Interesting Kiton Article

[ezlau]

Heres a link to a Kiton article that I stumbled upon recently if anyone's interested.
http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2009...-of-kiton.html

 

[binge]

On a jacket, everything is sewn by hand except the central seam in the back....and the crescent of wood that helps the tailor shape the jacket's chest - the only tool used by the tailor other than a needle and silk thread.

 

[TonyThe Tailor]

Forgot to mention the lapels were machine padded too...

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by TonyThe Tailor

Forgot to mention the lapels were machine padded too...

And the side seams, the darts, and the lining, and the facings, oh and the collar is padded by machine, and the chest is constructed by machine, the shoulder pad is made and inserted by machine, the felling is all done by machine, the shoulder and sleeves are done by machine, the buttonholes looked like squashed beetles but hey, at least they're done by hand....

 

[maomao1980]

Originally Posted by jefferyd

And the side seams, the darts, and the lining, and the facings, oh and the collar is padded by machine, and the chest is constructed by machine, the shoulder pad is made and inserted by machine, the felling is all done by machine, the shoulder and sleeves are done by machine, the buttonholes looked like squashed beetles but hey, at least they're done by hand....

was this based on one of your dissected jackets? If so, care to give the approximate production date of such jacket? Kiton stuff has certainly gone way downhill in terms of construction, cut, and fit, but the material used are still very high-end.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by maomao1980

was this based on one of your dissected jackets? If so, care to give the approximate production date of such jacket?

Yes, and not sure, but it's fairly recent. I've also seen some older ones which were made the same way; I don't think their construction has gone downhill, it was just never quite as hand-made as some claimed it was.

 

[Klobber]

Originally Posted by jefferyd

Yes, and not sure, but it's fairly recent. I've also seen some older ones which were made the same way; I don't think their construction has gone downhill, it was just never quite as hand-made as some claimed it was.

Its a consequence of going mainstream. Once mainstream, they go for economy of scale, and in mass production <-> time tradeoffs, something has got to give. The give in this case will be suit quality to assist production time. This will happen to any "label" and even smaller labels will bow down to this trend. Kiton still produce good suits though, perhaps still top 10 in OTR suits.

These are the prime reasons why I have shifted my attention more towards exploring Bespoke options - if I am going to pay $5Grand for a suit oneday, I would like that $5K to go on quality and fit of the highest order.

 

[CaymanS]

jeffery, what do you not like about Kiton's buttonholes? I actually like them(?) I obviously agree that Kiton's insistence on marketing their garments as nearly 100% handmade is incredulous - the garments I own contain tons of machine work, but I am quite fond of them. The fabrics are wonderful and, on me, the fit is great.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by CaymanS

jeffery, what do you not like about Kiton's buttonholes?
I've never seen a Kiton buttonhole I liked. Maybe it's wabi-sabi taken to extreme, but they just look sloppy to me. I much prefer Saint Andrews or Zegna Couture's buttonholes.

Originally Posted by CaymanS

I obviously agree that Kiton's insistence on marketing their garments as nearly 100% handmade is bordering on criminally false representation
FTFY. Especially in the context of the article in which they stated

Originally Posted by KitonCEO

“Magazines can’t just carry on saying this brand is good, and this brand is good, and this brand is good,” he says, gesticulating at the jackets hanging on the walls of the Kiton showroom. “They need to explain the difference to men by going into the real detail. We need to give power back to the consumer.”
And making false claims is giving this power back to the consumer?

Originally Posted by CaymanS

The fabrics are wonderful and, on me, the fit is great.
I do have to give it to them that their garments are light as a feather and consequently very, very comfortable.

 

[CaymanS]

Originally Posted by jefferyd

FTFY. Especially in the context of the article in which they stated

No disagreement there. Not long ago, Naples built a state of the art facility with all sorts of nifty technology, ostensibly for training artistans in the secretive ways of Kiton "hand tailoring." This was of course an obvious oxymoron - if it's all done by hand (laugh out loud), don't you need nothing more than some sturdy tables and chairs? That's certainly what an Oxxford workroom looks like...

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by jefferyd

I do have to give it to them that their garments are light as a feather and consequently very, very comfortable.

I kind of feel that their fabrics are so light that they boarderline on garbage. A strong fart could blow out the seat of their trousers.

 

[CaymanS]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

I kind of feel that their fabrics are so light that they boarderline on garbage. A strong fart could blow out the seat of their trousers.

Nope: http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/...thbusting.html

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by CaymanS

Nope: http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/...thbusting.html

Not Kiton fabric.

 

[CaymanS]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Not Kiton fabric.

Correct, but the gist of the article is that finer cloths are not necessarily more fragile. My Kiton garments seem to wear just fine.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by CaymanS

Correct, but the gist of the article is that finer cloths are not necessarily more fragile. My Kiton garments seem to wear just fine.

Not really- it was that cloths can be made of fine fibers (super 150 plus) and still be heavier and robust- the super number is not an indication. I tend to agree that most Kiton cloth is a little more fragile than I would like (and thus is often a puckery mess) but that is a large part of the comfort and appeal of them.