Battistoni, fray & barba shirts

[naturlaut]

I am cleaning out my shirting wardrobe with a few shirts of size 17" neck. Â Check them out here: Battistoni, Fray & Barba shirts As these are not shirts you'll usually see (as opposed to widely-popular shirts like Brioni, Kiton, Turnbull, etc.), feel free to post your comments/experience for those who have not tried before. Â When I have time this weekend, I will make a comparison of the Neapolitan shirts of Kiton, Attolini, Zegna Napoli, Isaia and Barba.

 

[bryce330]

I'm intrigued by the Fray shirts - how do these fit? Do they have full cuts or are they more slim fitting?

Also, do these have the thick buttons I've seen on some Fray shirts?

 

[naturlaut]

Correct me if I am wrong: the Neapolitan shirts are not cut slim. I actually have Brioni shirts that are cut slimmer, and the Fray is close to Brioni.

The buttons are double-stacked, but as thick as Borrelli or Zegna Napoli (or the Barba), but they are really shiny pearls. I have a hard time taking the pictures because the pearls were to reflective to my camera flash.

If I have time tonight I will take more pictures for the auctions. Please also give me some thoughts on my pricing. I am not too experienced with selling shirts.

 

[PeterMetro]

Please also give me some thoughts on my pricing.  I am not too experienced with selling shirts.

It struck me as a bit pricey. I know that these are high quality shirts (I have a fray that I love), but the beauty of ebay is getting serious discounts. You also might want to consider listing the sleeve length in inches.

Pricing for auctions is a tricky thing. You want to start low to generate interest, but not so low that you don't get a good price. A Harris may have something to say abotu this...

 

[Steve B.]

Bryce:

In my experience, Fray, Kiton, Barba and Isaia shirts run about a half size small, but it depends on the individual shirt.

If possible always try them on. Most reputable E-Bay sellers (and I'm assuming anyone who posts here is until I hear otherwise) will allow you to return them if they don't fit.

 

[naturlaut]

I did list the sleeve lengths. They all measure to about 37" (except for the larger Battistoni, 37 1/2&quot. As some of us have wider shoulders, therefore I listed them as 36" to 37" sleeve lengths.

I researched on other shirts before listing, and I found out shirts of comparable quality (and prestige) sell at over $100 to about $150 (some even higher, but those are rare cases). I set at the median of those figures: $130 inclusive of shipping.

 

[A Harris]

As for pricing - you may be able to get $130. I've sold a lot of Fray shirts between $100-$150 in the past. Prices are not what they used to be though. It's a true buyers market right now. The general rule is that you can get a high price but you must be willing to wait for the sale if necessary.

I like Fray shirts a lot. I consider the quality to be about equal to a Robert Talbott Estate - which is to say better than Lorenzini but not quite as good as Borrelli, Kiton etc. Their retail prices are among the most expensive - $450-$500 for a lot of their shirts.

Barba shirts are also great. Not very common and very high quality. They are handsewn in all the areas you would expect from a Borrelli. Battistoni shirts are rare. It's hard to find them unless you have  a source of clearance merchandise from Barneys. They have a very stiff collar and a slim cut which I like.

As for return policies - mine is quite harsh. I only issue cash refunds if I missed something about the item (for instance I just gave a refund on a pair of Crockett & Jones boots because I didn't notice that one was a size 8 1/2 and the other was a 9..) Everything else is returnable for credit. My return policy is the only reason that I'm still (barely) in business. I answer just about every forseeable question (I've been asked every possible question about my items so I know what people are looking for) in the auction. You would not believe how many people email me on a daily basis asking questions that are clearly answered in the auction. (Like, "is it blue or grey.&quot And it seems the majority of men are convinced they still wear a size 1-2 sizes smaller than they actually do. I've heard it hundreds of times "I'm definitely a 42, I have 17 size 42 suits in my closet and they all fit like they were made for me, so I'm a 42 for sure"  - measurements be d*mned. It makes me want to bang my head against the wall just thinking about it.

Some sellers do offer money back guarantee if the item does not fit. In my situation though a policy like that would put me out of business in a month - two at most. People would buy items on a regular basis without taking the time to measure a garment of their own and then comparing those measurements. It would tie up a large portion of my merchandise for months at a time and kill the chances of the right buyer purchasing it. Even with my current policy I often get items back over and over - often despite the fact that I've specifically warned the customer that it probably wouldn't fit them.

It may seem overly tough but please keep in mind that I'm a very small one-man operation at this point. So I don't sell enough volume to be able to absorb returns like Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue. Plus the average item is being sold for 20% of retail at the most. So it wouldn't be reasonable to expect all the perks of a full-retail purchase.

I buy a lot on ebay for my own personal use. I've found that by comparing measurements (also asking good questions - and refusing to buy if the questions aren't answered) I can determine whether an item will fit 9 times out 10 without trying it on. And I'm VERY picky about fit, more so than the majority of my customers. In the event that an item does not work I just resell it on ebay, usually for quite a bit more than I paid for it. You can do it too.

 

[thc]

I love Battistoni shirts. They are very hard to find. I think the only place they sell them at here in NY is Barneys. Anyway, Battistoni shirts have a unique feature in that the edges of the collar are rounded. These are great shirts.