Jantzen fabrics review

[johnnynorman3]

Stripe 256 Fabric is on the thinner side, but not so thin that it is see through or is cheap, etc. Â Has a very nice finish to it so is pretty darn soft. Â In the end, you've gotta rate it as a pretty good broadcloth -- a solid B+/A - I'd say. Â Pattern is a little more edgy, but I've found it can be worn with a suit as well and it still looks good. Stripe 182 Another great broadcloth -- a little better than stripe 256 -- and in a classic conservative pattern. This is a really ideal broadcloth for a suit, IMO. Looks very expensive with a spread collar. This is a fabric that I swear I saw Borrelli using last year. Checkers 399 Unfortunately this fabric is out of stock. I also ordered the same fabric in a stripe variation. That is also out of stock. But, I think that my comments will help put some Jantzen terminology in perspective. When you see a twill that is labeled 'soft cotton,' believe me it will be super soft. While only officially a 100s fabric, the finish and twill on this shirt makes it look not only incredibly expensive, but makes it feel ultra-indulgent. Certainly thin enough to be worn as a dress shirt, it is probably the best cloth in my closet. So, my advice -- if you are looking for a very soft shirt that won't crease easily and looks expensive, go with the twills in conservative patterns. Twill 22 A boring white shirt. But that's what we always need, right? IMO the Jantzen white herringbone and this white twill are better than the 140s broadcloth for everyday office wear. They aren't as dressy inherently as the 140s fabric, but these won't crease as easily and should last a long time. I'm very happy with this shirt (as I am with the white herringbone I ordered - it's listed under dobby). Lavender pinpoint oxford This shirt seems more like an end on end fabric to me. The Japanese cotton is a little "crisper" than the Italians (I like the Italian fabrics just a hair better), but the finish is still very soft for a 100s fabric. I got this shirt for the color, and I like it a lot. It's a little paler than the picture would indicate, and I think it goes great with a charcoal suit. Blue herringbone A great pale blue -- again, the picture is a little darker than the actual fabric, and the herringbone is a great choice because it adds some texture without adding weight to the shirt. This gives it more character and I just think it looks more expensive. It's also softer. If you need a plain blue shirt that will work with all shades of grey suits and navy suits, this is the best choice on Janzten IMO. By the way, I also have a similar fabric from W.W. Chan, and I think the Jantzen fabric is actually better. I did get a few more shirts but the fabrics are not even listed on the website anymore. I also have a few more coming. I'm opting for pretty conservative stuff though, so I can't give feedback on the more edgy patterns. But, I guess my biggest advice is that you should order some broadcloths but also make sure to order a healthy dose of twills as well. The pictures are pretty good in showing how wide the twill is. Also, the fine stripe patterns are really outstanding. I'd heartily endorse those.

 

[gregory]

That was really helpful - thanks.

On a broader level, what do you think makes a shirt look 'expensive'?

Shiny or matte?

Subtle or bold patterns?

Light or dark colors?

Thick or thin?

Hard or soft?

Full or fitted?

 

[johnnynorman3]

Well, I think that a lot of the things you put down don't matter to how expensive a shirt looks per se -- full or fitted, for example. I think a more fitted looks better, but that doesn't mean it makes the fabric itself look more expensive. In my opinion, it is the slight sheen that a very finely finished shirt gives off that makes it look expensive. But, note that the sheen is subtle -- like the difference between a pair of plastic shoes (which give off great sheen) and fine calf-leather (which can be polished to a high shine, but objectively not as highly as the plastic can). The former shoe gives off a "cheap shine," while the latter an expensive one. For broadcloths, I think that time will tell in terms of how expensive it looks. Crappy broadcloth in my experience dries out and thus doesn't drape well at all. These Jantzen broadcloths won't do that, I can tell already.

As for patterns, the more conservative the pattern the more dressy it looks and therefore the more expensive it looks IMO. But that doesn't mean you should choose conservative patterns based on that alone.

 

[bryce330]

Thanks for the info - I was looking at Stripe 256 myself.

 

[Millerp]

Great information on the fabrics. Nice choices.

Wish I would get my order. I've been waiting
since early July. E-mailed Ricky several times
with no reply. Tried to send a fax, but it wouldn't
pick up. Anyone know if the fax number on the website is
still current?

My previous orders took from 3 to 6 weeks to arrive.

I know the advice on this forum is to just be patient
and wait and that Ricky always delivers, but is anyone
experiencing longer than usual delays?

 

[VMan]

Great information on the fabrics. Nice choices.

Wish I would get my order. I've been waiting
since early July. E-mailed Ricky several times
with no reply. Tried to send a fax, but it wouldn't
pick up. Anyone know if the fax number on the website is
still current?

My previous orders took from 3 to 6 weeks to arrive.

I know the advice on this forum is to just be patient
and wait and that Ricky always delivers, but is anyone
experiencing longer than usual delays?

Same for me - I ordered in early July, maybe around the 10th. No email contact whatsoever. I'm just trying to be patient, I assume he's under a lot of pressure from extra orders or something.

 

[housemaidsknee]

i guess the more praise he gets here, the more the orders. there are probably tons of people who read these forums but dont post - and this will only get worse once the nyt article gets out. there will be tons of eager bankers and consultants who will want to try out jantzen after all the rave reviews he gets here. watch out ricky.

 

[shoreman1782]

He might have to up his prices to <gasp> $50-$60 a shirt. I guess I shouldn't have waited, I have never ordered but now am hesitant with these response times...

 

[retronotmetro]

This forum has substantial power to spread the word about deals. Witness the incredible speed with which Bennie's sold their inventory of Grensons--I called first thing Sunday about a couple pictures from their newest batch, and the ones I really wanted had already been sold. Chris from Bennies said they sold something like 200 pairs in a week, with their only real publicity being this forum.

Given the fact that WW Chan's lead time for US orders has nearly doubled in the past year, I'd say they may be gathering increased orders due to recent discussions on this forum as well. Good for them, bad for me.

 

[christian]

I see that a lot of people are big fans of Jantzen. And, it seems a good deal if you want to be able to choose your own patterns, etc...

But, what if all I need is a white dress shirt? It seems that everybody loves Jantzen cause it is more fitted. But, couldn't I just buy a white dress shirt on sale, and then have a tailor make it more fitted? I guess my question is what the quality of these shirts are, disregarding how you can choose patterns and how they will be more fitted, compared to the shirts you can find at the mall or discount retailers like Ross.

 

[BjornH]

Thanks for the info - I was looking at Stripe 256 myself.

This was the shirt that got the least favorable review from me when I got my last batch. I finally brought it out yesterday and the blue in it makes it go nicely with jeans. Good choice after all .

Johnny, thanks for the report, these look to be solid fabrics for basic conservative shirts.

To answer christian, I have to say that Jantzens are much better made than most shirts. Also, no tailor can make a RTW shirt fit like Jantzen shirt if it does not fit well from the start. The fit is much more than how it fits around your midsection.

B

 

[tattersall]

Thanks for the info - I was looking at Stripe 256 myself.

This may be shaping up to be the official stripe of the SF... I have 256 as well. It's one of my favorites because of the thin mauve stripes and the fabric is holding up well after six months and a dozen or so launderings.

 

[Alias]

i guess the more praise he gets here, the more the orders.  there are probably tons of people who read these forums but dont post - and this will only get worse once the nyt article gets out.  there will be tons of eager bankers and consultants who will want to try out jantzen after all the rave reviews he gets here.  watch out ricky.

I hope he gets some more hands to help. Either that, or I hope the more expensive companies will look to Jantzen as a model to keep their costs down and quality up. It saddens me that there are shirts regularly sold for over $100 that don't even have accurate pattern matching between the shoulders and sleeves.