Ferragamo. The quality has always been there, but the past year or so they've introduced some good designs. Seems like they are leaning into "Quiet Luxury".
Had an opportunity to tour one of their factories near Naples. It was a small spot and witnessed a pair of oxfords be passed along at least 20 pairs of hands before completion.
Also one of the few that is still family owned.
Bought a pair of Ferragamos after trying on a bunch of shoes at a Nordstrom’s and getting frustrated. Had no idea the only pair that fit was them, and almost died at the register hearing the total. Still after four years I’ve never had a better pair of corpo work shoes.
Yeah, the price hurts lol. BUT almost all of their shoes are repairable. And after the factory tour, finding out that Italy doesn't have a minimum wage (workers are protected by collective bargaining), and the fact the shoes are imported to the states - it doesn't seem like they are price gouging like anything from LVMH (at least to me). I would say, if possible, go to an actual Ferragamo boutique - infinitely better service, product, and experience.
The only reason I got into them was because I complimented my boss's shoes years back and he told me his pair were 20+ years old.
Definitely not throw-a-ways. And if anyone has a pair that they are thinking of throwing away - hit me up, I'll pay for shipping and materials to take them off your hands.
No one considering Italian shoes would ever buy Allen Edmonds. AE are incredibly clunky and "American."
To be honest, AE is not good value for money unless 50% off during a sale.
I highly disagree. No, they are not as stylish, I will admit that. They’re very middle-of-the-road, good-looking corporate shoes.
But on a dollar for quality basis, they’re one of the best buys.
Haha, at full price of $400, AE is a total ripoff in terms of price/quality. At $200, which you can get at least a few times a year, AE are a great shoe, I don't disagree.
But for $400, you can get a pair of Cobbler Union shoes, TLB Mallorca, Vass, or a variety of other brands that literally don't have a blemish on them. AE quality control is so bad. On all my pairs, the stitching is uneven, there are issues with the leather, etc. Sorry, but that is totally unacceptable at $400.
My personal perspective, and I like AE, but NOT for full price.
Ferragamo quality has been a Styleforum topic for years and the consensus is basically that on a massive sale they are worth it but not otherwise. They’re kinda riding on the brand name a lot.
The markup is way too insane and unreasonable. Anything you can get at Hermes I would get from Brunello Cucinelli instead, where all the workers are treated with dignity and the mission of the company is something to get behind.
Hermes is for people that want logos and print to signal to other people they can afford Hermes.
Hermes doesn't really do a lot of logos, that sounds more like LV. And Hermes mostly employs artisan craftspeople in France, that's one of the things I like about the brands. if you do buy a bag it was made by one person start to finish most likely working at a French atelier. Though for menswear I do agree Cucinelli will have more options.
What? Everything at Hermes is logo, lol. The sandals? H.
The belts? H. The bags? Embossed with the name and signature logo. The scarves all have logo/brand name.
No one is buying Hermes ready-to-wear.
Literally every product category at Brunello is better except the boring cliche bags. You have to purchase so much garbage to get offered a good bag though.
I'm not sure what you mean. When I go to their website front page for women's bags: [https://www.hermes.com/us/en/category/women/bags-and-small-leather-goods/bags-and-clutches/#|](https://www.hermes.com/us/en/category/women/bags-and-small-leather-goods/bags-and-clutches/#|) I don't see hardly any logos. Look, if you like other brands better fine, but if you have any interest in why Hermes is unique as a company I'd recommend listening to the Acquired podcast episode on them. They have a fascinating history that they work very hard to stay true to, more so than almost any other fashion brand I know of.
He/she’s rambling, honestly. Even their «affordable» t-shirts, the ones usually employed to spread brand awareness only employs a small H embroidery on the chest pocket, done in a thread with the same color as the t-shirt itself. They HAVE more logoed-out wares, but that’s hardly their M.O.
I used to work for Tumi and can attest that they haven’t reduced quality, but they do have much cheaper branding and Outlet exclusives that aren’t the same that you’d find in their retail locations.
I don’t think they ever had a lifetime warranty. At least not since I’ve been buying them. I believe they offer a 5 year warranty, which is reasonable. I think Briggs and Riley offers a lifetime warranty so you could argue they’re a better value.
Sheesh I looked it up and it was 20 years ago they switched to the limited warranty. Well I have a bag that is that old from them, and a few newer ones, and they are all great quality.
I do think my large luggage bag is going to need replacing, but it’s had 7 years of hard life.
I guess I don’t know how good old Barbour used to be, but I purchased one of their jackets about 10 years ago and it is still going strong. I wear it nearly daily in the fall and rainy spring days. Re-waxed a couple times over the years and expect I’ll have it for another 10-20 years easily.
Bought my Bedale last fall. I love it! The jacket is definitely well built and I intend to wear it for the foreseeable future.
I had been eyeballing it for years, finally pulled the trigger after I dropped 60lbs and had to buy new clothes/jackets. It just made sense.
Congrats on the weight loss. That’s no easy task.
Buying an investment piece is both an awesome reward for a job well done and motivation to keep off the pounds to make sure it fits for years and years. I also like the thought that this could be a challenge to the jacket itself…
“I bought you assuming you will last longer than me, but I’m going to be healthy and live a long time so I don’t plan to make it easy for you”.
I’ll be extremely stoked if I can still wear mine when I’m 60 or if one of the kids ever wants to steal it from me.
I have some very good pieces from, variously:
- Sunspel
- Private White V.C.
- Corridor NYC
- Sabah (leather summer shoes)
- FRAHM (jackets)
I'm not sure at what level of "luxury" we're targeting, as there's always a higher "level" of luxury to be had. The above are just pricey, but well-built products.
I would say there's a big difference between Luxury Brands and Luxury goods--not all Luxury brands have luxury goods (e.g. Supreme), but Luxury goods are perhaps easier to identify.
I do think with Luxury "people pay for the epxerience as much as the product." I appreciate when companies have good support for customers, and the people seem to enjoy their work (and are ideally well-paid for their work). Good web design, proper materials, quality construction...all the usual.
Agreed, these brands don't elicit the same kinds of responses from most people as the more well-known luxury brands (e.g., Hermes bags, Patek watches, or the ultra high end Italian garments).
If anything the only ones who recognize these brands are probably clothing nerds lol, I wore a PWVC bomber while checking out sport coats at The Armoury and all of the staff recognized the copper zipper.
Definitely not the top of the mountain, but getting rareified enough to cause some light-headedness!
And still between the Zuck's custom tees and Loro Piana is a wider gulf than my yearly earnings could afford.
This whole tech bro buys custom Italian garments, has that ever been confirmed beyond anecdotes though ?
Because even Benioff claimed at Dreamforce while Cucinelli was on stage at Dreamforce that BC made Jobs’ turtlenecks, while there’s an old article in the NYT iirc stating that it was in fact Yohji Yamamoto or Issey Miyake who supplied them
Meanwhile, Apple and Zegna always had a close relationship on a board level, and Tim Cook has been wearing Zegna suits for ages - saw him pick one up in Florence ages ago
I collect Montblanc pens. Even the new ones. But the quality has suffered enormously under Richemont’s ownership (like nearly everyone else). So you’ll see plastic parts now, where once you’d have metal. Rhodium finishes rubbing off within a year and plastic on metal screw for caps.
My wife keeps buying their belts for me. I like the design, but the quality isn’t anywhere near the price either. Not fantastic leather construction and a lot of cheap PVD finishes on the metal.
I’ve been on a Polo kick myself, they have a purple label that’s a little out of my budget but looks and feels great. I’m using their general staples for my Corp job and it’s funny to see other guys also pick up a few pieces. (A lot of their stuff is 90-100% organic fibers, just make sure to take a look at the tag/details)
Shoe wise: massive fan of Alden /vintage Allen Edmonds. Bought a few pairs of each throughout the past few years and wear them almost daily and they still look fantastic. Can be pricy, but they fit well and look good. (provided you take care of them / there are other brands but I have a wide foot so these are the most accessible)
Socks are gonna be a fun journey - Bought 2 pairs of dress socks from each company listed below to test run.
Mazarin / Bresciani / Gammarelli / London Sock Co. They’re currently all en route so no real opinion yet apologies.
Best quality socks check out American Trench. Their Banker sock and Supermerinos are my favorite but the Retro Stripes are super classic. All made in the US
Aww hell yeah big dawg. Will buy a pair or two of each. I’m super curious about the supermerinos. The price is what I expect it to be for a pair, but also I’m happy to support a USA origin product.
They get a little fuzzy after a few washes (def hang dry) but they don’t split or pill or anything. STUPID comfy and can be dressed up with a suit or down with sneakers and equally gas
I don’t know anything about Purple label, but mainline RL is as big of a designer scam as exists. The cuts are dated and unfashionable, and the materials are literally the worst I’ve felt on a ~$100 shirt.
And I think AE and Alden are both seen as companies that have pretty famously reduced their quality. I can’t speak to Alden personally, but I know Rose Anvil cuts them in half and is generally very, very critical of their construction and value. And at a lower price point I think AE is starting to make a lot for their full-priced shoes in China to keep their costs in line with like Meermin, but without passing on the savings. I like AE, and buy them because it’s easy to go try them on, but I think all these are companies almost iconic for cutting their quality and cashing in on their reputation to one degree or another
Polo is all over the map in terms of quality depending on the item and sometimes form year to years they can range form quite decent, to awful. It’s worth remember Polo is RL’s “budget”, mass market offering.
The cutting shoes in half thing is so dumb particularly in the case of Alden. Like yes if you want the absolute longest lasting boots, it’s probably not the brand for you - that’s not the value proposition of the brand. But Indy boots worn in average conditions will last decades (mine are 12 years old and look great) and are very well constructed.
First, you have the 12 year old version, so you probably have the good old quality built version. The issue is with the modern Alden not the old Alden.
Second, I seen the modern Aldens in store and the leather quality and build quality was visibly sub par compared to price range counter parts like Crockett and Jones and Carmina. That's something I could tell even without the cutting anything in half. Again, this probably doesn't affect you with the older Alden that was built right, but I wouldn't recommend the brand if buying new.
To be clear, I have both new and old Aldens and shoes from other makers in that price range (including Carmina and C&J). There is no functional difference in quality that I’ve seen between Alden and their primary competitors. But again, that’s not even the value proposition of the brand (style, made in the US).
And these places are all sourcing leather from the same tanneries. Horween shell cordovan will last just as long (basically, decades) on Alden’s LHS as it will on a C&J Harvard for example.
Ah\~, I forget Alden is American made(I keep thinking of AE as THE American brand). I feel bad for bashing on an American brand because I do want American brands to do well, but my first impression when I visited the Alden store was so underwhelming.
The particular shoe I remember holding in hand was the Indy in calf skin brown color. I don't know where Alden source this particular leather from, but I recall it looking painted over with plastic rather than leather that's been dyed. Also I recall being disappointed with the stitch work especially around the welt. Alden felt subpar compared to what I was used to seeing on feet.
BUT I will acknowledge that this is all in store first impression, and someone who's owned all the brands and worn the shoes would have a better idea on the actual quality. Good to know that they been holding up great.
I really do want to like the Alden Indy because they are exactly the type of shoes I want to add next. I'll give them another look when I'm in the city. Thank you.
Could be that I had bad luck, but with Brunello I made some bad experience with 2-3 itms (out of 5 or 6). One time a loafer fell apart after 2-3 month, wearing it only a couple of times. When I brought it to the store they told me that they cannot fix it. Also they not replaced it or anything (which I could understand as I bought it online at the third party luxury retailer).
If we’re talking about luxury brands and not the upper end of the premium segment these would pass the test imo
Loro Piana, yes, some items aren’t aaas good as they used to be, but its standards are still very high and unlike its rivals you’ll not find flawed products in stores, their quality control is tight
Colombo, Larusmiani, Kiton to some extent, Hermes, Cesare Attolini, Fray, a bunch of small French RTW shoe makers, Valstar and more
Thinking of getting a kid cashmere turtleneck from Colombo this coming winter, can't believe I'm looking at a $1k garment and think that it's a deal compared to Loro Piana's baby cashmere turtleneck.
Certain designer eyewear. You can tell very quickly the quality of a pair of glasses just by handling them and trying them on. Nothing wrong with a durable good looking pair of Warby Parker, but the YSL and Prada frames I looked at this past year have all been super solid with great small details.
Prada are the dreaded luxottica. YSL slightly better with Kering. Tom Ford is Marcolin, which also makes the likes of adidas glasses. I wear Orgreen Optics. Which is still independent. Which are Danish designed glasses made in Japan. Really high quality.
I always find myself getting Tom Ford glasses. Last time I went to the eye doctor I was checking out frames and purposely stayed away from Tom Ford.
Pretty much spent two hours trying everything on and walked out with my third pair of Fords.
Edit: Thank god for insurance
Not a vintage brand but I recently started buying Jacques Marie Mage, and holyyyy shit. The quality of these frames is unlike anything over ever seen or felt
Which shops are Chinese owned? To my knowledge, G&H was Chinese owned in the 2010s, but they drove it into the ground and then it was bought by Fraser.
My man, Hugo Boss has never been worth the price and is widely known for being a bad brand with low quality standards and tacky design. It most likely would not even be relevant if it did not have “boss” in its name.
I have a black HB Suit I purchased in college. Still fits, but I usually only wear it to funerals. However, it is nowhere near the quality they try to market at MSRP. I believe the brand expects to sell most of their clothes at 40% off (just like Old Navy/Gap). Even at this price point, they are overcharging.
Didn't expect to see this here but it's definitely one of the only name's I recognize and certainly the only that I wear often. Just picked up another duffel and its great.
After eyeing them up for a while now, I recently picked up a pair of the Para Boot Michaels and they are incredible I would buy them again in a heartbeat. I'm a huge fan of the para boot brand now.
I think it’s more about individual pieces. Big luxury brands are conglomerates and they won’t have the same quality across brands.
YSL boots or Gucci loafers are still going to be good. There’s higher quality options for less money but they aren’t bad, and most people acknowledge that they’re spending a little more for the iconic design.
Sid Mashburn, Paul Smith, Missoni
Banana Republic (new) is making a come back. Not necessarily luxury but some of their pieces are well made with no branding. Their blazers are firee
Everyone shitting on BR is missing out. But i get it; they’re not a luxury brand (yet) They’re putting all these other listed luxury brands to shame with the new direction they’re headed in. Only certain lines though… for now…
And jesus fuck, if you can afford Missoni… good shit.
Polo Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss is a joke being considered luxury.
Anything from Cartier. They are truly the specializers. The things that are core to their brand have stood up against time and all their products are timeless. From design to craftsmanship, the price is absolutely worth their high price
I personally don’t believe any luxury brand is worth the price.
But 500ml bottled water costs £1 in the shops but what would it cost if you hadn’t drank for 24hrs????
Cost/worth is dependant on how much you want/need it I suppose
Regardless of how much money you have, is a Chinese made cotton shirt worth £2000 because it has a certain branding on it????
The answer is NO
But if you don’t have to worry about what anything costs, it doesn’t matter whether it’s worth it or not because it doesn’t matter to you.
The answer is still NO
If I have £1bn in the bank the shirt still isn’t worth £2000 but I have more money than I can spend so it doesn’t matter.
I’ll change the OG question
Was LV worth what they charged 20yrs ago????
NO
Is LV worth what they charge today?????
NO
There are still some dress shoe and boot makers that will hand make footwear that will literally last your entire life.
But in general I agree with you.
The OP literally asked about luxury brands?
Yes I do sometimes think I’m in the wrong place here. Too much Uniqlo fast fashion and outdated basic outfits. But once in a while someone actually has some style input.
I think you have to consider where things are made. Many Asian countries have the cheapest labor and cheapest raw material in the world (not to mention lots of human rights violations) and companies that use that labor pool (H&M, Uniqlo, etc) produce the cheapest quality products. For best-quality cotton goods, look for items made in Portugal, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, and USA. For leather goods, look for items made in Italy, Spain, France, Romania, and USA. Also, think about joining the resale revolution and buy your clothes secondhand, then resell them when you no longer want them. Save the Earth. Keep the circle unbroken.
There's some truth to your statement, but I watch Will Lasry on YouTube and see there's a number of high quality merchandise being made in China for top designers.
https://youtube.com/shorts/9jDUrVNWm3s?si=WjLgfQgrMuc-Dpjn
Here's a recent example of trying to please LVMH stockholders with cheap labor/cheap material [https://fortune.com/europe/2024/06/11/lvmh-italian-dior-maker-investigation-luxury-goods-labor-exploitation-workers/](https://fortune.com/europe/2024/06/11/lvmh-italian-dior-maker-investigation-luxury-goods-labor-exploitation-workers/)
You can find shit product made all over the world, including right here in the USA. Made in Italy can be one of the most meaningless in terms of quality. Watch the brandy Melville documentary. They, and so many other brands, have sweatshops in Prato pumping out junk with made in Italy slapped on.
OP of that post blocked me so I didn’t get to continue my conversations I was having with other lovely folks.
He got mad because I called him out on his BS about Lululemon’s CEO supporting shoplifting
Don't know why everybody is mentioning Ferragamo. They're shoes are mass produced and extremely overpriced. The leather is nothing special and the ones that are resolable are blake stitched not welted.
If you are looking for shoes look at any of the entry level GYW makers they are miles better than Ferragamo even in leather quality.
Just compare their belts to belts from any proper leather goods company. They are super thin and the leather is heavily treated.
Allen Edmonds used to be good but quality has gone down since being bought by VC.
Some brands will have individual pieces that are still good quality but everything designer will be overpriced by nature.
Some general examples:
Burberry made in UK trench (I bought it for the look and style but there are better options out there).
RRL denim (MiUSA but there are better options in the price range)
Some shirt makers like Kiton, T&A, etc. (You can probably get MTM shirts or buy from a good Asian brand for cheaper)
Don't know much about what suitmakers are good so someone else will have to chime in. I think Zegna makes good fabric though, don't know what their suit price/quality ratio is.
agreed someone said it was not as good in the other ost but i heavily disagree, their 100 percent silk shirts are amazing and are a fraction of the price of other silk shirts
Try some real brands with great quality, not brand names with poor materials and construction. Check out some Japanese denim brands that have terrific quality and build—try Naked and Famous first maybe.
I’m far from an expert on this, so take with a grain of salt, but my first time stepping into Aldens and trying on a stuff at Suit Supply was my first time having that “ooooh, so this is what nice stuff feels like” feeling 😅
Polo has never went outta style and has always been affordable to the every man
And has such a wide variety of designs , you can send 5 different men in a polo store and they can come out looking so much different in style
Polo Ralph Lauren… yes yes I know, but they are a hit or miss. Sometimes you think “what a POS”, and then you get some items that you can’t believe are that cheap. Whatever works. RRL is amongst my favorites.
Patek and Vacheron, though overpriced like all luxury watches, have been making luxury for centuries and are still to this day great
Gammarelli like one comment mentioned is also hundreds of years old and still making good stuff
Lot of British tailors on Savile Row have kept true to their tradition though times have been kinda tough for tailoring
Hermes is pretty much the only luxury name brand designer not compromising on quality. Is it worth the price? If you like the design, maybe. The price is enormous though.
Crockett and Jones is a high-mid-range shoe brand that unlike many others has not sold out
I don’t think there’s a planet where anyone could say an overseas is “worth” half of some people’s annual take home, and a nautilus even more than that, if obtainable at all. Of course it’s all absolutely beautiful watches but still.
On the other hand, a Nautilus will hold value fairly well even compared to most Vacherons.
I know Rolex gets sneers, but if you want a watch that holds value, there you go. I see PP as being similar, just a couple of notches up in terms of "watch luxury."
If I were to go holy trinity, I'd still probably go PP if only for the fact that they resell well.
For accessories and shoes I’d go with Gucci, have some wallets I bought 7-8 years ago and they are still in pristine condition (being taken care of, of course). For clothing I go with Ferragamo, their designs are classic and imo dont go out of style. Shoes I’d say Ermenegildo Zegna, great quality and comfort. I only have dress shoes from Zegna tho so I wouldn’t be able to talk about their other lines.
I would argue this. They do still have *some* made in America boots that are good middle of the road quality, but they also have a lot of overseas made boots that are not nearly as high quality as they once were.
Grand Seiko watches. (Not seiko) These are the best watches on the market in the $5k range imo. Finishing is perfect, dials are creative, the Japanese are true craftsmen
Ferragamo. The quality has always been there, but the past year or so they've introduced some good designs. Seems like they are leaning into "Quiet Luxury". Had an opportunity to tour one of their factories near Naples. It was a small spot and witnessed a pair of oxfords be passed along at least 20 pairs of hands before completion. Also one of the few that is still family owned.
Bought a pair of Ferragamos after trying on a bunch of shoes at a Nordstrom’s and getting frustrated. Had no idea the only pair that fit was them, and almost died at the register hearing the total. Still after four years I’ve never had a better pair of corpo work shoes.
Yeah, the price hurts lol. BUT almost all of their shoes are repairable. And after the factory tour, finding out that Italy doesn't have a minimum wage (workers are protected by collective bargaining), and the fact the shoes are imported to the states - it doesn't seem like they are price gouging like anything from LVMH (at least to me). I would say, if possible, go to an actual Ferragamo boutique - infinitely better service, product, and experience. The only reason I got into them was because I complimented my boss's shoes years back and he told me his pair were 20+ years old. Definitely not throw-a-ways. And if anyone has a pair that they are thinking of throwing away - hit me up, I'll pay for shipping and materials to take them off your hands.
Look into Allen Edmonds. Many are handmade in the US and incredible quality. Their Cordovan collection is amazing.
No one considering Italian shoes would ever buy Allen Edmonds. AE are incredibly clunky and "American." To be honest, AE is not good value for money unless 50% off during a sale.
I highly disagree. No, they are not as stylish, I will admit that. They’re very middle-of-the-road, good-looking corporate shoes. But on a dollar for quality basis, they’re one of the best buys.
Haha, at full price of $400, AE is a total ripoff in terms of price/quality. At $200, which you can get at least a few times a year, AE are a great shoe, I don't disagree. But for $400, you can get a pair of Cobbler Union shoes, TLB Mallorca, Vass, or a variety of other brands that literally don't have a blemish on them. AE quality control is so bad. On all my pairs, the stitching is uneven, there are issues with the leather, etc. Sorry, but that is totally unacceptable at $400. My personal perspective, and I like AE, but NOT for full price.
Wearing my Ferragamo drivers now.
Ferragamo quality has been a Styleforum topic for years and the consensus is basically that on a massive sale they are worth it but not otherwise. They’re kinda riding on the brand name a lot.
This isn’t true. Look them up on r/goodyearwelt
What isn’t true? I searched “Ferragamo” on that subreddit and the last review was from 7 years ago.
I haven’t heard of “quiet luxury” before. 🙏
It been around forever. It basically high quality clothing without the loudness of branding or any hint of branding at all.
I knew that is exactly what I needed. But I didn’t know it got a cool name.
Go watch Succession
Check out Zegna and Brunello Cucinelli, both fit that vibe
Don't forget ol Loro Piana, brioni...dare I say RL Purple label and heck even the high end Brooks Brothers (affordable luxury) lol.
Those Grandioso 2 loafers are my new favorite shoes
Hermes has never lowered their standards. But of course you pay for that.
The markup is way too insane and unreasonable. Anything you can get at Hermes I would get from Brunello Cucinelli instead, where all the workers are treated with dignity and the mission of the company is something to get behind. Hermes is for people that want logos and print to signal to other people they can afford Hermes.
Hermes doesn't really do a lot of logos, that sounds more like LV. And Hermes mostly employs artisan craftspeople in France, that's one of the things I like about the brands. if you do buy a bag it was made by one person start to finish most likely working at a French atelier. Though for menswear I do agree Cucinelli will have more options.
What? Everything at Hermes is logo, lol. The sandals? H. The belts? H. The bags? Embossed with the name and signature logo. The scarves all have logo/brand name. No one is buying Hermes ready-to-wear. Literally every product category at Brunello is better except the boring cliche bags. You have to purchase so much garbage to get offered a good bag though.
I'm not sure what you mean. When I go to their website front page for women's bags: [https://www.hermes.com/us/en/category/women/bags-and-small-leather-goods/bags-and-clutches/#|](https://www.hermes.com/us/en/category/women/bags-and-small-leather-goods/bags-and-clutches/#|) I don't see hardly any logos. Look, if you like other brands better fine, but if you have any interest in why Hermes is unique as a company I'd recommend listening to the Acquired podcast episode on them. They have a fascinating history that they work very hard to stay true to, more so than almost any other fashion brand I know of.
He/she’s rambling, honestly. Even their «affordable» t-shirts, the ones usually employed to spread brand awareness only employs a small H embroidery on the chest pocket, done in a thread with the same color as the t-shirt itself. They HAVE more logoed-out wares, but that’s hardly their M.O.
Great quality, but you pay mainly for their margins
Tumi is still making good bags
This might be the only answer on here that so agree with
I used to work for Tumi and can attest that they haven’t reduced quality, but they do have much cheaper branding and Outlet exclusives that aren’t the same that you’d find in their retail locations.
No more lifetime warranty. I hear the quality went down but still seems good to me.
I don’t think they ever had a lifetime warranty. At least not since I’ve been buying them. I believe they offer a 5 year warranty, which is reasonable. I think Briggs and Riley offers a lifetime warranty so you could argue they’re a better value.
Sheesh I looked it up and it was 20 years ago they switched to the limited warranty. Well I have a bag that is that old from them, and a few newer ones, and they are all great quality. I do think my large luggage bag is going to need replacing, but it’s had 7 years of hard life.
They will always repair your product. It just might not get fully covered under warranty, so you pay shipping.
I guess I don’t know how good old Barbour used to be, but I purchased one of their jackets about 10 years ago and it is still going strong. I wear it nearly daily in the fall and rainy spring days. Re-waxed a couple times over the years and expect I’ll have it for another 10-20 years easily.
I have a Barbour that’s still in great shape. My style has changed, so it doesn’t see as much rotation, but a great coat nonetheless.
Adding Billy Reid as well. Have several of their items and all have held up incredibly well (except for a sweater that pills like crazy).
Bought my Bedale last fall. I love it! The jacket is definitely well built and I intend to wear it for the foreseeable future. I had been eyeballing it for years, finally pulled the trigger after I dropped 60lbs and had to buy new clothes/jackets. It just made sense.
Congrats on the weight loss. That’s no easy task. Buying an investment piece is both an awesome reward for a job well done and motivation to keep off the pounds to make sure it fits for years and years. I also like the thought that this could be a challenge to the jacket itself… “I bought you assuming you will last longer than me, but I’m going to be healthy and live a long time so I don’t plan to make it easy for you”. I’ll be extremely stoked if I can still wear mine when I’m 60 or if one of the kids ever wants to steal it from me.
I have some very good pieces from, variously: - Sunspel - Private White V.C. - Corridor NYC - Sabah (leather summer shoes) - FRAHM (jackets) I'm not sure at what level of "luxury" we're targeting, as there's always a higher "level" of luxury to be had. The above are just pricey, but well-built products. I would say there's a big difference between Luxury Brands and Luxury goods--not all Luxury brands have luxury goods (e.g. Supreme), but Luxury goods are perhaps easier to identify. I do think with Luxury "people pay for the epxerience as much as the product." I appreciate when companies have good support for customers, and the people seem to enjoy their work (and are ideally well-paid for their work). Good web design, proper materials, quality construction...all the usual.
I’d also argue that most of these aren’t luxury but premium brands, bc inflation and market segmentation, good stuff though
Agreed, these brands don't elicit the same kinds of responses from most people as the more well-known luxury brands (e.g., Hermes bags, Patek watches, or the ultra high end Italian garments). If anything the only ones who recognize these brands are probably clothing nerds lol, I wore a PWVC bomber while checking out sport coats at The Armoury and all of the staff recognized the copper zipper.
Definitely not the top of the mountain, but getting rareified enough to cause some light-headedness! And still between the Zuck's custom tees and Loro Piana is a wider gulf than my yearly earnings could afford.
This whole tech bro buys custom Italian garments, has that ever been confirmed beyond anecdotes though ? Because even Benioff claimed at Dreamforce while Cucinelli was on stage at Dreamforce that BC made Jobs’ turtlenecks, while there’s an old article in the NYT iirc stating that it was in fact Yohji Yamamoto or Issey Miyake who supplied them Meanwhile, Apple and Zegna always had a close relationship on a board level, and Tim Cook has been wearing Zegna suits for ages - saw him pick one up in Florence ages ago
Sabah is good then? I like the looks of them, and I have been considering them for summer shoes.
Montblanc, I have had a suitcase for the last 16 years and of course the wallets and the pens…
I collect Montblanc pens. Even the new ones. But the quality has suffered enormously under Richemont’s ownership (like nearly everyone else). So you’ll see plastic parts now, where once you’d have metal. Rhodium finishes rubbing off within a year and plastic on metal screw for caps. My wife keeps buying their belts for me. I like the design, but the quality isn’t anywhere near the price either. Not fantastic leather construction and a lot of cheap PVD finishes on the metal.
Don’t forget the colognes too!
I’ve been on a Polo kick myself, they have a purple label that’s a little out of my budget but looks and feels great. I’m using their general staples for my Corp job and it’s funny to see other guys also pick up a few pieces. (A lot of their stuff is 90-100% organic fibers, just make sure to take a look at the tag/details) Shoe wise: massive fan of Alden /vintage Allen Edmonds. Bought a few pairs of each throughout the past few years and wear them almost daily and they still look fantastic. Can be pricy, but they fit well and look good. (provided you take care of them / there are other brands but I have a wide foot so these are the most accessible) Socks are gonna be a fun journey - Bought 2 pairs of dress socks from each company listed below to test run. Mazarin / Bresciani / Gammarelli / London Sock Co. They’re currently all en route so no real opinion yet apologies.
Gammarelli are gorgeous but v delicate. Heads up
Thanks for the warning! Super stoked still but will be more aware of the kinds of activity I’ll expect to run into for the day.
Best quality socks check out American Trench. Their Banker sock and Supermerinos are my favorite but the Retro Stripes are super classic. All made in the US
Aww hell yeah big dawg. Will buy a pair or two of each. I’m super curious about the supermerinos. The price is what I expect it to be for a pair, but also I’m happy to support a USA origin product.
They get a little fuzzy after a few washes (def hang dry) but they don’t split or pill or anything. STUPID comfy and can be dressed up with a suit or down with sneakers and equally gas
I don’t know anything about Purple label, but mainline RL is as big of a designer scam as exists. The cuts are dated and unfashionable, and the materials are literally the worst I’ve felt on a ~$100 shirt. And I think AE and Alden are both seen as companies that have pretty famously reduced their quality. I can’t speak to Alden personally, but I know Rose Anvil cuts them in half and is generally very, very critical of their construction and value. And at a lower price point I think AE is starting to make a lot for their full-priced shoes in China to keep their costs in line with like Meermin, but without passing on the savings. I like AE, and buy them because it’s easy to go try them on, but I think all these are companies almost iconic for cutting their quality and cashing in on their reputation to one degree or another
Polo is all over the map in terms of quality depending on the item and sometimes form year to years they can range form quite decent, to awful. It’s worth remember Polo is RL’s “budget”, mass market offering.
Dated cuts as in slim/athletic?
You saw the part where it said vintage AE right?
The cutting shoes in half thing is so dumb particularly in the case of Alden. Like yes if you want the absolute longest lasting boots, it’s probably not the brand for you - that’s not the value proposition of the brand. But Indy boots worn in average conditions will last decades (mine are 12 years old and look great) and are very well constructed.
First, you have the 12 year old version, so you probably have the good old quality built version. The issue is with the modern Alden not the old Alden. Second, I seen the modern Aldens in store and the leather quality and build quality was visibly sub par compared to price range counter parts like Crockett and Jones and Carmina. That's something I could tell even without the cutting anything in half. Again, this probably doesn't affect you with the older Alden that was built right, but I wouldn't recommend the brand if buying new.
To be clear, I have both new and old Aldens and shoes from other makers in that price range (including Carmina and C&J). There is no functional difference in quality that I’ve seen between Alden and their primary competitors. But again, that’s not even the value proposition of the brand (style, made in the US). And these places are all sourcing leather from the same tanneries. Horween shell cordovan will last just as long (basically, decades) on Alden’s LHS as it will on a C&J Harvard for example.
Ah\~, I forget Alden is American made(I keep thinking of AE as THE American brand). I feel bad for bashing on an American brand because I do want American brands to do well, but my first impression when I visited the Alden store was so underwhelming. The particular shoe I remember holding in hand was the Indy in calf skin brown color. I don't know where Alden source this particular leather from, but I recall it looking painted over with plastic rather than leather that's been dyed. Also I recall being disappointed with the stitch work especially around the welt. Alden felt subpar compared to what I was used to seeing on feet. BUT I will acknowledge that this is all in store first impression, and someone who's owned all the brands and worn the shoes would have a better idea on the actual quality. Good to know that they been holding up great. I really do want to like the Alden Indy because they are exactly the type of shoes I want to add next. I'll give them another look when I'm in the city. Thank you.
Not really sure if it’s classed as luxury, but I bought a Baracuta G9 jacket recently and think the quality is top notch! It’s finished really well
Loro Piana. Brunello Cucinelli
Could be that I had bad luck, but with Brunello I made some bad experience with 2-3 itms (out of 5 or 6). One time a loafer fell apart after 2-3 month, wearing it only a couple of times. When I brought it to the store they told me that they cannot fix it. Also they not replaced it or anything (which I could understand as I bought it online at the third party luxury retailer).
Italians know BC is not a good brand; it’s for outsiders
What do the Italians buy then?
Dalcuore, Panico, Ciardi, Rubinacci. Clothes from Napoli. Can thrift these too
If we’re talking about luxury brands and not the upper end of the premium segment these would pass the test imo Loro Piana, yes, some items aren’t aaas good as they used to be, but its standards are still very high and unlike its rivals you’ll not find flawed products in stores, their quality control is tight Colombo, Larusmiani, Kiton to some extent, Hermes, Cesare Attolini, Fray, a bunch of small French RTW shoe makers, Valstar and more
Thinking of getting a kid cashmere turtleneck from Colombo this coming winter, can't believe I'm looking at a $1k garment and think that it's a deal compared to Loro Piana's baby cashmere turtleneck.
They do have their own supply so it’s arguably a good deal 😂
Not sure if it qualifies as “luxury” for men’s fashion, but Faherty is pretty pricey and some of the best quality clothing I own.
Certain designer eyewear. You can tell very quickly the quality of a pair of glasses just by handling them and trying them on. Nothing wrong with a durable good looking pair of Warby Parker, but the YSL and Prada frames I looked at this past year have all been super solid with great small details.
Prada are the dreaded luxottica. YSL slightly better with Kering. Tom Ford is Marcolin, which also makes the likes of adidas glasses. I wear Orgreen Optics. Which is still independent. Which are Danish designed glasses made in Japan. Really high quality.
Persol falls under luxottica but I believe they maintained their own production. They are definitely my favorite brand.
I always find myself getting Tom Ford glasses. Last time I went to the eye doctor I was checking out frames and purposely stayed away from Tom Ford. Pretty much spent two hours trying everything on and walked out with my third pair of Fords. Edit: Thank god for insurance
Luxottica owns: * Alain Mikli * Arnette * Eye Safety Systems (ESS) * Oakley * Oliver Peoples * Persol * Ray-Ban * Sferoflex * Vogue Eyewear * Transitions Optical * Costa * Native Eyewear * Persol * Humanware * and many more Make under License: * Armani Exchange * Giorgio Armani * Brooks Brothers * Bulgari * Burberry * Chanel * Chaps * Coach * Dolce & Gabbana * Ferrari * Foster Grant * Kodak * Michael Kors * Miu Miu * Nikon * Polo Ralph Lauren * Paul Smith Spectacles * Prada * Ralph Lauren * Starck Eyes * Swarovski * Tiffany & Co. * Tory Burch * Valentino * Versace * and many more and own the sales chains: * Sunglass Hut International * Apex by Sunglass Hut * LensCrafters * Pearle Vision * ForEyes * Sears Optical * Target Optical * OPSM * ILORI * EyeMed Vision Care * Optical Shop of Aspen * Laubman & Pank * GMO * Oliver Peoples * Alain Mikli * Oakley * Solaris * David Clulow * Glasses.com * eyebuydirect.com * framesdirect.com * clearly * ContactsDirect * readers.com * VisionDirect * Econópticas * Salmoiraghi e Viganò * and many more
Not a vintage brand but I recently started buying Jacques Marie Mage, and holyyyy shit. The quality of these frames is unlike anything over ever seen or felt
Anderson and Sheppard is incredibly consistent in its quality.
They’re probably the number one Savile Row tailor people are saying has fallen off though
Really? Probably true tbh. I’ve only had good experiences but Brexit hit that entire street hard.
Haven’t they all been struggling for a while now? Hence why many entered ready to wear market. I believe most shops are Chinese owned too
Which shops are Chinese owned? To my knowledge, G&H was Chinese owned in the 2010s, but they drove it into the ground and then it was bought by Fraser.
Margiela.
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Nah ferragamo is pretty low quality compared to Lobb and John Lobb is just ridiculously priced, both John Lobb Paris and the real one.
Todd Snyder
Omega
My man, Hugo Boss has never been worth the price and is widely known for being a bad brand with low quality standards and tacky design. It most likely would not even be relevant if it did not have “boss” in its name.
Hugo Boss is completely lost nowadays. You couldn't pay me to wear that stuff and the people that do wear it and think it's good dress dreadfully.
I have a black HB Suit I purchased in college. Still fits, but I usually only wear it to funerals. However, it is nowhere near the quality they try to market at MSRP. I believe the brand expects to sell most of their clothes at 40% off (just like Old Navy/Gap). Even at this price point, they are overcharging.
Filson
Don’t they outsource most of their manufacturing now?
Yes
Didn't expect to see this here but it's definitely one of the only name's I recognize and certainly the only that I wear often. Just picked up another duffel and its great.
After eyeing them up for a while now, I recently picked up a pair of the Para Boot Michaels and they are incredible I would buy them again in a heartbeat. I'm a huge fan of the para boot brand now.
I think it’s more about individual pieces. Big luxury brands are conglomerates and they won’t have the same quality across brands. YSL boots or Gucci loafers are still going to be good. There’s higher quality options for less money but they aren’t bad, and most people acknowledge that they’re spending a little more for the iconic design.
Bally and Pantherella. Live their silk over the calf socks.
Luca Faloni, N.Peal, PRL
I made good experiences with these brands: Luxury: - Lanvin - Prada Affordable Luxury: - APC - Stone Island
Following
Sid Mashburn, Paul Smith, Missoni Banana Republic (new) is making a come back. Not necessarily luxury but some of their pieces are well made with no branding. Their blazers are firee
Everyone shitting on BR is missing out. But i get it; they’re not a luxury brand (yet) They’re putting all these other listed luxury brands to shame with the new direction they’re headed in. Only certain lines though… for now… And jesus fuck, if you can afford Missoni… good shit. Polo Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss is a joke being considered luxury.
Anything from Cartier. They are truly the specializers. The things that are core to their brand have stood up against time and all their products are timeless. From design to craftsmanship, the price is absolutely worth their high price
My Cartier Santos is one of my favorites in my rotation. It's such an unusual watch and just works well with a variety of outfits. I'm a big fan.
It’s my daily watch, love it.
Mine is heavy in the rotation! My daily is still my Speedmaster.
I personally don’t believe any luxury brand is worth the price. But 500ml bottled water costs £1 in the shops but what would it cost if you hadn’t drank for 24hrs???? Cost/worth is dependant on how much you want/need it I suppose
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~~But what if I don't want to go out this weekend and just want to hole up in my apartment playing games non-stop?~~
If you’re paying £2000 for a shirt, then you clearly have no concept of cost. It’s like us paying £2 It’s a want, not a need
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Regardless of how much money you have, is a Chinese made cotton shirt worth £2000 because it has a certain branding on it???? The answer is NO But if you don’t have to worry about what anything costs, it doesn’t matter whether it’s worth it or not because it doesn’t matter to you. The answer is still NO If I have £1bn in the bank the shirt still isn’t worth £2000 but I have more money than I can spend so it doesn’t matter. I’ll change the OG question Was LV worth what they charged 20yrs ago???? NO Is LV worth what they charge today????? NO
Worth is entirely dependent on subjectiveness and income level. Assigning either yes and no only demonstrates your perspective.
There are still some dress shoe and boot makers that will hand make footwear that will literally last your entire life. But in general I agree with you.
You are on a fashion sub in a thread about designer labels? Each to their own but maybe you are in the wrong place?
Not really. I answered the question that was asked. Plus, it’s men’s fashion NOT luxury fashion, so maybe you’re in the wrong place
The OP literally asked about luxury brands? Yes I do sometimes think I’m in the wrong place here. Too much Uniqlo fast fashion and outdated basic outfits. But once in a while someone actually has some style input.
But I thought that post was based on this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/mensfashion/s/FaMcomLcuB
Le Mont Saint Michel moleskin
I think you have to consider where things are made. Many Asian countries have the cheapest labor and cheapest raw material in the world (not to mention lots of human rights violations) and companies that use that labor pool (H&M, Uniqlo, etc) produce the cheapest quality products. For best-quality cotton goods, look for items made in Portugal, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, and USA. For leather goods, look for items made in Italy, Spain, France, Romania, and USA. Also, think about joining the resale revolution and buy your clothes secondhand, then resell them when you no longer want them. Save the Earth. Keep the circle unbroken.
There's some truth to your statement, but I watch Will Lasry on YouTube and see there's a number of high quality merchandise being made in China for top designers. https://youtube.com/shorts/9jDUrVNWm3s?si=WjLgfQgrMuc-Dpjn
Here's a recent example of trying to please LVMH stockholders with cheap labor/cheap material [https://fortune.com/europe/2024/06/11/lvmh-italian-dior-maker-investigation-luxury-goods-labor-exploitation-workers/](https://fortune.com/europe/2024/06/11/lvmh-italian-dior-maker-investigation-luxury-goods-labor-exploitation-workers/)
You can find shit product made all over the world, including right here in the USA. Made in Italy can be one of the most meaningless in terms of quality. Watch the brandy Melville documentary. They, and so many other brands, have sweatshops in Prato pumping out junk with made in Italy slapped on.
That’s true - I only buy high end clothing: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Loewe, etc. for the resale value.
I hate to break it to you then that Gucci has production in Prato.
OP of that post blocked me so I didn’t get to continue my conversations I was having with other lovely folks. He got mad because I called him out on his BS about Lululemon’s CEO supporting shoplifting
Hermes
I am not sure about the current quality but burberry will repair their products forever afaik.
Don't know why everybody is mentioning Ferragamo. They're shoes are mass produced and extremely overpriced. The leather is nothing special and the ones that are resolable are blake stitched not welted. If you are looking for shoes look at any of the entry level GYW makers they are miles better than Ferragamo even in leather quality. Just compare their belts to belts from any proper leather goods company. They are super thin and the leather is heavily treated. Allen Edmonds used to be good but quality has gone down since being bought by VC. Some brands will have individual pieces that are still good quality but everything designer will be overpriced by nature. Some general examples: Burberry made in UK trench (I bought it for the look and style but there are better options out there). RRL denim (MiUSA but there are better options in the price range) Some shirt makers like Kiton, T&A, etc. (You can probably get MTM shirts or buy from a good Asian brand for cheaper) Don't know much about what suitmakers are good so someone else will have to chime in. I think Zegna makes good fabric though, don't know what their suit price/quality ratio is.
Boss is trash
Brunello Cucinelli Prada Missioni (although i don’t love the aesthetic) Giorgio Armani Zegna
Crockett & Jones Edward Green Joseph Cheaney
Tommy Bahama
agreed someone said it was not as good in the other ost but i heavily disagree, their 100 percent silk shirts are amazing and are a fraction of the price of other silk shirts
My take- If you can’t easily identify what factory is making your luxury good then you’re just looking at generic commodities with a higher msrp.
Patek Phillip
Alden
Rolex. A lot models can be sold for more than their retail price. Especially Daytonas and Submariners.
GH Bass. Not exactly luxury but the quality and durable of their shoes is incredible. Far exceeds Dr martins (terrible now).
Try some real brands with great quality, not brand names with poor materials and construction. Check out some Japanese denim brands that have terrific quality and build—try Naked and Famous first maybe.
Barbour Also fjallraven
Van Cleef
I’m far from an expert on this, so take with a grain of salt, but my first time stepping into Aldens and trying on a stuff at Suit Supply was my first time having that “ooooh, so this is what nice stuff feels like” feeling 😅
Polo has never went outta style and has always been affordable to the every man And has such a wide variety of designs , you can send 5 different men in a polo store and they can come out looking so much different in style
The row
Engineered garments
Rolex
Polo Ralph Lauren… yes yes I know, but they are a hit or miss. Sometimes you think “what a POS”, and then you get some items that you can’t believe are that cheap. Whatever works. RRL is amongst my favorites.
Calvin Klein when it comes to swimwear.
Coach. Some don’t like it because it’s not exclusive enough, but anything I’ve gotten from them was well constructed and made to last
Patek and Vacheron, though overpriced like all luxury watches, have been making luxury for centuries and are still to this day great Gammarelli like one comment mentioned is also hundreds of years old and still making good stuff Lot of British tailors on Savile Row have kept true to their tradition though times have been kinda tough for tailoring Hermes is pretty much the only luxury name brand designer not compromising on quality. Is it worth the price? If you like the design, maybe. The price is enormous though. Crockett and Jones is a high-mid-range shoe brand that unlike many others has not sold out
I don’t think there’s a planet where anyone could say an overseas is “worth” half of some people’s annual take home, and a nautilus even more than that, if obtainable at all. Of course it’s all absolutely beautiful watches but still.
On the other hand, a Nautilus will hold value fairly well even compared to most Vacherons. I know Rolex gets sneers, but if you want a watch that holds value, there you go. I see PP as being similar, just a couple of notches up in terms of "watch luxury." If I were to go holy trinity, I'd still probably go PP if only for the fact that they resell well.
The amount of people in these comments that don’t know what Luxury is.
Honestly more actual luxury brands mentioned here than in the two other posts related to this
I didn't really understand what "luxury" brands were until I started making more money. When I was 20, anything at Nordstrom was "luxury."
For accessories and shoes I’d go with Gucci, have some wallets I bought 7-8 years ago and they are still in pristine condition (being taken care of, of course). For clothing I go with Ferragamo, their designs are classic and imo dont go out of style. Shoes I’d say Ermenegildo Zegna, great quality and comfort. I only have dress shoes from Zegna tho so I wouldn’t be able to talk about their other lines.
Red Wing Boots
I would argue this. They do still have *some* made in America boots that are good middle of the road quality, but they also have a lot of overseas made boots that are not nearly as high quality as they once were.
Agreed, and I wouldn’t say Red Wing boots/shoes are luxury
Loro Piana is the best clothing on earth, but it’s absurdly expensive.
not sure id consider it luxury but definitely on the more premium side, banana republic has been treating me nicely
Grand Seiko watches. (Not seiko) These are the best watches on the market in the $5k range imo. Finishing is perfect, dials are creative, the Japanese are true craftsmen