Kiton Blazers, Shirts, Knitwear & Jeans

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Kiton: the best of the best, plus one

Ciro Paone founded Kiton in 1968 in Arzano, just north of Naples, and named it after the chiton, the tunic the ancient Greeks wore to pray to their gods. His family had traded cloth since the 1950s, and his idea was simple and expensive: take the best fabric in the world and give it to the best tailors in Naples, with no limit on time. His motto, "il meglio del meglio più uno", the best of the best plus one, still hangs in the factory. Kiton today employs around 800 people, more than half of them craftsmen, and owns the whole chain: the jackets, shirts, shoes and leather goods are made in Arzano, the jeans in Marcianise, the knitwear in Fidenza, the outerwear in Parma, and since 2010 the wool comes from Kiton's own mill, Lanificio Carlo Barbera in Biella. In 2000 the company opened its own tailoring school in Arzano, a three-year programme that trains the next generation of Neapolitan tailors, because nobody else was doing it. The company is still owned by the Paone family.

Kiton blazers: hand-cut cashmere jackets from Naples

A Kiton jacket is cut and basted by hand in Naples, in some 1,800 steps by around 25 craftsmen, which is why one takes about 25 hours to make. The shoulder is the soft, unpadded Neapolitan one, the buttonholes are sewn by hand and every jacket comes with a white pocket square held by a red Kiton button. We carry the Cashmere Blazer in navy, with notch lapels and patch pockets, the Two-Button Blazer in navy and the Two-Button Blazer in chestnut brown, in sizes 44 to 58. For a coat-weight piece there is the Cashmere Field Jacket in navy, with four flap pockets and a leather-trimmed zip pocket with the red Kiton puller. These are jackets you buy once; see also blazers and waistcoats for the rest of our range.

Kiton shirts: handmade Neapolitan dress shirts and the Buba

Kiton's dress shirts are made in the Naples atelier the way Neapolitan shirts have always been made: the collar, cuffs and sleeves are set by hand, the buttonholes are hand-sewn and the buttons are thick mother-of-pearl. We carry the Handmade Dress Shirt in white with a spread collar, the Handmade Dress Shirt in navy with a cutaway collar and the Chambray Shirt in light blue, in collar sizes 36 to 45. The Buba is Kiton's relaxed shirt model: a point collar, flap chest pockets and dark buttons, in a textured beige weave as a shirt and in a wool-look taupe twill as an overshirt, sizes XS to 3XL. It is the Kiton piece to wear with the jeans. For the other Neapolitan shirtmaker we carry, see Luigi Borrelli.

Kiton knitwear from Fidenza: polos, half-zip and fur-collar blousons

Kiton knits in its own factory in Fidenza, between Parma and Piacenza. The Fine-Knit Polo in navy and the Long-Sleeve Knitted Polo in grey have a ribbed collar and a three-button placket; the Half-Zip Mock-Neck Sweater in navy has the red Kiton zip puller. The two Beaver Fur Collar Knit Blousons, in navy and burgundy, are the most extraordinary pieces in the store: a textured knit jacket with a stand collar and lining of beaver fur, a two-way zip with red enamel pullers and ribbed cuffs, the winter jacket for a man who already owns every other winter jacket. Knitwear runs XS to 3XL.

Kiton jeans, chinos, sneakers and bags

Kiton's jeans are made in its own denim factory in Marcianise: the Slim Five-Pocket Jeans in light blue with green enamel rivets and the Limited Edition Five-Pocket Jeans in vintage blue with a numbered inner label, in waist sizes 28 to 38. The Slim Chinos in cream and white, in chino twill with an inner elastic waistband grip, complete the casual half. The Leather Sneakers in white, with a diagonal stitch, a grey suede heel tab with the red Kiton logo and a cream cupsole, are handmade in Italy in UK sizes 5 to 11. The Leather Briefcase in dark brown and the Suede Duffle Bag in taupe are the bags.

Why is Kiton so expensive?

Because almost nothing in a Kiton garment is done by machine, and everything is done in Italy, in factories Kiton owns. A jacket takes about 25 hours and 1,800 steps; a shirt is set and buttonholed by hand; the cashmere and wool come from Kiton's own mill in Biella and from the finest fibres available, including vicuña. Add a company that trains its own tailors for three years before they touch a customer's jacket, and the price follows. At Paul Zeist a Kiton blazer costs 4,900 to 5,500 euros, a handmade shirt from 575 euros, jeans from 1,095 euros and the sneakers 810 euros. Whether it is worth it is for you to decide; the men who own one rarely go back.

Kiton or Brioni?

The two names at the top of Italian tailoring, from opposite ends of the country. Brioni from Rome is the structured one: a built shoulder, a clean chest, the suit of film stars and heads of state. Kiton from Naples is the soft one: an unpadded shoulder, a jacket that moves like a cardigan, more handwork per piece. Both are made entirely in Italy by their own craftsmen. Choose Brioni for presence and Kiton for lightness. For the cashmere alternative between the two, see Brunello Cucinelli; for a structured Italian jacket at a third of the price, Corneliani; for handmade shoes to go with any of them, Santoni.

Kiton sizes and fit

Kiton jackets use Italian sizes 44 to 60: a 48 is a medium, a 50 a large, a 52 an extra-large. The cut is Neapolitan, close in the chest with a high armhole and a soft shoulder, and true to size for most men; if you are between sizes, come to the store, because a Kiton jacket is worth fitting in person and our tailor adjusts sleeves and waist. Shirts go by collar size 36 to 45, knitwear and the Buba by XS to 3XL, jeans and chinos by inch waist 28 to 38, sneakers in UK sizes 5 to 11. The men's size guide and the shirt size guide have the measurements.

Kiton at Paul Zeist

Kiton has no boutique in the Netherlands or Belgium; Paul Zeist has carried it since 2021 in our men's store on the Slotlaan in Zeist, and what you see online hangs in the store. Orders placed before 16:00 ship the same working day, insured, with free UPS pick-up in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and returns within 14 days across the EU. End-of-season pieces move to men's sale.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Kiton so expensive?

A Kiton jacket takes about 25 hours and some 1,800 hand steps in Kiton's own factory in Arzano, the fabric comes from its own mill in Biella and the shirts are set and buttonholed by hand. At Paul Zeist a blazer costs 4,900 to 5,500 euros and a handmade shirt from 575 euros.

Is Kiton better than Brioni?

They are the two best, from different schools. Kiton (Naples) is soft, unpadded and has more handwork per jacket; Brioni (Rome) is structured with a built shoulder. Choose by how you want a jacket to feel, not by quality.

Where is Kiton made?

Entirely in Italy, in factories Kiton owns: jackets, shirts and shoes in Arzano near Naples, jeans in Marcianise, knitwear in Fidenza, outerwear in Parma, and the wool at Lanificio Carlo Barbera in Biella.

How do Kiton blazers fit?

Italian sizes 44 to 60, Neapolitan cut: close in the chest, high armhole, soft shoulder, true to size for most men. The men's size guide has the measurements; in Zeist we fit and adjust in person.

What is a Kiton Buba shirt?

Buba is Kiton's relaxed shirt model with a point collar and flap chest pockets, made as a shirt in textured beige and as an overshirt in taupe twill. It is the Kiton piece for jeans and chinos, in sizes XS to 3XL.

Kiton

10504 Flap-Pocket Overshirt Dark Grey Melange

Paul Zeist Baby, Kids & Junior

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Kiton: the best of the best, plus one

Kiton blazers: hand-cut cashmere jackets from Naples

Kiton shirts: handmade Neapolitan dress shirts and the Buba

Kiton knitwear from Fidenza: polos, half-zip and fur-collar blousons

Kiton jeans, chinos, sneakers and bags

Why is Kiton so expensive?

Kiton or Brioni?

Kiton sizes and fit

Kiton at Paul Zeist

Frequently asked questions

Why is Kiton so expensive?

Is Kiton better than Brioni?

Where is Kiton made?

How do Kiton blazers fit?

What is a Kiton Buba shirt?