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Armani (and others) suit quality

post #1 of 21
10/20/04 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 
I am contemplating purchasing an armani suit (le collezion - i know i probably spelled it incorrectly) i dont have much experience with suits other than a couple of $500 nordstroms suits i bought when first out of college and am curious to know about the quality of this particular line. i understand (at least think i do) that this is not the higher end armani line, however, would it still be considered a solid, high quality suit (as i said, i am not used to spending this kind of money on a suit and am a little lost with all the brands out there)? i was also looking at zegna, cornelliani, and canali suits but preferred the shoulder and chest fit of the armani on me. i dont know if it is 'correct' to prefer the armani shape on my particular frame (i am slender - about 5'9" and 155 lbs) but it was that shape and fit more than any particular brand that is guiding my preference. if anyone could give me some insight or feedback i would truly appreciate it.
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post #2 of 21
10/20/04 at 4:12pm
i don't know much about the brand, but i think the other guys will advise you that if it fits well, go for it, just don't pay full retail. armani's top of the line is "classico", which has a canvas front. "collezione" is fused, but it if it looks the way you want it to, and fits the way you want it to, get it.
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post #3 of 21
10/20/04 at 4:12pm
Armani Le collezione suits catch a lot of grief on here for quality issues, but I can tell you I own one and love it.  It is fused, yeah, but I bought it because I wanted a fashionable beige summery suit with double vents and flat front trousers and found one on Ebay for about $499. It's not a Brioni, but for what it is it's great.
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post #4 of 21
10/20/04 at 4:36pm
Armani collezioni is their lower end fused brand, and of fairly low quality. I wouldn't recommend it especially as there are extremely good deals on that brand and others on ebay and online retailers, as well as Armani's own outlet stores.
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post #5 of 21
10/20/04 at 4:38pm
If it indeed fits better, than by all means go with the Armani Collezioni, but I do suggest you give Canali or Corneliani a longer look. If you do settle for the Armani, wait for sale time if you can.
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post #6 of 21
10/20/04 at 5:06pm
I bought an Armani Collezioni suit on ebay for about $500 and while it may not be the best quality I love it. Im 5'9'' 150 and it fits me better than any of the other suits I have tried on. A lot of people talk bad about collezioni because of the quality but I dont really care about that because I really like how it looks on me. So my opinion is that if you are going to get it on ebay or somewhere else for a good price and you like it go for it, just beware that it is definitely not the best suit you can get for the money.
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post #7 of 21
10/20/04 at 5:10pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the replies so far guys, in terms of references to 'low quality' or 'not the best quality' are we talking quality so low as to not be durable and last several years, while still looking good?
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post #8 of 21
10/20/04 at 5:13pm
I own many Armani collezione pieces, including 1 made to measure S150 suit. First of all, Armani clothing is not for every day wear. Armani usually uses delicate fabric. I only wear my Armani suit on special occasions. I'll have to admit. if you are buying quality suit, do not buy Armani. Stick with Canali or other maker who uses canvas construction. However, I would recommend Armani suit if you love the look of Armani. Armani has really nice round drape. I really would not trust Armani collezioni suits being sold on Ebay, too many fakes. Plus not all Armani Collezioni uses high quality fabric as well. I would definetly feel the fabric before I purchase any Armani suits. I like my Armani suit, it's really a hip suit, but not trash looking like D&G or Prada look. But when it comes to construction, you really cannot compare it to Canali, Zegna, or Brioni.
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post #9 of 21
10/20/04 at 5:38pm
the suit is fused albeit lightly, so the heat from ironing/pressing could concievably cause bubbling in the lapels/chest area although they aren't like hugo boss suits. I imagine if you didn't wear it too often it would last several years, if you didn't have it dry cleaned/pressed alot. I have some Armani Black label suits which are pretty nice.
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post #10 of 21
10/20/04 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
sorry for my ignorance, but what is 'bubbling'?
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post #11 of 21
10/20/04 at 5:45pm
I would do a search on fused vs canvassed but generally a fused suit uses glue in the lapels and front to hold the material together where a canvassed suit is sewn to a canvas interlining, the heat from pressing/ironing can cause bubbling as the glue loses it's adhesive qualities.
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post #12 of 21
10/20/04 at 6:12pm
Quote:
If you do settle for the Armani, wait for sale time if you can.
I rather like the styling of Armani, but agree with this completely. The Armani stores have reliable 40% off sales at the end of every season, and at least one "family and friends" day (60% off). There outlets, especially the one in Cabazon (near Palm Springs) also carry a good selection of previous season merchandise, as does Yoox (albeit only the cheaper and more directional Emporio line.)
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post #13 of 21
10/20/04 at 6:14pm
One other thing about the Cabazon outlet. Yes it is very cheap, and you can use a coupon from the VIP outlets coupon book there to get an additional 10-20% off, but you should know your own sizes very well, because the sales people there are ridiculous, they were trying to sell a thin Asian guy a 48L and told them "oh, everyone needs tailoring, almost noone can wear RTW" when he was probably closer to a 40L, but they didn't have that model in stock.
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post #14 of 21
10/20/04 at 8:28pm
Long before discovering this forum and learning about what makes a quality suit etc...I purchased and still own 15 Armani suits. I love the fit. Some are 4-5 years old, worn once a month or so, now dry cleaned maybe only once a year ( I brush and steam after every wearing) but at the start dry cleaned just about every other month... They all are in excellent shape with no signd of bubbiling etc.... I must add though, that I never ever paid full price and always waited for a big sale. I think the most I ever paid was $750 for a super 120 suit and know I paid $320 for a plain black 2 button during Last Call at NM... I'll echo the other posts and say if it fits right and the price is good go for it...
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post #15 of 21
10/20/04 at 9:47pm
I agree. The quality of Armani is not the BEST, but you really have to be a real stickler for details (a.k.a. your name is Andrew) to shrug it off on the basis of quality. If you pay $600 for an Armani Collezioni, I think you're getting a good deal. I don't care about quality if I think it looks good on me - I know that material quality and aesthetic quality are related, but if you want the Armani fit, you aren't going to find it in Canali or Corneliani.
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