff, and back design options, in addition to durable stitching and Mother of Pearl buttons.
Thus, Suitsupply ensures that every part of a suit is fully customized and tailored, providing consumers a convenient service to look their absolute best in their threads.
O2O with Rogatis
Rogatis’ new O2O program targets millennials by offering greater customization and enhanced shopping convenience through its modern online assistant known as “Smart Suit Finder”.
Smart Suit Finder offers personalized recommendations, helping shoppers choose better fits and color schemes while they make their style decisions.
To leverage the power of this system, shoppers must answer a set of questions asked by Smart Suit Finder and then enter their sizes. After that, Smart Suit Finder offers tips on how to choose your jacket, where your pants should hang and even how your shirt should fit.
Finally, the Smart Suit Finder also offers online styling tips to help at every step of the process, helping gentlemen choose everything, from their pants and shirts, to accessories like shoes and pocket squares.
Then simply find the closest store location to you and pick up the suit! In the event that your suit doesn’t quite fit perfectly, shoppers can also have free alterations done at the store while they pick up their suit.
The Changing of the Times
As men’s shopping patterns and expectations are changing, so too are the ways in which a man can choose to buy his next suit. Today, men have more customization and convenience available to them than ever before, meaning that the timeless tradition of getting a tailored suit is evolving alongside the needs of a modern gentleman.
