Searching For Quality Pants at Daffy’s, NYC

While in New York on a business trip, I decided to search for the much hyped Incotex and Mabitex pants to add to my business and casual wardrobe.  For those unfamiliar with these brands, there is plenty of discussion in these pages as well as the internet fora.  The mecca for the aforementioned trousers is Daffy’s, a discount retailer of merchandise, which offers both brands with tags cut out, however, at ridiculously low prices (I must add that there is nothing else of interest at Daffy’s for a discerning buyer, as its mostly fashion clothing).  With this information at hand and with plenty of time to spare, I decided to visit the three locations closest to my hotel.

The Madison location at 335 Madison Avenue had the largest selection of Incotex and Mabitex at cheap prices: $14.99-$24.99 for cotton and $24.99-$34.99 for flannel and wool.  The first complication, however, arose when trigger-happy small town me brought 14 pairs of pants to the men’s dressing room only to realize that there is only one changing room the size of porta-potty and only six items at a time were allowed.  Another quick realization while trying on the pants: I gained weight!  I could no longer fit into my regular size pants, especially since Incotex makes them a bit on a slim side.  Irritated by the weight gain, I still kept trying to squeeze into the nicest pairs I picked but to no success.  My irritability grew further due to the fact that there was no air-conditioning and that every few minutes I heard a knock by another customer inquiring as to when I was going to get out.  Finally fed up with the situation, I left all the pants hanging and walked out.  Not my finest moment to say the least.

Feeling bad about the experience and, more importantly, about all the pants I could have bought, but deciding against coming back to the same location, I moved my sights to one of the Broadway locations at 462 Broadway.  To my pleasant surprise, this location had plenty of pants and plenty of dressing rooms.  This time, I made sure to size up and ended up buying four pants: two pairs of cotton Incotex in chocolate brown and sky blue and two pairs of Mabitex, in light beige flannel and steel gray wool.  Total damage: $90 and change.

On to the final location at 1311 Broadway, I did not realize that this is all the way in TriBeCa district.  Hence, I had to take a cab.  This location just like the Madison location has only one changing room.  After about fifteen minutes searching, I was able to purchase one more pair of Mabitex, in heather gray wool for a staggering $19.99.

All in all, in three hours on a cold winter Friday afternoon, I was able to purchase five pairs of high end business and casual pants for just over $110.  And while Daffy’s is not the most accommodating store around, the bargains on pants that often retail for $225 a piece would make me do it all over again.

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My Foray Into Santoni

My lengthy search for a double monkstrap ended when I laid my eyes on the Castagna model by Santoni. I have been searching for a pair of shoes that I could wear to work as well as in more causal settings, and this particular model seemed perfect. A few months back, I tried on a “similar” looking shoe by Canali at Neiman Marcus in San Diego. The Canali leather felt rubbery and after five minutes of carpet wear, the shoes formed visible creases. This is not to say that I did not have my reservations about the particular Santoni because this was another internet purchase and Santoni is notorious for unorthodox sizing. What sold me, however, was that this particular model was from the fatte a mano (made-by-hand) line and cost less than the overpriced Canali. With that in mind, I made the purchase.

Santoni was founded by Andrea and Rosa Santoni in 1975, and gained its popularity by creating hand-made shoes that exhibited quality craftsmanship but also fashion forward styling the Italians are well known for. Just like Ferragamo (Tramezza, Lavarazione, Studio) and Testoni (Amedeo, Black Label, Studium), Santoni has multiple lines of quality. The highest of the Santoni lines is the “Signature” line which is entirely handmade. Next up is the “Fatte a Mano”-“tan sock” (i.e., the lining inside the shoe) which is entirely hand finished and antiqued. Then, there is “Fatte a Mano”-“orange sock” which is hand antiqued, followed by “Santoni Goodyear”, “Santoni” and “Nuvola” lines which are all decent but nothing to write home about. The top three lines are mostly Blake, Goodyear, Norvegese, or Bentivegna constructed (for more in depth information on Shoe Construction, check out J. Cusey’s webpage at askandyaboutclothes.com), and retail anywhere from $600 to $1200 plus.

My shoes are “Fatte a Mano”-“orange sock”, are Blake constructed and hand antiqued. They fit true to size, if not a bit roomy due to a somewhat pointy toe design. The double buckle closure, however, holds the foot in place for a comfortable fit. Compared to my Ferragamo Tramezzas, the Santoni is more substantial in size and weight. This is not to say that they are heavy or uncomfortable during wear. As seen from my amateurish pictures, the shoes have a purple hand painted sole, which is usually used on the more “fashion forward” Santoni models. The hand finish is evident in the different color of each shoe.

Santoni shoes are sold at Nordstom and Neiman Marcus. You won’t, however, find many attractive models or shoes from the fatte a mano lines there. Those who earn to see and try on fatte a mano Santoni shoes in person should visit the Santoni flagship store in New York, located at 864 Madison Avenue, but don’t be shocked by the exorbitant prices.

P.S.  Thanks to Style Forum and Ask Andy About Clothes for Santoni research.

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Stingy Always Pays Twice

Still gleaming over my recent Lardini find, I decided to order more clothes from Yoox’s Final Sale. I settled on three jackets and a pair of jeans, all by makers unknown to me. The prices were cheap, however, so I decided to proceed with the purchases, against my better judgment, and entered my credit card information.

When the items arrived, my excitement turned to sadness. First jacket by a company called Tonello, while in my size, was at least a size too small; no alterations would allow it to fit properly. The second jacket by a company called Deuxieme, suffered from the same problem. I am no body builder, but these Italian fashion designer labels are not meant to fit grown men. The third jacket by Messagerie was too roomy and will require at least $50 worth of alterations (sides taken in, extra fabric taken from the back, faux buttons opened), where the original price of $55 is no longer enticing. As a result, I decided to sell the jackets. I will keep the jeans by Patrizia Pepe, but this is the first and last time I will buy fashion jeans. It will take a while for me to be able to comfortably wear them in public without thinking of Bruno, but my fiancée likes them, so the worst I can do is to make her happy.

What made the matters worse is that the sale of my merchandise was final.  I am out $312, no big deal, but I could have spent the money in a wiser manner. The “likes” of Messagerie, Tonello, and Deuxieme are not exactly household names, and I should have been much more discerning as a buyer rather than rely on cheap prices, especially when there is a perfectly fitting mainline Zegna jacket available at my local Saks for $299.

Overall, this experience taught me a valuable lesson: don’t buy clothes because they are on sale but buy them because you like them and they will fit you well. Hence the saying my great grandmother always used to say resonated in my brain: the stingy always pays twice.

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There Is Nothing Fat About Lardini

A few months ago, I placed a suit order from a reputable online retailer. When the package arrived, imagine my dismay when instead of a suit I ordered, the package contained a midnight blue, solid, two-button suit by a company called Lardini. After a moment of confusion, I called my tailor: “Daryl, I am coming over.” Five minutes later, I was trying on this mystery label. To his and my surprise, the suit fit really well. While half canvassed and machine made, the suit was made from light Cerruti 1881 wool, had minimally padded shoulder and draped nicely. I needed to investigate further.

Lardini was established in 1978 and made its claim to fame by making suits for Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Ferragamo. In 1993, however, the company began to make suits under its own label. At present, Lardini is a growing Italian manufacturer that has over a thousand employees, produces 1,600 garments a day and has ten boutiques around the world. The bulk of company’s business is derived from its ready to wear line, but recently Lardini began to offer made to measure service to its customers.

Lardini keeps a nice looking website (www.lardini.it) that caters mostly to business professionals who prefer a sophisticated edge to their clothing. The Lardini label tends to stay away from the whimsical and trendy, but makes elegant and affordable garments. Suits retail in the average for $600 but can be found online, heavily discounted, for $200 or less. For that price to quality ratio, Lardini presents a viable option. I was so pleased with my new suit that I not only kept it but ordered another suit and a blazer. My Lardini purchases fit true to size, required minimal alterations and look as good as my higher end garments yet at a fraction of cost.

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Canali PR Effort: The Olympics in “Style”

In its August 11, 2008, press release, Canali announced that it has partnered with NBC Sports to outfit the on-camera personalities for coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  The Canali / NBC partnership was the initiative by the Olympic Primetime host Bob Costas.  As part of the sponsorship, NBC personalities each received several complete outfits including custom made suits, sportswear, and accessories, and will wear Canali for the entirety of the three weeks of Olympics coverage.  “We are proud and excited to have been selected by NBC Sports and the Olympic Games,” said Elisabetta Canali, Global Director of Communications. “We worked closely with NBC and each Olympic broadcast anchor to find the right fabrics and styles that would make them feel comfortable and pleasing to the eye.”

Watching the U.S. Olympic coverage, I cannot help but think how uninspiring the NBC sportscasters look.  Bob Costas’ outfits, in particular, are incredibly dull.  Black suit, blue shirt, red tie or black suit, white shirt, and black tie with white stripes.  How boring.  The jacket fit also leaves much to be desired as evidenced by a  piece of loose fabric on the back when Mr. Costas is sitting.  On the other end of the spectrum is the gymnastics commentator Bela Karolyi who, flamboyantly yet catastrophically, tries to match gingham shirts, odd colored blazers and solid ties.  This leads me to the following question: did Canali provide these men with any guidance on fit, color and pattern matching before allowing them to put the clothes on?  Arguably, even Cesare Attolini provided outfit would look like a mess without proper fit and guidance.

Another minor flaw, although this is more of my personal quirk and probably why I don’t own any Canali suits, is because I am a huge fan of a soft Neapolitan shoulder.  Canali jackets, on the other hand, are too structured for my liking, and the shoulders, in particular, look too boxy.  But I digress.

While I find Canali to be a good maker of mid-upper level Italian clothing, I think the label is trying to become another Armani by its latest attempts to gain popularity in the mainstream media (in 2007, the label provided George Clooney’s suits in Michael Clayton).  Could this trend potentially lose Canali some appeal with the more discerning buyer?  I am not sure.  Whatever Canali decides to do, however, I  hope it does not follow the Armani formula by charging ludicrous premiums on mediocre articles of clothing.  And if it does, so be it; there is always Corneliani, which is as good, if not better.

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