We answer your questions about Italian tailoring brand Kiton and Kiton suits, including: what is Kiton? How to pronounce Kiton? And why is Kiton so expensive?
The name Kiton is synonymous with luxury, quality, and tradition. Born with the aim of spreading Neapolitan elegance and sartorial heritage around the world, Kiton creates suits that are true works of art.
Haven’t heard of Kiton yet? Here’s everything you need to know about Kiton and its legendary suits.
What is Kiton?
Italian label Kiton (pronounced KEY-TON) is regarded as one of the best tailoring brands in the world, known globally for its luxurious, handmade suits.
The label was established in 1956 by Neapolitan textile merchant Ciro Paone under the name CiPa, which combined the founder’s initials. In 1968, the company was rebranded as Kiton, a reference to the tunic worn in Ancient Greece during prayer, the khitōn.
Paone, who passed away in 2021, was one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the Italian fashion scene, and a true visionary. Through Kiton, he introduced Neapolitan tailoring to the world.
Committed to preserving the ancient craft of Neapolitan tailoring, in 2000, Paone launched a revolutionary project–he created the Kiton Tailoring School, choosing to invest in the training of a new generation of tailors. This, Kiton believes, is the future of fashion.
“If the world is not producing tailors, it is necessary to create them.” –Ciro Paone
Kiton Suits
Kiton suits are crafted by hand according to the Neapolitan tailoring tradition.
“Naples,” Kiton told us, “has a tradition of tailoring whose origins go back centuries and can be traced back to 1351, the year when the Confraternity of Tailors was founded.”
In contrast to English and Spanish tailoring, Neapolitan suits are synonymous with lightness and comfort–there is no shoulder padding or heavy lining. A Neapolitan suit jacket features the distinctive spalla a camicia, meaning “shirt sleeve”, which perfectly fits the wearer’s shoulders and allows greater freedom of movement. Overall, Neapolitan tailoring embodies a laid-back, casual style.
The distinctive features of a Kiton suit are the cut, the construction, and the fabrics, which are created in the company’s own woollen mill.
Kiton suits and jackets come in a variety of colors and fabrics. This grey cashmere suit, made from a blend of cashmere, wool, silk, and line, is perfect for formal events and business engagements. This linen jacket from SS22 is perfect for leisure, and will elevate any casual outfit.
All Kiton suit jackets feature the Neapolitan-style chest pocket, called a barchetta, which angles upwards to reflect the curve of the chest.
Kiton also offers a range of casualwear, including denim, polo shirts, knitwear, and loungewear, and has recently expanded into womenswear.
Why is Kiton so expensive?
Kiton makes some of the most expensive suits in the world, with its cashmere suit retailing at the eye-popping price of $12 600.
But why are Kiton suits so expensive? What makes Kiton suits so different from the rest?
“Our competitive advantage undoubtedly lies in fabrics,” Kiton told us. “We are renowned for the vast range of fabrics we provide and the intrinsic quality of our yarns. Thanks to our woollen mill, we can offer truly exclusive fabrics, made by Kiton for Kiton suits (and casual collections) and available only at our boutiques and leading multi-brand stores worldwide.”
Here are some of the exclusive fabrics used by Kiton:
- vicuna, the most precious yarn in the world due to its rareness, lightness, ductility, and ability to provide warmth.
- cashmere wool, soft and light, this precious fabric is an excellent insulator, and can therefore be worn in all seasons.
- 12.8 micron wool, the thinnest wool in the world, and a Kiton exclusive, made in the Carlo Barbera woollen mill.
- 13.2 micron wool, also known as Solaro, this fabric is loose fitting and soft, and has a double face
Moreover, every item Kiton produces, whether it’s suits, shirts, or sportswear, is entirely made by hand–hand cut and tacked, without the help of machines. A Kiton suit takes, on average, 25 hours to produce! Once the suit is completed, it is ironed with vintage irons, weighing 8kgs each, and a wet cloth. This ensures the fabric stays extra soft.
Curious how to find the right dress shirt size? See below.
This quality and attention to detail comes with a price. But you only need to try on a Kiton suit to understand the quality you’re paying for. Kiton suits are worth every cent, if you ask us!
Luckily, at italist.com we usually have the best offer on the market—you can save up to 40% on Kiton suits, as we import our items directly from Italy!
About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.