Vitale Barberis Cahttp://www.vitalebarberiscnonico

[NBankston]

I would like to toast the return of Mr. Grayson to our Forum.

I second your toast.

 

[Alias]

How the hell did Mr. Grayson get banned?  Is he not the kindest, most learned gentleman on this board?

It is a long, sordid tale best left to the Ask Andy archives.

Anyways, I'm sitting here bored at work, trying to untwist fibers off a cloth sample. I'm not getting anywhere. All I'm getting are thick yarns of wool, one going lengthwise, and one going widthwise. But this is pretty lightweight fabric, so I'm guessing that maybe with heavier fabrics it will be easier to tell the whole 2x1, 2x2 thing.

 

[Smooth Jazz]

It is interesting how Carlo Barbera, most definitely an Italian textile mill, is embraced by London tailors and those tailors who are Anglophiles, such as my NY tailor, Raphael. Â Joe Morgan on Savile Row loves CB. Â When I first visited with Joe, he showed off a handsome CB jacket that was in the fitting process. Â Raphael waxes poetic about CB. Â And, I have developed an appreciation for CB through these two gents. Â The CB range that Lesser distributes is my favorite in that it is sturdy (I like a stout cloth.) yet its softness and sheer beauty is characteristically of Italian pedigree. Â Patterns and designs are conceived and executed as only the Italians can do, a distinct departure from the more rigid English patterns. Â I do feel especially rakish in my Carlo Barbera sport coats, sort of like a young Gianni Agnelli (Hey, I can dream, can't I). Â Maybe I should start wearing my Seiko Black Monster wristwatch over my shirt cuff

Grayson

Couldn't agree more on the Carlo Barbera/Lesser range. I recently took delivery of a suit in that fabric that I had ordered four months back. It is far and away my favorite fabric for suits. Unfortunately, they do not have many designs left in that range.

 

[lisapop]

Enjoy your Carlo Barbera suit. Reflective of the prestige and exceptional quality behind the Carlo Barbera name is the fact that H. Lesser and Sons have made the *exception* of disclosing and, indeed, promoting, Carlo Barbera as the source of that range of cloth. As a distributor, Lesser's don't normally disclose the names of their sources of cloth. Another exceptional range distributed by Lesser's (Reid & Taylor, as well) is the Golden Bale cloth from Joseph Lumb. Makes up a nice blazer. Closely approximates the softness of cashmere without the drawbacks.
Grayson

 

[clothman]

My local tailor has swatch books of Super 120s wool and cashmere from an Italian woolen mill called Vitale Barberis Canonico. The material has a fine hand and seems to be of good quality. I looked the mill up on Google. http://www.vitalebarberiscanonico.it/ The brand seems legitimate, but I've never heard of it. My tailor said their products are equal to Scabal or Zegna. Just wondering if any forum members know of this mill or have had any items of clothing made from this company's cloth. I'm considering getting some trousers made from this cloth. Thanks

There are a respectable mill in the industry and a big contender but they tend to be overpowered by the likes of Zegna and Lora Piana. Stay away from merchants like Scabal, Dormeuil and Holland and Sherry as they don't weave cloth and just buy and raise the prices. Go direct to a mill like William Halstead www.williamhalstead.co.uk as their prices will be cheaper and the quality the same. Vitale Barbaris copy William Halstead mohair cloths because they are superior. The Owner of Barbaris said he prefers Halstead Mohair to his own at a fabric show in Milan Fbebruary 2011. Barbaris make a good 130's cloth but there is also another English mill called John Foster who run bunches in most qualities and even Charles Clayton for your super luxury cloths.
It comes down to whether or not you want to buy British or Italian. I would say being British to buy Made in England cloth. Either will be a very good quality suit.