This one is for the SF and NYC locals only and involves getting out of your chair and going outside. Eidos Napoli, the newest menswear darling, will be discounted in those two Bloomingdales by 40% from today until Sunday (they are the only Bloomingdales stores that stock Eidos). This puts sportcoats around $570+ and suits somewhere around $770.
If you are unfamiliar with this brand, here’s what you need to know: the brand is now led by creative director Antonio Ciongoli, who was formerly at Michael Bastian and Ralph Lauren. The brand is under the umbrella of the esteemed company Isaia Napoli; that said, it is not so much meant to be a diffusion brand as it is a standalone line that brings high-end Neapolitan tailoring to a younger audience. All the tailored clothing is full-canvassed and made in the same facilities as Isaia – the main difference is less handwork on the Eidos stuff. Essentially, it’s great stuff priced much more aggressively than its luxury brand counterparts. And when you add this sale on top, the prices are exceptional for what you’re getting.
Since the brand is still small, their stuff can only be found at a few locations. The two Bloomingdales mentioned above and Carson St. Clothiers are the most notable purveyors at the moment, but expect that to change in the coming year.
I have tried on most of Eidos’ Spring/Summer line, and was impressed with how reasonable the fit was. Some similar brands opt for overly skinny and cropped silhouettes, but the Eidos jackets are not that at all. They are a reasonably slim-fitting shape with fairly classic proportions, and the overall silhouette is masculine and attractive. This seems in line with Ciongoli’s vision – in his words:
One of my goals for this collection was not to design a super fashion forward suit and sell it in uninspiring fabrics….The way I see it, the value proposition is that we’re making a timelessly beautiful cut, fully canvassed garment that is made in Italy accessible to a much broader spectrum of guys.
All in all, I like what Ciongoli is going for here and I think it is well executed. My one reservation on the models I tried (the “Tipo” model) is that the lapel gorge is rather high. This isn’t “wrong”, given the Neapolitan flavor of the jacket, but it is a bit aggressive. However, this is balanced by the lapels’ reasonable width, and the overall effect is still nice (and the “Lorenzo” model coming soon will have a wider lapel with a lower gorge). Here’s an unflattering picture of me in a 36R (46IT), which is my usual size (for reference, I’m around 150 lbs and 5’10” on a good day):
As you can see, it hits all the main points I would look for – good shoulder width, jacket length, sleeves, chest, etc. The jacket sleeves come unfinished, which will be a relief to the long and short-armed folks among us. Add in the full canvas construction, the high end fabric (I saw VBC, Loro Piana, Zegna, etc), and the made in Italy stamp, and these are a great value (especially at the sale price). If you’re looking for Italian-inspired tailored clothing for the warmer months and live in SF or NYC, I don’t think you could do much better.
