Does "Made in Italy" mean anything anymore?

It's supposed to symbolize good manufacturing and high standards, but have you truly noticed a difference between your made in Italy garments vs. made in China garments? Quite honestly, made in Italy doesn't have that cachet that it used to in my opinion.

I've had several Prada shirts and pants, all made in Italy, that were literally falling apart at the seams after just a few months of wear. Furthermore, there are many illegal immigrants and seamstresses from China working in Italian mills.

On the other hand, much of my made in China clothes have lasted years and are still going strong.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to quality control at the factory. If you have good quality control, you will have sturdy garments that will last for a long time. If you have poor quality control, regardless of whether it's made in England or Italy, it will fall apart. And from personal experience, much of the stuff carrying the made in Italy tag today is mass-produced crap that is not meant to last.

If a thing is virtually entirely made by machine, does it really matter whether something is made in Italy? If the machinery and quality control are up to par in China, there shouldn't be an issue with making things there. Heck, Chinese factories may often have newer, better machinery, so the quality could be an improvement. Plus, the Chinese are a meticulous people.

Why? What's the point of the thread?


The glamor/imagery/perception associated with clothing that's "made in Italy" is too powerful to break.

Ask any SF'ers honestly and he'll pick the Italian item over a similar Chinese item. And we pride ourselves on our sartorial knowledge.

I assume Eye-talian-made stuff is junk until proven otherwise

Had a few MTM Kiton and Brioni suits made ~10yrs ago (youthful errors experimenting with allegedly famed brands) which quickly turned out to be poorly stitched and lacking durability vs normal business travel/daily wear

Not sure what of value is made in Italy

The frogs still seem to make good shirts at Charvet bespoke; and the Brits make good shoes at EG TD, though I hear rumblings that quality of their best bespoke suits is starting to waver

It's a competitive, globalized world out there, even for bespoke/MTM stuff...

Originally Posted by lee_44106

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Ask any SF'ers honestly and he'll pick the Italian item over a similar Chinese item.

Things are competitive if we are talking noodles.


- B

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

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Things are competitive if we are talking noodles.

Are you kidding? Those vowel-happy peninsula dwellers are a few thousand years behind us in noodle tech.

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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Are you kidding? Those vowel-happy peninsula dwellers are a few thousand years behind us in noodle tech.

Marco Polo may have introduced the noodle concept back to Italy, but you gotta admit that they've done pretty well with the basic concept.

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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Are you kidding? Those vowel-happy peninsula dwellers are a few thousand years behind us in noodle tech.
New Jersey?

I think part of the draw of Italian made stuff is at least they paid the person a living wage to assemble the garment. So for shirts of identical quality and price, one made in Italy and the other in China, you know the company is just stuffing that extra cash into the their bottom line. I don't like to "feel" like I got ripped off every time I put on a shirt made in China.

both the Chinese and Italian made Prada items I've purchased have sucked in quality

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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If a thing is virtually entirely made by machine, does it really matter whether something is made in Italy? If the machinery and quality control are up to par in China, there shouldn't be an issue with making things there. Heck, Chinese factories may often have newer, better machinery, so the quality could be an improvement. Plus, the Chinese are a meticulous people.

Don't forget that the machines are willing to work for much less in China.

How well do you think seamstresses live in Italy?

People working in factories in China get paid living wages. In fact, they get paid more than living wages because they send most of the money they make back home to their families in the countryside. Furthermore, their lodging and food and medical bills are usually covered by the factories they work for. I think a lot of people have the misconception that factory workers in China are like slaves. The reality is, the work is hard, but they get compensated and taken care of as well. Living standards in the Chinese countryside is still very low and $250/month (average factory wrker salary) still goes very far.

Originally Posted by LVoer

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I think part of the draw of Italian made stuff is at least they paid the person a living wage to assemble the garment. So for shirts of identical quality and price, one made in Italy and the other in China, you know the company is just stuffing that extra cash into the their bottom line. I don't like to "feel" like I got ripped off every time I put on a shirt made in China.

Made in Italy but by whom:

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb...-madeinitaly20

These days, the coveted "Made in Italy" label on those Prada bags and Gucci shoes, which can quadruple a price, may not mean what it used to.

Thousands of Tuscan factories that produce the region's fabled leather goods are now operated and staffed by Chinese. Though located in one of Italy's most picturesque and tourist-frequented regions, many of the factories are nothing more than sweatshops with deplorable conditions and virtually indentured workers.

Chinese laborers have become such an integral cog in the high-fashion wheel that large Chinatowns have sprung up here and in Florence. Signs in Chinese, Italian and sometimes English advertise pronto moda (ready-to-wear).

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Exactly. Which goes to show that quality is not tied to the origin of the product, but tied to the quality standards that the brand has.

Originally Posted by gomestar

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both the Chinese and Italian made Prada items I've purchased have sucked in quality