Suit quality comparison: Attolini, Zegna, Louis Vuitton

[Nantucket Red]

Yesterday I was out window shopping with the gf (*****cat of myth and legend) and was forced to endure time in one of the many Louis Vuitton flagship stores in Ginza. I looked at a few of their suits, which appear to be of a comparable quality to other reputable makers' suits. They are the only things made by the brand that I've come within a mile of liking.

Later, at Barney's, I looked through the Attolini book and found at least half a dozen fabrics I could see dropping serious money on for an MTM suit.

I already have a relationship with a salesman at Zegna and have been thinking about getting several MTM suits made.

All the prices are within roughly the same range, with Zegna being rather more competitively priced. I'm already convinced of the unimpeachable quality of Attolini and Zegna at that price point.

My question is about the quality of Louis Vuitton suits. They look to be very high quality and carry the least branding of just about anything the company makes, but are they a good value at that price point or are they, like nearly everything else Vuitton, overpriced?

Any information on what mills they use or other particulars of Vuitton suits would be appreciated.

 

[GQgeek]

I wish i could help you but I can't. I was at LV in Toronto in June and although they had plenty of stuff for women, the only thing they had for men were shoes. What's their cut like?

Regardless, if it's the same price as attolini, the decision is a no-brainer. However, the Zegna Couture or whatever they're calling it these days is a wonderful suit. I tried one on a couple years ago and it was bliss. Between regular zegna and attolini, however, i'd go for the attolini. I'm curious why you're not considering bespoke. For those prices it should at least be in the mix.

 

[Nantucket Red]

As for bespoke, it's about time I revealed my trump card. I can get suits made by the bespoke tailor to the brother of Japan's crown prince -- the one whose wife just gave birth to the first male heir to the throne in 41 years. It would take a bit of footwork to make the connection, but an introduction has already been made for me. He will copy an existing suit for roughly $750 plus the cost of material -- talk about no-brainers. I do not know what he would charge for a bespoke suit, but I have a feeling it would be quite competitive.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the quality and construction of the suits I like best, which so far are the ones I've mentioned. The Attolini would be my clear first choice. The Vuitton suits intrigue me, though, and I'd like to know more about them. It's the material more than anything. I can't really comment on the cut without having tried one on.

 

[tom2517]

I think LV suits are no better than suits from YSL, Gucci, or any other typical name brands in terms of construction quality. They are all similar priced so that is to be expected. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they are all made by the same company.

 

[zjpj83]

If Attolini is your first choice, don't you already have your answer?

If the price is a problem, and assuming you don't need a suit right away, save up until you can afford what you really want - the Attolini.

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

If Attolini is your first choice, don't you already have your answer?

If the price is a problem, and assuming you don't need a suit right away, save up until you can afford what you really want - the Attolini.

This is my first impulse and probably what I'll end up doing. Considering they are only a few hundred dollars more than the Zegna, the Attolini seem the better value to me. Given that the LV is priced the same as the Attolini, it's no contest, not that I was ever seriously considering purchasing an LV suit.

I already have an almost adequate rotation of RLBL MTM suits that I'm very happy with, and the Attolini would represent the next step up. The money isn't a big problem and I'm in no rush. This also leaves open the option of exploring the possibilities with the Imperial tailor.

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

This also leaves open the option of exploring the possibilities with the Imperial tailor.

Just curious, would he be putting a label on the inside of the coat that says something along the lines of "Tailored by the Imperial Tailor...and so on"? Kind of like T&A shirts say "By Appointment to HRH the Prince of Wales." If so, that would be totally awesome.

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by odoreater

Just curious, would he be putting a label on the inside of the coat that says something along the lines of "Tailored by the Imperial Tailor...and so on"? Kind of like T&A shirts say "By Appointment to HRH the Prince of Wales." If so, that would be totally awesome.

Good question. I've seen examples of his work worn by the friend who made the introduction for me, but I never thought to ask to look at the label. He is tailor to Prince Akishino, who along with his lovely wife and newborn son, is the toast of the whole country. The fact that he's been in the news so much recently reminded me of the connection with his tailor. I'll have to pursue it actively before I can give any sort of satisfactory answer.

Besides, now I'll have to get him to tailor a suit for me so I'm not guilty of making idle boasts on the forum.

Perhaps he has access to Attolini material.

 

[Dragon]

One problem I see is that Prince Akishino`s suits look terrible. I would go with Attolini, but I didn`t know that any place in Japan has MTM for Attolini except for trunk shows. Where are you going to get your MTM Attolini?

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by Dragon

One problem I see is that Prince Akishino`s suits look terrible. I would go with Attolini, but I didn`t know that any place in Japan has MTM for Attolini except for trunk shows. Where are you going to get your MTM Attolini?

If his suits look terrible, is it the fault of his tailor or does he just not wear them well? I think the bespoke tailor route is worth checking out, if only to have him copy an existing suit.

I assume that because Barney's has the Attolini book they can make MTM. My chances of getting fitted OTR here are virtually nil. If it's not available, I'll be happy to go with Zegna MTM, which I'm quite sure I can get.

 

[johnapril]

In that price range I would try Isaia's MTM program. I think they do a nice shoulder.

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

wow, they sure tried quite hard to get that son at 40. Let's hope it's not a congenital idiot.

!luc

 

[rach2jlc]

I can't speak to the other brands you mentioned, but I can tell you something about the LV suits.

All of the LV suits that I've seen are made by Belvest and, like others have said, are in the range of most of the other designers in terms of quality. It is possible that in the past year or two they've pulled a Prada and moved to a cheaper manufacturer, but I doubt it (Prada, too, until perhaps 2002-03 utilized Belvest).

I like the LV suits a little better than the Zegna produced designers (YSL, Gucci, Gianni Versace Couture), but there isn't a lot of difference. Price wise, they always charge a little more because they can, but nevertheless while it isn't a bad suit (every one I've seen has been canvassed), it certainly isn't bespoke or Attolini. A comparable suit from YSL would be $1700 or so, $1800 from Gucci, $2000 from Gianni Versace Couture (of course, this is no longer in productin), and probably $2100 at LV.

As well, in Japan, LV items are priced about 20-30% higher than anywhere else, because they are so popular there. (For example, I looked at a briefcase there a few years ago that was $960 in the USA and 130.000 yen in Japan. This was when the yen was about 110 yen to the dollar, so that's almost $1200 for the same item. It's the same for shoes; a $400 pair of sneakers in the US will be 70,000 yen or more generally in Japan... of course, this somtimes fluctuates and it has been since March since I've been back in Japan).

 

[Dragon]

I assume that because Barney's has the Attolini book they can make MTM. My chances of getting fitted OTR here are virtually nil

Maybe they do MTM, but I doubt it. I think the reason you saw the books was because they just had a trunk show. You should`ve ordered during the trunk show because they have tailors from Attolini in Napoli come and measure you.

If his suits look terrible, is it the fault of his tailor or does he just not wear them well? I think the bespoke tailor route is worth checking out, if only to have him copy an existing suit.

I don`t know if it`s his fault or the tailors. I noticed that his suits are always very baggy with a terrible fit. I have no knowledge of his tailor or the quality of his garments, so my opinion is just from looking at news images, etc.

If you are willing to pay Attolini prices, maybe you should try the Rubinacci shop. They have RTW, MTM, and bespoke. Even bespoke Rubinacci is in the same range as Attolini (price), although the tailors there are not very experienced.

Also Kiton does MTM all year round

 

[Nantucket Red]

rach2jlc, thanks. That's just the kind of specific information I was hoping for about LV suits. It's about as I expected.

Dragon, you may be right about the trunk show. I didn't bother to ask if MTM was available from the Attolini books, though I should have pounced on the salesmen the moment I heard them fretting in hushed tones about not knowing how to speak English. I was certainly in the suiting department long enough for someone to come forward and offer to help me.

I have not come across Rubinacci in Japan. There is a Kiton store in Roppongi Hills. Down the street is a Loro Piana. And further down the street, yet another LV flagship store, where I will continue not to buy anything.