nirav
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- Jun 15, 2007
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I was casually shopping today at Barneys in San Francisco and noticed that shirts from Kiton (and many other brands) were marked 50% off their retail prices. I hadn't previously purchased a Kiton shirt - my wardrobe is comprised mainly of Borrelli, with some Battistoni, and the odd RLPL thrown in - but I've been intrigued by Kiton, primarily because of how often the brand is mentioned on this forum. Yet since I prefer a slimmer, Italian fit, the Kiton retailers in the bay area (Neiman Marcus, Wilkes Bashford) did not seem like good options. Still, I figured what the heck, and so tried on a Kiton shirt in size 15/38. I hate to sound hyperbolic, but I was blown away. The shirt fit beautifully and the softness and lightness of the cotton in particular was far superior to most of the shirts I own. Much to my credit card's chagrin, there were quite a few options in my size, so I went ahead and purchased five shirts. Retail ranged between $425-$595 per shirt, so I paid 50% of those prices plus tax. Here are few pictures (click through for much larger/higher res versions):
Now some more details on the shirts themselves... The fit overall* is definitely not as slim as my Borrellis** or Battistonis***. However - and this is the main reason that I am satisfied with the fit - the armhole is high and both sleeve and chest are narrow (though again not as narrow as the Borrelli or Battistoni). The body is where the Kiton is most different - rather than a strong taper from the shoulder to body, the taper is much more gradual. I would not describe my Borrelli shirts as "form-fitting" but they are definitely more fitted than the Kiton shirts. I don't mind this difference and rather like the more comfortable and casual drape of the Kitons. Further, I almost never wear suits/ties, so my shirts are most often worn with nice pants or even jeans. Within Silicon Valley's lax dress code, a well-tailored button-up shirt with dark jeans almost qualifies as formal dress! As has been mentioned many times, fabric is where Kiton really shines. Mafoofan and others rave about Riva cotton, and though I'm not sure of the origin of the fabric here, the "hand" of these shirts certainly resembles the impossibly soft and light feel of Riva fame. I love the cotton of my Borrelli shirts but much prefer that of the Kitons. Borrelli Royal Collection gets closer to the mark but the Kitons are still better. Now perhaps part of my preference is that I prefer thin, light fabrics (poplin and even voile) versus substantial, heavier fabrics (twill, linen). Interestingly, my Battistoni shirts - which are made of Riva cotton - have the same soft, light "hand" - but the fit is not as good (for my body) as the Kitons. Another distinctive hallmark of Kiton shirts is the buttons. I'm accustomed to thick MOP buttons, so the Kiton versions, which are much flatter and somewhat wider, are different. I don't mind them, however, although I can understand why these buttons - with their wheat hue - might be annoying on a solid white or light blue shirt. Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase though it obviously remains to be seen how the shirts will fit/wear over time. Thanks to all of the knowledgeable members on Styleforum - without all of the information you have shared, I would have never taken this plunge. -- * It bears noting, of course, that the shirts I purchased are the "Barneys" fit for Kiton, and I unfortunately cannot compare it to that of the shirts sold by the Kiton boutique (in NYC or Italy) or other big name U.S. retailers. I'm guessing that the Barneys fit is slimmer than other U.S. retailers but not as slim as that found in Kiton's own boutiques. It would be interesting to hear from folks who own Kiton shirts from different sources about variances in fit/styling. ** The Borrelli shirts that I own were all purchased from either NYC or SF Borrelli boutique - and so the fit is slim - perhaps not as slim as those sold by the Borrelli boutiques in Italy, but certainly slimmer than those sold by the major U.S. retailers (e.g. Neiman Marcus, Saks). *** The Battistoni shirts that I own were all purchased from the Battistoni boutique in Rome. Though the salesmen there did not describe the stock fit as "slim" - I've found it to be very close to the "slim" fit offered by the U.S. Borrelli boutiques.
Now some more details on the shirts themselves... The fit overall* is definitely not as slim as my Borrellis** or Battistonis***. However - and this is the main reason that I am satisfied with the fit - the armhole is high and both sleeve and chest are narrow (though again not as narrow as the Borrelli or Battistoni). The body is where the Kiton is most different - rather than a strong taper from the shoulder to body, the taper is much more gradual. I would not describe my Borrelli shirts as "form-fitting" but they are definitely more fitted than the Kiton shirts. I don't mind this difference and rather like the more comfortable and casual drape of the Kitons. Further, I almost never wear suits/ties, so my shirts are most often worn with nice pants or even jeans. Within Silicon Valley's lax dress code, a well-tailored button-up shirt with dark jeans almost qualifies as formal dress! As has been mentioned many times, fabric is where Kiton really shines. Mafoofan and others rave about Riva cotton, and though I'm not sure of the origin of the fabric here, the "hand" of these shirts certainly resembles the impossibly soft and light feel of Riva fame. I love the cotton of my Borrelli shirts but much prefer that of the Kitons. Borrelli Royal Collection gets closer to the mark but the Kitons are still better. Now perhaps part of my preference is that I prefer thin, light fabrics (poplin and even voile) versus substantial, heavier fabrics (twill, linen). Interestingly, my Battistoni shirts - which are made of Riva cotton - have the same soft, light "hand" - but the fit is not as good (for my body) as the Kitons. Another distinctive hallmark of Kiton shirts is the buttons. I'm accustomed to thick MOP buttons, so the Kiton versions, which are much flatter and somewhat wider, are different. I don't mind them, however, although I can understand why these buttons - with their wheat hue - might be annoying on a solid white or light blue shirt. Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase though it obviously remains to be seen how the shirts will fit/wear over time. Thanks to all of the knowledgeable members on Styleforum - without all of the information you have shared, I would have never taken this plunge. -- * It bears noting, of course, that the shirts I purchased are the "Barneys" fit for Kiton, and I unfortunately cannot compare it to that of the shirts sold by the Kiton boutique (in NYC or Italy) or other big name U.S. retailers. I'm guessing that the Barneys fit is slimmer than other U.S. retailers but not as slim as that found in Kiton's own boutiques. It would be interesting to hear from folks who own Kiton shirts from different sources about variances in fit/styling. ** The Borrelli shirts that I own were all purchased from either NYC or SF Borrelli boutique - and so the fit is slim - perhaps not as slim as those sold by the Borrelli boutiques in Italy, but certainly slimmer than those sold by the major U.S. retailers (e.g. Neiman Marcus, Saks). *** The Battistoni shirts that I own were all purchased from the Battistoni boutique in Rome. Though the salesmen there did not describe the stock fit as "slim" - I've found it to be very close to the "slim" fit offered by the U.S. Borrelli boutiques.
