Some random histories of Neapolitan tailoring

[voxsartoria]

..

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I'm pretty sure that Reevolving replaced Mr. Moo...it was a kind of when one door closes, another opens type of thing, or those Glienicke Bridge exchanges that we use to do with the Soviets. Damn, those were the days!


- B

I miss Mr. Moo, I hope he is OK.

 

[voxsartoria]

..

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by yachtie

Caraceni is a lot better.

I get why other people post on FNB--namely that they are batsh*t insane, not allowed to post elsewhere, or just plain bitter. But it's particularly confounding that you continue to post here while spewing vitriole over there. If you have something to say to me--or about me--surely you don't need to cower somewhere else on the internet to say it.

Originally Posted by Manton

The wierd thing about Attolini's shop in Naples is that you would never know they do bespoke. It's a nice, but not overwhelming, RTW shop with lots of stuff. Looks high end but not that distinctive. Kinda bland, IMO. You have to ask about tailoring and they don't seem to want to focus on it.

At Rubinacci, however, it's clearly the focus of the business. RTW extists but is really limited. I recall some pants but no jacekts, though maybe I missed them.

Moreover, all the 'bespoke' comes out off the regular assembly line.

I have no idea how accurate the account is that Vox posted, but it certainly drops enough names and details to suggest a grain of truth. Nevertheless, I believe Marco and others miss the point. The key issue is not "who originated Neapolitan tailoring" or "who best represents Neapolitan tailoring." Afterall, as all accounts clearly concur: there is no straightline development of a singular "Neapolitan" style of suit. In fact, if we were to define Neapolitan tailoring by what is most fashionable in Naples today, I'd want nothing to do with it.

All that I've claimed about Rubinacci is that they've been doing essentially the same thing for the past 80 years and that their house style is widely acknowledged to be a form of classic Neapolitan (even if not the only such form), which only makes sense given their logevity and renown.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Where's marcodalondra? Food's getting cold.

- B

Even in London it's dinner time...

 

[A Y]

I sometimes wonder why provenance is such a big deal in tailoring. I'm not sure the geeky in other crafts spend this much energy on the provenance of their interests (eg. wine making, cooking, etc.). Even the shoe people aren't this bad ... I think.

--Andre

 

[Manton]

Well, I recall when Attolini first went mass market. Or, that is the wrong term. When they first got into high end RTW in a big way. A salesman I have known for years, who is like the dean of high end retail guys in NYC (portnoy knows him too), was the one who introduced it to the US market at Bergdorf. At least I think that's true, perhaps it came to Louis first, but I don't think so.

Anyway, the clear intent was to go after the Kiton market but with a better product with more hand sewing and more individualized construction. The price back then was actually higher than Kiton. I think that the Attolinis believed that since Kiton was a created brand from the 1960s, they could do better with a legendary name. The problem was that the legend was just not that well known outside of Naples or maybe Italy at the farthest.

Plus, as noted, the suits were more expensive. The cut was super, super slim so the kind of deep pocketed dude who can afford that level of suit mostly could not fit into it. And they were simply too small to compete with Kiton on marketing. They never took off the way they hoped. The high water mark of their presense in the US market was the early 2000s, IIRC.

Yet the focus still seems to be on RTW not bespoke. Rubinacci's business model has been the opposite. I have no idea how each one does relative to the other, financially, but it says something that while they are both on Filangieri, Attolini is in a second floor space and Rubinacci has what is unquestionably the nicest store in the city.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Very interesting. I have handled a few Attolini pieces and based on looks and feel they seem to be amazing as far as RTW goes.

 

[voxsartoria]

..

 

[voxsartoria]

..

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

"The 2009 Ambrosi should not be opened until 2012. Keep it cellared until that time."

I, for one, am glad that he offers this service for his clients.

I have an MTM Attolini. It's OK. Nothing too special in terms of fit or construction, but it is a little loud in the details.

--Andre

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

I get why other people post on FNB--namely that they are batsh*t insane, not allowed to post elsewhere, or just plain bitter. But it's particularly confounding that you continue to post here while spewing vitriole over there. If you have something to say to me--or about me--surely you don't need to cower somewhere else on the internet to say it. .
So easy .

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

"The 2009 Ambrosi should not be opened until 2012. Keep it cellared until that time."

From what I read on this board, the en primeur from 2009 is still in barrel...

 

[cronicmole]

Originally Posted by yachtie

So easy .

Yachtie you and Foo beefing?

 

[KObalto]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

I get why other people post on FNB--namely that they are batsh*t insane, not allowed to post elsewhere, or just plain bitter. But it's particularly confounding that you continue to post here while spewing vitriole over there. If you have something to say to me--or about me--surely you don't need to cower somewhere else on the internet to say it.

Originally Posted by yachtie

So easy .

Foo is far from alone at being offended by you savaging (not critiquing) SF members on FNB, most recently the incredibly dapper Butler.