Barba Shirts

[andreyb]

Gentlemen,

What is your opinion on Barba shirts? If I remember correctly, Dr Bresch praised them, but I'm unsure on this.

I found a shop in Moscow that offers RTW Barbas (very small selection) for 150 - 170 USD.

They also offer something that might be called "stock special" -- when one can choose fabric and style of collar and cuffs. Pattern is standard, thought -- it is possible to combine parts from different sizes (say, collar in size 16" with a body from size 14&quot, but that's all about it. Selection of fabrics is seasonal -- each season there are something around 300 swatches. The price for "stock special" is 200 USD.

What do you think about this -- is it a good deal? What are the prices for Barba shirts in USA?

Andrey

P.S.: I crossposted this topic to AskAndy Forum. Sorry if you read it twice.

 

[LA Guy]

Barba RTW retails for about $225-$275 in the US, but I've been told on good authority that they are no longer available here from domestic retailers. For the price, they are great shirts. I actually prefer them to Borrelli shirts for their styling (slimmer and more appealing collar, imo) if not their construction. The MTM program seems very reasonable as well.

 

[jekv12]

I purchased a Barba on ebay for about $110. IIRC, Dr. Bresch mentioned they are available at Kabay in NYC, on West Broadway.

 

[drljva]

I've got a few Barba shirts in my wardrobe, and I quite like them. Still, for me, I wouldn't trade my Borrellis for them. As others have noted, for the price point, Barba is a nice shirt.

 

[Renault78law]

As others have mentioned, Barba is an excellent shirt maker. I think what sets them apart is their slim fit. I only wish they made shirt sleeves longer (RTW).

The comparison bw Barba and Borrelli isn't apt, IMO. Borrelli is [in]famous for their copious amounts of handstitching, whereas Barba shirts are mostly machine made. Barba has a higher line, I forget what it's called, but it is almost entirely hand-made, just like a Borrelli or Kiton.

 

[Roy]

I have Barba's that are almost entirely handmade and I'd take them over Borrelli anyday.

 

[Thracozaag]

As others have mentioned, Barba is an excellent shirt maker.  I think what sets them apart is their slim fit.  I only wish they made shirt sleeves longer (RTW).  

The comparison bw Barba and Borrelli isn't apt, IMO.  Borrelli is [in]famous for their copious amounts of handstitching, whereas Barba shirts are mostly machine made.  Barba has a higher line, I forget what it's called, but it is almost entirely hand-made, just like a Borrelli or Kiton.

I'm not aware of this "higher" line, but the barba shirts I have obviously have handstitched button and armholes.

koji

 

[bryce330]

Yes, Barba shirts do have a good deal of handwork.  I think the differences with Borrelli are primarily the fit (Barba is notably slimmer) and the collar (Barba shirts tend to have bigger/higher collars).  There are more similarities than differences though, I believe the buttons are identical (at least they were until Borrelli began using those ridged buttons recently).

I don't think Kabay carries Barba any longer - the best places to find them are eBay (particularly from seller theworldsfinest) and yoox.

 

[Thracozaag]

Yes, Barba shirts do have a good deal of handwork.  I think the differences with Borrelli are primarily the fit (Barba is notably slimmer) and the collar (Barba shirts tend to have bigger/higher collars).  There are more similarities than differences though, I believe the buttons are identical (at least they were until Borrelli began using those ridged buttons recently).

I don't think Kabay carries Barba any longer - the best places to find them are eBay (particularly from seller theworldsfinest) and yoox.

Barba RTW is slimmer than RTW Borrelli for department stores, but Borrelli shirts from the boutique are equally slim.

koji

 

[bryce330]

Borrelli at Borrelli stores is definitely much slimmer than Borrelli for American department stores, but in my experience Barba is even slimmer than the Borrelli boutique shirts.

 

[naturlaut]

RE: Barba's higher line For shirts, Barba has only one line, for both RTW and MTM. Â However, for ties, it does have two different lines. Â The regular-line ties are the one you can see from Ian's auctions on eBay. Â The higher line, labelled as Buonamassa, are made exactly the same way as a Borrelli or Kiton 7-fold. Â You wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Â However, this line of tie is extremely limitied, available only in a handful of high-end men's stores in Europe (I personally know of just one). Â Here's a picture of a Buonamassa 7-fold tie:

I personally love the tie. Â The non-sale price is 99 Euro; you can get a good deal during summer sales. Sorry for straying off topic.

 

[demo5]

Naturlaut,

I have actually seen one or two Buonamassa Barba shirts, ostensibly from a European supplier. They are a completely hand made shirt in the way a Borrelli or an Attolini is, using handstitching in all the same places. The fabric on them was also extremely fine. Unfortunately, there were only a feleft where I saw them and none were in my size, as I surely would have bought them. They may have been nicer even than Attolini's shirts.

 

[andreyb]

A salesman in Moscow shop mentioned that there is higher-end line of Barba shirts. She called it "Gold Line".

Andrey

 

[Renault78law]

Ian (theworldsfinest) had a handful of Buonamassa shirts last time I was there. As far as I know, he hasn't put them online yet. They are a steal. Unfortunately, at 35-35.5" the sleeves are too short for me.