Vitale Barberis Canonico

Worsted and flannel; weaving since 1663

Vitale Barberis Canonico weaves in Pratrivero, in the Biella hills of northern Italy, and the paper trail runs longer than almost anyone's. The oldest document in the family archive dates to 1663 and records the sale of a grey cloth to the Duke of Savoia. When the company marked 350 years of wool milling in 2013, it joined Les Henokiens, an association of family firms that have traded for at least two centuries.

The mill is still run by the Barberis Canonico family, and the product shows the continuity. Worsted and flannel are the core of the book, with warm-weather cloth alongside: the house Solaro, plus mohair and linen blends. The cloth behaves on the cutting table and holds a press once made up, which is exactly what a tailor asks of a mill with this much practice.

Two THEODORE garments show the range. The Glen Green Sports Jacket depends on the check being woven true, because a crooked check announces itself the moment the pieces are matched. The Michigan Avenue Check Navy Suit does the same work in business dress: enough pattern to notice, enough restraint to wear on a Tuesday.

When a client cannot pick between houses, VBC is often our answer. Three and a half centuries of habit are hard to argue with.