Tom Ford-esque suit

[Texasmade]

I always thought the suits were made in the Zegna factory with one side of it being in Italy and the other side in Switzerland. Depending on which part of the factory your suit was made in would dictate the "Made in Italy" or "Made in Switzerland" label.

 

[othertravel]

I always thought the suits were made in the Zegna factory with one side of it being in Italy and the other side in Switzerland. Depending on which part of the factory your suit was made in would dictate the "Made in Italy" or "Made in Switzerland" label.

Well, supply chains are complicated. Note that Zegna has factories all over the world (China, Turkey, Spain etc...). My understanding is that a garment doesn't have to be completely made in Italy to have the "Made in Italy" designation. I'm not an expert on this, but here's an interesting article:

Revealed: the Romanian site where Louis Vuitton makes its Italian shoes

All but the soles of the luxury brand’s footwear are made in Transylvania before being ‘finished’ in Italy and France

www.theguardian.com

 

[djohns7275]

There's a very interesting story about this...but I'll leave to another member to chime in.

You've got me curious , what's the interesting story ?

 

[othertravel]

Would prefer not to say, and sorry being coy. I’m not in the industry, but there’s a member here who has vastly greater knowledge on supply chains.

Coming from me, it would just be hearsay.

But the article above should give you some insight on the issue of Made in Italy.

 

[djohns7275]

Would prefer not to say, and sorry being coy. I’m not in the industry, but there’s a member here who has vastly greater knowledge on supply chains.

Coming from me, it would just be hearsay.

But the article above should give you some insight on the issue of Made in Italy.

I know that not everything that states that it is made in Italy is actually made in Italy . A lot brands state that their made in Italy when in reality the majority of the production is done in China or India .

Some of the less expensive made in Northampton shoe brands are now only finished in Northampton with the majority of the manufacturing process taking place in India .

I read recently read that the large Swiss watch brands are lobbying the Swiss government to lower that amount of work that has to be done in Switzerland for the watch to qualify as being made in Switzerland .

I personally have given up caring where a product is made . I am only interested in the quality of an item and not where it's made .

 

[lupeX]

Anyone who tells you that you can get a Tom Ford suit for less by going bespoke is telling half the truth AKA Lies.

Tom Ford fabrics and their equivalent will already place you in the ball park of the price. Fabrics from Loro Piana and Zegna. Then there are subtle techniques that not every tailor can do. It takes time and practice to execute particular details. Like in any craft, you'd be asking someone whonis trained to do a particular trick to pull off another experts trick. A good tailor will refuse rather than try.

So you van get something similar with compromises for not much less ... if you're very lucky.

Best advice - get one on sale and have it altered. That's what I did.

 

[Professor Χάος]

I bought a Caruso suit, MTM, made to their highest sartorial standards, which looks like a TF O'Connor:

 

[othertravel]

I bought a Caruso suit, MTM, made to their highest sartorial standards, which looks like a TF O'Connor:

View attachment 2215021

It kind of looks like O'Connor, but does it have the same/similar shape? Genuinely curious.

The uniqueness of TF suits is in part the silhouette, and I haven't seen other OTR makers replicate it successfully.

Also was it an MTM for you, or somebody else's commission?

 

[Professor Χάος]

It kind of looks like O'Connor, but does it have the same/similar shape? Genuinely curious.

The uniqueness of TF suits is in part the silhouette, and I haven't seen other OTR makers replicate it successfully.

Also was it an MTM for you, or somebody else's commission?

Yes...

The silhouette is distinct from TF O'Connor, because the Caruso is soft-shouldered, super 150 thread.

I own 5 TF suits, 2 x Base A, Base B, Base D, and Base Y. Each is cut differently, but most have broad shoulders with significant shoulder padding. I already have well-defined shoulders, so I have my tailor remove most of the TF shoulder padding and narrow the shoulders somewhat. I personally do not like the big shouldered aspect of the TF silhouette. The Caruso is less structured overall, and thus has a more relaxed look and feel.

 

[clee1982]

I always thought O'Connor/Base Y is the most "main stream" of all TF cuts, personally stick to Base A or derivative of that

 

[Professor Χάος]

I always thought O'Connor/Base Y is the most "main stream" of all TF cuts, personally stick to Base A or derivative of that

I also prefer Base A. TF should be distinctive, and few suits have the wide lapels of the Base A. I would like to find an Atticus, which has even wider lapels. Base Y is wishy-washy, and as you noted, many other brands offer a similar cut. Peak lapels long predate TF, but the retro 1970s style wide lapels, huge shoulders and tapered body is TF's signature.

Most Shelton's have a single vent in the back, which is weird. Otherwise, it seems indistinguishable from Base A.

 

[Professor Χάος]

This is the Atticus. Huge lapels. Looks awesome.

 

[clee1982]

I have Atticus it runs a bit longer though, I have seen side vent Shelton here and there but yea other than what trouser they default don’t see a lot difference between that and Base A

 

[Professor Χάος]

I have Atticus it runs a bit longer though, I have seen side vent Shelton here and there but yea other than what trouser they default don’t see a lot difference between that and Base A

My Base D ran long, but I trimmed it by 1 cm (0.5 inches). Your Atticus must be killer. I look forward to acquiring one myself. The Base Y was surprisingly slim, to the point that I can barely wear it.

 

[othertravel]

As mentioned above, Windsor and Shelton are similar, but with a few key differences:

1. Shelton is by default single vented, but retailers can opt for double vented versions.

2. Windor's chest piece is constructed with three layers of canvass, whereas Shelton has two. If you try them on, you can notice the difference - Shelton has a slighter softer silhouette.

If I do another MTO/MTM with TF, I would like to try it with double-forward pleats. They are one of the only well-known brands that offer that as an option (RLPL is another one).

And going back to canvassing, RLPL's Gregory fit has four layers of canvass (canvassing arm's race!).