Fabric vs. designer

[DPDNYC]

I've seen a number of suits on ebay from a seller by the name of decalo_fashion that struck my fancy. The suits are made of Loro Piana and Zegna fabrics, but sold under the brandname Soprani Collection, with which I am not familiar. In terms of quality and value (and considering that I can't see the suits in person), is it better to go with good fabrics or a familiar designer?

 

[shoefan]

A familiar designer, though by that I mean a familiar manufacturer. The quality of the tailoring will have a greater long-term impact on the fit, appearance and durability of the garment. Also, the good quality producers use high quality fabrics.

Sellers such as this one trade on the Zegna/Loro Piana names, but the quality of the garment is likely to be mediocre at best.

Read this forums previous threads for ideas about various producers' quality.

 

[HRHAndrew]

Be very careful about suits being offered by their fabric name. I could buy some Zegna fabric and sew a suit together and arguably sell it as a Zegna. I would stay away from these as you do not know what quality you are getting, and they are most certainly fused. Also FYI tussuto simply means fabric. Many have tried to pass it off as the "top line." Sadly I learned this through some lost money. Hope to help you avoid the same.

 

[Classic]

With my appologies to DPDNYC, if I may added a twist to this and ask if all things are equal, that is to say the fabric and quality of the construction, how many us would choose a no name over a designer suit costing much more? How much is a "designer label" worth?

Classic

 

[NavyStyles]

DPDNYC,

   I think quality would be a combination of the fabric and the desgner.  The more important of the two is the designer, as indicated by the others.

Classic,

   Though I would be very tempted to own a designer suit, I feel certain I would go with the lower-costing garment.  After I found myself stopping outside of a doorway to pick up three pennies, I have no doubt I would seek to save money if I were guaranteed equal quality.

 

[fareau]

Considering that you are unable to handle the suit and appraise its construction, you have to err on the side of caution and stick with labels with which you are familiar and trust. It would be a crushing disappointment to spend any significant amount of money only to receive garbage.

On a slightly tangential note, I am constantly stunned at the number of sellers on ebay that try to pass off some suits as Zegnas simply because they use Zegna fabrics; it is so completely disingenuous. I suppose that the seller you mention should be credited for not trying to deceive buyers as to the origin of their suits, but they seem to be the exception. This unsavory practice is becoming all the more common on Ebay and is clearly designed to prey on less informed consumers. Thank God for forums such as this one.