Gagliardi is one of those brands that I had heard a lot about but never actually tried. I had seen ads or reviews on several of my favorite menswear blogs like Image Granted and Gentleman’s Gazette, so I was very curious about how their clothes fit.
Calvin, Gagliardi’s director of e-commerce, must have read my mind, because he reached out to me and asked if I’d like to try out a couple of items from their new spring/summer collection. The clothes looked really nice, so I thought why not?
Keep in mind, Gagliardi doesn’t make custom or made-to-measure clothing. They sell off-the-rack sizes. Since most off-the-rack clothes don’t fit men under 5’8″, I had low expectations.
Calvin ended up sending over a light blue blazer and a white polka dot shirt. The blazer is a 36 short, and the shirt is a size small. Calvin told me both items were “slim fit”, which is great for me, but “slim” doesn’t mean much these days, especially for us svelte gents.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised that the Gagliardi jacket and shirt are actually slim. Much more so than most American brands I’m used to. The jacket fits better out of the box than any other 36 short, including the J. Crew Ludlow.
It might be a hair shorter than a Ludlow 34 short, which is great because the J. Crew 34s is too long for shorter gents, in my opinion. This Gagliardi jacket is tapered just enough. There’s a subtle pull when buttoned, but no creasing or “X” shape around the buttoning point.
I love the shape of the shoulders. They’re just the right width, and the drape is super clean.
The sleeves were a tiny bit too long out of the box, which is usually the case with off-the-rack jackets and button up shirts. I’m very picky when it comes to sleeve length, so I went ahead and got them shortened. Since the jacket buttons are non-functioning, this was a straightforward and inexpensive alteration.
Notice how the jacket sleeves are cropped extra short, and my pants barely break over my shoes. These little details are crucial for men under 5’8″.
So the clothes fit well, but how do they look? Well, the jacket is beautiful. It’s really perfect for spring and summer, and it pairs nicely with lots of stuff I already own (blue trousers, khakis, blue and white Oxford shirts, etc.).
jacket (similar) | shirt | pants (similar) | shoes | socks
The shirt is very slim, and it can be worn tucked or untucked. The pattern is pretty fashion forward, in my opinion. My closet is full of solid blues, basic vertical stripes and gingham, so this shirt definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone.
But I think that’s a good thing.
If I could change anything about this shirt, I would make the scale of the pattern a little smaller (smaller dots). For us modest men, medium or large scale patterns tend to look oversized.
One thing is for sure: I will never run into someone wearing this same outfit!
Bottom Line
I recommend Gagliardi. Their clothes are high quality and stylish. More importantly, they carry small sizes (down to 34s for jackets). Their slim fit is actually very slim, which is great for many of us shorter gents, and they also have a regular fit jackets and shirts for men who need a little more room.
If your wardrobe could use a warm weather upgrade, go check out Gagliardi today.
What do you think about this outfit? Let me know in the comments section!
Hi — I am entering this discussion very late but am interested in possibly purchasing some of Gagliardi’s dress shirts. It appears that you can only pick the right collar size but not sleeve size. I’m about 5’4″ and usually wear 15″ collar and 32″ sleeves. Did you find the Gagliardi shirt sleeves to be too long?
Yes ,I had them shortened. But that’s the case with every off-the-rack button up I own. I think you could email their customer service and get the exact sleeve length (if it’s not on their size chart).
my mom and a bunch of others 3rd class workers made that beauty in bortex tailoring factory.
Brock,
I really like Gagliardi clothes from what I have seen but I am real hesitant ordering from Malta without free return shipping. I am maybe an inch bigger in the chest than you with broad shoulders. Would you think the 36 short is too tight? It seems to fit you great but with all the talk about how slim they are, I worry.
Hi – you might like to have a look at the ACNE Wall Street o r Drifter range of suits – the jacket back lengths are short 27- 27.5 inches and the trousers are quite slim. They look great on shorter guys.
Brock,
Perfect jacket, perfect shirt and I also like the pants which I imagine are from a different company. Please share with us which it is.
The shirt pattern is rather discreet which I find is important for shorter guys.
I even find the run of the mill checks we find at the flagship stores are too large for us short guys.
The entire outfit is very discreet and I agree you really should be America’s top short guy model.
Bonne chance as we say up here in Montreal !
Matt
Hi Matt,
Thanks! The pants are from Reiss. They’re a couple of years old, but they carry similar trousers now (see the link under the fifth photo, of me sitting on the stairs).
You’re totally right that normal patterns are often too large. I actually like to whole floral/polkadot trend because the scale seems to be on the smaller side.
Top short guy model? I’ll take it!
-B
Fantastic report on this company. Of course, you look good whatever you put on 😀
I am going to check out the website and see what appeals to me. Thanks again! Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Cyrus!
The shirt is great. The pattern is not too large at all!
Thanks! And I think you’re right.
Your modeling gets better every time!
Thanks! I’m definitely not naturally comfortable in front of the camera. I don’t know how real models do it…
The jacket looks great on you. Nice review!
Thanks, Ali! Have you tried Gagliardi?
Nope, but they look really intriguing.