Zegna was founded in 1910 by Ermenegildo Zegna in Trivero, a small town in the Italian Alps. At first, it produced wool fabrics and from the mid-1960s onwards, under the guidance of his sons Aldo and Angelo, menswear as well.
As of time of this writing, there’s only one Ermenegildo Zegna line. Historically, there were 5 different ones, each with its own style and in this article you will learn all about them!
Read: The DEFINITE Guide to ALL Canali Lines
#1 – Introduction
Before we begin I’d like to mention several important things before we begin:
(1) Most of the information contained in this article comes from my own experience – I own (and had owned) multiple Ermenegildo Zegna products from almost all of its lines (apart from Couture and Sport).
(2) I’m not affiliated with Ermenegildo Zegna in any way, shape or form – ALL opinions are my own.
Let’s get going!
Read: The MOST COMPREHENSIVE Guide to Corneliani Lines IN THE UNIVERSE
#2 – High-end Ermenegildo Zegna Lines
Ermenegildo Zegna (Mainline)
The Ermenegildo Zegna mainline is the most popular, most available and, as of 2022, the only line that’s still existent. This line offers a wide selection of formalwear (suits, dress shirts, coats…), casualwear (jeans, leather jackets, windbreakers…), footwear (shoes, boots, slippers…) and accessories that’re, from what I’ve seen, slightly fashion-forward (before 2022 , their items had more formal and conservative designs – the sport coat and blazer that I’m wearing in the pictures below proves it.
As far as the quality of construction and materials of Ermenegildo Zegna mainline products is concerned, they’re of very high quality – the materials they’re made of and their quality of construction are quite good. The aforementioned sports coat is, as of time of this writing, 34 years old (older than me by several months) and, despite its age, still looks almost like new – it didn’t lose its shape (since it’s fully canvassed like all the suits, jackets and sport coats from this line are) and its colors didn’t fade at all. The way things are going, I’m pretty sure that it’ll last for another 34 years.
The vast majority of Ermenegildo Zegna mainline products are made in Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Being a popular brand, it’s no surprise that many of its products are faked – especially ACCESSORIES, DRESS SHIRTS and SUITS from this line (in the picture below you can see an inner tag of a fake Zegna suit). Hence, be VERY careful when you’re buying on the Internet because I remember seeing many fakes on the Internet last time I looked – even on eBay.
Also, it’s important to mention that many can’t differentiate a product (usually a suit) that’s MADE BY ZEGNA from one that’s MADE FROM ZEGNA FABRIC – in other words, as soon as they see the name ZEGNA, they’ll assume that the suit is made by ZEGNA. In this article, you’ll learn how to distinguish them.
Read: The ULTIMATE Guide to Ralph Lauren Lines in the Milky Way
Ermenegildo Zegna Premium
Discontinued in 2022, Zegna Premium (previously knowns as Zegna Couture, Zegna Napoli Couture and amongst style enthusiasts, Zegna XXX) was, as its most recent name suggests, Zegna’s premium line. From what I’ve seen, it offered formalwear (suits, blazers, dress shirts…) that was a bit slimmer, slightly more fashion-forward, made from the best fabrics Zegna had to offer, better constructed and of course much more expensive compared to its mainline counterparts.
Since only a small segment of people (younger, slimmer people who were chasing fashion over style and had too much more money to spend) were able (or wanted) to afford Zegna Premium clothes, they were sold only in selected Zegna boutiques. Because of this, they were always hard to find brand new (or even used) online – even on eBay (where I tried to bid on several suits and blazers from this line, without success).
Zegna Premium products are made in Italy and Switzerland and, fortunately for us, weren’t popular enough to be counterfeited. In case you see anything from this line (even an accessory), buy it before I teleport behind your back and take it for myself 😉 .
Read: The ULTIMATE Guide to Giorgio Armani Lines on the Internet
#3- Lower-end Ermenegildo Zegna Lines
Z Zegna
Founded in 2004 and discontinued in 2022, Z Zegna was Ermenegildo Zegna’s cheaper, more slimmer and more fashion-forward line which is aimed at a younger crowd who chase fashion over style, as well as those who cannot yet afford its higher-end products. This line offered a wide selection of formalwear (suits, dress shirts, coats…), casualwear (jeans, leather jackets, windbreakers…), footwear (shoes, boots, slippers…) and accessories that are, for the most part, made in Mexico, Turkey and China.
As a person who owns multiple Z Zegna products I can say with absolute certainty that clothes from this line are, besides those from Corneliani ID and CC Collection lines, some the THE BEST MID-RANGE clothes that you can get – they’re made from higher quality materials and are much better constructed than their Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani and Tommy Hilfiger counterparts.
Z Zegna’s products were popular enough to be counterfeited, so be careful when buying them. In the picture below, you can see a fake suit from this line.
Read: Differences BETWEEN an ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA SUIT and a SUIT MADE FROM ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA FABRIC
Zegna Sport
As its very name suggests, Zegna Sport was Ermenegildo Zegna’s sportier, as well as more casual, line.
Launched in 1998 and discontinued in 2014 (when it was merged with the Z Zegna line), Zegna Sport was, as its name suggests, Zegna’s sportier (as well as more casual line). It offered a selection of high performance activewear (windbreakers, shirts, jogger pants …) for men on the move, as well as streetwear (leather jackets, jeans, dress shirts …) for men who chase more laid-back styles.
Like In the last several years, I had tried to bid on several on their items on eBay, without success. Hence, I’m unable to give first-hand information about the quality of Zegna Sport products. From what I’ve seen on the Internet, their quality (or, to be more precise, construction and quality materials) was, for the most part, OK.
Zegna Sport products are, for the most part, made in Turkey (leather jackets, denim products), Romania (dress shirts) and China (outwear) – only a few items from this line are made in Italy.
As far as I know, Zegna Sport products weren’t counterfeited because this line wasn’t popular.
Read: The ULTIMATE Guide to Hugo Boss Lines on the Internet
Zegna Soft
The last Ermenegildo Zegna line I’ll talk about is one that very few people ever heard of – Zegna Soft. The main reason why this is the case is because this line was discontinued sometime in the early 00s.
While I was browsing the Internet, I was unable to find much information about Zegna Soft. As luck would have it, a few months ago, I’ve managed to find a cashmere blend sport coat from this very line (similar to the one in the picture below), which gave me some pretty valuable information that I’ll be sharing with you 🙂 .
I’ll start with the fit.
As you probably already know, all Zegna suits tend to be slim (especially those from the Z Zegna line). This certainly isn’t the case with my Zegna Soft sport coat (and possibly other sport coats, suits and blazers from this line) – it’s somewhat wider in the chest and shoulder area compared to its counterparts from other Zegna lines. Because of this and its more formal style, I believe that this line was aimed at an older crowd with tighter budgets who, thanks to copious amounts of McDonalds and beer, are no longer slim.
As far as construction of the Zegna Soft suits, blazers and sport coats is concerned, is on the level of its Z Zegna counterparts. Their fabrics, on the other hand, are comparable to those from the mainline. Most of them seem to be made in Italy, Switzerland (seen one on eBay) and Spain.
Besides suits, blazers and sport coats, the Zegna Soft line also included trousers and dress shirts. Although I’ve never seen or worn one (and probably never will), I believe that their quality is like that of their Z Zegna counterparts – in other words, not great, not terrible. Most of them were made outside of Italy – mostly in Spain, Portugal and Egypt.
Read: Are Giorgio Armani Suits REALLY That Good?
#4 – Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ermenegildo Zegna a Good Brand?
Yes, Zegna is a good brand – its items are of high quality and they’ll, if you take good care of them and rotate them, last you for quite a long time. They’ll be worth every single shekel IF you buy them on sale, used or from reputable online sellers – don’t EVER buy them at full price because they’re overpriced.
Read: The WORLD’S ULTIMATE Guide to Prada Lines
Is Ermenegildo Zegna a Luxury Brand?
Yes, Zegna can be considered to be an luxury brand – it produces some of the finest wool fabrics and clothes in the world. For example, James Bond (aka Agent 007) wears Tom Ford suits which are produced by Zegna. Trust me…if they weren’t good, he wouldn’t even touch them (let alone wear them). Can you imagine James Bond chasing bad guys in a Zara suit (which would probably fall apart in the middle of a chase) 😀 ?
Read: Should you buy DESIGNER CLOTHES?
Why is Ermenegildo Zegna Expensive?
Zegna items are expensive because they’re made, for the most part, in Italy (where labor costs are high) from premium quality (or, in other words, expensive) fabrics. Branding is, of course, another important factor.
Are Ermenegildo Zegna Suits Better Than Those of Canali?
As a person who owns both Zegna and Canali suits (and blazers and sport coats as well), I can say with ABSOLUTE certainty that Zegna suits are better than those of Canali because the former have fabrics that are of somewhat better quality. Keep in mind I’m ONLY talking about the mainline suits from these two brands!
Are Ermenegildo Zegna Suits Better Than Those of Corneliani?
As a person who owns both Zegna and Corneliani suits (and blazers and sport coats as well), I can say with ABSOLUTE certainty that Zegna suits are better than those of Corneliani because the former have fabrics that are of somewhat better quality. Keep in mind that I’m ONLY talking about the mainline suits from these two brands.
Where is Ermenegildo Zegna Made?
The vast majority of products from high-end Zegna lines are made in Italy, Switzerland and Spain, whereas those from the lower-end are mostly made in Turkey, China, Romania and Mexico.
Is Ermenegildo Zegna Counterfeited?
Yes, Zegna items (or to be more specific, items from the Zegna mainline and the Z Zegna line) are counterfeited – especially ACCESSORIES, DRESS SHIRTS and SUITS. Hence, be VERY careful when you’re buying them on the Internet because I remember seeing many fakes out there – even on eBay.
Read: Why You Should NEVER CONSIDER Buying Counterfeit Products
The first and second images from the FAQ section were taken from Zegna’s official site. All rights reserved.
Thank you for reading. If you’ve liked this article and want to see more like them, bookmark this site and follow me on Instagram!
Until next time.
Your man,
-Leon
Pingback: ALL ABOUT Pal Zileri and Lines of Pal Zileri Suits – Findnolimits
Pingback: All About Seiko Astron GPS Solar Watches (and Hands-on Review) – Findnolimits
Pingback: WHERE to Find and Buy High-end and Designer Clothes FOR CHEAP – Findnolimits
Pingback: SHOULD YOU buy Clothes from HIGH END brands? – Findnolimits
Pingback: Differences BETWEEN an ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA SUIT and a SUIT MADE FROM ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA FABRIC – Findnolimits
Pingback: Where is Hugo Boss Made? Is it in Germany? – Findnolimits
Pingback: How to Spot a GENUINE Zegna Suit – Findnolimits
Pingback: Where Are Ralph Lauren Clothes Made? In the US? Or Perhaps in China? – Findnolimits
Pingback: 5 Reasons to Shop at Thrift Stores – Findnolimits