Ever heard of Carlo Monza - Mens Suits?

[volan]

There's a small shop in Calgary called, "The Place for Men". They sell Carlo Monza mens suits. The owner of the shop says that the suits come from Italy and that the quality of the suits are better than Hugo Boss and equivalent to Versace and they sell at a 40 - 60% discount to their name brand counterparts.

I recently purchased a suite for $600 and was told that an equivalent name brand suite would cost upwards or $1000. The fabric of the suit that I purchased is super 150 (at least that's what the label says), which is supposed to be an excellent Italian wool fabric, but I haven't been able to find out anything about the Carlo Monza brand. A google search came up with nothing.

I'm wondering if I've been scammed.

I don't really care about name brands, but I do like to know that I have purchased a decent quality suit. Does anyone know how to tell a good quality suit?

Has anyone heard of Carlo Monza?

Thanks.

[fratello25]

Personally, I've never heard of Carlo Monza, so my guess is that you got ripped off.

But, if the suit is made of 100% wool, has a nice feel to the material, fits you well, and you like it enough to pay $600 for it, then you got a good deal. I tend to value those things much more than the brand name.

[trusoulja2g]

Probably not much of a real brand. Apparently a lot of Italian apparel makers are actually owned by Chinese and staffed by Chinese workers.

However, what makes a good suit isn't the brand name. Brands like Hugo Boss or Versace are just fashion - their suits aren't well constructed for their price range. So, making a comparison to Boss or Versace doesn't mean great quality...just depends if you like the cut of the suit.

I also think the most important factor for a suit is the fit. Most guys wear suits that are too wide in the shoulders and waist and too long in the sleeves. If you got a well-fitting suit with nice fabric and nice cut for a reasonable price, that's all that matters...not the brand name.

There are two clothing expert forums: www.styleforum.net and www.askandyaboutclothes.com.

[volan]

There are two clothing expert forums: www.styleforum.net and www.askandyaboutclothes.com.

Thanks for the URLs I'll check them out.

[sucka]

Probably not much of a real brand. Apparently a lot of Italian apparel makers are actually owned by Chinese and staffed by Chinese workers.

However, what makes a good suit isn't the brand name. Brands like Hugo Boss or Versace are just fashion - their suits aren't well constructed for their price range. So, making a comparison to Boss or Versace doesn't mean great quality...just depends if you like the cut of the suit.

I also think the most important factor for a suit is the fit. Most guys wear suits that are too wide in the shoulders and waist and too long in the sleeves. If you got a well-fitting suit with nice fabric and nice cut for a reasonable price, that's all that matters...not the brand name.

There are two clothing expert forums: www.styleforum.net and www.askandyaboutclothes.com.

I agree, the brand doesn't really matter because if it doesn't fit you then it still won't look good even if it's a Hugo or Versace ...... look for the right fit, quality, and cut. I know a lot of people who go for the custom tailored suits that are basically no-brand name suits but cost $1000's and they look fabulous because they fit.

[volan]

Thanks for all the responses. As I said in my initial post, I don't really care about brand names. The suit looks good, and it is currently at the tailors getting some final touches done to it.

Apart from the fit, the things that makes a suit expensive is the fabric, stitching and attention to detail. I want to know how, by looking at the suit I can tell whether it is a good quality suit or not.

Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to tell a good quality suit?

[fdisk]

I just bought one there too- the 600 dollar ones are nice and do compare with the hugo boss ones for 1000- I agree with the other poster it is in the fit. you could by a prada and have it badly tailored and have it look like sh*t.

but really if you were in the market for a versace- would be shopping at a former consignment place? No. but the monza suits, for the money- are quite nice, and they also have a nice selection of dress shirts, which I think are much nicer than the hugo boss that they sell for 180 at singers. and after all you do live in Calgary, so dont even worry about having a custom made suit or a brioni as long as it fits and you replace it when it starts to show wear- your fine. I know oil and gas guys that make thick and they are wearing suits no better than what you have.

I think people get tied up into labels and such and in most (not all) cases they tend to be overvalued.

[salvatore]

we have carlo monza everywhere in montreal.. mayeb it's just coming into the prairies. It's not a flashy designer brand but they seem to be quality suits with solid styling, and at least they're wool and not ployester. Some styles are really nice.

[epiphony]

The fact that it's not a well-known brand name doesn't matter here. The fact that it's likely "lets slap some Italian sounding name on this suit and see who will buy it" does matter.

If it fits you fine, wear it, and there's no use crying over spilt milk. But I'd probably avoid that store, and all others that give you the "you've never heard of this brand before, but I swear it's as good as Hugo Boss/Versace/Dior/etc" line in the future.