Sartoria Raffaele Iorio - Napoli (Picture heavy)

[P-K-L]

Ever since my first and only WAYWT post has been published on PutThisOn.com, people have asked me for more details about my tailor. http://putthison.com/post/42033174608/real-people-outerwear-its-probably-just-the

I recently wrote an article about my new shirtmaking adventure, thus I decided to write a report about my tailor too.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

http://www.styleforum.net/t/343917/camiceria-le-tre-m-naples-italy/0_100

As the title states, Raffaele is located in Naples.

He is located inside a residential building - near Via Chiaia and Via Toledo- without any obvious sign of a sartoria being inside - as so often in Naples.

Ring the bell...

Walk up the stairs...

...open the door...

...and find his sartoria!

The place is small - it consists of two rooms and a small attic. The first room (maybe 12m²) contains the cutting table and room for some projects in progress. The second room (maybe 8m²) is the fitting room, where some more semi-finished and projects are located. Unfortunately I have no pictures of the attic; it contains more cloth and work in progress.

Raffaele has been working as a tailor for over 50 years and his tailoring contains many of the elements of the so called Napoli style - a light jacket with soft shoulders, extended front darts and lots of hand stitching.

I am really impressed by his work - I truly enjoy the fit of the things he made for me but also his work ethos - he is always on time and does not need to find lame excuses why he did not meet previously agreed deadlines.

This time I ordered three suits made of Minnis fresco (0511, 0520 and 0569) as well as a blue Draper's sports coat and a beige pair of linen trousers and a light grey pair of summer worsteds. Of course I will post pictures once the garments will be finished- which should be by the end of April!

More pictures - work in progress...

Cutting sleeves of a customer's jacket:

Mario, Raffaele's companion (picture taken last summer, thus the warm weather attire )

My WAYWT pictures:

Two of the jackets he made for me:

One of my linen jackets:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

In case you have any more questions - feel free to ask!

 

[dieworkwear]

This is great, PKL. Thanks for sharing.

 

[yasu10s]

Great stuff P-K-L, I particularly like the lapel for the single breasted. may i asked which fabric u used for ur linen db. seems lighter than 12oz.

 

[aravenel]

Fantastic. I LOVE that overcoat of yours--thanks for sharing.

 

[AmericanGent]

Sharp looking pieces, that overcoat is perfect.
This is classic Napoli at it best- and this thread is Styleforum at it's best!
Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[Cantabrigian]

Very nice write up. (This and the one about Le Tre M, which I had somehow missed.)

 

[andreyb2]

Thanks for sharing, P-K-L.

Andrey

 

[UnnamedPlayer]

What is the appeal of having a piece of clothing made by someone from Naples?

 

[add911_11]

The appeal of finding a hidden gem. For example, Mystery bespoke shoe maker in Austria. The effort and time to find those places is rewarding if it works out.

 

[Cantabrigian]



What is the appeal of having a piece of clothing made by someone from Naples?

It's a particular style that is fairly different from most of what you'll find elsewhere. Some find this style quite compelling.

 

[steffenbp11]

I can only agree with the other posters. Great thread and some lovely bespoke pieces. Very jealous

 

[Superfluous]

All those look very good.

 

[P-K-L]

Thanks everybody!

Great stuff P-K-L, I particularly like the lapel for the single breasted. may i asked which fabric u used for ur linen db. seems lighter than 12oz.

Good eye - it is a Dugdale 9oz linen.

What is the appeal of having a piece of clothing made by someone from Naples?

I think add911_11 and Cantabrigian stated some of the most important reasons.
Another reason for me is that I used to live nearby, so that it was the most reasonable choice. Nowadays the travel is a bit longer but still worth it to me.

 

[AmericanGent]

What is the appeal of having a piece of clothing made by someone from Naples?

1- Napoli has a tailoring tradition that has been unhindered by the progress of the modern world. This lack of progress manifests itself as a huge pain ********** in most cases, but not in the case of hand made garments.

2- Before I moved here I would spend about $200-300 on a MTM shirt and then have it tailored to fit for another $25 (in the US). Here in Naples, I am able to purchase a shirt that has been cut and sewn to perfectly fit MY body- not a generic pattern, and it is made by a artisan tailor rather than by a sweat-shop in China and the attention to detail is immediately noticeable. The fabric is often better (if you choose) and the buttons are big, think mother of pearl buttons attached by hand so they won't crack and will not fall off. All of this will cost the same or less.

3- A $20 leather wallet will hold money and credit cards just as well as one from Hermes. Turkey sandwich meat from a deli will fill your stomach just as much as a fresh homemade roasted turkey. A Fiat will get you to your destination just as well as a Mercedes Benz. A pair of khaki pants from Dockers will keep your ass from showing just like a beautiful pair of hand sewn pants from Naples.

Not trying to be a smart-ass. Just telling you why it is appealing to me.
Cheers!

 

[Mute]

Very nice! Love the coat.