Jan 21, 2019 2 min read Business

Made-To-Measure Menswear Shop Opens In Former BookCourt Space

COBBLE HILL – Custom menswear shop Indochino opened on Friday, January 18, in the Court Street storefront previously occupied by BookCourt for 35 years.

Indochino, 161 Court Street, between Pacific & Dean Streets (Photo: Pamela Wong/Bklyner)

The storefront at 161 Court Street (between Dean and Pacific Streets) has been transformed into a modern, 2,500-square-foot showroom where a team of Style Guides help shoppers find the right fabrics and styles to customize suits and coats (starting at $399) as well as shirts and pants (starting at $79). It takes approximately two weeks to tailor the items per specifications. Once orders are completed, they are shipped straight to the customer’s home.

“Brooklynites are passionate about their community so we’re grateful to introduce our world class shopping experience to this neighborhood and become part of the community, long term,” Drew Green, President and CEO of the Vancouver-based company, said in a release.

Indochino joins other contemporary retailors opening on Court Street, including Rag and Bone which debuted at 160 Court in 2014 and men’s brand Bonobos which opened at 173 Court in July 2017. This is Indochino’s first location in Brooklyn. The company has 39 showrooms in North America, including three in Manhattan. Until January 31, every customer who purchases a suit at the new Court Street shop will receive one free custom shirt or a pair of chinos.

Indochino takes over the space that previously housed the beloved BookCourt. Mary Gannett and Henry Zook opened the bookshop in September 1981. BookCourt was a popular community hub, selling titles by independent publishers, hosting readings with renowned authors, and featuring a vast selection of children’s books. Gannett and Zook announced their retirement in December 2016 and shuttered their store at the end of that year.

The news of the literary institution’s closing inspired neighbor and author Emma Straub and her husband, Michael Fusco-Straub, to open Books Are Magic at 225 Smith Street (at Butler Street) a few blocks south, filling the void for local book lovers.