Kiton - Update in the US

[Gus]

I ran into a rep for Kiton the other day who I have known for several years. I asked him how things were going now that they are doing more marketing and in-store build-outs in the last few years. The following are his comments:

-their Sales are beating 2008
-ten years ago the average Kiton customer was 60 years old. Now it is 30.
-When the recession hit, customers stopped buying, not because they didn't have money but because it didn't look good to be wearing new suits, etc.. But now the feeling is that it is OK to buy.
-They have young customers who are dressing up for the first time and want to look their best. He had a guy who was 28 buy seven MTM, three piece suits from him last.
-Musicians dressing up in suits have influenced the sporting world. Guys are seeing these high profile people wearing nice suits more often and now more regular guys want that look.
-A number of their older clients who are senior partners in firms are coming in saying that the younger guys are making fun of them for having old, out dated looks and fitting suits. They are buying to look current.
-Not everyone wants "flash". He has many clients who still want to be subtle. One recently had a number of $12K suits made up with no Kiton Label and no Kiton branded lining.

 

[Roy]

12k suits... Why not go bespoke? It's just Kiton.

 

[Gus]

Originally Posted by Roy

12k suits... Why not go bespoke? It's just Kiton.

There are guys who find going into a Neimans or Bergdorf easy and convenient. Then there are those who may not even know where to start in finding a good tailor. To them, bespoke is not even an option.

 

[coolpapa]

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

There are guys who find going into a Neimans or Bergdorf easy and convenient. Then there are those who may not even know where to start in finding a good tailor. To them, bespoke is not even an option.
I agree. Most who buy Kiton et al, do so because they are unaware of range of options available to them, and/or don't have the knowledge interest or time to go bespoke.

 

[Mr. Moo]

Kiton = 1 hour purchase. Bespoke = 3-6 months. Some people want to have a nice suit by the time they are seated for dinner that night.

 

[cmacey]

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

Kiton = 1 hour purchase. Bespoke = 3-6 months. Some people want to have a nice suit by the time they are seated for dinner that night.

For the price of some of their offerings, "A fool and his money will soon part!"

 

[Roy]

But still... Kiton is offered at quite a few outlets for 3k / 4k euro. Why spend 12????

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by Roy

But still... Kiton is offered at quite a few outlets for 3k / 4k euro. Why spend 12????

The average offering is about $6.5K these days. I expect that there is an upcharge for better materials, notions, trims, etc... Some people just want a really nice suit. They are not sport shoppers like us, and they can better afford to spend the money than they can afford the effort and time needed to find a better deal.

 

[ALFAMALE]

kiton is nice, but not worth 12k. Just don't buy them at retail prices...

 

[Roy]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

The average offering is about $6.5K these days. I expect that there is an upcharge for better materials, notions, trims, etc... Some people just want a really nice suit. They are not sport shoppers like us, and they can better afford to spend the money than they can afford the effort and time needed to find a better deal.
Seriously, is it that expensive in the US? I was talking about retail prices.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by Roy

Seriously, is it that expensive in the US? I was talking about retail prices.

I looked in Mario's (Seattle) a few months ago, and didn't see a sportsjacket under $3K, or a suit under $5K. Hmmm... wait. Might have been Attolini (they carry both). Anyway, same pricepoints.

 

[Griffindork]

There are lots of reasons to go with Kiton rather than a similarly priced bespoke garment. Silhouette and fabric selection are the two most obvious.
A

 

[Grenadier]

The OP seemed to indicate that lots of these purchases are MTM, which many people might think is bespoke. Certainly, one would be very well-dressed in a Kiton MTM suit, even if one didn't have three fittings on the Row...

 

[JakeLA]

Anyone who spends 12 grand for a suit should be killed and their assets given to charity.

 

[thatguymj]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

The average offering is about $6.5K these days. I expect that there is an upcharge for better materials, notions, trims, etc... Some people just want a really nice suit. They are not sport shoppers like us, and they can better afford to spend the money than they can afford the effort and time needed to find a better deal.

This.

The average Kiton OTR is about 6-7k. If you want a custom suit made for you it can run anywhere from around 7k all the way up to 20k+.

I recently consulted in a shop that sold them and the type of folks that purchase a suit at that level didn't seem overly concerned with the cost, but rather the cut/fabric/look of the suit.