Zara's suiting now half canvassed?

don't think so

I find that hard to believe. At any rate, the quality of their suitings has gone downhill over the last couple of years. Less 100% wool cloths, and more and more poly-wool blends.

I would find that amazing too, if nothing else because as far as i am aware the price points have not changed

 

As some of you may know Zara is the main brand of a huge Spanish group called Inditex. The group has cheaper/sportier brands and a more expensive one called Massimo Dutti.

 

In countries like Spain and Portugal Zara started off as cheap and cheerful and is still seen that way. In England for example it came in later and could positioned itself a little higher up because there was no memory of Zara=nice looking but crap.

 

If there was to be any half-canvassing in Inditex I would guess it would be in MD. While in Spain few months ago I noticed that MD has started offering shirts with what seems to be hand-sewn buttons. Funny how these details are diffusing down the chain. Last week I was trying on a Kiton sports jacket that did not have working cuff buttons, while I now often see 10 times cheaper products with them.

Even cheap ass suits need a structure / chest plate somewhere. Does not mean half canvassed in strictest definition. Most suits that can be called low end have some kind of chest plate made of cheap synthetic material glued into the jacket. A pinch test can give illusion it is a floating canvass when it is not.

The way of checking half canvassed jackets is to do a pinch test on lapels. All half canvassed suits, i.e. Corneliani made Ralph Lauren Polo or Brooks Brothers 1818 have canvass in the lapels. These half canvassed suits usually have canvassing extending down to the top button.

The same is not true for most suits retailing for under $500.

Even the more expensive suits by brands like Versace, Boss, and Dolce and Gabbana are fused totally, so price is not necessarily a rock solid guide into construction.

Feel the lapels - if canvassed, then better quality. No canvass, then probably not so good.

Pretty much all garments will have a chest piece so a pinch test in the chest is meaningless. All chest pieces are floating- the material is not fused to the jacket.

In most instances it is very difficult or even impossible to discern the presence of canvas in the lapels just by feeling them.

I would take into account that the price of the suit jacket alone ($189) would discount that it is actually half-canvassed.  Suit Supply would be the price marker I would use for half-canvassed suits (Purple line which is half canvassed starts at $469 retail)  Sure you can find discounts lower than that but a retail half-canvassed suit is not going to be under that price.  Zara would simply not be profiting from selling a half-canvassed suit at that retail price.

Zara is fused while some of Massimo Dutti are half canvassed.

I thought the pinch test was the best way to know if a suit was canvassed? Is there a better method rather than looking at the price?

Ask the Sale Assistants, if they don't know whether it is or not, or if they simply don't know wtf you are asking - walk out.

 

This. 

id wager the sales people at most stores would have no clue, much less at zara.

+1 lol they have no clue.

No need to wager, I ca'n't tell you how often I use that as the best way to find out if its worth me staying in the store or not.

I could imagine someone saying that a suit is canvassed if they knew it couldn't be verified readily. Seriously, no way to take the situation into your own hands? I'd feel helpless knowing that I was at the whim of a salesperson.