Inside Vincent Nicolosi

WOW, you actually did it! No way in hell you are getting near my clothes!

I write this from the sobriety of St. Moritz. My Nicolosi suit is similarly unwearable. I have worn it only once, to the wedding of one of my wifes (Euro keyboard) friends whom I detest. My suit is inordinately broad shouldered, very, very, long, low button stance, tiny collar, weirdly proportioned, etc. Dealing with this man is a nightmare. Kafka goes bespoke. Even though I was resigned to a useless suit, I tried in vain to put some points on the scoreboard. I meekly asked for the cuffs at least to be 1 3/4 inches, VN replied, no 1 1/2, I suggested that we split the difference and go 1 5/8, VN replied NO. At that point I cashed in my chips and moved to another casino.

This man is an aging paranoic narcissist. Only customers of equal or greater vanity, in my opinion, can navigate this perversion of bespoke. Possibly a DB customer could walk out standing. For me the lesson is so what about the hand work if it is unwearable and bears no resemblance to what yôu asked for. There is another lesson, rarelz discussed, and that is, it doesnt matter what you tell the guy, because the damage will be irreparablz done by the time you get to the fittings, and you can only stand there like a dunce. I would add, that only, if you are a celebrity do you stand a chance, and even then you will have to take the risks and deal with the pathological character of VN. This man does not want your business, and has enough carnival barkers to bring in a fresh supply of naifs.

The crowning blow is not even being asked by the tailor if you like the suit. He doesnt care whether you do or not. He did however try to shake me down for NY sales tax despite the goods being shipped out of state. I did decline that challenge. A miserable man, in decline, better suited to be a pensioner. Caveat emptor. You will be another notch on his learning curve which flat lined years ago.

My GOD - it's like watching a snuff film! Look away, look away.....(peering through fingers)...

Originally Posted by tteplitzmd

Click to expand...

I write this from the sobriety of St. Moritz. My Nicolosi suit is similarly unwearable. I have worn it only once, to the wedding of one of my wifes (Euro keyboard) friends whom I detest. My suit is inordinately broad shouldered, very, very, long, low button stance, tiny collar, weirdly proportioned, etc. Dealing with this man is a nightmare. Kafka goes bespoke. Even though I was resigned to a useless suit, I tried in vain to put some points on the scoreboard. I meekly asked for the cuffs at least to be 1 3/4 inches, VN replied, no 1 1/2, I suggested that we split the difference and go 1 5/8, VN replied NO. At that point I cashed in my chips and moved to another casino.

This man is an aging paranoic narcissist. Only customers of equal or greater vanity, in my opinion, can navigate this perversion of bespoke. Possibly a DB customer could walk out standing. For me the lesson is so what about the hand work if it is unwearable and bears no resemblance to what yôu asked for. There is another lesson, rarelz discussed, and that is, it doesnt matter what you tell the guy, because the damage will be irreparablz done by the time you get to the fittings, and you can only stand there like a dunce. I would add, that only, if you are a celebrity do you stand a chance, and even then you will have to take the risks and deal with the pathological character of VN. This man does not want your business, and has enough carnival barkers to bring in a fresh supply of naifs.

The crowning blow is not even being asked by the tailor if you like the suit. He doesnt care whether you do or not. He did however try to shake me down for NY sales tax despite the goods being shipped out of state. I did decline that challenge. A miserable man, in decline, better suited to be a pensioner. Caveat emptor. You will be another notch on his learning curve which flat lined years ago.

I can't understand then why people bother to order a suit from him, and what is the interest in disecting such an aberration

A close friend of mine has 3 VC suits and he is very happy with them. I have seen all 3 - they are well cut and proportioned and fit my friend nicely. The styling, however, is somewhat bland.

I agree with manton that in the world of bespoke, output by tailor often varies pretty dramatically. I am extremely happy with all my Raphael suits. A old college buddy of mine, however, also used Raphael for a suit and the thing looks very average - I have no idea what happened.

Originally Posted by Manton

Click to expand...

Balance off, short front, vents kicked, collar tight, button stance low, too much drape (even for me), huge dent on the right side, as if a car had hit it. Those were the major problems.

Originally Posted by tteplitzmd

Click to expand...

I write this from the sobriety of St. Moritz. My Nicolosi suit is similarly unwearable. I have worn it only once, to the wedding of one of my wifes (Euro keyboard) friends whom I detest. My suit is inordinately broad shouldered, very, very, long, low button stance, tiny collar, weirdly proportioned, etc. Dealing with this man is a nightmare. Kafka goes bespoke. Even though I was resigned to a useless suit, I tried in vain to put some points on the scoreboard. I meekly asked for the cuffs at least to be 1 3/4 inches, VN replied, no 1 1/2, I suggested that we split the difference and go 1 5/8, VN replied NO. At that point I cashed in my chips and moved to another casino.


So if the two of you are to be believed (I'm not suggesting otherwise), and given the posted pic of that suit with the off shoulders, then Mr. Nicolosi is to be avoided at all costs given that you run the risk of spending $3-5,000 on an unwearable garment. So when I read these "why the hell would anyone spend $5,000 on a Kiton suit" posts, it's interesting how you never hear about the bespoke malfunctions that I am sure happen to more than are willing to admit (I remember reading a RL interview when RLPL was coming out and one of his reasons for the line was his misadventures with Savile Row bespoke). Anyway, my whole long winded point here is that say what you will about Kiton/Borreli or whoever what is undisputable is that when you walk out of the store with one of their suits, you are getting exactly what you want. If you fit well in one of their jackets/pants, there is a lot to be said for walking in, seeing exactly what you are getting and having a high quality wearable item almost immediately. Are there tailors that can do better for less?, absolutely but maybe not everyone wants to go on a "bespoke adventure" where you try different tailors and drop $10-15,000 on a few suits before finding the right tailor.

I wouldn't say that Vincent is to be avoided at all costs. He does a great job for some of my friends. Personally, I would not go back. But that doesn't mean that he is incapable of making a great suit. I think Dr. T overstates the case a little. Anyway, every tailor has a disgruntled client here or there, and every tailor produces kills. Yes, there is a risk with bespoke: you can't try on the garment before you buy it. But when it works, there is nothing like it.

There is a great deal of truth in this Ed, for those of us who have, straight out of the gate, pretty straight forward bodies. I have never had a disaster with RTW.
I have with the little Bespoke I have tried, left a sour taste truth be told.
Have I obtained complete "fitting bliss"?
Remains to be seen this early in the experiment!


Mark S posted about a man he knows who gets three out of four bespoke perfect, the fourth being a dud, he accepts this ratio. It drives the cost WAY up and places it above the highest end RTW.

For those who have the knowledge and ability to communicate, and have found the ideal tailor, the workings of this may be grand, but it is a bumpy and expensive road of greater proportions than RTW for those with simple fitting issues.

Having met Despos only once, he is the only bespo tailor to date that I would put complete blind faith in.

Originally Posted by edmorel

Click to expand...

So if the two of you are to be believed (I'm not suggesting otherwise), and given the posted pic of that suit with the off shoulders, then Mr. Nicolosi is to be avoided at all costs given that you run the risk of spending $3-5,000 on an unwearable garment. So when I read these "why the hell would anyone spend $5,000 on a Kiton suit" posts, it's interesting how you never hear about the bespoke malfunctions that I am sure happen to more than are willing to admit (I remember reading a RL interview when RLPL was coming out and one of his reasons for the line was his misadventures with Savile Row bespoke). Anyway, my whole long winded point here is that say what you will about Kiton/Borreli or whoever what is undisputable is that when you walk out of the store with one of their suits, you are getting exactly what you want. If you fit well in one of their jackets/pants, there is a lot to be said for walking in, seeing exactly what you are getting and having a high quality wearable item almost immediately. Are there tailors that can do better for less?, absolutely but maybe not everyone wants to go on a "bespoke adventure" where you try different tailors and drop $10-15,000 on a few suits before finding the right tailor.

Originally Posted by Manton

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that Vincent is to be avoided at all costs. He does a great job for some of my friends. Personally, I would not go back. But that doesn't mean that he is incapable of making a great suit. I think Dr. T overstates the case a little. Anyway, every tailor has a disgruntled client here or there, and every tailor produces kills. Yes, there is a risk with bespoke: you can't try on the garment before you buy it. But when it works, there is nothing like it.


Well, a disgruntled client is one thing, an unwearable suit or two is a totally different thing. To me, this is a black or white issue. Either you would recommend him to your dad/son/friend or you wouldn't. I'm assuming that given your experience and the Dr.'s, neither one of you would recommend him. I don't understand this walking on eggshells because no one seems to have an issue with disparaging certain RTW brands and talking up the usual bespoke suspects (Raphael, Corvato, Nicolosi etc etc).

Bland styling, not getting the final product to look like what you like are obvious and understood risks of bespoke. Ill fitting bespoke is an oxymoron, though.

Originally Posted by edmorel

Click to expand...

Well, a disgruntled client is one thing, an unwearable suit or two is a totally different thing. To me, this is a black or white issue. Either you would recommend him to your dad/son/friend or you wouldn't.

Well, it's not that simple. If someone asked me, I would tell him what happened to me. But I would also feel obligated to tell him about some of the excellent suits I have seen Vincent make. If possible, I would arrange it so that the guy could see one of Vincent's successes on the client.

I think that there is no set answer. I'm not sure why this happens, but some tailors make great clothes for some people, and abysmal cloths for others, and middling clothes for still others. If someone asked me about Vincent, how would I know that he is not one of those people for whom Vincent would do a tremendous job? After all, I know that Vincent is capable of that.

Dear Vincent

Manton hates you.

Sorry.

Love

Matt

Originally Posted by m@T

Click to expand...

Dear Vincent

Manton hates you.

Sorry.

Love

Matt

I don't hate him. Jesus, what do I have to say to get this point across? I hate the suit that he made for me, but not him personally. Teplitz hates him.

Originally Posted by edmorel

Click to expand...

I don't understand this walking on eggshells because no one seems to have an issue with disparaging certain RTW brands and talking up the usual bespoke suspects (Raphael, Corvato, Nicolosi etc etc).

I actually disagree to a point. I think that people don't ever want to "take on" any of the bespoke guys. Part of that is likely because it is a process with the client and any criticisms may be taken too personally. I think that just as with RTW, it makes sense to know where people are disappointed, as much as where they are happy.

Bland styling, not getting the final product to look like what you like are obvious and understood risks of bespoke. Ill fitting bespoke is an oxymoron, though.

Click to expand...

I think that you would be shocked at how much ill fitting bespoke there really is out there. Also, to a point "ill fitting" is a personal issue. I have seen some jackets posted here whihc maybe are not perfect on an issue that I am a little crazy but perfect otherwise and I find them wrong. Conversely, some look good to me that drive their owner crazy.

Originally Posted by iammatt

Click to expand...

I think that you would be shocked at how much ill fitting bespoke there really is out there. Also, to a point "ill fitting" is a personal issue. I have seen some jackets posted here whihc maybe are not perfect on an issue that I am a little crazy but perfect otherwise and I find them wrong. Conversely, some look good to me that drive their owner crazy.


Matt, I didn't mean ill fitting as in a few things are off, I meant not wearable like Manton and Teplitz. I am not shocked at how much crap bespoke there is, I am the one trying to get that point across when I hear the "bespoke is awesome, RTW sucks" threads. You see very few cautionary tales about bespoke, unless it is coming from a RTW brand (MTM, not bespoke, I know), then people have no issues posting pics of the mistakes, disparaging the brand etc etc. Just trying to keep this like Fox News, "fair and balanced". Someone needs to protect the interests of those that make a living on RTW

Originally Posted by edmorel

Click to expand...

Matt, I didn't mean ill fitting as in a few things are off, I meant not wearable like Manton and Teplitz. I am not shocked at how much crap bespoke there is, I am the one trying to get that point across when I hear the "bespoke is awesome, RTW sucks" threads. You see very few cautionary tales about bespoke, unless it is coming from a RTW brand (MTM, not bespoke, I know), then people have no issues posting pics of the mistakes, disparaging the brand etc etc. Just trying to keep this like Fox News, "fair and balanced". Someone needs to protect the interests of those that make a living on RTW

I hear you. I still think that you would be surprised at how much crap bespoke there is, and not only from the low priced places, but from the high dollar guys as well. Getting somebody to post pics of crap and say that they are unsatisfied takes a bit more intestinal fortitude than just cutting up a Kiton jacket as you are sort of putting yourself up for judgment at the same time. A great tutorial is what Uppercase did on the LL. I think that some are good, a few great and a few I do not like, but it is as instructive as hell.