Greenfield on Gilt - Page 3

A few notes. I have seen the MG label from time to time, often for MTM stuff. Don't know where it's sold at retail. MG is like any other manufacturer, and can make within a wide range of specs -- how much hand tailoring, for instance. Re sizing: a lot of standard tailored clothing in this country is sized big enough to fit, or cover, just about everybody. a size 40 will have a 44" chest, for ex. More fashiony brands will have a measure of 42" or even 40". The Gilt designer here is one of their higher end fashion buyers, so he'll do something more along the lines of rag&bone than BB Golden Fleece, to name to MG made tailored clothing lines. I suspect MG wants to keep the factory running but doesn't want to make anything so badly that it would degrade the MG brand. Still, since it was made to sell at these prices, it could be lacking the stuff that only we miss. You get what you pay for.

Thanks for the additional info, but that article reads like straight astroturf bullshit. Also, regarding the sizing up, how long is it going to be before Gilt introduces some measurements in its sales? They are selling an expensive product that is not returnable for cash, they usually do not have very good pictures. Now they are moving to products that cannot possibly have been tried on by the buyer previously. Would it kill them to give a few additional details?

yep - I am not envisioning a lot of sold out stamps during this sale, unless they've ordered very few pieces. I really don't get who would pay that price.

So in poking around a bit, I gather it's possible to get a Greenfield MTM suit for not much more than these Gilt prices (one SF user got one for $1100 direct from the factory two years ago). So am getting the feeling these prices are likely fair, but not particularly great? Really tough that they don't offer money back for returned suits.

I was hoping for something in the $800-$950 range. At this price, they're more expensive than the GF suits on sale, and you know BB has to have some serious mark up.

Yeah, I think this is going to be one of those completely undiscounted sales. I think since that is the case, I might just go over to their factory. That way it will be guaranteed to fit and I can cut out the middle man.

A few of you have asked me why I reserve such vitriol for Gilt.

Simple: they sell utter shit misrepresented as high-quality shit. An anecdote should suffice to illustrate their trickery and shady market practices.

Not long ago, I purchased a navy 2B Zegna blazer from Gilt. It was priced in the $500s, marked down from "$1650" or some such made-up, invented number.

The coat arrived, and it was fine. But plainly not up to Zegna mainline snuff. Shoulder padding was heavy and somewhat vulgar. Canvass was stiff. Handwork was at a bare, bare minimum - embarassing, I'd say, for a Zegna mainline garment.

I swung by Barneys to take a look at THEIR navy 2B blazers, and was utterly disappointed. The shoulder was graceful, soft, and pick-stitched all around in thread of the same, exact color so as not to seem ostentaious, but provided a wonderful effect that my coat did not have. Shoulders were also padded more lightly, and did not "stick out" (thereby providing the dreaded "dimple effect").

The roll to the lapel did not compare - on the Barneys Zegna blazer, I saw a soft, graceful roll - not quite like a Kiton but not as stiff as a Brioni - somewhere in between.

The cut on the Barneys Zegna was far more flattering. It hung slightly looser in exactly the right places. My Gilt Zegna blazer was "slim cut" - so it still fits fine as a 38S, but I have little room to navigate. I've come to appreciate this sort of a "Matador" fit (lol), but it's not for everyone, and I can imagine they got quite a few returns.

Insult was added to injury a mere couple weeks later when a whole size run was sold in the $200s. Yes you read that correctly. How on earth could a garment that was supposed to sell "originally" for the $1600s end up at this price point? Simple: it didn't. These coats were made for Gilt, for a price point in the $500s (for idiots like me who thought they were snagging a nifty value.)

All of this would be fine if the relevant disclaimers were provided: (1) NOT Zegna mainline quality, (2) NOT traditional Zegna fit, (3) ETC ETC. No such disclaimers were provided. I was led to believe in every respect that I was getting a Zegna mainline garment along the lines of what they produce for Neiman's/Sak's/Barneys/etc.

That is decidedly NOT what I got.

To quote Will, "lesson learned..."

I am undone.

You should ask the folks at the Groupe about a Sciamat sale.


- B

Ha! Touche, douche.

You take blazers VERY seriously.

Really though, how can you not? I wear mine to virtually every meeting (unless, of course, I'm already wearing a suit). Blazers don't look good until you've beat them to hell and this one is well on its way.

Isn't this really a case of Caveat Emptor?

It sounds like you got what you paid for.

Very nice. For those out of the know, SoCal is a Gilt colleague of Christopher Wong, man behind the MGxGilt collab. Here is an interview with him: http://www.valetmag.com/the-mix/0715...ndex1_top_lead He uses 'custom' incorrectly (MG is really first-class MTM) but in the end, what the Gilt offering is a limited production run at what seem to be MG's MTM prices. I would hope quality is the same.