• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Borrelli v. kiton

JErwin

Active Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
39
Reaction score
0
There is a post at AA asking for comparisons of suits by Borrelli and Kiton. I thought I would pose the question here, and also throw Attolini into the mix. Can anyone comment on how these undoubtedly first-class suits compare? I've got some experience with Attolini, but not really with the other two. Thanks.
 

marc37

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2004
Messages
976
Reaction score
0
Read this link to Andy's fashion forum; it'll give ya abit of info. http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/F...?TOPIC_ID=2314 Borrelli has hand-stitched lapels, Kiton doesn't. Kiton is much more expensive. Kiton has alot finer material than Borrelli (Kiton is not the type of suit to be worn too much). Borrelli is relatively new: as it becomes established the prices will rise sharply with demand. l have not seen Kiton, but these are afew comments l have come accross. l love Borrelli. Kiton is for multi-millionaires. Borrelli is for people with fat salaries. Borrelli is better value for money. Great suits: better than Brioni [l think]. The seem along the back is totally hand-stitched. The back of the sleeves are totally hand stitched. Don't know about Attolini. Hope this helps alittle. Â
biggrin.gif
 

A Harris

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 6, 2003
Messages
4,599
Reaction score
78
Um, Kiton does have handstitched lapels.

You are going to have a hard time proving any one of those three brands is better made than the other. They are, all three, very fine, top-tier suits.

Better to differentiate on the basis of cut. I've never tried on Borrelli, but between Kiton and Attolini, I prefer Attolini. Most of the Kiton suits sold in the US are far too boxy for my tastes. Attolini on the other hand, markets some true Neopolitan jackets with the pleated shoulder, trademark breast pocket etc. Just acquired my first one and it is amazing. Not that Kiton can't make that sort of jacket - just that you rarely ever see them here.
 

brescd01

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2004
Messages
543
Reaction score
7
Can someone explain the logic to me of buying a 3-6000 dollar RTW suit when you could take that money to the finest tailor and get a suit made that fits perfectly, in the style and fabric of your choice? Even Raymond Partito "only" charges 4000/suit.

Before people go ballistic (price seems to be the last taboo here), remember I am a guy who can easily see the reason people spend 800 dollars on RTW EG's (I have averaged 300 on my AS, CJ handgrade, and Albaladejos), and 200 dollars/bespoke shirt (I spend 115-150 at Harris, 50 at Jantzen-trying it-, and 60 at Land's End).

On a separate subject (but related), I know I wrote before that over 500 was crazy for shoes, but maybe I was being a tightwad. I still think bespoke shoes are a stretch, even if I were loaded. What a hassle. I want to pay people money to SAVE me time.
 

Alias

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
1,661
Reaction score
319
Yeah, I agree. With the same amount of money for a Kiton or Borelli (at retail price, not on eBay) one can get a true bespoke suit.

And bespoke shoes are recommended for 1) people with lots of money and 2) people with odd feet that won't be comfortable in anything else.
 

kalra2411

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
718
Reaction score
1
I do not think that just because something claims to be fitted perfectly for you that it will be. This is namely due to the fact that they do not have as much experience, and hence the purpose of buying a off the rack suit.

I would agree that a made to measure suit will, 90 % of the time, fit better than an off the rack suit. However, it sometimes can be the case that a made to measure suit will fit even better, especially with a few alterations.

In addition, note that fact that fit is not the final word in a quality suit, and almost always a high end off the rack suit will be of a better construction and the fabric will be of a higher quality than a made to measure suit of the same price.
 

kabert

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2004
Messages
2,078
Reaction score
7
By the way, with talk of $3500 Kiton suits, I'm feel compelled once again (sorry) to note that that's really full retail price. Go to Neiman Marcus when they're having a sale and you can get a Kiton suit for $2200 or less. And, there are several EBay sellers who sell dozens and dozens of entirely brand new Kiton suits for $1800; Attolini suits for $1600; Brioni suits for $1300; Borrelli suits for $1000-1200; and Oxxford suits for $800-1200. If you know your size in those makes, you can obviously save an enormous amount of money. To find these Ebay sellers, go to ebay, search (for example) for "Attolini suit" and when the hits come up, sort by "highest price first" to find those that are generally the best sellers. Some of the sellers that list with low starting prices are also very good, but they're more often selling used suits (which can be even more of a bargain).
 

marc37

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2004
Messages
976
Reaction score
0
Brescd01: you make a good point about be-spoke. Unfortunately, l live in a major city where be-spoke is not possible. (Hope the be-spoke experience pays off).

What are Albaladejos? Are they by Vass?

Look forward to seeing how a be-spoken Bresc01 likes his suit. A photo of these double monk Albaladejos would be good.
 

imageWIS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
19,716
Reaction score
106
Keeping in mind that I have never ordered a bespoke suit, but know many people (in real life, not on forum(s)) that have...

I own both MTM / RTW suits / jackets...and can honestly say that a good enough tailor can make either one look as good as the other for the simple reason that the MTM are still based on standardized patterns and must be altered to properly fit, regardless how well the suit is cut and the measurements were properly interpreted by the factory that produced the MTM sartorial item.

In my personal experience, suits that are not fused and have been basted by either human or machine or a combination of both are:

A) better to alter as the tailor can manipulate the stitching more easily and with a greater degree of control than they can with a suit that is fused.

B) Look better after it has been tailored because of not only the aforementioned in "˜A' but also because the tailor has been able to allow for a more natural contouring (regardless of cut, whether the suit is shaped like a Hickey-Freeman, or mimic's a suit from Dege) and roll of the lapels by controlling the pull of the fabric and lining.

Plus, my RTW suits From Zegna Napoli Couture look, fit, and are better made than my MTM Polo Ralph Lauren suit from Corneliani, which is fused at the bottom, even though the lapels are not fused.

I posted the Attolini / Borrelli / Kiton question previously, and still do not know which comes out on top. What I do know, is that the Borrelli's impressed me the most regarding fabrication, whereas the Attolini's impressed me more with the Neapolitan cut (which, with its high armholes and fitted cut fit my slim body perfectly), as well as the barchetta pocket. Of course Kiton is top tier and with the right alteration would look just as good as a Borrelli or Attolini.

Jon.
 

jcusey

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 24, 2003
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
54
Can someone explain the logic to me of buying a 3-6000 dollar RTW suit when you could take that money to the finest tailor and get a suit made that fits perfectly, in the style and fabric of your choice? Even Raymond Partito "only" charges 4000/suit.

I can think of several reasons:

1. Predictability. With a RTW Kiton suit, you know exactly what you're going to get because you can see it right in front of you. Bespoke tailoring always involves to a greater or lesser extent a leap of faith.

2. Convenience. A bespoke suit will probably take three or four fittings. If the alterations tailors know what they're doing, an RTW one should only require one. Three or four fittings can be a hassle even if you live close to the tailor's shop. Imagine what it would be like if you lived thousands of miles away.

3. Speed. I'm not talking about instant gratification. Sometimes, you need a suit and you need it fast for whatever reason. Bespoke tailoring just isn't capable of satisfying you in such circumstances.

4. Cost. This sort of bleeds into #2 above. A proper accounting of the cost of a bespoke suit has to include the cost of getting to the fittings. If your tailor is in London and you live in Houston, the suit will cost much more than the price the tailor charges you.

5. Sales. Bespoke suits don't go on sale. RTW suits do.

On a separate subject (but related), I know I wrote before that over 500 was crazy for shoes, but maybe I was being a tightwad. I still think bespoke shoes are a stretch, even if I were loaded. What a hassle. I want to pay people money to SAVE me time.

The bespoke shoemaking process is no more onerous to the customer than the bespoke tailoring process. It just goes back to what you want to spend your surplus money on. You're spending yours on bespoke suits. Good for you. As for me, bespoke suits don't excite me nearly as much as bespoke shoes, and I'll spend accordingly.
 

Thracozaag

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
3,093
Reaction score
9
Do a search under "borrelli", naturlaut had a very nice thread about their suits.
 

tdial

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2004
Messages
248
Reaction score
0
I own two Kiton suits that I bought 3 years ago on sale at Neiman's. I wear suits to work everyday, though my Kiton's are reserved for special occasions (e.g., weddings, parties, etc.). The rest of my suits are predominantly Canali (great value) and Baldessarini (great discount when the Boss store in my local mall closed). Last week, I bought a linen Borrelli suit from an Ebay seller. When it arrived, I promply bought two more from him. They are, in my opinion, as well made, and in some ways, more to my liking than the Kitons I wear. The fabric, I would say, isn't as "luxurious" feeling as my Kitons, though one of the Borellis does have a silky smooth Kiton feel to it. And I have tried on a linen Brioni suit that was softer linen than the Borrelli I bought online.

I took the Borrellis to my tailor today, because I have to get the sleeves altered (he's going from the shoulder, since they have working buttons). When he examined the Borrellis, he said they looked immaculately made to his eye. He asked me what I paid for them, and when I told him, he was somewhat blown away that a suit of that quality could be had for so little. I ended up paying an additional $350 bucks total to get the three suits perfectly fitting, but it was worth it.

The Borrellis, much like the Kitons, are light, soft shouldered, and simply feel as if you don't even have a jacket on. The quality of the construction makes them feel as if they mold to your body. Like the Kitons, they have narrow arm holes and tapered sleeves, which I love. The pants, in my opinion, are better made than the Kiton suit pants I own. There appears to be much more handwork on the pockets and zipper area than the Kitons I own (take this for what its worth, as I am only comparing them to the 2 Kitons I have worn and own). And the main thing, at least for me, is they feel more durable than my Kiton suits. Of course the Kitons might be, and someone with more Kiton experience could prove me wrong, but that's just my intuition.
 

discostu004

Affiliate vendor
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Messages
1,841
Reaction score
15
great thread. just a few comments:
i've never owned Borrelli in either jkt or suit so i can't speak to them but i have a customer who does own it and loves it.

while i love the Kitons and the one Attolini i have (in the hard to find size 55L) i must say my 2 Luciano Barbera jackets and 1 Barbera 3-pc suit fits me like Barbera used me as their model for 54L. Just unbelievable to me that Barbera doesn't have the same demand or even close to the same demand as Kiton/Attolini. I was talking to a friend who buys from me and i was describing my mocha windowpane Barbera sportcoat and he said he had the same one and that it got more compliments than anything he owns (and he owns upwards of 50 Kitons).
 

imageWIS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
19,716
Reaction score
106
great thread. just a few comments:
i've never owned Borrelli in either jkt or suit so i can't speak to them but i have a customer who does own it and loves it.

while i love the Kitons and the one Attolini i have (in the hard to find size 55L) i must say my 2 Luciano Barbera jackets and 1 Barbera 3-pc suit fits me like Barbera used me as their model for 54L. Just unbelievable to me that Barbera doesn't have the same demand or even close to the same demand as Kiton/Attolini. I was talking to a friend who buys from me and i was describing my mocha windowpane Barbera sportcoat and he said he had the same one and that it got more compliments than anything he owns (and he owns upwards of 50 Kitons).
I'm sure Kiton's last a long time when rotate 50 of them.

Jon.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
505,164
Messages
10,579,128
Members
223,886
Latest member
dawsonnathalie
Top