Ongoing Bespoke Projects

[S K M]



^ Very nice write up! Thank you.

I've been thinking for a long time about visiting Naples and you just gave me another reason to go! I'd like to visit Caccioppoli, meet Antonio Meccariello and now get some trousers made up in the Spanish Quarter - sounds like the perfect bespoke holiday.

Did you arrange a meeting with him up front by phone/e-mail?

You're most welcome. And you should definitely go!

Yes, I had an appointment in advance which he had however forgot. When I arrived I couldn't really gather where it was, so I just rang the doorbell with the sign Cerrato. A woman - who spoke no English - answered, but I made my point clear and she gestured that she would call, and then another gesture that he would take his scooter. True to her words (or signs) he arrived two minutes later on his scooter, excusing himself and then opening the doors to his sartoria. Another two minutes later espressos arrived and we were all set...

 

[Sander]



Nice pants, details?

It was really hard to find an off-white/cream wool, I think this is actually meant to be worn as a cream tuxedo. Cotton, linen, flannel no problem, but wool? The configuration is as always, high(ish) rise, 5cm waistband with double buttons, two Italian pleats, braces.

^ Very nice write up! Thank you.

I've been thinking for a long time about visiting Naples and you just gave me another reason to go! I'd like to visit Caccioppoli, meet Antonio Meccariello and now get some trousers made up in the Spanish Quarter - sounds like the perfect bespoke holiday.

Did you arrange a meeting with him up front by phone/e-mail?

Meccariello is a good deal outside the city, so you have to take that into account; but yes, sounds like a great trip. Just make sure you don't get robbed and it will even be a perfect trip.

 

[ericgereghty]



It's Huddersfield Cloth from the Lindley Collection. It has an open weave, a very dry, crisp hand and lots a texture - almost but not quite sharkskin. About 10oz from memory

Edit: tie is Vanda midnight blue hopsack

Very cool. The VBC I assume?

 

[emptym]

It was really hard to find an off-white/cream wool, I think this is actually meant to be worn as a cream tuxedo.

Cotton, linen, flannel no problem, but wool? ...

+1

One of my dream fabrics has long been something like Minnis 8/9oz fresco in the sand color they offer in 10 oz. A tropical wool would be fine too. Or, as I've recently posted in the cloth thread, I'd be open to a wool polyester blend. I just want something for summer travel or warm bicycle commutes.

 

[dieworkwear]



Picked up a jacket and pants, first fitting for a suit:

Is that from Kotaro? Curious if you get something different from his house style. The quarters on your jackets look even more open than what I've seen on some other commissions. Sometimes the chest (although hard to see here) look cleaner. Is that right? Or is that just my imagination?

 

[sprout2]

It was really hard to find an off-white/cream wool, I think this is actually meant to be worn as a cream tuxedo.

Cotton, linen, flannel no problem, but wool? The configuration is as always, high(ish) rise, 5cm waistband with double buttons, two Italian pleats, braces.

Never mind, I thought it was yellow cotton!

=====
I have a new project: need an extremely lightweight cotton bag with leather fittings, handle. Size is rectangular, width about the size of a 10" laptop.
I am getting tired of carrying around leather portfolios and canvas bags and everything else. Too heavy. The idea is to have something vaguely like a camera/fishing bag, in the sense that it would have the general color scheme and pockets found on those, in order to avoid it looking like a purse-like slab.

Thus far my usual makers have turned me down on this one. Something about the use of cotton is a turn-off, apparently.
Is this something Chapman would do? My feeling is they work with heavier canvas, so maybe not ideal.

Something vaguely in this line, but more squat and rectangular... and not leather. Boyer's bag has a good configuration, but it looks heavy as all get out (Ghurka).

 

[Stugotes]

Is that from Kotaro? Curious if you get something different from his house style. The quarters on your jackets look even more open than what I've seen on some other commissions. Sometimes the chest (although hard to see here) look cleaner. Is that right? Or is that just my imagination?

I think he wrote somewhere that he did that fitting in Naples. The atelier in the pictures is definitely not Kotaro's either.

 

[WillingToLearn]

Is that from Kotaro? Curious if you get something different from his house style. The quarters on your jackets look even more open than what I've seen on some other commissions. Sometimes the chest (although hard to see here) look cleaner. Is that right? Or is that just my imagination?

Pants look great there, but the jacket buttoning point looks extremely low, even for me and I generally prefer pretty low. I think the Florentine cut with the very open quarters looks better with a lower buttoning point than i normally see, but that might be a bit extreme. Usual caveats that he is bending forward, one static photo can't capture a fit, Sander's taste and style is outstanding, etc.

 

[usctrojans31]

@sprout2 did you call/write April in Paris?

 

[dan'l]



Meccariello is a good deal outside the city, so you have to take that into account; but yes, sounds like a great trip. Just make sure you don't get robbed and it will even be a perfect trip.

Yes, I know, but thanks for the heads up anyways. I guess renting a car is the best way to get to him?

 

[dan'l]



Yes, I had an appointment in advance which he had however forgot. When I arrived I couldn't really gather where it was, so I just rang the doorbell with the sign Cerrato. A woman - who spoke no English - answered, but I made my point clear and she gestured that she would call, and then another gesture that he would take his scooter. True to her words (or signs) he arrived two minutes later on his scooter, excusing himself and then opening the doors to his sartoria. Another two minutes later espressos arrived and we were all set...

Sounds like a nice experience! Wasn't sure if he spoke English, but from your post I gather you do not speak Italian, so I assume you conversed in English.

 

[sprout2]

@sprout2 did you call/write April in Paris?

Aren't they more of a leather goods operation?
Granted, a bag maker should in principle be willing to work in cotton (which I would not hesitate to provide).

 

[Tony Montana]

I think the Florentine cut with the very open quarters looks better with a lower buttoning point than i normally see, but that might be a bit extreme.

Is that from Kotaro? Curious if you get something different from his house style. The quarters on your jackets look even more open than what I've seen on some other commissions. Sometimes the chest (although hard to see here) look cleaner. Is that right? Or is that just my imagination?

Pretty sure that picture was taken at Sartoria Dalcuore.

 

[dieworkwear]



@sprout2 did you call/write April in Paris?

I recently got something from there. Was both surprised and disappointed. Probably worth noting that Beatrice doesn't do her own work anymore, at least for small leather goods and men's items. Only very expensive women's bags. Maybe you could request otherwise, but everything is done by her students. And those students are no longer even taught by her, but by her previous graduates (a recent change, as five years ago, she was still teaching all the classes. Now she only teaches the last course in a four-course program). The thing I received was not that well done, to be frank.

Pretty sure that picture was taken at Sartoria Dalcuore.

Ah, my mistake. I thought it was Kotaro because of the low buttoning point.

 

[Coxsackie]

With all this talk of Minnis 656, I was reminded to have Greg send my length to Coccinella.

My Agnelli tweed is reserved for BnT, but that's a project for next year.