Baroni (Wizard of Ahhs) - Suit Review

[TonyThe Tailor]

Originally Posted by GreenPlastic

The real point of comparison is whether these are, or are not, the best $300 suits available. Stick within the real price range for comparison's sake, as someone pointed out earlier. How do these compare to Jos Bank, MW, Banana Republic, J Crew, and so forth? That's a more instructive comparison than a comparison to actual $1k+ suits.

They are good for $300.00 suits. Stick with the solid patterns as stripes and plaids sometimes match and sometimes don't, which most other $300.00 suits do match. Fabric says 150s but it is not high quality 150s.

 

[A Guy from Shanghai]

Originally Posted by TonyThe Tailor

They are good for $300.00 suits. Stick with the solid patterns as stripes and plaids sometimes match and sometimes don't, which most other $300.00 suits do match. Fabric says 150s but it is not high quality 150s.

If the fabric is made in one of the chinese mills, then the number is pretty much useless. At least I would not trust the said number. This is the place where most manufacturers put melamine in their dairy products just to boost the protein level.

 

[Diavolo]

Originally Posted by TonyThe Tailor

My point is why can't they just list it for $295.00 as a regular price if the garment stands on it's own as "the best $300.00 suit around" then it will sell? Some people do take it that type of pricing seriously, (i.e. Jos A Banks).
I have had several people bring me Baroni suits to alter they bought on ebay and say "this was on sale for $300!!! it is a $1,295.00 suit!" then i show them my instock book where it is priced at $295.00 and if it is bought from me they get free alterations. I then show them a real $1,295.00 suit hanging in my shop.

Yes, good point. I agree with you on this.

 

[NORE]

Originally Posted by TonyThe Tailor

My point is why can't they just list it for $295.00 as a regular price if the garment stands on it's own as "the best $300.00 suit around" then it will sell? Some people do take it that type of pricing seriously, (i.e. Jos A Banks).
I have had several people bring me Baroni suits to alter they bought on ebay and say "this was on sale for $300!!! it is a $1,295.00 suit!" then i show them my instock book where it is priced at $295.00 and if it is bought from me they get free alterations. I then show them a real $1,295.00 suit hanging in my shop.

pwned

 

[Embargo63]

I'd like to take the opportunity to revive this thread.

I recently ordered a Baroni model (solid navy, flat-front trou) and it's on the way as I type.

Please read this disclaimer: I am NOT, I repeat NOT, a suit mogul. In fact, I am a student and a broke one at that.

This is precisely why I became interested in checking out one of these suits from Jeff in the first place. However unfortunate, I am simply not in the market for $5,000 suits, or $2,400 suits selling for $1,900, or even $600 suits.

Simply, I need a solid in color suit that fits well, won't get me laughed out of a job interview for an internship, or barred from entry at happy hour downtown. That's it.

FWIW, I've been in touch with Jeff since day 1 via e-mail and he's been reachable and incredibly helpful. His essential message was I'm selling you a suit that meets your requirements on the cheap and even rivals some models found at a higher price point.

With that said, I plan to take the suit over to my tailor when I get a chance and have him hook me up. After, I'll post some pics and deliver my thoughts.

Perhaps my review won't be highly technical. Nor will I be able to make a direct comparison between the Baroni and my $3,900 purple label suit that I (don't) have in the back of my closet. But, I'll be able to give an objective analysis about how the suit feels. Plus, I'll have a chance to make a determination as to whether I think I got my $280 worth.

Stay tuned if you're interested.

- E63

 

[taxgenius]

Originally Posted by Embargo63

I'd like to take the opportunity to revive this thread.

I recently ordered a Baroni model (solid navy, flat-front trou) and it's on the way as I type.

Please read this disclaimer: I am NOT, I repeat NOT, a suit mogul. In fact, I am a student and a broke one at that.

This is precisely why I became interested in checking out one of these suits from Jeff in the first place. However unfortunate, I am simply not in the market for $5,000 suits, or $2,400 suits selling for $1,900, or even $600 suits.

Simply, I need a solid in color suit that fits well, won't get me laughed out of a job interview for an internship, or barred from entry at happy hour downtown. That's it.

FWIW, I've been in touch with Jeff since day 1 via e-mail and he's been reachable and incredibly helpful. His essential message was I'm selling you a suit that meets your requirements on the cheap and even rivals some models found at a higher price point.

With that said, I plan to take the suit over to my tailor when I get a chance and have him hook me up. After, I'll post some pics and deliver my thoughts.
Perhaps my review won't be highly technical. Nor will I be able to make a direct comparison between the Baroni and my $3,900 purple label suit that I (don't) have in the back of my closet. But, I'll be able to give an objective analysis about how the suit feels. Plus, I'll have a chance to make a determination as to whether I think I got my $280 worth.

Stay tuned if you're interested.

- E63

I bet you he will say he can't believe how little you spent on the suit.

 

[borsaj]

rec'vd my Valentino suit from Wizard of Ahs,

valentino is the slimmer cut than the baroni/daniele lines.

it was $285 (excluding shipping), i have a moderate knowledge of suits
and have a good range of cheaper suits along w/ a nicer one (which to me is a $700 suit)

and as most have noted the big question is how good it is for the price.
my general impression is that its definitely worth the price at $300 unless you can score
a great discount off the rack then its tricky to say.

overall the suit fits my 40R frame fairly well, it needs to be taken in around the waist as it doesnt pinch in the way i see on good pictures, it kind of drapes straight down. im not sure if this is a sizing issue or a design-quality issue.

i find theres a bit of a gap b/w the top of the lapel and my shirt collar (not sure if thats the right term), the lapels seem a bit smallish for an italian-styled suit imho.

the material appears to be good, i have a charcoal grey and its solid. i dont appreciate the different between fully and half-paneled/fused suits, so i cant claim to know the difference. It does hang well in the ways a banana republic suit does not. visually i see the difference between that and a tip top $400 calvin klein suit.

the pants are a bit tight on me but thats a weight issue!!! ha!! but they do seem to fit a bit odd!!

overall a good buy at $300

 

[HarleyBob]

I purchased several of Jeff's suits when I was going through a major weight loss period (80 pounds total.) I needed something that I could have fitted, lose more weight, have adjusted and then given away. His suits were perfect for that. They looked great and in the end I didn't worry about giving them away as I hadn't spent much on them in the first place.

I was impressed with what I was getting for the dollars I spent. For anyone that wants a reasonably constructed suit for a very reasonable price, this isn't a bad option.

 

[oaw01]

Interesting.. I guess I need to dig out the Valentino suit I purchased years ago and see if a tailor can do magic with it. I need to see how it compares to my RLBLs.

 

[reidrothchild]

The only people who seem to say positive things about these suits are people who don't really have a point of reference. Five years ago, if you'd have asked me if my MW suits were a good value at $250, I'd have said "yes" simply because I didn't know any better. I will repeat my comment from earlier in this thread about looking at a Baroni/Danielle sportcoat in real life and finding it in no way discernable from the average sport coat at Macy's or MW. If someone who owns one believes they are better, why not post pics to prove it?

 

[phxlawstudent]

At $309, you can get a J. Abboud at Nordstrom's Rack. Sure, it'll probably be a pinstripe, but they have a lot of midnight navy right now.

Comparing the Baroni suit to that suit, at that price point, I would like to question how good of a deal Baroni really is. That said, the real deal with Baroni that I see is that you can get a solid staple color any time of the year for a decent price.

Some info on J. Abboud. Its half canvassed. I hear the Baronis are half canvassed too. The J. Abboud is made with a pretty nice wool, the midnight navy ones at the Rack are made with Loro Piana. And if your really patient or lucky, the Rack knocks them down an additional 75%. Saw a Canali for $800 - 75% while I was browsing. Too bad it didn't fit and was a weird color. Maybe I should've flipped it...

 

[reidrothchild]

That's another good point: if you're buying from the Wizard, you can't inspect and try on the suit before pulling the trigger. That in itself makes it unfair to compare these suits to those from brick and mortar stores that have a presence every town in America like JAB and MW. If someone is looking for the "best $300 suit on the internet," they can absolutely do better any day of the week on B&S or Ebay.

 

[toslat]

Listing a high MSRP and then claiming a huge discount is primarily a marketing ploy imo. A lot of consumers, particularly, in the US respond more to discounts than absolute value, while some believe quality is correlated to MSRP (i.e. the more expensive , the better the quality).

I would not be suprised if the suits were listed at $300 and his sales plummeted sharply. Consumers are an irrational bunch.

 

[borsaj]

yes i suspect a full comparison would be a great idea by a qualifed suit afficianado.

give them a baroni, a mid level BB, banana republic, a nicer fused suit like a ben sherman and see if they can give their call on the better suit.

 

[goatee87]

Firstly, I am no longer a lurker. Congratulate me.

Been luring and reading up on suits for about a month now. I couldn't afford more than $400 and that budget included alterations. So after considering Gilt (i am now convinced that this site sucks balls but now i have $130 locked up there), Indochino (too time consuming and inconsistent), local school subsidized MTM offers (oxxford suit starting at $490), and various department store brands, I decided to go with Jeff for my first real suit.

First impressions, I think the fabric looks and feels great (went with solid charcoal). As for fit. The pants are I think a good start. Previous comments are correct, its not slim but its not baggy either. I am relatively thin and short, but i think the fit of these pants are actually pretty good. Its not too fashion forward but looks better than you're typical conservative office suit pants. I need to get it hemmed before I can get a full feel for it.

The jacket needs some work. It's the right length for me. Overall I like the drape and the sleeves are for once almost there (i normally wear a 32/33 shirt). The shoulders fit okay (though might be slightly on the larger side). Waist/mid section needs a couple of inches of suppression (i.e. pinching the fabric in the back by about 2 inches). The arms holes are definitely very low which gives the suit a boxier look. I do have the dimple, divet problem between the shoulders and where my sleeves go in. Personally, I tried on a slim fit suit at a calvin klein outlet and felt that the jacket hugged my shoulders better than baroni overall. But the Ck one had softer shoulders too so maybe its comparing apples to oranges.

I am taking it to the tailor tomorrow for the final verdict but overall I like it for the price point. It definitely looks and feels like a higher quality suit than anything I've tried on at a dept store.