For Fine Recession Wear, $7,000 Suits From Saks

[haganah]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/business/14saks.html

A suit jacket can supposedly be crushed into the crevice of an airline seat for a long flight, only to shed its wrinkles at the end.

"You have to be over a certain income level to even consider" the Kiton line, said Simon Collins, dean of fashion at Parsons the New School for Design. "Once you put it on, you can't go back."

Small, costly details of tailoring mark the brand. Unlike many suit jackets, Kiton's have "surgeon's cuffs," or buttons that open at the wrist. Some customers keep a couple of them undone as a subtle status symbol. But Mr. Collins, who owns a Kiton jacket, described that as a gauche habit.

"It's a really ostentatious thing to do," he said. "The tasteful thing to do is to have them and never open them."

 

[Manton]

Is that the former Spano/Flusser space? What happened to Mimo?

 

[contaygious]

I think I saw this posted today already. I don't care what they say, I like leaving one or two buttons undone simply because it looks better to me. Plus, I don't see the big deal as I can add surgeon cuffs to any jacket made for 35 dollars more. You don't have to be rich for those.

 

[Artisan Fan]

Kiton — which employs 330 tailors who create its garments by hand — produces only a few thousand pieces a year. It takes 25 hours to make a jacket. Fans of Kiton clothes, and it is a devoted cult, say the garments are soft, light and exquisitely made. They are said to fit like a second skin.

 

[babygreenspots]

Originally Posted by haganah

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/business/14saks.html

"It's a really ostentatious thing to do," he said. "The tasteful thing to do is to have them and never open them."

This is an old debate. My thought is that you should open them if you paid 35 dollars, but not if you paid 7000.

 

[contaygious]

Well, I meant $35 as in additional cost to MTM jackets that are anywhere from 1-3k. I don't see why the cost of the jacket matters though.

 

[Cantabrigian]

Originally Posted by Manton

Is that the former Spano/Flusser space? What happened to Mimo?

Mimo and his completely handmade suits are now in the little alcove off of the Brioni section.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

I think we've found out the real truth on this earlier, Fran. Amusing how you believe the NYT when it retells the lies you want to read.

 

[Artisan Fan]

Originally Posted by RJman

I think we've found out the real truth on this earlier, Fran. Amusing how you believe the NYT when it retells the lies you want to read.

So you admit that the NYT tells lies? Gotcha.

 

[Azure]

Beatyful shop, but isn´t it " too modern" for such classic stuff?

Perhaps as an european I´m used to old XIX century wooden shops with marble.

 

[Christofuh]

Anybody who's willing to drop 7 large on off-the-rack suit needs to have his skull bones re-aligned

Originally Posted by STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

Many of Saks's employees have visited Kiton's factories in Italy, enabling them to explain to clients why they are paying so much.

Steph, you're sure as shyt ain't kiddin'

 

[harry2quinn]

Originally Posted by babygreenspots

This is an old debate. My thought is that you should open them if you paid 35 dollars, but not if you paid 7000.
I'm not following this logic either...

Originally Posted by contaygious

Well, I meant $35 as in additional cost to MTM jackets that are anywhere from 1-3k. I don't see why the cost of the jacket matters though.
+1. It's really a matter of personal preference. I don't own any that have surgeon cuffs (forgot to mention it for my one and only bespoke suit), but I wouldn't hold it against anyone who did. It's no more ostentatious than dressing well to begin with - often, you don't need surgeon cuffs to convey that your attire is expensive. Those who wear a luxuriant tie and a pocket square on a consistent basis is communicating this very thing to anyone who notices.

 

[mack11211]

A decent Michael Daly column in the Daily News today. He one-ups the Times and actually tries on a coat.

<<The salesman returned, and I slipped on the jacket. It rested so surreally light on my shoulders it could have been made out of hand-pressed clouds.>>

Also, nice Kiton/Salvation Army compare'n'contrast.

More:

 

[BeyondBespoke]

They don't mention in this article that Kiton suits are not fully custom or "bespoke". Don't get me wrong. I respect Kiton and I think Kiton suits are a great option to consider for clients looking for luxury suits. But it should be noted that Kiton suits are made from pre-existing patterns that are modified for the individual client. On the other hand, a true custom (bespoke) suit is made using a pattern specifically made from scratch using your 45+ measurements. That pattern is then kept in storage for up to 5 years for re-orders. The advantage to having a pattern specifically cut for your body is a more precise fit. - - - - - - Nick Torres | Head Designer http://www.beyondbespoke.com

 

[lee_44106]

So the actual boutique opened yesterday?

Dang, I was just at Saks on Saturday and they had the whole section still walled off and construction guys actively working on it.

My sales associate remarked to me that he was highly doubtful of the success of such a venture.

Anybody know what's gonna happen to the stand alone Kiton store a few blocks down?