From A to Zegna

Ladies, watch out. Someone officially knows your man just as well, if not better than, you. Ermenegildo Zegna, luxury menswear brand, just opened its bigger and better boutique at the Forum Shops at Caesars (next door to the old one) and it does all the thinking for him.

If he likes a cashmere V-neck sweater in plum, the store conveniently places several coordinating options on the same rack. A striped button-down shirt, khaki pants and suede sand-colored loafers sit suggestively nearby so that he can pluck them one by one and pat himself on the back while making his way to the fitting room.

At least, that's the idea. Truth be told, most Zegna customers find themselves in the boutique, not because style is lost on them but because style is of the utmost priority. Comparable to an Hermes handbag for women, the shoes here can climb up to $9,000. The brand is heralded and best recognized for its suits, the tip-top of which can compare in price with a brand new 3-series BMW after tailoring.

"Customers depend on Zegna for absolute quality, whether they are looking for elegant sportswear, tailored clothing or more causal weekend attire," says Robert Ackerman, Ermenegildo Zegna president and CEO, North America.

It comes down to extraordinary fabrics and impeccable fit. Zegna doesn't outsource any one component of its production process. From the spinning of the yarn to the threading of the needles to the finished product, everything takes place within the company. It makes for quality that's as plainly evident when wearing the product as it is when beholding it.

Fabric like cashco, a combination of cashmere and cotton, makes cashmere wearable through summer. Vicuna, a fabric the brand is known for, is taken from the camelid animal of the same name and produces the finest wool in the world.

Careful attention is paid to every last detail of the four collections available at the Forum Shops boutique. Sartorial, Upper Casual, Z Zegna and Zegna Sport fill the 3,733-square-foot space. Couture will be available at the boutique at Crystals at CityCenter this summer.

The suits, which have become synonymous with the brand, enjoy such a high-caliber reputation because of their fit. Zegna offers a Made-to-Measure service that tailors suits to customers' measurements with all tailoring done in Switzerland and Italy, where the brand originated 100 years ago (2010 marks Zegna's centennial). Turnaround is four to six weeks and the service costs 20 percent more than the off-the-rack suits. Customers choose from 90 fabrics to design a shirt, trousers, jacket and tie exactly to their taste. While the service is always available, it becomes even more desirable once a season. That's when a master tailor from Italy visits the store to personally take measurements. (The master tailor will be at the boutique from noon to 8 p.m. today.)

Since the recession took hold of the country, Zegna saw a dip in suit sales and a sudden interest in its off-the-clock attire. Its answer came in the form of high performance technology. A Zegna Sport (pricepoints for this line run $145-$1,100) vinyl jacket is designed to make less noise with the golf swing motion. Another one folds into a built-in zipper pocket to carry instead of wear. For environmentalists, the Eco-Tech jacket is made of recycled plastic bottles.

Over in the dressier Sartorial collection, the Cool Effect suit makes jackets much more tolerable in Vegas heat. The fabric reflects 80 percent of sunlight and makes for a difference of 10 degrees compared to other jackets.

It all falls right in line with the Zegna philosophy. "Zegna aims to adapt to the lifestyle of our clients," says Ackerman. "We never let the clothes 'wear the man' as it is essential that a man feels at ease with his wardrobe."

Ermenegildo Zegna is at the Forum Shops at Caesars, 369-5458