Zegna began in 1910 as a wool mill in Trivero, in the hills above Biella, and it still weaves its own cloth. The named fabrics, such as Trofeo, Traveller and 15milmil15, are wool cloths with their own character, and the jacket's worth is tied closely to which one it was cut from.
The brand has also sold under more than one label over the years, including the Ermenegildo Zegna mainline and the lower-priced Z Zegna. Two jackets that look alike in a photo can sit at quite different points in that range, which is why the label deserves more attention here than with most houses.
Start with the neck label to establish which Zegna line made the jacket, then look for a cloth name, which often appears on a separate tag or woven into the lining near the inside pocket. The composition label is the final check, since it settles what the fibre actually is rather than what the listing claims.
One trap is worth knowing. Zegna sells its cloth to other makers, so a jacket with a Zegna fabric tag and someone else's brand label is a Zegna cloth, not a Zegna garment. If a listing leans on the Zegna name without showing the neck label, ask for a photo before bidding.
Canali was founded in 1934 in Brianza, north of Milan, as a tailoring business, and it buys much of its cloth from outside mills. Its reputation rests on make and fit, and the mainline has kept a fairly steady house cut across decades, which makes it easier to judge from photos than a brand with wider variation.
That does not mean there is nothing to read. Canali has run separate lines such as the softer Kei and its Impeccabile performance-wool fabrics, and construction still differs between models. The composition label and the cloth tag, where present, tell you more than the line name will.
When evaluating a secondhand jacket from either house, these are the questions worth asking:
| Question | Zegna | Canali |
|---|---|---|
| What does the neck label say? | Critical; separates mainline from diffusion labels | Useful; mainline is the common case |
| Is there a named cloth? | Often, and it matters | Sometimes; outside mills are common |
| What should you confirm first? | Line and cloth name | Composition and fit |
If neither the line nor the cloth can be confirmed from the photos, price the jacket as if it were the lesser version.
Ask for three photos if the listing lacks them: the neck label, the composition label and any cloth tag inside. Then check shoulder width and sleeve length against a jacket you already own, since a well-made jacket that does not fit is not a bargain from either house.
