- What's up guys, I'm Brian Sacawa,
you're watching He Spoke Style,
and today, very excited to share this with you,
a review and try-on of Pini Parma.
(gentle music)
So obviously, the biggest question I'm gonna answer
in this video, is the one in the title.
If you've seen my Suitsupply review,
you know that there are many things
that I love about the brand.
But there are also some things
that really kind of turn me off.
I've been looking for some high-quality,
sort of price-equivalent alternatives
to Suitsupply for a while.
So I was very excited to learn about Pini Parma,
and to also give them a try.
So table of contents for this video.
First, I'm gonna talk a little bit about the brand.
Next, I'll show you each of the items that I have.
Then I'll try them on individually,
so you can see how they fit,
and hear my feedback for each piece.
After that, I'll put a few outfits together.
Just so you can see the pieces styled.
And then finally, I will render the verdict,
and give you the answer to the question,
that I know you want to know.
This is gonna be a good one, let's get to it.
So Pini Parma, Pini Parma is an Italian brand.
In previous videos I've worn a couple of these pieces,
and a few of you have commented
that Pini Parma is a French brand, that is incorrect.
They do have a shop in Paris, but the brand is Italian.
It was started in September of 2017 by Thomas Pini.
Prior to launching Pini Parma,
Thomas worked at Boggi Milano for nine years.
Boggi is kind of trendy,
in a similar vain to Suitsupply in some ways,
and Thomas wanted to create something
a little more niche, and a little more sartorial.
So Pini Parma initially launched as an e-com site,
and after that they did a three-month pop-up in Paris.
That went so well that they eventually opened
up a permanent location there.
Pini Parma strives to be sartorial ready-to-wear.
So you're getting a lot of details
in a ready-to-wear garment,
that you would usually only find in bespoke clothing.
Things like side adjusters,
or wider waist bands with button closures,
or pleats or lapel widths and shapes.
So everything is made in Italy,
and the brand really kind of combines,
two of the more famous Italian tailored clothing styles.
We're talking about the Neapolitan style,
or southern style, with a more northern style.
And with that mix you get the pattern of the northern style,
with the details of the south.
So you get kind of like a more universally wearable,
and less flamboyant garment.
Fabrics play a very big role in what Pini Parma produces,
and Thomas spends a lot of time researching,
and sourcing some really great fabrics.
In addition to their ready-to-wear,
they do do made-to-measure, and made-to-order as well.
If you go on the website,
you'll see that there are two prices listed for each piece.
The first one is the price for European Union customers.
And the second is for non EU customers,
which includes, obviously, the United States.
Pini Parma ships worldwide in 48 hours via DHL Express.
And in January of 2020,
they will actually be offering free shipping,
on orders over 200, or 220 Euros.
One thing to note,
is that you may have to pay duties on what you order.
I didn't have to,
but Thomas said that happens from time to time.
So that's all I can tell you about that.
There's also a live chat on the website,
from 8:00 a.m. to midnight Italian time.
So that's a little background on the brand,
now let me show you each of the items that I have here.
First, we have a gray stripe flannel suit.
Shirts, a light blue button-up shirt.
A denim button-up shirt.
And a Bordeaux colored cotton flannel popover.
Trousers, I have the taupe flannel trousers,
from the Soragna collection.
And also the blue houndstooth flannel trousers,
also from the Soragna collection.
Which I'll explain a little bit more about
when I get into trying them on.
Next, a beige turtleneck in wool and cashmere.
A gray herringbone raglan coat.
A pair of blue suede tassel loafers.
And a light gray flannel tie, let's try this stuff on.
So starting with the pants,
and up first we have the houndstooth flannel trousers.
Actually, before we get started,
I should let you know that I am five nine, and weigh 152.
So these have a higher rise, a single reverse pleat.
Metal side adjusters, and a wide extending tab
fastening belt with two button closures.
These pants come unfinished and, as you can see,
I had my tailor finished them off with a two-inch cuff.
I'm wearing a size 46,
and these are classified as a slim fit.
For me, the sizing is pretty much perfect.
Through the leg, I have plenty of room to be comfortable.
The leg opening on the website says it's seven inches,
but I measured it and it was around six and 3/4 inches.
The silhouette is amazing,
and it's honestly hard for me to believe,
that this is a ready-to-wear pair of pants.
Here are the taupe pair of trousers.
They are exactly the same style and fit
as the previous pair, so nothing really to add.
I did mention that these are from what Pini Parma
calls the Soragna collection.
And the Soragna collection basically
has all of those details,
that you would typically find in bespoke
and made-to-measure clothing,
but in a ready-to-wear garment.
So again, we're talking about things like the pleats,
the side adjusters, and the waistband.
Moving on to the shirts now,
and starting with this light blue cotton shirt.
It has a spread collar, and a single button rounded cuff.
Material is very nice, it feels very high-quality,
and it's very comfortable.
So honestly, I think I chose the wrong size here.
I'm always a little conservative when ordering online.
I don't like my clothes to fit too tight.
This is a size 15 and 1/2 neck.
The sleeves are just a touch too long.
And I have some room in the body.
Although I could totally wear this shirt as is,
I think sizing down to a size 15 neck,
would result in a little bit better fit.
Up next is the denim shirt.
Same size, so same feedback as and last one.
With this one though, because it has a more casual feel,
I almost don't mind having a little bit of extra room.
What I really want to point out
and mention about this shirt,
is that how nice it feels for a denim shirt.
The shirt is extremely soft,
which makes it very comfortable.
And I love this color for a denim shirt.
Here we have a flannel popover in a Bordeaux color.
So I wasn't sure about how I was gonna feel about this,
in terms of style when I got it.
But I have to say I really, really like it.
As kind of an elevated and sophisticated casual shirt,
you really can't beat it.
This is the same size as the previous two shirts,
but in popover form, I think it fits just perfectly.
I have enough room to feel comfortable,
but it still has a very nice tailored look to it.
And the fabric, once again, is exquisite.
It's very soft and very comfortable to wear.
Moving on to the turtleneck now.
Beige color with a cable weave pattern.
Fabric is a mix of cashmere and wool,
30% cashmere, 70% wool.
I ordered this in a size small,
and I think the fit is absolutely perfect.
Fabric again, very soft as you'd expect
with some cashmere in it.
And it's not super thin,
but it's also not super thick either.
Which is nice, because it allows you to wear it untucked,
but it also gives you the ability
to tuck it in your trousers if you like.
Here is the suit, this is a striped gray flannel suit.
The jacket is two-button, flap pockets.
Three and 3/4 inch notch lapel.
Double vent, half canvas, natural shoulders.
The jacket is unlined.
We have two inside breast pockets, one on either side.
And then a pen pocket on the inside, on the left.
The trousers are again, from the Soragna collection.
So we have the single pleat, the side adjusters,
and the two button waistband.
The jacket is a size 48 and the fit on me is phenomenal.
The shoulders are perfect.
I like the line of the side of the body of the jacket.
The back is very clean.
You know, it's so refreshing that the jacket
looks so well tailored, but it's not tight.
Sleeve length is good, length of the jacket is great.
It feels like the suit was made for me.
And, again, I am absolutely blown away
that this is ready to wear a garment.
Next up is the gray herringbone raglan coat.
Now, a raglan sleeve, is a sleeve that extends
in one piece all the way down from the collar.
It has a wide notch lapel, bellows in the back.
Which is a great sartorial touch.
And a waistband, diagonal front welt pockets
with button closures, sleeve tabs,
and buttons up the front with a hidden placket.
Very cool coat, very versatile,
and lots of styling possibilities, especially with the belt.
Here, we have a simple light gray flannel tie.
It actually has a bit more of a cashmere feel to it.
It's an eight centimeter tie, unlined, handmade,
and stain and water-resistant.
Finally, a pair of dark blue suede tassel loafers.
Leather lining, leather sole, blake construction.
They look and feel like a very well made pair of shoes,
though I am unable to give any kind of feedback on them,
because the size that I ordered, 42,
which is my normal size,
is just slightly too large for my foot.
Loafers, I'll typically go a half-size down,
but unfortunately this time I didn't.
So those are the pieces that I got, how they fit,
and my feedback on each item.
Next, let's put a few outfits together.
Gotta start with the suit.
A gray flannel chalk stripe suit
has been on my wish list for quite some time.
It's timeless, it's classic.
It's a suit that anyone who's serious
about tailored clothing should have,
in their fall, winter wardrobe.
Now a striped suit like this
can be intimidating a little bit.
But when it comes to anything
with a bolder statement pattern,
the rule of thumb is to keep the rest of the outfit simple.
You hear me say this all the time.
So I paired it with the light blue shirt,
along with the light grey flannel tie,
and a simple white pocket square.
I feel like this has a little bit of an Italian flavor,
so I went with some double monk strap shoes.
And what I consider to be the perfect watch for this outfit,
my Rolex Datejust.
One final thing I wanna share,
is something funny that Thomas told me,
as I was interviewing him for this review.
And that's related to the lapel width.
He said that in Italy, the size of the lapel
is proportionate to the size of the ego of the wearer.
So here, with a three and 3/4 inch lapel,
I think it's the perfect width for the guy who's confident,
but not so overly confident
that it detracts from the clothing.
Next a simple casually elegant combo
with just the turtleneck, the taupe flannel trousers,
and the raglan coat.
One thing that really strikes me
about the entire Pini Parma collection,
is that it plays in this realm
of the classic menswear color palette,
of blues, grays, and browns.
But somehow, all of the versions of those colors
in the collection, have a little bit of a different feel,
while still being classic.
It's unique, and it appears very luxurious.
Kind of reminds me of Brunello Cucinelli, in many ways,
except for the price tag.
As I said, lots of options here
in terms of styling the coat, because of the belt.
You can tuck the belt into the pockets for a cleaner look.
Or give a simple knot in the front,
keeping it open just slightly,
for a more sartorial appearance.
And pulling the browns of the outfit together
with my Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle on the wrist,
and dark-brown double monks, once again.
One final outfit here, showcasing the popover,
the blue houndstooth trousers,
and repurposing the jacket from the suit.
This is what I would consider sort of a grown-up casual,
or luxe casual kind of look.
All basic elements, but with the fabrics,
and all of the particular details of these garments,
you have something that's a little more elevated
than just the typical casual outfit.
The popover has really grown on me,
especially this one in this color.
My glasses are by Cubitts.
On the wrist, is the Rolex Explorer II.
In my opinion, a very underrated watch.
And then anchored by a pair of white leather sneakers.
It's a sporty and elevated look.
Great for when you wanna put something casual together,
with a little extra.
So it should be pretty obvious,
that I think Pini Parma is an absolutely exceptional brand.
The quality, the fit,
and the details you get in a ready to wear garment,
at that price point, is absolutely outstanding.
Still kind of blows my mind that this is available
as ready-to-wear clothing.
And another thing I love about Pini Parma
is that the selection is not overwhelming.
You have a very curated selection of wardrobe essentials.
And everything is very high quality.
And because Pini Parma deals in classic menswear staples,
you are getting a lot of versatility,
which equates to a humongous bang for your buck.
Now, is Pini Parma better than Suitsupply?
In my opinion, 100% yes, absolutely no question,
Pini Parma is better than Suitsupply.
Now, does Pini Parma have as wide a variety
of options and patterns as Suitsupply, no.
Is Pini Parma as ubiquitous as Suitsupply?
Like can you find them in multiple cities
throughout the US, no.
Is Pini Parma trendy like Suitsupply, no.
But that's a good thing, and in terms of price,
we're talking pretty much in the same ballpark.
So if you are looking for high-quality,
lots of attention to detail, amazing fabrics,
sartorial details that you rarely,
if ever, see on ready-to-wear clothing.
And if you value timeless, classic menswear,
that never goes out of style,
then I would seriously encourage you to consider Pini Parma.
Well there you have it.
I don't know what else to say at this point,
other than leave your comments down below.
Lots to talk about.
I told you this was gonna be a good one.
Links to everything featured in this video
are down below in the description.
Thumbs up, don't forget to subscribe,
and as always, thanks for watching, and stay tailored.
(gentle music)