New to the brand and loving a lot of pieces but not sure if price is justified? How easy are these pieces to care for? Can they be dry cleaned? The few pieces I have all say hand wash only which honestly just would not work for my lifestyle...
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI. Worth it?
- Thread starter keekee
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Their cashmere is lovely quality. While I do not own any, I know people who do and swear by it. I also have gone in many times to try on pieces.
There are many high end cashmere brands, the 2 other popular ones are Loro Piana and Zegna. All of them amazing quality with an amazingly high price.
(Johnston of Elgin is very good, and a little more affordable).
So, let's put quality and craftsmanship aside and assume that they're all relatively compatible, if not competitive with one another.
I think what stands out for Brunello lovers is:
1) The fit. If one finds a brand with clothes that just happens to fit their body shape and body type just right with minimal to no tailoring, I think that's a definite win. That is for me for a couple of brands, I go back time and time again
2) The brand and company's motto, beliefs, and history.
Brunello pays their employees wages 20% higher than the industry average. Work day ends at 5:30pm and they get 90 minutes for lunch. He is very supportive of his employees and their work-life balance.
They also donate 20% of their profits to charity.
Brunello is also very meticulous on craftsmanship. He bought a castle in Solomeo to start his headquarters and created the School of Contemporary High Craftsmanship and Arts to preserve and teach Italian craftsmanship. Some of them are: Pattern Making and Women’s Tailoring, Cutting and Men’s Tailoring, Mending, Knitwear, Horticulture, Gardening and Masonry.
(This is taken from Google and the Brunello website just fyi.)
Personally, what I like about the brand is the aesthetic. I think their designs can be very classic, but classic with a twist. Something a little different and interesting but still very wearable. I love how the clothes fit, despite the simplicity, they are very flattering and comfortable.
I have not bought any mainly because:
1) I have other things that are higher priority on my wishlist
. And my budget for a piece of RTW is around $2500 so for some pieces, I'm not quite there yet tbh.
2) I have 2 young dogs, and they are a little too jumpy and energetic to be trusted while I wear cashmere and knits. And so I don't wear my current pieces (from other brands) often enough to justify the cost-per-wear of buying even more cashmere (what I have is sufficient for now.)
There are many high end cashmere brands, the 2 other popular ones are Loro Piana and Zegna. All of them amazing quality with an amazingly high price.
(Johnston of Elgin is very good, and a little more affordable).So, let's put quality and craftsmanship aside and assume that they're all relatively compatible, if not competitive with one another.
I think what stands out for Brunello lovers is:
1) The fit. If one finds a brand with clothes that just happens to fit their body shape and body type just right with minimal to no tailoring, I think that's a definite win. That is for me for a couple of brands, I go back time and time again
2) The brand and company's motto, beliefs, and history.
Brunello pays their employees wages 20% higher than the industry average. Work day ends at 5:30pm and they get 90 minutes for lunch. He is very supportive of his employees and their work-life balance.
They also donate 20% of their profits to charity.
Brunello is also very meticulous on craftsmanship. He bought a castle in Solomeo to start his headquarters and created the School of Contemporary High Craftsmanship and Arts to preserve and teach Italian craftsmanship. Some of them are: Pattern Making and Women’s Tailoring, Cutting and Men’s Tailoring, Mending, Knitwear, Horticulture, Gardening and Masonry.
(This is taken from Google and the Brunello website just fyi.)
Personally, what I like about the brand is the aesthetic. I think their designs can be very classic, but classic with a twist. Something a little different and interesting but still very wearable. I love how the clothes fit, despite the simplicity, they are very flattering and comfortable.
I have not bought any mainly because:
1) I have other things that are higher priority on my wishlist
. And my budget for a piece of RTW is around $2500 so for some pieces, I'm not quite there yet tbh.2) I have 2 young dogs, and they are a little too jumpy and energetic to be trusted while I wear cashmere and knits. And so I don't wear my current pieces (from other brands) often enough to justify the cost-per-wear of buying even more cashmere (what I have is sufficient for now.)
I think the quality is lovely and their cashmere is long lasting and beautiful. However, I look forward to their sales because I can't justify paying full price for it.
Are they worth it at full retail? (Hard to say because they seem to be so readily available on sale especially the last couple of years; seems as though they may have produced too much inventory) -Note this depends a lot on your size though; some sizes never seem to make it to the sale.
The items tend to have really lovely fabrics and interesting silhouettes. For the most part there isn't very much handwork since these are factory items albeit very high quality factory items.
I think it's worth it to opt for MTM during their trunk shows mainly since the up charge isn't very high and it makes it easier to justify full retail when at least you have the option to customize the item's design and fit.
Their leather jackets are some of the nicest and the same goes for their cashmere items.
@880 would be a far better resource than I am though.
The items tend to have really lovely fabrics and interesting silhouettes. For the most part there isn't very much handwork since these are factory items albeit very high quality factory items.
I think it's worth it to opt for MTM during their trunk shows mainly since the up charge isn't very high and it makes it easier to justify full retail when at least you have the option to customize the item's design and fit.
Their leather jackets are some of the nicest and the same goes for their cashmere items.
@880 would be a far better resource than I am though.
I lived in a cold climate and had a fair number of sweaters that I can no longer wear now that we moved to a hot climate. What I would suggest for anyone interested in this brand is to try on the pieces that interest you and then watch for them to go on sale. The final markdown prices are pretty reasonable but you have to be ready to act quickly. Like other brands, the prices have skyrocketed over the last few years.
I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the factory in 2014 ( I think ) and see how the artisans made the clothing. It was one of my favorite things I ever did.
I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the factory in 2014 ( I think ) and see how the artisans made the clothing. It was one of my favorite things I ever did.
I’m not sure if it’s worth the retail price but for sure on sale. I love the neutral colors I think they have the best neutral color, and fabrics. I think their shoes are totally worth it! Very good craftsmanship and quality of leather. Their sneakers are very comfortable also
Thanks @Christofle . DH was a large brunello client (mainly trunk show) until this year when his brunello SA moved back to Loro Piana. So he’s exploring LP and H RTW right now. The latter two companies have started to emphasize slimmer fits than brunello if that matters to anyone. Saks and Bergdorfs have amazing Brunello sales, with coats an especially good deal. I’m a fan of the women’s pants bc of their fit, and pants are one of the few brunello categories that I was happy to pay full price due to cost per wear. Items with monili detail tend to be significantly higher retail price, and I would wait for those to go on sale. I found their shoes ran a bit large (comparable to Prada, gucci or YSL sizing)
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DH is moving towards a largely BC wardrobe (likely because I do most of his shopping for him)...but the vast majority of pieces I find on sale. The cashmere is incredible, even the simple cotton polos have a distinct "hand" that feels amazing. Worth it? I don't think the full retail prices are, but I find that if I follow most items online they eventually go on sale. I agree to act quickly at that point, the items go fast once on sale.
I've asked myself this same question several times, and to be honest, my answer is no. $2K-$5K for a cashmere sweater is a bit much, especially as some of us are not satisfied with just buying one sweater. I paid those prices for another brand and today I think it wasn't worth it either.
IMO, after buying quite a bit of Brunello for several years and multiple trunk show orders, I no longer think it’s worth the retail price. Part of this change of heart is bc we’ve had a few very disappointing service experiences since our SA has left. We’ve since discovered that this drastic change in service is not unique to us but has also been the experience of other regular clients. Several BC staff have left to go to Loro Piana. Since key Dior executives moved to LP in 2021, LP seems to offer a more trim, svelte, and flattering RTW cut and design, as well as a cuter bag selection. We’re simply not inclined to shop at BC anymore. If I want something, brunello does go on sale at Saks etc.
ETA: to be fair, DH and I prefer to shop in stores where we can shop both mens and womens RTW. We tend to rely heavily on the taste of our SA, and sometimes when our SA relocates, the view towards the former clothing line simply isn’t there. Our decision has nothing to do with whether the store is pleasant to deal with but rather with MtM; after service; and, flagship management. And, if someone truly loves the product and has a good service experience, my personal observation would be irrelevant. HTH
ETA: to be fair, DH and I prefer to shop in stores where we can shop both mens and womens RTW. We tend to rely heavily on the taste of our SA, and sometimes when our SA relocates, the view towards the former clothing line simply isn’t there. Our decision has nothing to do with whether the store is pleasant to deal with but rather with MtM; after service; and, flagship management. And, if someone truly loves the product and has a good service experience, my personal observation would be irrelevant. HTH
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Looooove it. Very good quality, very pretty. It’s both under radar and recognizable without any loud labels.
I love it and it goes on sale. They even have a few outlet shops. Much better quality cashmere than Hermes in my opinion. I do also love Loro Piana, which is my absolute favorite cashmere brand.
I bought a pair of their jeans at a charity shop for $10. I like the fit and the quality. I went to Neiman Marcus and tried on a leather jacket. It was so silky smooth that I had to look at the fabrication tag. Didn’t go home with me at $9,000.
Do I think they’re worth the money? No. I love motorcycle style jackets, but I didn’t have that “I gotta have it” feeling even though it was gorgeous. I like the jeans, but I wouldn‘t spend $800-$1,000 for a pair.
Do I think they’re worth the money? No. I love motorcycle style jackets, but I didn’t have that “I gotta have it” feeling even though it was gorgeous. I like the jeans, but I wouldn‘t spend $800-$1,000 for a pair.
Gravedigging here! I'm sick to death of discussing Hermès, and BC currently interests me.
Definitely worth it, but I would never pay full retail. Their end of season sales are great, and that's when I buy.
It's odd. I LOVE some of his things, but other oft repeated pieces (like those square shaped, baggy, sort of sleeveless tops, super boxy blazers, peg leg pants, and furry brown cro-magnon coats) are downright hideous to me. I think he's more comfortable and much better at designing menswear.)
Also, you have to see and try on BC clothes in person to fully appreciate them. His pieces often don't photograph that well. They are also infinitely more flattering on tall, thin people.
A lot of the legend, allure, (and hefty price points) are supposedly justified by all of his humanistic mumbo jumbo. Yeah, right. He has a good marketing department. How about him doing the same thing he did for Solomeo here in the US? Maybe in some old dead, industrial city. Now THAT would impress me.
Definitely worth it, but I would never pay full retail. Their end of season sales are great, and that's when I buy.
It's odd. I LOVE some of his things, but other oft repeated pieces (like those square shaped, baggy, sort of sleeveless tops, super boxy blazers, peg leg pants, and furry brown cro-magnon coats) are downright hideous to me. I think he's more comfortable and much better at designing menswear.)
Also, you have to see and try on BC clothes in person to fully appreciate them. His pieces often don't photograph that well. They are also infinitely more flattering on tall, thin people.
A lot of the legend, allure, (and hefty price points) are supposedly justified by all of his humanistic mumbo jumbo. Yeah, right. He has a good marketing department. How about him doing the same thing he did for Solomeo here in the US? Maybe in some old dead, industrial city. Now THAT would impress me.
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Agree with you . And if BC was American, he probably would help. He has revitalized a lot of dying towns in Tuscany and Umbria simply bc they write him and ask for specific help (like with their church, town square etc). If an American Mill Town wrote him, who knows
I did think it was nice to find out by happenstance that his philanthropy is not limited to Solomeo. (We were in Norcia, and saw a church and town square renovation he was responsible for) post earthquake.
DH has still switched over to Loro Piana; BC’s philanthropic leanings notwithstanding