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The StyleForum Working Hierarchical Suit Quality List (SFWHSQL!)

Cognacad

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
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Hello everyone. As someone who is new to the field of menswear and formalwear, I find myself googling brands every 3 minutes to see where they stand with respect to quality, reputation, price, etc. Often however google doesn't work out and reviews are all over the place or even completely lacking. What I would like to do is start a working list of "Suit Brand Hierarchy". Basically, users of this forum would help create a somewhat hierarchal list of the worlds best suit brands. People here seem to be very knowledgeable, and I think could create a very helpful point of reference for those who are unfamiliar with a brand or suits in general. It will always be growing and being modified and may start some good discussion. Here is how it works: Once a day one user can EITHER: 1. Add a suit brand to a category OR 2. Move one suit brand UP "OR" DOWN one category (i.e. can't go from "Bad" to "Excellent" in one go) Maybe this won't work, if it doesn't then it will just slowly drop and disappear, but hopefully it can be helpful and hasn't been done here before. For starters I suggest putting in popular brands that people are familiar with so that hopefully we can cover 95% of the suit market while avoiding brands that only make 15 suits per day. The list should hold into account price/value. So a suit that is 500$ but that is almost as good (or as good) as suits that usually sell for 1500$ should probably be ranked higher than some of the suits that go for 1500$. If you want to add/modify the list then you copy paste the most current list (e.g. first modification would copy paste mine) and BOLD your change/addition.) Here is the first of many drafts: ____________________________________________________________ Excellent [*****] (i.e. Suits made this well are far and few between, if money is no object your closet would be full of these. If money is a factor then these suits could sell for much, much more. This category should be kept to only a few items) - - - - - Very Good [****] (i.e. Few suits match the quality of the ones in this category or prices could be raised significantly and would still be good value). - - - - - Good [***] (i.e. Quality is superior to most suits or the value of these suits is above average). - Canali - - - - Satisfactory [**] (i.e. The "Average" Brands. Quality is acceptable, and the price matches it). - - - - - Mediocre[*] (i.e. Suits that should usually be avoided. Quality leaves much to be desired or prices are usually higher than they should be for such a suit). - - - - - Bad [ ](i.e. Don't buy. Quality is overall bad, or quality is nowhere near the price asked for). - - - - - _______________________________________________________ The dashes are only there so it looks better, the categories are not limited to 5 items ITEMS WITHIN EACH CATEGORY ARE "EQUAL" (i.e. last of the "Good" list is just as good as the one at the top) Go nuts! Notes: If someone "messes up" i.e. adds too much stuff at once or something, ignore it and go to the previous one. Reason I am doing this just for suits is because some brands might make great suits but relatively mediocre shirts, so if someone has the initiative to make such a list for shoes, or shirts, that would be great. I just made this format up on the fly, if it is bad, then we can modify it very easily We shouldn't fight over the semantics of the words "Good" vs. "Very Good" but more try to create a functional hierarchy. Please don't be a list troll and put a brand clearly in the wrong category. Although in time it would fix it out, it is a waste of everyones efforts. If there is a very big difference between one Brand's "A" Label and "B" Label then two separate items should be created, but this should be done as infrequently as possible to keep the list succinct and should only include items that are very noticeably different from each other. I know people have tried to make their own lists in the past on blogs and such, but they are often very biased, incomplete and lack a "wiki" feel to it. Items should not usually be removed unless they are inappropriate and people agree to it. As an example there is like 6 different Zegna items even though there is just 6-x very different Zegna lines. To make posts shorter it might be a good idea to remove the quality describer e.g. (i.e. The "Average" Brands. Quality is acceptable, and the price matches it). when modifying the list, but we will see.
 

bmulford

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
I rank my birthday suit #1, with Neo #2, but neck and neck with kunky.

- B


This of course, will be the best post of the thread. Enjoy the humor before the brand nit-picking comes up.
 

voxsartoria

Goon member
Timed Out
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Originally Posted by bmulford
This of course, will be the best post of the thread. Enjoy the humor before the brand nit-picking comes up.

I am hopeful that Sator will post to put every RTW "brand" in either the Bad category, or in some cases, up to Mediocre.

If only Moo were still here to counter that with the size/fit-invariate perspective.

What can I say? I am a dreamer.

- B
 

0b5cur1ty

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
I rank my birthday suit #1, with Neo #2, but neck and neck with kunky.

- B

I'm not sure whether to feel offended, or just left out.
 

pandamonium

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
349
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2
I think this will be pretty uncontroversial? Now somebody add RLPL.

---------------------

Excellent [*****] (i.e. Suits made this well are far and few between, if money is no object your closet would be full of these. If money is a factor then these suits could sell for much, much more. This category should be kept to only a few items)
- Kiton
-
-
-
-

Very Good [****] (i.e. Few suits match the quality of the ones in this category or prices could be raised significantly and would still be good value).
-
-
-
-
-


Good [***] (i.e. Quality is superior to most suits or the value of these suits is above average).
- Canali
-
-
-
-

Satisfactory [**] (i.e. The "Average" Brands. Quality is acceptable, and the price matches it).
-
-
-
-
-

Mediocre[*] (i.e. Suits that should usually be avoided. Quality leaves much to be desired or prices are usually higher than they should be for such a suit).
-
-
-
-
-


Bad [ ](i.e. Don't buy. Quality is overall bad, or quality is nowhere near the price asked for).
-
-
-
-
-
 

Aluan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
98
Reaction score
1
Is this for suits being made now? Suit brands may have changed in quality over time.
 

tonylumpkin

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
2,729
Reaction score
1,474
Excellent [*****] (i.e. Suits made this well are far and few between, if money is no object your closet would be full of these. If money is a factor then these suits could sell for much, much more. This category should be kept to only a few items) - Kiton - - - - Very Good [****] (i.e. Few suits match the quality of the ones in this category or prices could be raised significantly and would still be good value). - Oxxford - - - - Good [***] (i.e. Quality is superior to most suits or the value of these suits is above average). - Canali - - - - Satisfactory [**] (i.e. The "Average" Brands. Quality is acceptable, and the price matches it). - - - - - Mediocre[*] (i.e. Suits that should usually be avoided. Quality leaves much to be desired or prices are usually higher than they should be for such a suit). - - - - - Bad [ ](i.e. Don't buy. Quality is overall bad, or quality is nowhere near the price asked for). - - - - -
 

jeremyjoe

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Here is my list from my phone that i use when thrifting....im not good on which quality is which but i usually go off what feels and looks nice on me for a good price...but ill be a thrifter for life

Aquascutum
Austin Reed
Barbour
Belvest
Bijan
Botany 500
Brioni
Brooks Brothers
Canali
Vantarelli
Cesare Attolini
Charvet
Chester Barrie
Chipp
Corneliani
D' Avenza
David Hart and Co
Dior Homme
Donna Karaan
Dunill
E Zenga
Etro
H Freeman and son
Hart Schafffner and marx
Hermes
Hickey Freeman
Isaia
J Press
Jhane Barnes
Jos A bank
Kiton
Lanvin
Luigi Borrelli
Marks and Spencers
Michael Kors
Pal Zileri
Paul Stuart
Psyco Buynny
PLPL or PLBL
Robert Graham
Salvatore Ferragamo
Samuelsohn
Southwich
St andrews
Stefano Ricci
Sulka
Theory
TM Lewin
Turnbill and Asser
Vivienne Westwood
Zanella
 

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