# Are Canali and Zegna Full Canvassed Suits?



## healinginfluence (Mar 1, 2006)

I live in Washington, DC. Today I went to Sky Valet in Georgetown, a shoe store I recently became acquainted with and like a lot.

Next door is a men's clothing store called Everard's Clothing. Louis Everard, the owner, introduced himself and tried to sell me Hickey Freeman, the only brand of suit he sells. I told him I prefer Italian suits. He then said that Canali and Zegna are not full canvassed suits. From what I have read here I thought they were full canvassed suits. He also said that Canali and Zegna at Bloomingdales (where Mr. Everard used to work) are a lower quality than they are at another DC mens' shop called James (an establishment I don't know).

A Canali rep at SFA assured me that Canali suits are indeed full canvassed. A Zegna salesman at Zegna in Chicago told me that Zegna is full canvassed but that Canali is not.

So can anyone here clear this up for me?

Here is the website of his store: www.everardsclothing.com


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## zegnamtl (Apr 19, 2005)

There is truth and deception in everything that has been said to you.
Unfortunately, said in such a manner as to suit the teller's needs, not yours.

As you most probably know, Zegna has one fused line, the Mexican made Z-Zegna.

Canal and Zegna both canvass their main lines.
Both do have some models that are not "fully canvassed" in the sense that the desired effect is a light weight, cool slim jacket that may only be partially canvassed but not fused in the non canvassed section like the Z-Zegna is! Jack Victor is fused top to bottom and then a small canvass chest piece is sewn in, this is not the case with any Canali I have seen or owned, and subtly, that seems to be the implication made.

So, technically speaking, some models may be found that have a small partial canvassing but that is the desired effect for that jacket.

The salesmen appear to wish to mislead, 
I will not do business with such people.

Bloomingdale is a huge Canali customer, and if they asked the factory to build a suit a certain way for them, Canali would oblige I do not doubt!
I have not looked close enough to comment on Bloomingdale's Canali suits.
What was the basis for his claim?

I hope I have expressed my self clearly, I am filing expense accounts at the moment and wrote very quickly, sorry.


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## healinginfluence (Mar 1, 2006)

zegnamtl said:


> What was the basis for his claim?
> 
> I hope I have expressed my self clearly, I am filing expense accounts at the moment and wrote very quickly, sorry.


Your response is helpful. The only basis of his claim that he expressed is that he used to work for Bloomingdale's.


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## sheik (Apr 24, 2005)

Canali's main line is canvassed, though I've heard they have a Z-Zegna-like line that is fused -- but I am not familiar with it.

Let me also say that Canalis are generally superior in cut and quality to HF, but this is partially a matter of taste. I think most Canalis have a certain "zip" to them that HFs do not. 

If the salesman said Zegnas and Canalis are not canvassed, he's just lying. The implication is that he's referring to the main lines, and what he said is factually untrue. Avoid him.


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## fullgrain (Jan 5, 2007)

Zegna salesman was lying or mistaken. Yes, perhaps some mainline Canalis may exist that are not canvassed, but it's like a Toyota salesmen telling you Hondas are crap. Complete loss of credibility.


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## healinginfluence (Mar 1, 2006)

Thank you guys. This forum is great.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Great post from the past:



zegnamtl said:


> There is truth and deception in everything that has been said to you.
> Unfortunately, said in such a manner as to suit the teller's needs, not yours.
> 
> As you most probably know, Zegna has one fused line, the Mexican made Z-Zegna.
> ...


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## Jonathan Strange (May 3, 2012)

The OP referenced (in 2007) a men's clothing store called James. As a sad coincidence, I walked past this store in Tyson's Galleria just yesterday and saw that it is closing its doors permanently.


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## Bespoken pa (Apr 14, 2012)

I think the posts offered so far have adequately addressed your question. I wanted to add this, I recently purchased a z zegna suit at sacs it fit me nearly as well as some mtm options I have in my closet. After some minor alterations it fits me even better. I received numerous compliments at a wedding a recently attended. while quality and construction is important , fit is probably even more important. My point is that I would over look a suit or shirt simply because it is fused. Fusing has come along way and if done properly it can produce a good product for a good price. Just my two cents.


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## Mox (May 30, 2012)

I don't mean this to put down your choice. Based on the reading I've done, I personally would still give fused suits a pass; they don't have the structure of a canvased front. I've been experimenting with all the suits I come across at the thrift shops and can feel how they roll differently. I have seen mention of how modern fusing bonds much better than in the past, but nothing about improved stiffness.

My Baroni suit is fully canvased (I can feel the third layer in the lower region). Since I can get a full canvas suit for that cheap, I would have a hard time accepting fused. I think a half-canvased suit is still worth looking at, however, depending on how the rest of it is built.

I agree fit is very important, but getting a perfect fit off the rack seems to me to be about saving some money at the tailor more than the end result.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Mox, the Baroni suit I have is similar to the description of the Jack Victor given above, in that it is in fact fused top to bottom in the front. 

Now having said that, there is also a canvas layer which I can feel as a third layer. But the outermost of the three layers in the front of the jacket, is obviously thicker than the material used for the sleeves, which is how I know it is fused.

This was what I wanted to highlight by reviving this old thread.


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## Mox (May 30, 2012)

That's the description of a typical half-canvas: the entire front is fused and the top half is canvassed. A fully canvased suit would have no fusing in the front. I have yet to hear of one that has fusing, at any rate.

I just went back and checked, and my suit matches yours: the front layer is thicker than the sleeve. I felt higher up the front and found that the suit is actually half-canvassed, which makes more sense. The third layer down lower must be some felting or the like. Both top and bottom have a third layer, but it is stiffer up at the top.

The suit isn't quite as nice as I thought then, but my first post still applies: I'd rather have a half-canvassed suit than one without any canvas, even if both have fully fused fronts. The canvas up in the chest gives the suit structure where it is needed.


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## Bespoken pa (Apr 14, 2012)

Absolutely no offense taken. Different strokes for different folks. If I had to choose without any considerations then I would choose isaia over the z zegna. However different suits are required for different occasions and in a pinch the zegna can work well. I was able to have the suit altered in three days, where as my isaia takes upwards of two months. They are very different animals. The isaia is of a much better quality but then again it costs three times as much. I believe your statement is correct fully canvased suits are preferred but a fused suit isn't necessarily a poor suit.


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## Starting Late (Apr 26, 2010)

I have two canal suits made for Bloomingdale's, and both are fully canvassed. Although the selection of Canali suits at Bloomingdale's is limited, and all have a label saying "Canali for Bloomingdale's," I have never seen one that was not fully canvassed.


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