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The Rubinacci Thread.

Nbarbar

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I've always been thrown by a comment I read about the Manny pants and sizing. Can I ask, do you size down or simply order based on measurements?


I’ve been buying all my casual trousers for the last year from Rubinacci when I see any on sale in my size. Recently I got a pair of teal/biscay bay manny pants. I love the fit, I have so much whiplash from tight skinny trousers that have dominated for so long.

I wouldn’t wear this aqua stripe shirt as my first choice with it, but it was the shirt I had on yesterday after getting the trousers back from my tailor for hemming.

You can see to the side some bright blue cerulean Rubinacci jeans. Also my bright pink linen trousers (photo is prior to hemming). My white chinos and offwhite corduroy jeans are not pictured.

I’m building out a collection of vapor wave palette trousers I guess :D these ones remind me of Windows 95 desktop background.
[/QUOTE
 

Sam H

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I bought these in my standard Rubinacci trouser size of 46. Rubinacci 5 pockets fit pretty tight through the crotch for me in this size, like snug jeans. Chinos in this size fit a bit snug too, but exactly the size I'd want. The one pair of linen trousers I have fit nicely and drape without bagginess.

That being said, the manny pants in size 46 are a bit big in the waist. I think I will have to take them to get brought in. The side tabs are on the last hole and still they feel like they sag, when I'd rather they have a nice fitted waist that doesn't feel like it's slipping. I'd say they fit pretty good otherwise, but they are a bit baggier in general just due to the pleating and cut. I would definitely say it's the first Rubinacci size 46 that felt loose instead of snug for me. If they weren't a liquidation item I ordered online I'd have probably tried on a size down just to see the difference.
 

Alan Bee

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All the garments displayed are gorgious, even the fabrics are lovely, both from the OP and poker-player-Ianmatt.

I wonder, particularly since Ianmatt is fluent in Italian, how you all settled on Rubinacci as a tailor when there are tailors in Naples that are half the cost (sic?) but have excellent reputations, for example Panico.

Were I to be selecting tailors internationally, I would be headed for the "expatriots" from the greatest firms, for example see the A&S thread. Panico for Rubinacci, Anderson etc for Hunstsman. I am only speaking crudely here, I do not know any of these people and I rely on the Internet to understand the familial relationships. Actually, I would probably end up at the even more undercover tailors. They are less expensive and I love the feeling of "objet trouve". Again, I am just asking, these garments are exquisite, to my eye, particularly the tweed odd jacket whose pattern I love.

Language is a wonderful asset, were Paris the mecca that Naples is I would be like a pig in ****. My Romanian tailor Negrila is probably the best Bucharest has to offer and I found him due to my Romanian language abilities, and due to cultural differences he has significant limitations, at least at a distance.

I know this post is 11 years old but this is the most sensible thing I've ever seen on this thread. Napoli is full of Rubinacci expats who will eagerly cut you a suit for 15-20% of Rubi's asking price. You just have to do some leg work to find them and as @brescd01 says, "undercover tailors are a gem" ..... if you can find one.

My opinion is hardly academic. My current tailor worked under Panico total of 25 years (5 years at Rubinacci and 20 years for an independent Panico). Yet, no one has ever heard of him which suits me just fine.

Alan Bee
 

reidd

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I bought these in my standard Rubinacci trouser size of 46. Rubinacci 5 pockets fit pretty tight through the crotch for me in this size, like snug jeans. Chinos in this size fit a bit snug too, but exactly the size I'd want. The one pair of linen trousers I have fit nicely and drape without bagginess.

That being said, the manny pants in size 46 are a bit big in the waist. I think I will have to take them to get brought in. The side tabs are on the last hole and still they feel like they sag, when I'd rather they have a nice fitted waist that doesn't feel like it's slipping. I'd say they fit pretty good otherwise, but they are a bit baggier in general just due to the pleating and cut. I would definitely say it's the first Rubinacci size 46 that felt loose instead of snug for me. If they weren't a liquidation item I ordered online I'd have probably tried on a size down just to see the difference.

What would you say is your natural waist measurement? Im about a 32/33 US waist so trying to decide between the 46 and 48 in these.
 

Sam H

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I believe my natural waist in 32 as well, I think that’s the size that usually ends up vanity sized down to 30 on jeans in my experience. I’m pretty sure 48 would be too large in that case.
 

keepondigging

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Can confirm you need to go one size down on the Manny pants. I'm a 32 waist, which should equate to an Italian 48. However, the 46 in the Manny pant fit me perfectly. Was trying a pair on in the Mount Street store in London earlier.
 

shrink1061

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Well i've taken the plunge and ordered my first pair of "Manny" from The Rake. It's my first trouser of its type, and only my second dabble into trousers with no belt loops!

Having been rather addicted to shoes over the last few years, and to some extent socks, shirts and belts... trousers always got overlooked. Possibly because they're the hardest to get the fit right (apart from jackets of course). But I need to up my trouser game and felt these might be a good start!

Will update with pics when they arrive!
 

Texasmade

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This thread has certainly slowed down over the last few years.
 

edinatlanta

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dauster

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If you damned kids hadn't abandoned us for the 'gram, it would still be great.
I think it's more that there not enough people with high quality tailoring are participating - the french tailoring thread is so awesome for example but nobody here gets suit regularly made by CdL or Cifonelli or even solito... always the same questions - is this nordstrom suit fused or not:) it gets repetitive. I guess rich people with style dont hang around on the internet:)
 

dieworkwear

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I think it's more that there not enough people with high quality tailoring are participating - the french tailoring thread is so awesome for example but nobody here gets suit regularly made by CdL or Cifonelli or even solito... always the same questions - is this nordstrom suit fused or not:) it gets repetitive. I guess rich people with style dont hang around on the internet:)

I think there are more people here using bespoke tailors than there was 10 years ago. But the enthusiasm has kind of pittered out, and the social dynamic has changed. I think the bar to get people excited is much higher nowadays. I remember back when Foo posted photos from his field trip to Naples and people getting excited when he posted pics of nubby topsttiches on shirts. It would be hard to get people excited by topstitches nowadays because the information is so well known, the romanticism mostly gone, and the effect kind of common.

But there are more people here using bespoke tailors, and I'd wager that the spread across tailors here is wider and more interesting than it was ten years ago.
 

dauster

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I think there are more people here using bespoke tailors than there was 10 years ago. But the enthusiasm has kind of pittered out, and the social dynamic has changed. I think the bar to get people excited is much higher nowadays. I remember back when Foo posted photos from his field trip to Naples and people getting excited when he posted pics of nubby topsttiches on shirts. It would be hard to get people excited by topstitches nowadays because the information is so well known, the romanticism mostly gone, and the effect kind of common.

But there are more people here using bespoke tailors, and I'd wager that the spread across tailors here is wider and more interesting than it was ten years ago.
obviously I am lacking the long term view that you have and interests are highly subjective but I don't feel there are a lot of people sharing their bespoke tailoring/ shoes at all - yes a few here and there but it seems that I am missing what you are experiencing. Maybe also due to covid - nobody gets stuff made during a pandemic.
 

dieworkwear

Mahatma Jawndi
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obviously I am lacking the long term view that you have and interests are highly subjective but I don't feel there are a lot of people sharing their bespoke tailoring/ shoes at all - yes a few here and there but it seems that I am missing what you are experiencing. Maybe also due to covid - nobody gets stuff made during a pandemic.

Well the pandemic is new.

But take bespoke shoes. I think ten years ago, very few people on here had bespoke shoes. Bespoke shoes still aren't common, but there are more people who order them. And there's a greater range of makers.

I can't even remember who ordered bespoke shoes back in the day. Maybe Bengal Stripe? Foo was one of the first to post about his experience with Clev.

Now you can find info about every one of the major West End firms, along with indie makers. There are more than a few Japanese makers. JLP used to be discussed here just as a matter of interest, but now Texasmade has ordered shoes. And you went to Berluti.

For bespoke, RSS used Huntsman and RA. Vox obviously used Steed. Whnay, Iammatt, Foo, Gaz, Mamao, Canta, and some others used Rubinacci.

You still have people on here who use Paone (the original Rubi cutter). And there are many, many more Steed customers. There are also more people using and introducing small Italian makers, including lesser-known ones in Naples. Some guys post Corocos stuff. Pete started a thread about Sicilian tailors and has even introduced a Sicilian tailor to the US.

I just don't think the romanticism is there anymore. I think people used to get really excited about this stuff, especially when people posted about trips and "sartorial excursions." There was a bit of romance behind the assumptions we made about some members, like the supposed rich lifestyles of Will at ASW, RSS, Vox, and Iammatt (that context is mostly gone). People who order bespoke clothes feel more like "normal" people.

But I think when people post a bespoke suit now, it's just a "nice suit." The social dynamic doesn't feel the same. I don't think people romanticize the stuff as much anymore -- either about the wearers, small things like topstitching, photos of workshops, etc. I also think the social dynamic has changed. I wasn't part of the original cohort posting this stuff, but looking through old posts, there seemed to be more camaraderie. There was a bit more playful back and forth. I think that kind of banter is somewhat gone.

Many of the guys I admired most from that original group -- Maomao, Yfyfy, Vox, etc -- are still around, but on other parts of the internet. I mostly miss Foo threads, which were like clothing versions of Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes. They perfectly mixed aspirational shopping with schadenfreude. Every thread followed the same arc and ended in a mishap.

One more thing: I think the availability of reasonably good, affordable tailoring has changed people's perceptions of bespoke. Ten years ago, I was totally wow'd by Iammat's Rubi suits.If you wanted a silhouette like that, you had to go to Naples. Now, you can get 90% of that look in ready to wear.
 

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