koolbear
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- Feb 14, 2014
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Just finished off a small trip to Naples, and will be back next week to pick up some clothes. Some interesting pictures for those who haven't been before. I dragged my wife across, and she actually loves the place. We are already planning a return trip next year.
The train from Rome Termini was incredibly convenient and clean. And reasonably priced too.
There are guys wearing jackets like this everywhere in Italy. You see so many jackets with double pick stitching, patch hip pockets and soft-shoulders. It is really remarkable how pervasive the style is, particularly in Naples.
Did I mention that the train to Naples is very fast. We didn't crack 300km / hour unfortunately. I kept staring at the speedometer, but that was as close as we got.
Apparently this water-front area has been recently updated. It's nice. We jogged along here in the mornings.
This shop apparently sells shirting fabric with no minimum length required. Prices seemed reasonable, but not cheap. Basic cloth looked to be about 25E per metre, and the nicer stuff, about 50E+ per metre. I didn't buy any as I came packing some of my own. They had all the usual suspects (Albini, Rubinelli, Canclini...). Not sure if they had Riva. I may duck back next week to see if they have Riva (just to see what all the fuss is about...).
I dropped into see these guys. I only decided two weeks earlier that I would see them. I sent an email to Luigi expecting never to hear back from them. But he wrote back within 48 hours, and said he'd accomodate two fittings in the week I was there. So what the hell I thought. I've always liked the stuff I'd seen from them.
This is more stressful than it looks. I had my wife tapping her feet looking to grab lunch, and I had no idea what I was after. I settled on a brighter than navy blue 9oz hopsack, in a 3R2, Patch Hip / Barchetta, Spalla Camicia, Double Pick-Stitch. I decided at the last minute to order some trousers in the same fabric to make it a suit. You can see my anti-theft device on my left buttock. It is a button which holds the rear pocket closed. My wife was skeptical. I was confident.
Being measured by Signor Solito. He doesn't speak any English. I told him I like the lean style that Luigi wears, but I dig the chest and shoulder drape that Luigi also has in his coats. We discussed worldly matters for about 15 minutes before Luigi arrived. I'm not sure we were talking about the same thing, but it was a good conversation nonetheless. He understood me when I said I was from Australia. Beyond that, I can't imagine you could confidently order without Luigi around.
Signor Solito is a really gracious and kind man. He seems genuinely proud of his work, but without any pretense. When I pinched the drape in his jacket, and gave the two thumbs up, he grinned, and I think he was surprised that a 29-year old guy from Australia had an appreciation for his craft. I told him I was excited that Luigi is following in succession, because I was worried he would retire before I was finished ordering clothing. He smiled and remarked that he is not stopping any time soon.
Some sweet-arse coats waiting for fittings and pick-ups. This seemed to be the house-style. Solito customers seem to have good taste in cloth. If you like blue and grey, then you will like everything they have in production at the moment. I saw one crazy jacket, and apparently it was for a customer from Japan. Whilst I was there, other people came and went to pick up new items.
The hand-work and finishing was impressive. I felt like a douche-bag taking so many photographs, but I did ask for permission, and they seemed very pleased that I was so interested. They also laughed that I knew the Italian words for patch-pockets, soft, double pick-stitching, etc.
Lunch. The taxi-driver who picked us up from the Napoli Centrale Station recommended this place, shortly before charging me 20E despite the meter reading 8E (I wasn't in a mood to argue given he had the home-court advantage). It was a solid 9.8/10. Pizza is cheaper than Australian bottled water here. That might be a slight exaggeration. Put it this way, a Margherita here is cheaper than a bottle of Coke in Melbourne Airport. That is not an exaggeration.
It is pretty bloody good. Luigi and I went out for coffee after my appointment, and I told him that I thought Neapolitan Pizza was only slightly better than the best Australian version of Neapolitan Pizza. Surprisingly, he didn't take me aside and club me on the head for speaking blasphemy. He actually said he wasn't surprised, because he had eaten some amazing pizza on his trips to Japan too. In short however, the buffalo mozzarella is better in Naples. It has a stronger flavour. Otherwise, we can get DOP San Marzano tomatoes in Melbourne these days, and so I don't think we give up much to the real thing. This stuff is significantly better than what I have eaten in NYC however (Lombardi's, Eataly NYC, etc.) - but I don't think New York Pizza is designed to be the same as the Italian original. I'm sure NYC has Pizza somewhere that I haven't been that is more to my liking.
I told you it was cheap...
This place, not so cheap... I can confirm that a suit here costs more than a bottle of Coke at Melbourne Airport.
This is the first fitting for this order, and I am a new customer. I started this order back in December 2013 in London. I'm surprised that it fit so well based on the 5 or 6 measurements that were taken back then. I was almost shocked at how little measurements that took on my first appointment. It was disconcerting for someone new to bespoke. This is a Linen coat. I think it is Solbiati 9oz, or Drapers. I can't remember.
Some changes were made. The jacket will have more waist suppression, be shorter, and the sleeves needed some rotation and shortening. I don't know if I dig the way Rubinacci do their shoulders. They are very straight, and not very round. They are unpadded, but they don't look that way. They look good from behind, but less good from the front.
I felt like a tool wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt to the fitting, but the hotel near Rome Termini didn't have any irons, and I didn't feel like I should be wearing an un-ironed shirt around all day. I assured them I'd wear a shirt on the following day to help them nut out the sleeve length. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have more waist suppression. It looks good as it is, despite it feeling really big around my waist, with room for another person almost. Too late. The head tailor Gennaro was a delightful guy. He again doesn't speak any English, and despite that, we managed to talk to each other for 10 or so minutes before the jacket was brought down from the workshop.
Luigi recommended this place for dinner. It was a local Trattoria in the Spanish Quarter, just off Via Toledo, which is one of the main streets. The food was as good, if not better than any Italian I have eaten in Melbourne, including our very best. It was also cheap. 10E for most pasta dishes.
I was surprised at the end of our first day here. Every Italian I have spoken to in Australia warned me not to come to Naples, because of how dangerous it is. I felt fairly safe in the main areas. I didn't venture out after 20:30PM however. My wife also felt at ease 95% of the time.
More pictures to be added later if there is interest. Signor Solito smashed the first fitting, and I'm really pleased with how it is shaping up.
The train from Rome Termini was incredibly convenient and clean. And reasonably priced too.
There are guys wearing jackets like this everywhere in Italy. You see so many jackets with double pick stitching, patch hip pockets and soft-shoulders. It is really remarkable how pervasive the style is, particularly in Naples.
Did I mention that the train to Naples is very fast. We didn't crack 300km / hour unfortunately. I kept staring at the speedometer, but that was as close as we got.
Apparently this water-front area has been recently updated. It's nice. We jogged along here in the mornings.
This shop apparently sells shirting fabric with no minimum length required. Prices seemed reasonable, but not cheap. Basic cloth looked to be about 25E per metre, and the nicer stuff, about 50E+ per metre. I didn't buy any as I came packing some of my own. They had all the usual suspects (Albini, Rubinelli, Canclini...). Not sure if they had Riva. I may duck back next week to see if they have Riva (just to see what all the fuss is about...).
I dropped into see these guys. I only decided two weeks earlier that I would see them. I sent an email to Luigi expecting never to hear back from them. But he wrote back within 48 hours, and said he'd accomodate two fittings in the week I was there. So what the hell I thought. I've always liked the stuff I'd seen from them.
This is more stressful than it looks. I had my wife tapping her feet looking to grab lunch, and I had no idea what I was after. I settled on a brighter than navy blue 9oz hopsack, in a 3R2, Patch Hip / Barchetta, Spalla Camicia, Double Pick-Stitch. I decided at the last minute to order some trousers in the same fabric to make it a suit. You can see my anti-theft device on my left buttock. It is a button which holds the rear pocket closed. My wife was skeptical. I was confident.
Being measured by Signor Solito. He doesn't speak any English. I told him I like the lean style that Luigi wears, but I dig the chest and shoulder drape that Luigi also has in his coats. We discussed worldly matters for about 15 minutes before Luigi arrived. I'm not sure we were talking about the same thing, but it was a good conversation nonetheless. He understood me when I said I was from Australia. Beyond that, I can't imagine you could confidently order without Luigi around.
Signor Solito is a really gracious and kind man. He seems genuinely proud of his work, but without any pretense. When I pinched the drape in his jacket, and gave the two thumbs up, he grinned, and I think he was surprised that a 29-year old guy from Australia had an appreciation for his craft. I told him I was excited that Luigi is following in succession, because I was worried he would retire before I was finished ordering clothing. He smiled and remarked that he is not stopping any time soon.
Some sweet-arse coats waiting for fittings and pick-ups. This seemed to be the house-style. Solito customers seem to have good taste in cloth. If you like blue and grey, then you will like everything they have in production at the moment. I saw one crazy jacket, and apparently it was for a customer from Japan. Whilst I was there, other people came and went to pick up new items.
The hand-work and finishing was impressive. I felt like a douche-bag taking so many photographs, but I did ask for permission, and they seemed very pleased that I was so interested. They also laughed that I knew the Italian words for patch-pockets, soft, double pick-stitching, etc.
Lunch. The taxi-driver who picked us up from the Napoli Centrale Station recommended this place, shortly before charging me 20E despite the meter reading 8E (I wasn't in a mood to argue given he had the home-court advantage). It was a solid 9.8/10. Pizza is cheaper than Australian bottled water here. That might be a slight exaggeration. Put it this way, a Margherita here is cheaper than a bottle of Coke in Melbourne Airport. That is not an exaggeration.
It is pretty bloody good. Luigi and I went out for coffee after my appointment, and I told him that I thought Neapolitan Pizza was only slightly better than the best Australian version of Neapolitan Pizza. Surprisingly, he didn't take me aside and club me on the head for speaking blasphemy. He actually said he wasn't surprised, because he had eaten some amazing pizza on his trips to Japan too. In short however, the buffalo mozzarella is better in Naples. It has a stronger flavour. Otherwise, we can get DOP San Marzano tomatoes in Melbourne these days, and so I don't think we give up much to the real thing. This stuff is significantly better than what I have eaten in NYC however (Lombardi's, Eataly NYC, etc.) - but I don't think New York Pizza is designed to be the same as the Italian original. I'm sure NYC has Pizza somewhere that I haven't been that is more to my liking.
I told you it was cheap...
This place, not so cheap... I can confirm that a suit here costs more than a bottle of Coke at Melbourne Airport.
This is the first fitting for this order, and I am a new customer. I started this order back in December 2013 in London. I'm surprised that it fit so well based on the 5 or 6 measurements that were taken back then. I was almost shocked at how little measurements that took on my first appointment. It was disconcerting for someone new to bespoke. This is a Linen coat. I think it is Solbiati 9oz, or Drapers. I can't remember.
Some changes were made. The jacket will have more waist suppression, be shorter, and the sleeves needed some rotation and shortening. I don't know if I dig the way Rubinacci do their shoulders. They are very straight, and not very round. They are unpadded, but they don't look that way. They look good from behind, but less good from the front.
I felt like a tool wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt to the fitting, but the hotel near Rome Termini didn't have any irons, and I didn't feel like I should be wearing an un-ironed shirt around all day. I assured them I'd wear a shirt on the following day to help them nut out the sleeve length. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have more waist suppression. It looks good as it is, despite it feeling really big around my waist, with room for another person almost. Too late. The head tailor Gennaro was a delightful guy. He again doesn't speak any English, and despite that, we managed to talk to each other for 10 or so minutes before the jacket was brought down from the workshop.
Luigi recommended this place for dinner. It was a local Trattoria in the Spanish Quarter, just off Via Toledo, which is one of the main streets. The food was as good, if not better than any Italian I have eaten in Melbourne, including our very best. It was also cheap. 10E for most pasta dishes.
I was surprised at the end of our first day here. Every Italian I have spoken to in Australia warned me not to come to Naples, because of how dangerous it is. I felt fairly safe in the main areas. I didn't venture out after 20:30PM however. My wife also felt at ease 95% of the time.
More pictures to be added later if there is interest. Signor Solito smashed the first fitting, and I'm really pleased with how it is shaping up.
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