Quality of Paul Smith clothing?

Originally Posted by Cary Grant

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Huh... I've had many pairs of both... can't say either is significantly different in quality over the other. They've all lasted about the same amount of time.

Maybe it's something to do with wash temperature or something like that. I found my PS socks really bobbled up after a few wears / washes whereas the Duchamps held up OK.

design and styling are great. prices are usually high for the construction. but in this case you are paying extra for design.

the only problem is that there are several different lines, so you are not sure which is which

Yeah, all of my PS socks had holes in the toes after about 3 wears.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

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You can get super awesome Paul Smith made to measure shirts at a great price starting at $950 per shirt. They fly their tailor a few times per year from London to measure you.


Is that a typo or sarcasm? Considering I could go to any number of ultra high-end shops and get amazing shirts made for half that, I'd hardly consider that of interest. What would, say, Brioni run me if I bought a half dozen or so, maybe $500 per? PS at $950 hardly seems worth it, especially when the name isn't even that exclusive.

Originally Posted by TimelesStyle

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Is that a typo or sarcasm? Considering I could go to any number of ultra high-end shops and get amazing shirts made for half that, I'd hardly consider that of interest. What would, say, Brioni run me if I bought a half dozen or so, maybe $500 per? PS at $950 hardly seems worth it, especially when the name isn't even that exclusive.

It is neither a typo, or sarcasm. This is what I was told a few years ago when I asked out of curiosity at the Greene Street location in NYC.

I am sure some idiots buy it. Believe it or not people into "fashion" know and like Paul Smith and probably many of them haven't even heard of Brioni.

Paul Smith for the most part is a designer label, not a menswear label.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

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It is neither a typo, or sarcasm. This is what I was told a few years ago when I asked out of curiosity at the Greene Street location in NYC.

I am sure some idiots buy it. Believe it or not people into "fashion" know and like Paul Smith and probably many of them haven't even heard of Brioni.

Paul Smith for the most part is a designer label, not a menswear label.

The only part I thought might be sarcastic is the phrase "great price" .

And I am also a huge fan of the styling, PS is probably my favorite "designer" line. I just think that kind of money for shirts that aren't being handmade with out-of-this-world construction, fabric and detailing is laughable.

And I'm guessing they've heard of Brioni, but have no idea what differentiates a Brioni suit from a Brooks Brothers suit; it's just conservative stuff for old guys, that's all the same, right ?

Originally Posted by TimelesStyle

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The only part I thought might be sarcastic is the phrase "great price"

.

And I am also a huge fan of the styling, PS is probably my favorite "designer" line. I just think that kind of money for shirts that aren't being handmade with out-of-this-world construction, fabric and detailing is laughable.

And I'm guessing they've heard of Brioni, but have no idea what differentiates a Brioni suit from a Brooks Brothers suit; it's just conservative stuff for old guys, that's all the same, right

?

You're right, the "great price" and "super awesome" were definitely sarcastic. I just remember almost laughing when the guy told me that. It is just a ridiculous markup as is most of Paul Smith's stuff. Their mainline stuff is decent, not junk by any means, but the price to quality ratio is not even close to being the best.

I've got quite a few Paul Smith items in my closet, and here's my take...

Paul Smith london - suits I've bought have been nice, and in looking at them, I would say the quality has been on a downward trend, with the earliest suit looking like the best fabric and construction, and the latest, being the least. Some are flashier than others.

Shirts - boy werent these all the rage 5 years ago when 20 somethings would wear their colorful French cuffed Paul Smith shirts untucked with jeans.. (Ted baker falling nicely in line).. As true drress shirts, the muted versions are still ok, especially on sale, but for the same price off the rack, i would now go with Ermenegildo Zegna, Armani, or Canali.. But you can get bespoke for that neighborhood too..

Love their gloves and scarves..

Socks were ok for me, but the $30 price point doesn't really do it for me.

Some of their ps sportswear is ok.. I actually like the way a lot of their short sleeve shirts fit on me in the summer, ps jeans have never done much for me, and their sweaters are very hit or miss.. Most of them being miss.

Originally Posted by Shirtmaven

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design and styling are great. prices are usually high for the construction. but in this case you are paying extra for design.

the only problem is that there are several different lines, so you are not sure which is which

I think they rank like this:

Paul Smith London
PS Paul Smith
Paul Smith Jeans

At least in shirts. London is made in Italy, while PS is made in Portugal.

Originally Posted by mack11211

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I think they rank like this:

Paul Smith London
PS Paul Smith
Paul Smith Jeans

At least in shirts. London is made in Italy, while PS is made in Portugal.

There is also the white label "Paul Smith" which i think is their highest line, I.E fully canvased suits.

i have a fair bit of paul smith from almost all the different lines. i prefer the PS shirts over the London line due to fit, the fabrics seem largely equivalent and the buttons are plastic on both. the mainline shirts (white label) are far better in terms of construction but you could be getting 2 barba shirts for the same price at full retail. essentially you are paying for design, and some of the quirky ones are great, but i wouldn't buy a plain muted shirt or suit from him, better value is found elsewhere.

I too own a few Paul Smith shirts from the various lines. The 'mainline' (white label) typical has some idiosyncratic cut/design (mine has closer/more buttons on the front and sleeves) so it's a nice change but I stick to conservative fabrics. Personally the London line is unremarkable besides some fabrics they use but definitely pricier than they should be (easier to get a RLBL at a lower price point and better quality). The PS line has GREAT cut with nice darts but I mainly wear them when I go out and not for work. The PS definitely sacrifices quality for style but you can get them cheaply during sales so it's a decent deal.

Paul Smith London shirts at $250 is still steep but if it's a shirt that you really like and would wear often, then the cost is worth it.

I have maybe 2 dozen pairs of Paul Smith socks. I picked them up over 7-8 years. I've never had any problems with them and in fact have been most impressed by 3 pairs my wife purchased for me in London recently. Their newer all wool socks are especially nice.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

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I have maybe 2 dozen pairs of Paul Smith socks. I picked them up over 7-8 years. I've never had any problems with them and in fact have been most impressed by 3 pairs my wife purchased for me in London recently. Their newer all wool socks are especially nice.

+1.
I wear my Paul Smith socks for like 2 years and doesn't seems to have a problem at all.

I find the quality to be good, but most pieces seem to be way over priced.