radicaldog
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I just spent a couple of days in Naples, so I thought I might share a few random style-related observations. I hadn't been there in a long time and was only passing through with friends, so this wasn't a clothes-buying expedition, but still.
- Marinella: disappointment. I'd only been to their little shop in Milan and expected to find a treasure trove here, but they didn't have much. For instance, no shantung/raw silk ties. Yes, I did visit their upstairs shop. Basically, their style is stiff, bland and unsophisticated in a bad way. High quality but somewhat soulless ties. I wanted to buy a couple of printed foulard ties and just couldn't find one that really spoke to me. They're mostly tasteful (as in not tacky), but uninspired. Places like Cappelli or Drakes are on a different level, taste-wise (I'm only talking about silk selection -- but I could also cite construction of the RTW selection). Incidentally, I bought two soporific foulard ties in a place in Palermo called Dall'Oglio -- much better selection than Marinella.
- Random find: Mr Fox, just off Piazza dei Martiri. Excellent tie selection, both in terms of knits and regular silks. Very nice ancient madder and English-style floral prints (three- and seven-folds, flat but flawless construction). Bought three knit ties, which are the same kind as the ones sold by Drakes (but cheaper).
- Cappelli, Ulturale, Rubinacci and Attolini were all closed. It's August in Italy after all. Shame as I really wanted one of Ulturale's ties with the hidden coral horn charm. Btw, Rubinacci is relocating from Via Filangieri to a beautiful building on Via Chiaia, where their 'vintage' shop used to be. I've glanced at the interior under construction and the style is pretty much the 'luxe' one of all their shops. Looks very promising.
- Lower-end clothing: I'm lucky enough to mostly buy bespoke and fairly high quality RTW clothes, but walking around Naples I noticed that there are a lot of mid/lover-mid market shops (e.g. on the lower bit of Chiaia) selling fairly decent-looking clothes under their own label. Those are clothes that would command much higher prices in Northern Europe or North America. Here we think of Naples as the home of Rubinacci et al., SF types on a limited budget would do very well in Naples, both in terms of styling and quality.
- Talarico: great place, quite authentic and unpretentious. Bought a simple blue folding umbrella with chestnut (I think he said that's what it is) handle -- Rubinacci's prices for the same items in London are ludicrous. The young guy in the shop also recommended a very good bar for the night, so I guess he can read the aesthetics of his clientele.
- Someone really must do something to keep this gorgeous city cleaner. It's infuriating -- I say this as an Italian citizen.
- Marinella: disappointment. I'd only been to their little shop in Milan and expected to find a treasure trove here, but they didn't have much. For instance, no shantung/raw silk ties. Yes, I did visit their upstairs shop. Basically, their style is stiff, bland and unsophisticated in a bad way. High quality but somewhat soulless ties. I wanted to buy a couple of printed foulard ties and just couldn't find one that really spoke to me. They're mostly tasteful (as in not tacky), but uninspired. Places like Cappelli or Drakes are on a different level, taste-wise (I'm only talking about silk selection -- but I could also cite construction of the RTW selection). Incidentally, I bought two soporific foulard ties in a place in Palermo called Dall'Oglio -- much better selection than Marinella.
- Random find: Mr Fox, just off Piazza dei Martiri. Excellent tie selection, both in terms of knits and regular silks. Very nice ancient madder and English-style floral prints (three- and seven-folds, flat but flawless construction). Bought three knit ties, which are the same kind as the ones sold by Drakes (but cheaper).
- Cappelli, Ulturale, Rubinacci and Attolini were all closed. It's August in Italy after all. Shame as I really wanted one of Ulturale's ties with the hidden coral horn charm. Btw, Rubinacci is relocating from Via Filangieri to a beautiful building on Via Chiaia, where their 'vintage' shop used to be. I've glanced at the interior under construction and the style is pretty much the 'luxe' one of all their shops. Looks very promising.
- Lower-end clothing: I'm lucky enough to mostly buy bespoke and fairly high quality RTW clothes, but walking around Naples I noticed that there are a lot of mid/lover-mid market shops (e.g. on the lower bit of Chiaia) selling fairly decent-looking clothes under their own label. Those are clothes that would command much higher prices in Northern Europe or North America. Here we think of Naples as the home of Rubinacci et al., SF types on a limited budget would do very well in Naples, both in terms of styling and quality.
- Talarico: great place, quite authentic and unpretentious. Bought a simple blue folding umbrella with chestnut (I think he said that's what it is) handle -- Rubinacci's prices for the same items in London are ludicrous. The young guy in the shop also recommended a very good bar for the night, so I guess he can read the aesthetics of his clientele.
- Someone really must do something to keep this gorgeous city cleaner. It's infuriating -- I say this as an Italian citizen.
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