Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean article! On this shiok Sunday, I’m featuring local tailored menswear label Closeknip’s latest innovation, the Closeknip Club.
The Closeknip Club is essentially Closeknip’s membership programme. The premise is simple: members pay a small yearly fee of $135 (after the promo code below), and in exchange get to enjoy members-only pricing on Closeknip’s products, exclusive discounts at partnering brands, as well as a welcome gift box worth over S$100.
Paid membership programmes aren’t uncommon in retail. However, it is a relatively unheard of concept in the world of tailoring. Let’s see what it covers, and if the benefits are worth the yearly fee!
Closeknip – the Brand
Closeknip is a relatively new tailor, having been only established in 2018. However, unlike most young tailoring upstarts, the brand is backed with decades of experience, namely in the form of Leslie Chia. For those in the sartorial scene, Leslie is a familiar name – he has helmed (and continues to do so) bespoke tailoring label Pimabs for over 15 years, having dressed luminaries such as Dick Lee and Ken Loon, amongst others. Closeknip is Leslie’s third stab at establishing a MTO (made-to-order) brand, after attempting a similar model with the now defunct Haber and Clothesmith.
For more details on Closeknip’s brand story, as well as their unique template fitting system, do check out my previous article here, where I chronicled my tailoring experience at Closeknip. I also reviewed the resulting suit here, as well as a custom-made safari jacket by the brand here.
The Closeknip Club
The main benefit of the Closeknip Club is frankly the members-only pricing – members enjoy year-long discounts of up to 20%. That’s double the 10% discount that Closeknip offered my readers previously, which has since been discontinued as the brand seek to restrict discounts solely for its members.
I previously tailored a sports jacket and a safari jacket from Closeknip, which cost $799 and $499 respectively. Currently, members can commission a sports jacket at $699, while the safari jacket would be just $399 – a whopping $100 discount from the retail price. In other words, if you were planning on commissioning either, the discount alone would already be close to recouping the membership fee. Attractive discounts are available on other items too, such as on the 3-piece shirting bundle, the premium suit, the tuxedo package, and the bomber jacket. The full price list can be viewed here. Something I’ve always appreciated about Closeknip is its transparent pricing – there’s no sticker shock as you always know what you’re paying. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of the older, more traditional tailors.
Aside from favourable pricing, members can also partake in a white shirt subscription service at just $99 per shirt, a steep discount from the usual pricing of $170. Closeknip relayed to me that this was intended to address the needs of its white-collared (literally) clientele, who can now tailor a variety of white office shirts that are subtly different in nature at an affordable price point. If you’re not a white-collar employee, don’t fret – signing up to the Closeknip Club also allows you to enjoy perks and discounts at partnering brands. Examples of partner rewards include a complimentary personal training session at Anytime Fitness, as well as a complimentary 2-piece suit cleaning service from For the Love of Laundry. There are other benefits available (such as a 10% discount on perfume workshops at Maison 21G, though it would be remiss for me not to mention that quoting “WAHSOSHIOK21” nets you a greater 21% discount), but those were the two that I’ve actually used and enjoyed.
As the icing on the cake, sign-ups enjoy a welcome gift box worth over $100. The gift box comprises a ready-to-wear crew-neck/henley T-shirt worth between $69-73 from Closeknip’s sister brand Les is More (a pun on Leslie’s name, as well as the adage), a 3-piece set of Closeknip-branded no-show socks worth $30, and a mesh laundry bag.
I appreciated all three items in the welcome box. Firstly, I always love a white tee. The white tee is perhaps the most versatile piece of clothing one can own, and I found myself pairing it with my suits, sports jackets as well as the abovementioned safari jacket for my smart casual occasions. Made from 100% organic cotton, the shirt feels extremely comfortable and premium, and fits well. I also really like the no-show socks, available here in a trio of different colours. The loafer is often my footwear of choice – it’s formal enough to be worn with a suit, perfect for a trip to the bar – and these no-show socks are the perfect complement to that. Lastly, the mesh laundry bag is useful for washing more delicate clothing items, such as selvedge jeans or a pair of wool trousers. Washing the clothing in the mesh laundry bag protects the clothing from getting damaged in the wash, thus extending the longevity of your garments.
For those interested in seeing some hands-on footage of the items in the welcome box, do check out my unboxing video above!
Conclusion – so the Closeknip Club “shiok” or not?
I do think that the membership fee is worth it, as long as you’re actually planning on commissioning something from Closeknip. To reiterate, members enjoy discounts of up to $100 off tailored clothing. In a generous show of faith, Closeknip extends this discount to the immediate family members (sons, brothers, father) of the member. In other words, the ideal way to maximise the members-only discount is in the event of a wedding – theoretically, the groom can not only enjoy the discount on his own wedding suit, but also on the suits of his immediate family members, ensuring that everyone looks their dashing best on his grand occasion. Alternatively, signing up for the membership also makes sense if you’re a white-collar office worker that regularly requires formal clothing for your job. As the membership last for an entire year, you can revisit Closeknip on a quarterly basis to update your work wardrobe. And even if you’re neither a groom, nor a white-collared worker, you can still enjoy the welcome gift box as well as the discounts at partnering brands.
For those interested in signing up for the Closeknip Club, you can quote “WAHSOSHIOK” while making your appointment or flash this article in-store to enjoy 10% off the membership fee. After the discount, readers can be a member of the Closeknip Club for just $135, which is a small price to pay given the substantial discounts, perks, and the free gift box that members enjoy. In other words, if you’re planning on tailoring clothing from Closeknip, join the Closeknip Club – it’s the best way of stretching your dollar.
View more information on the Closeknip Club here.
View Closeknip’s website and book an appointment here.
Closeknip’s Location: 20B Cavan Rd, Singapore 209851, 3rd Floor
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
