Forbes article on expensive suits. Ever heard of Vicuna???

[Sator]

Originally Posted by lakewolf

Vicuña is a protected species now so it is harder and much more expensive to get the material.


I understand that they have a way of getting the fibres without killing the beast now and this is the reason why vicuna has made a return to the menu - albeit at frightful prices.

 

[LabelKing]

Apparently this muffler is vicuna:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SCARF-VICUNA-100...QQcmdZViewItem

 

[stilmacher]

I own a vicuna sport coat and I am neither a russian nor an arab and certainly no Texas oil man. It is a truly unique and fantastic fabric.

 

[epa]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

I saw a completed vicuna overcoat at my tailors' once. It was like 25k... I will say that having felt the swatches there's nothing like it, but it's extremely impractical. Even if I could afford it, I would be afraid to wear it, and I'd rather get 5 suits for the price of one. With bespoke, I've made a decision towards the lower supers. It's just too expensive for light-weight cashmeres or superfine wools that are going to wear-out. They may feel great, but the other stuff looks better.

I saw an EUR 18000 vicuña overcoat at Zegna, OTR. Kind of camel colour. My wife got pale when I said that I wanted it for X-mas.
I would never dare to wear such a thing. I just imagine what would happen if somebody accidentally burnt a hole in it with a cigarrette...
(And following Murphy's Law it is clear that this is VERY likely to happen the first time you go out with your new vicuña overcoat...)

 

[stilmacher]

Originally Posted by epa

I just imagine what would happen if somebody accidentally burnt a hole in it with a cigarrette...

You could have it fixed or chuck it. I don't think one should care too much about the value of ones clothes. Kills the joy of wearing them...

 

[hopkins_student]

If one were to purchase a vicuna overcoat I would certainly hope they would insure it.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by hopkins_student

If one were to purchase a vicuna overcoat I would certainly hope they would insure it.

People insure furs, why not vicuna?

 

[amerikajinda]

I wonder what the ration of vicuna to cashmere is in this blazer, maybe 5% vicuna, 95% cashmere?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Men-VICUNA-CASHM...QQcmdZViewItem

 

[lakewolf]

Originally Posted by Sator

I understand that they have a way of getting the fibres without killing the beast now and this is the reason why vicuna has made a return to the menu - albeit at frightful prices.

Vicuña is a protected wild animal.

Their fleece is exceptionally soft and silky, and in the time of the Incas was reserved for royal robes. The vicuña has never been successfully domesticated; wild herds were rounded up for shearing. Hunted to the verge of extinction for its wool and flesh, it is now protected and has recovered. Today wool is harvested from animals in the wild and others confined to ranches or enclosed ranges.

The entire population remains vulnerable, according to the IUCN Red List. Certain populations are on the CITES Convention, with the provision that only cloth woven from the sheared wool of a live vicuña may be traded. Otherwise, the vicuña is on Appendix I of the CITES Convention.

 

[victory]

Never heard of a vicuna suit but I have heard of vicuna coats.

 

[AlanC]

Here's a few years old Robb Report article on vicuna.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Doesn't kitonbrioni have a rather impressive vintage vicuna topcoat collection?