Kiton Lasa jacket fitting4

 
The Lasa service from Kiton is being offered as part of the Made-to-Measure service at Harrod’s (the last event was this past weekend), but may actually be closer to bespoke. Indeed, the question highlights the few points of ambiguity in that distinction.

Lasa includes a lot more handwork that Kiton’s ready-made and other made-to-measure options. The chest is hand-padded for one thing, which nothing else in the range is. It is also cut individually, to an individual pattern. But then, oddly all Kiton suits – even ready-to-wear – are cut individually. This makes special orders or MTM much easier, but it also means there is little difference when you step up to ‘bespoke’, which some would classify Lasa as.
 

Kiton Lasa jacket fitting2 Kiton Lasa jacket fitting5


The difference, perhaps, is in who is measuring and fitting you. On this score, Kiton quickly falls down. My measurements and order were taken by Gabriele Napoletano, the master cutter from Naples, back in April. But the fitting was conducted by Riccardo Renzi, the manager of the Mayfair store. A lovely man, and a friend, but not a cutter by any means. The second fitting – which admittedly required very few adjustments – was conducted by Harrod’s staff.

So I never met the cutter, but that isn’t necessarily a requirement of bespoke. Yes, you would want it 99% of the time, but several of the Savile Row houses have sales people conducting fittings. Simon Cundey at Henry Poole and Brian Lishak at Richard Anderson both do so for parts of their US trips. Both are hugely experienced; but they are not cutters.

Kiton Lasa jacket fitting7 Kiton Lasa jacket fitting

 
No, Kiton fell down because of the quality of the people conducting the fittings – although the effect on the fit itself wasn’t necessarily what you’d expect. The pictures here are from the first fitting, with Riccardo. Oddly, they got the hard things right but the easy things wrong.

The shape around the neck and balance on the shoulders, for example, was good. But it was three inches too big in the waist – as the pinning in the first image illustrates. The jacket was at least an inch too short in the body, and the sleeves around the same.

The second fitting was much better, but then these are all easy things to fix – in the sense of MTM vs bespoke, where length and width are straightforward, but curves and twists are not. It suggests miscommunication somewhere along the line.

I’ll post on the final jacket in a couple of weeks, though it’s hard to recommend on this basis. More interesting among the Harrod’s offerings may be the Boglioli MTM, which has just started there and at Trunk (unfortunately no washed cottons).

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Néstor

Hello Simon,

Very honest post, that’s the kind of post that puts this blog above all others.

How is it possible that the jacket was too short, giving your previous experience with bespoke? When I try a new tailor I always indicate the desired lenght (in cms) of the body, as I like it shorter than the standard.

btw, the fabric looks nice, which bunch is it from?

Kind regards,

J

Lovely fabric, what is it?

Anonymous

Have you dyed your beard Simon, looking good either way.

Gus

Have you been on an extreme diet recently?! 3 inches out on the waist…
Finding it very hard to justify the price here; the petrodollar clientele of little Qatar would probably think otherwise.

nick inkster

Blimey. What is the price for this range?

Jason Ball

In that final ‘seat’ image, were you happy with the waistband dipping down or was that on purpose? I always prefer to see a waistband parallel with the floor, but I understand this isn’t always comfortable for the customer…Looks like they got your coat top third figurations right, but misjudged your midsection and skirt.

Jason Ball

Yes agreed.
They do look comfortable on you, if not parallel.
If I had a sword at your throat :^) what would be your personal favourite fit of suit?

Jason Ball

Well, tailor and RTW perhaps?

Carmelo Pugliatti

I believe that a Kiton MTM suit is expensive as the finest Saville Row bespoke.
Why in London someone should buy a MTM Kiton suit when it can go to Huntsman,Poole,Davies & Son,Anderson & Sheppard,Steed or others?
(same rhetorical question for customers in Paris,Naples,Rome or Milan).

Andreas

Probably because the cut and style are completely different. If you prefer a typical Neapolitan silhouette I would not suggest any of the tailors of the Row about.

However I do agree that the finish, craftsmanship and personality is higher in a full bespoke suit but the esthetics is very important as well. I would recommend Solito for neapolitan tailoring.

Martin C

Hello Simon. I wonder if you coud reccomand any good cloth manufactor for heavyy wool cloth for a overcoat? Ive been in contact with Harrison, H&S and more factorys and they all just got wool cloths up to 700grams/meter. Kind regards.

Carmelo Pugliatti

Probably because the cut and style are completely different. If you prefer a typical Neapolitan silhouette I would not suggest any of the tailors of the Row about.

Well,Rubinacci is in London and several Neapolitan tailors make travel in London.
The price is less or more the same of Kiton (or in some cases less) and is full bespoke. About British tailors a know Neapolitan coinnosseur have said that Steed/DeBoise “is not far from the better Rubinacci” in his more structured clothes (and from the Neapolitan structurate school (the Angelo Blasi School).
See: http://www.noveporte.it/taccuino/tau/list_tmp2.php3?chiave=5547+&campo=id&idcategoria=1

Nick Inkster

Something else I have just spotted here which looks a bit odd. The loose ends on the side adjusters are facing towards the front. Is that an error, or was it something you asked for, as normally the ends would face backwards wouldn’t they?

Dear Simon,

In regards to your comment:

“I wouldn’t suggest going for an English/Neapolitan crossover such as Steed/DeBoise. As mentioned on previous posts, several English tailors have tried to replicate a Neapolitan cut and I haven’t seen any succeed yet.”

I’d rather you did not comment on such things that you clearly have little to no knowledge of. I have nothing against Neapolitan tailoring but on what planet do you think that I or any other Savile Row firm would replicate or mimic a Neapolitan tailor?

Regards,

Edwin & Matthew DeBoise
Steed Bespoke Tailors

Exactly, you have no knowledge of our work. Yet you are claiming in a public forum that we are trying to replicate a totally different style, that is our main grievance. The fact you’re trying to second guess what we do here at Steed and naming us specifically is my problem with your comments.

Regards,

Edwin & Matthew

S anonymous please

I also had a bad experience with that person at the Kiton Mayfair shop.

He eyeballed a very poor adjustment, without any sense of balance. When I returned and asked to meet with the tailor directly, I was told to wear the piece for some time and that it would “adjust.” That has not magically occurred. What an atrocious approach. The Kiton folks there seem to realize they can ride on the brand prestige, and when that mentality takes hold it’s unfortunate.

Alistair Heelas

I find that Isaia are excellent MTM and also Bespoke …. quality of fittings better than Kition