Giorgio Armani suits are some of the most popular suits on the market – every aspiring hot-shot dreams of owning at least one! But… are they really something worth spending your hard-earned money on? Well…you’re about to find out!
Read: How to Spot Fake Giorgio Armani Clothes
#1 – Armani Suit Lines
The answer to the question that has brought you here is, needless to say, a little more complicated that you probably thought it’d be. Why? Because Armani products come in different lines, each being of different style and quality – a product from the A/X line is completely different from its Giorgio Armani Black Label line counterpart in any possible aspect.
As far as Giorgio Armani suits are concerned, the vast majority that you’ll see are part of the Giorgio Armani Black Label, Armani Collezioni and Emporio Armani lines.
To simplify matters, please note that in the context of this article the word “suit” refers to suits, jackets, tuxedoes, overcoats, and sports coats – I don’t know about you, but the title “Are Giorgio Armani Suits, Jackets, Tuxedoes, Overcoats and Sports Coats REALLY That Good?” is far less sexier than “Are Armani Suits REALLY That Good?” 🙂 .
The suits from the Giorgio Armani Black Label line are, since the discontinuation of the Giorgio Armani Classico line in the 1990s, the best Giorgio Armani suits money can buy – their cuts are slim, classic and minimalistic and the quality of materials (wool, silk, cashmere …) and construction (full canvas, in the vast majority of cases) is miles, MILES ahead than that of their counterparts from the Armani Collezioni and Emporio Armani lines. That is, of course, reflected on their price, which is usually several thousand dollars/Euros on average at retail. But, if you’re livin’ and winnin’ like a billionaire without spending like one, you can have yours for much, MUCH cheaper than that – the vintage Giorgio Armani Black Label double breasted blazer that you can see me wearing in the picture above I managed to get for less than 20 Euros in one of the thrift stores I frequently visit. Not bad, eh 🙂 ?
Armani Collezioni suits are, in the vast majority of cases, similar in appearance to their Giorgio Armani Black Label counterparts – their cuts are classic, timeless and somewhat less slimmer. However, the quality of fabrics and construction is, for a suit that on average retails (well…retailed, since this line was discontinued in 2022) for more than $1000, extremely disappointing to say the least – the fabrics are of average quality and they’re, for the most part, fused (some are apparently half-canvassed, but I’ve never seen them). The last Armani Collezioni suit I sold, an Armani G line similar to the one in the picture below, was on Hugo Boss’ and Massimo Dutti’s quality level despite it having a much higher MSRP (manufacturer-suggested retail price)!
And finally, the last (and the most popular) line of Giorgio Armani suits is none other than the Emporio Armani line. Suits from this line aren’t known for their quality (which is around the level of Armani Collezioni – in other words, quite low) but for their looks, fabrics of interesting patterns and flattering cuts (which are on the slimmer side) – ideal for those whose main source of nourishment are compliments instead of food (and who yet don’t know about much better and, by G.d, sexier alternatives 😉 ). In the picture below, you can see an Emporio Armani suit from the “David” line, which was heavily promoted by David Beckham (and possibly even named after him). And yes, I sold one of these as well on eBay a couple of years ago 🙂 .
Read: The ULTIMATE Guide to Giorgio Armani Lines on the Internet
#2 – So…Should You Buy an Armani Suit?
Despite having two Armani Black Label suits which I love to death, my final answer is no, you shouldn’t buy a Giorgio Armani suit.
I’ll explain why.
Giorgio Armani Black Label suits are, despite their high quality (the cashmere blazer that you’ve seen me wearing in the last two pictures is from the 1990s and looks almost like new), EXTREMELY overpriced – their average prices on eBay are, as of time of this writing, around $500 for a brand new blazer/jacket/sports coat and more than $1200 for a brand new suit. My friends…for a price of ONE Giorgio Armani Black Label suit on eBay you can buy… :
(1) …TWO Italian-made Isaia suits which are much, MUCH better made, have VERY SIMILAR cuts and aren’t counterfeited.
(2) …TWO (if lucky, even THREE) Italian-made Belvest OR Caruso suits which are CHEAPER, have VERY SIMILAR cuts and aren’t counterfeited – in case you didn’t know, Belvest (alongside Sant’Andrea) makes suits for Ralph Lauren (in the picture below I’m wearing one of them) and Belvest for LV, Hermes and many other companies, which is proof of their quality.
As far as suits from the Armani Collezioni and Emporio Armani lines are concerned, they aren’t worth buying not only because of their still ridiculously high prices (usually around a thousand dollars/Euros) but because they, in the vast majority of cases, aren’t much better than their Hugo Boss and Massimo Dutti counterparts in terms of quality – seen it, experienced it. I don’t know about you, but getting a sub-par quality suit (and in case of Emporio Armani, a sexy sub-par quality suit) for a price of a high-quality one (or even two) is just… .
Giorgio Armani suits should only be bought in thrift stores (this is where I got mine) and on eBay auctions after ensuring that they’re 100% genuine.
Read: Where is Armani Made? Is it in Italy?
#3 – Great Alternatives to Giorgio Armani Suits
Now that you know that Giorgio Armani suits are, objectively speaking, quite underwhelming in terms of price to quality ratio, you’re certainly wondering if there are any better (and sexier) alternatives. There are at least several that I know of and, before before we part ways, I’ll tell what which are worth of your consideration. And hard-earned money, of course.
I’ll begin with some Italian-made alternatives to Giorgio Armani Black Label and Armani Collezioni suits – Isaia (seen in the picture above), Belvest and Caruso. Suits from these brands are cheaper (the latter two much, MUCH cheaper – especially on eBay), of similar appearance (they have slimmer cuts), much better made (Isaia is one of the best suit makers in the world) and, most importantly, aren’t counterfeited. Give them a try, my friend, and I guarantee you with my life that you won’t be disappointed 🙂 !
As for alternatives to Emporio Armani suits, there are a least several of them that I know of. But, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll be mentioning only the two best ones.
The first alternative to Emporio Armani is Kei by Canali, Canali’s more fashion forward line aimed at people who are looking for a high-quality Italian-made products that’re fashionable (but not too much like Dolce & Gabbana’s), versatile (appropriate for business, party and casual events) and of very high quality (their suits are either unstructured or fully canvassed). In the picture below you can see wearing a Kei by Canali blazer which got a lot of eyeballs and compliments, both on Instagram and in real life, the last time I wore it 😀 .
The second alternative to Emporio Armani is Corneliani ID, Corneliani’s fashion-forward line which has lots of suits and blazers of louder patterns and colors that you might be interested in. Despite being equal in terms of construction to its Emporio Armani counterparts (both being, for the most, part, fused), Corneliani ID suits are made of better materials and are much, MUCH cheaper. In the picture below you can see me wearing a Corneliani ID “hybrid jacket” (I don’t think they’re made anymore, but there are some on eBay last time I checked, both used and brand new).
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Until next time.
Your man,
-Leon
