Tour of Rubinacci workshop / Cappelli atelier -- June 2011 - Page 12

Marco, again, the problem with your commentary is that it amounts to: "You're a tourist, I'm not, so I'm right and you're wrong." If you want to talk about other Neapolitan tailors and bring forth a meaningful comparison, why don't you present some objective, substantive information that others can judge for themselves?

Anyway, I think you are also seriously misconstruing what I've claimed about Rubinacci. I never said they were the only 'true' Neapolitan tailors--not even close. I never claimed they single-handedly invented a style, either. As your own account indicates, the development of tailoring in Naples has been multi-fronted and fluid. Thus, its inherently impossible to pinpoint any tailor that represents 'true' Neapolitan tailoring. The one thing I have said in Rubinacci's favor with respect to that issue is that they've been around for a long time, and continued with the same style. Insofar as Neapolitan tailoring is decades-old in the making and represented by many different tailors and styles, Rubinacci's consistency and longevity alone are fully indicative of the firm's claim to being truly Neapolitan. If you think not, I'd imagine you'd have objective reasons you could illucidate, rather than mere hearsay.

I think it depends on whether you take it at the bar or sitting at a table. The table prices are higher. Anyway, Gambrinus is a nice place to spend a morning.

Don't miss Rubinacci for ties, too. The silk selection is very unique.

The language problem should not be underestimated. It's okay when you're dealing with something simple like a shirt or pair of pants, but there are just too many variables involved with a suit, to say nothing of the greater expense.

Moreover, the idea of dealing with tailors lacking a transparent, organized pricing structure fills me with no small amount of anxiety. I like knowing the price I see on the list is the price I'm going to pay, and that's what everyone else is going to pay, too. The notion of needing a proper introduction to get the right kind of price and service really strikes the wrong chord with me, and I would not want or know how to maintain such a relationship.

And that's really the heart of it: when you see a tailor, you build a relationship. It's not like ordering off a menu or picking something out at the store. Your conversations with your tailor are crucial in building that relationship, and will invariably influence the work he does for you. You don't just want to be another set of measurements in a folder. If I can't have a friendly conversation with a tailor, I won't use him. It would be a potential disaster for both of us.