The CM Graveyard: First Sartoria Partenopea... next J. Crew?

[smittycl]

I think I’ve mentioned it in this thread before but I’d be happy if a Chinese tailoring house stood up and proclaimed itself. I’d patronize them if I liked their wares.

 

[compuccesory]

everyone start copy before they innovate I suppose, personally I don't have an issue with your second point, though slightly off topic, is there a high end RTW Enlgish? I can think of only bespoke, otherwise all the English RTW brand is all made in italy anyway

The "Kingsman" line that Mr. Porter has is full canvas and made in England, sometimes they pop up on Yoox for around the $600-700 range, it looks pretty good but the cut appears to be only for very tall and thin people, and I am neither of those. Otherwise would love to give it a try.

 

[clee1982]

I thought Kingsman was originally by Thom Sweeney, guess not anymore.

I like Thom Sweeney'r RTW though since BG dropped it so haven't bother to try, there are couple more "English" looking thing I can think of, Husband Paris and that Alexander Craft thing (though the leg opening looks terrifying narrow...), and few of the Phineas Cole that's still got an English look to it...

 

[clee1982]

I think top of the line RTW for Gives and Hawks are Made in Italy (and never tried, so can't tell about style), not sure about Richard James, and I don't think I have seen Kilgour RTW for a long time...

 

[smittycl]

I think top of the line RTW for Gives and Hawks are Made in Italy (and never tried, so can't tell about style), not sure about Richard James, and I don't think I have seen Kilgour RTW for a long time...

I had a nice Richard James glen plaid sport coat that was made in Mauritius. Wore if for years.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

I tried one of the Paul Stuart Custom DB, I like it, and I think it's priced like SuitSupply MtM (~$1k?)

edit: you also got Prologue which is very specific Florence type of style?, those are the only MtM I can think of on top of my head, outside SuitSupply and Spier and MacKay? I'm sure there are bunch if you just google (is black lapel MiC, are they any good?)

though I think style might be the bigger challenge, most of the MtM MiC ones are aiming for the short jacket, tight fit crowd

Trands, which was linked above and which several companies use (including on this board), is excellent and quite neutral in its styling.

I like their suits a lot, though the default posture is too erect for me.

 

[clee1982]

I had Richard James from over 10 years ago (sold) when it was very stylistic obvious (hacking pocket, 1 button, bold pinstripe, probably the last year BG carried them, I like it), it was the Mayfair line, which I think was their half canvass line, liked it though eventually sold (it's one of those let me try to tailor a 38S to fit a 36 kind of story so yes shoulder did fit, but was never right). I think it said Made in Italy then...

 

[Spaghettimatt]

To play devil’s advocate for just a moment: if Chinese tailored garment manufacturing is really that good, why are top-line menswear retailers like The Armoury, Drakes, etc. not stocking any?

 

[clee1982]

we don't buy them? I mean just look at the reaction here when Polo moved from Corneliani made in Italy to Corneliani made in eastern europe

 

[clee1982]

though I think the Armoury is definitely someone who can help them cross the bridge, but then it makes the rest of the Armoury line up looks stupid I suppose (in px term)

 

[jts287]

we don't buy them? I mean just look at the reaction here when Polo moved from Corneliani made in Italy to Corneliani made in eastern europe

It's my complaint about BB. Are the seamstresses in Romania (or China) able to match the quality of work of the US and Italy? I don't doubt it. Just don't charge me Italy prices when you've cut labor costs to almost nothing (or, if the sub is using Uighurs, nothing at all).

 

[compuccesory]

A big issue I can think of off the top of my head is the proximity and access to Italian fabric mills. It's the reason why BB and English bespoke tailors go to Italy for their RTW lines I guess. You can't really replicate the Italian fabric industry somewhere else any more than you can replicate the electronics manufacturing ecosystem in Lombardy. China like most other Asian countries also has fairly steep tariffs on imported fabrics (the US does too, not to the same extent perhaps but sure doesn't help Brooks Brothers) which dampens domestic demand (tariffs presumably don't apply to raw materials used in export products) beyond some rich eccentrics. Big players like Suitsupply can sell enough volume to make it work but smaller players will find it tough, and bespoke tailors will find it especially tough since their business is more local.

Combine that with the global downturn in demand for tailored clothing and presumably a big glut of production capacity in Italy, I'm not holding my breath for any new and upcoming Chinese made tailoring.

 

[compuccesory]

we don't buy them? I mean just look at the reaction here when Polo moved from Corneliani made in Italy to Corneliani made in eastern europe

I dunno that people in general have lost interest in Polo because of that, I'm not interested in current Polo because they went from full to half canvas, obviously not because of where it's made.

 

[clee1982]

I dunno that people in general have lost interest in Polo because of that, I'm not interested in current Polo because they went from full to half canvas, obviously not because of where it's made.

Corneliani has always been half canvass, no?

 

[compuccesory]

Corneliani has always been half canvass, no?

No? I have a Corneliani RLBL and it's full canvas, it doesn't say "Polo" on it though, just "Ralph Lauren" but I don't think they changed it when they added the Polo.