Costco’s men’s clothing program
offers high-quality, custom-fit
clothes at an affordable price.
Suitable style
Costco offers custom-fit men’s clothing
By Tim Talevich
HOW YOU DRESS says so much about
yourself. And for men, perhaps the garment
that speaks loudest is the suit.
If you want that image
to be the best, a custom-made suit represents the
highest quality available.
With a custom-made suit,
not only can you choose the
perfect fabric and style to
meet your needs, but you’re
getting the garment made
specifically for your build.
Costco offers a unique custom clothing
program, featuring fine men’s clothing from
Graham & Gunn, Ltd., a division of HMX
Group, the company behind brands such as
Hart Schaffner & Marx, Hickey Freeman and
others, in Special Event shows in select warehouses. Along with suits, men can order blazers, sport coats, tuxedoes, shirts and trousers,
all custom-fitted through a sophisticated electronic scanning process.
“Every day when we get up in the morn-
ing we make a fashion decision, whether we
are aware of it or not,” advises Joseph Abboud,
president and chief creative officer of HMX
Group. “Basically we are sending messages
with the way we dress. We’re sending them
professionally and about how we feel about
ourselves. It’s an image of who we are.”
Here’s a look at the program.
Joseph Abboud
suit coat, the type of pleats (if any) for the
trousers and more.
Each Special Event is staffed by a team of
fashion experts who can offer helpful advice
on fit and materials. Once the order is taken,
the garment is custom-made in North
America and sent directly to the member’s
residence, ready to wear, typically in four to
six weeks.
Why custom fit?
When it comes to clothes, one size does
not fit all. Off-the-rack clothes are designed
to fit an average body, whether it’s small,
medium, large or extra-large. But who has an
average body?
“A guy might have bigger shoulders and a
smaller waist, or might need a little
more length,” says Abboud. “You
can’t always find those sizes off
the rack.”
In the Costco program, men
are electronically scanned in a
private booth with scanners that
record some 200 measuring
points—a modern version of
the tailor’s measuring
tape. “It’s as accurate a
measurement as possi-
ble,” says Kara Hawker, a
Costco buyer who over-
sees the men’s custom
clothing event.
r
can’t always find those sizes off
a e
ble,” says Kara Hawker, a
Support after the sale
You can’t really tell how a suit fits until
you live in it awhile. That’s why it’s not
unusual for a suit to need slight alterations
after it’s made. If that’s the case, Costco will
pay for tailoring at a local shop of the mem-
ber’s choice, Kara says. “Costco stands behind
all its products with a 100-percent-satis-
faction guarantee, and it’s no different
with our custom-fit clothing,” she says.
Also, after the fitting, your digital
data is kept for one year. If you decide you
want to order another shirt, trousers or
suit, you can do so online at Costco.com.
“This option makes a great gift idea,”
suggests Kara.
The Costco Connection
Costco’s men’s custom clothing event is held
at select locations across the country for lim-
ited periods of time. To see a schedule, go to
Costco.com and search “men’s suits.”
Appointments are recommended and
can be made on Costco.com, but walk-ins
are also welcomed.
Personalizing
your suit
In addition to a
perfect fit, the Costco
program offers dozens of fabrics by season and style options
to create a truly personal
suit. Members can choose
from a selection of fine
wools from Italy, Asia and
the U.S. in a variety of solids and patterns. Style
options include such
choices as contemporary
or traditional cut, the
number of buttons and
the type of vents for the
f
ens of fabrics by sea-
suit. Members can choose
y
r
or traditional cut, the
e
JULY 2012 ;e Costco Connection 75
Great fit, great value
And the value offered?
The custom-fit men’s suits
available at Costco cost
$499 and $699. Compar-
able custom-fit suits in
retail stores are about
$1,200 and $1,500 or
more, says Kara.
Abboud says the
program fits Costco’s
commitment to value.
“There’s some-
thing really unique when
you select your own fabric. It’s
kind of a luxury for a guy,” he says.
“At Costco it happens to be an
affordable luxury.”
He adds, “Fashion today is in
a very good place. It’s not only
about dressing for other people.
It’s also dressing for yourself—
and feeling good in the way you
look in your clothes.” C
