Belvest is best known for its hybrid style of suit making that combines aspects of English and Neapolitan tailoring but with a lot less rigidity, structure, and formality. The company, based in Padova, Italy, is also one of Italy’s most progressive and innovative, creating myriad variations on the classic men’s sport coat on a seasonal basis.


Belvest is a company that trades in understatement. From their personal philosophy of “whispered” luxury, to their history of making private-label clothing for the some of the best houses in the world, the family-run Italian label has, seemingly, never felt the need to be particularly conspicuous.


Belvest has become famous for exceptional fabrics, exacting cuts, and extraordinary quality in the decades since founder Mino Nicoletto set up shop in Piazzola sul Brenta, 1964. Still the company’s base of operations to this day, the town sits near Padua, not far from Venice, in Italy’s Veneto region. The area is known for a culture deeply rooted in textiles and tailoring—a very appropriate headquarters for a company whose name is a shortened version of the Italian word belvestire, or “the art of dressing well.”


And while recent years have seen successful innovations like the advent of womenswear and a “Jacketinthebox” collection of travel-friendly garments, ultimately, Belvest’s appeal lies in its dedication to old-school technique. Cutting, construction, and detailing—these are still done largely by hand by master craftsmen. In a machine age, that’s almost as extraordinary as the clothing itself. And if you’ve ever seen a Belvest garment in person, you know that’s really saying something.