Vavraitaly.com

[vero_group]

I did a search on Google and stumbled upon www.vavraitaly.com. Looks like off-brand Italian clothes at a discount. Anyone ever bought from them? Opinions?

 

[A Harris]

Vavra started as an ebay seller and segued into what appears to be a successful retail business. Gotta admire that.

However my problem is that her business seems (at least to me) to be based on the general ignorance of men when it comes to clothing quality. A very educated guess is that she is either directly importing most of her merchandise, or buying it from an importer. Its true retail value is what she is asking for it, not the laughable retail prices she claims on the site. She's not a discounter, she is a retailer. Quality is what you would expect in the LA garment district.  

Basically it's the opposite of Chuck's strategy, and in my opinion, everything that is wrong with the garment industry.

 

[water]

A very educated guess is that she is either directly importing most of her merchandise, or buying it from an importer. Quality is what you would expect in the LA garment district.

I am curious about how this works exactly. I am new to purchasing clothing via e-bay and am currently considering a Canali suit on there. Obviously I do not want to get ripped off. How can I tell if it is authentic? The seller has an awesome feedback record (3000+ w/ one negative), provides a great deal of info on the suit and answers communications quickly. However, they do not allow returns.

Also, your LA comment has me a little scared as this seller is located in LA. Basically, how do I know I am not buying the equivalent of a Rolex from the proverbial guy on the corner in the trenchcoat?

 

[A Harris]

I think you would be hard pressed to find fake Canali, so I wouldn't worry about that. The majority of Vavra's merchandise is from "designers" that most everyone has never heard of. So the name doesn't warrant the claimed retail prices, and neither does the quality. Let's use this suit she is selling as an example: Emilio Yuste I was looking at several Yuste suits a week ago. They are mediocre fused-front suits. And I'm willing to bet that the "Super 140's" that this suit is cut from is not a particularly nice, or expensive fabric. The number doesn't really mean anything unless it comes from a good mill. Now she claims a suggested retail of $1575 for that suit. Who is she kidding? That is quite a bit more than most Canali and Corneliani suits retail for, about equal to Zegna, and almost in range of Belvest and Isaia. Hang any of these next to the Yuste and the huge difference in quality will be quite apparent. $555 is probably a fair RETAIL price for the suit, albeit a waste of money since you can buy far better for the price. You are certainly not saving $1,020.00 as she claims..

 

[water]

All of these e-bay sellers seem to list a very high "retail" price undoubtedly with the intention to emphasize what a deal the buyer is getting.

The auction for the Canali suit I am considering claims that it has a retail of $1895. I really doubt too many stores are selling it for that. None that are still in business anyway.

In response to the last post, why couldn't someone fake a Canali? I apologize if this is a stupid question, as I am relatively new to suit buying.

 

[A Harris]

All of these e-bay sellers seem to list a very high "retail" price undoubtedly with the intention to emphasize what a deal the buyer is getting.

Not all do. But many do, which is a never ending source of anger and frustration to me.

In response to the last post, why couldn't someone fake a Canali? I apologize if this is a stupid question, as I am relatively new to suit buying.

There is no reason for them to bother. Canali isn't that well known. And the men that know about them are likely to be able to tell the difference between a real and a fake suit. So who are they going to sell them to?  

A conservative estimate of the amount of suits and sportcoats I have looked at in the the course of my business, over the last  four years, is 700,000 pieces. I can count the number of fakes I have encountered in that time on one hand. When it comes to suits I wouldn't worry about fakes, they just aren't that common.

 

[water]

And the men that know about them are likely to be able to tell the difference between a real and a fake suit. So who are they going to sell them to?

Unfortunately, me.

Could you share with me some sure signs of an authentic Canali suit? Also, do you think $500 is a good price for a 40R, 3-button, black Canali suit? Thanks for all your help.

 

[Carlo]

WRT Construction I got out the scissors and desecrated the corpse of an Oxxford that had been ruined last night and posted some illustrations on Ask Andy's board last night, here's a link that might help you: http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/F...?TOPIC_ID=1375 WRT fakes I agree with AHarris - I've seen one fake in a topcoat, never in a suit unless it fooled me. A couple quick checks of quality: 1. Canvas versus fused - probably the easiest and most telling - rub the lapel gently between two fingers - feel the shell fabric rubbing across a slightly scratchy, textured interlining? Canvas. If it feels like it is rubbing against the smooth fabric on the other side or worse yet, is glued so heavily you can't seperate the two - fused. It will pucker and blister as the glue comes loose. 2. Buttons - plastic or horn? While salespeople frown on button biting it tells you something. Look at how they are sewn on. Oxxford's classic 'Kissing' sleeve buttons can't be zipped off by machine and are horn. 3. Handfinishing - handstitching is irregular (see link above). I order to fake a Canali you'd have to build a factory with the proper equipment - suit factories are expensive. Faking a Canali in anything close to a believable way would mean spending $1000 to make it - and then you can't sell it for $1200 and make a profit.

 

[MikeF]

Surely you don't believe it costs anywhere near $1000 to make a Canali.

For whatever it's worth, I've seen fake Emporio Armani suits on eBay.

 

[Thracozaag]

Surely you don't believe it costs anywhere near $1000 to make a Canali.

For whatever it's worth, I've seen fake Emporio Armani suits on eBay.

Armani is a "name" brand, though.

 

[Carlo]

MikeF - it doesn't cost Canali $1000 to make a Canali - but if you were going to go to the trouble to knock them off it is not cheap/easy. A fused Armani could be knocked off in any of a hundred factories in Asia - the same machines used to make it are commercially available and the pattern is not hard to duplicate.

The Canali? That's tougher, a standard suit factory can't knock that one off easily so to do it they'd have to spend some bucks - bottom line is that it isn't worth bothering to knock off a Canali - better to knock off something that's completely machine sewed mass production with cheap materials and sell it for 5x the cost if you are going to be a crook

 

[water]

Are all Canali suits fully handsewn? Nothing fused?