TOFANI BESPOKE TAILOR NAPOLI

[wynston]

Initially, I set out to have two suits and one overcoat made, although by the time I left Naples I added a sport jacket and a second overcoat.

An initial meeting was scheduled for choosing fabrics, discussing style preferences, and measurements. I said to Aristide and Davide that "I like contemporary styling, but that I like classic styling more." In other words, I want Tofani and Neapolitan styling but with some degree of classic styling elements, for example: more fuller cut and higher rise pleated trousers, wide lapels, classic shoulders, and a gorge height somewhere in the middle between vintage and contemporary. They understood immediately and the results were exactly what I am seeking.

First suit is a navy twill with light blue striping, single breasted, two button, notched lapels.


Next is a double breasted summer suit in light gray POW check, super 150s, Loro Piana 250 gram.


Often photos or even patches of material don't do fabrics justice, and this is the case with both of these. I provided photos and descriptions of what I wanted and Aristide found both for me. Initially, I was pretty firm in my preference for a POW check with a light blue overcheck, but Aristide steered me toward this one because he felt that the blue overcheck is very common. When I saw this fabric I knew immediately that he was 100% correct and that I really wanted this one. This fabric has a detail that is hard to see in the photos -- it has a very fine medium or navy blue check which adds a very subtle interest to the overall look. It is almost invisible, yet there is a kind of subliminal quality to it which makes an appealing and more interesting impact.

 

[wynston]

Next is an overcoat in this beautiful blue-gray herringbone, which is meant to be a more of a sporty double-breasted overcoat. It basically a long peacoat with six straight buttons and slanted pockets without flaps.

The story behind this fabric is that Davide and Aristide purchased it for themselves, but never got around to making an overcoat with it. They generously offered it to me and I jumped at the opportunity. I think that it is from Fox Brothers, and is no longer available.



Here is a photo before first fitting:


Another overcoat will be similar to this one wore by Davide. His is black cashmere; mine is in dark navy cashmere:

 

[wynston]

Last (for now) but not least is a blue-brown houndstooth wool/cashmere/silk 280gr fabric from Caccioppoli's '18-'19 winter collection. This will be a 3 roll 2 sport jacket with big concave notched lapels. Patch pockets but with classic breast pocket.



The cloth is very soft, light, and feels like wearing pajamas. I very much look forward to wearing this one.

 

[wynston]

...

The most important points first:
Davide, Aristide, and Enea are true gentlemen, kind hearted, friendly, professional, extremely hard working, and passionate about the beautiful menswear they produce. I am very happy with my garments that are being produce and the overall experience. Davide and Aristide really understand style from many perspectives: every feature of tailoring, fabric choices, accessory pairing and color combinations, etc. In addition to making perhaps the finest suits, jackets, overcoats, and trousers, their knowledge and ability to communicate ideas and suggestions is perhaps the biggest advantage in considering a tailor.
...

A few final remarks:

Most of the pictures are before or during first fitting; I will try to post more pictures of the garments when they are finished.

I feel fortunate to have chosen Davide Tofani as my tailor. I can tell he loves what he does and that he, Aristide, and Enea really care about their customers and their craft. They work hard. Several times I saw Davide in his Atelier at 9pm still working hard. They are very prompt in correspondence, and Aristide speaks and writes excellent English. The whole experience was entirely positive; I could not be more pleased with their effort and the results. I plan to return later this year or early 2020 to add more to my wardrobe.

 

[Texasmade]

Great write up. Looking forward to seeing the final product.

 

[brax]

I'll be talking to Aristide this week about some new commissions. One that we are contemplating is very bold. We'll see if I have the guts to pull the trigger on it.

 

[wynston]

Some updates. Beautiful workmanship and attention to detail on my DB spring/summer suit. This is Loro Piana Tasmanian super 150s, 250g/9oz cloth:



Navy with light blue pinstripes, Hardy Minnis Classic II 370g/13oz. This photo makes the colors pop, however the colors of this fabric are a little more subdued and not quite as bright to the human eye:



Caccioppoli blue-brown (unique!) houndstooth wool/cashmere jacket. A little bit of camicia in the shoulders is what I requested. I love it:

 

[LNR]

Hello All,

I recently received my first suit from Sartoria Tofani, a double breasted suit commissioned for my wedding. It was my first experience with bespoke.

I first made contact with Ari (son of Davide, grandson of Aristede) in the summer of 2018. I’d originally thought to fly to meet them in Naples, but as it turned out, they were planning their first NY trunk show a few months later, in October.

From the get-go, Ari was extremely responsive and clear in his communications. I doubt very much that you will find a better communicator in the world of Italian bespoke suit making.

I came to the Tofanis with a very clear, somewhat unusual idea for my suit: a one-button double-breasted. I’d always liked the way double breasted suits fit my body, and I appreciated their classic, traditional quality, but I wanted the suit to be as stream-lined and minimal as possible—hence removing any extraneous buttons. Though I had a handful of reference photos showing 2x1 double breasted (ie a single row of two buttons), we were essentially starting from scratch. Thankfully, Ari and Davide were up for the challenge.

The timeline of the project was as follows:

Oct 2018: select fabric and discuss elements of the cut and styling
Jan 2019: first fitting
Mar 2019: second fitting
May 2019: delivery of suit via post

One of the best things about Ari and Davide is that I felt throughout the process that they were fully committed to helping me to achieve my vision and making sure I was happy with the outcome. Naturally, that didn’t mean he gave me no feedback or guidance; quite the opposite. In selecting the color of the fresco fabric, for example, he originally thought I might be better off going with a brighter blue, as he said this would be less common. But he could sense that I was hesitating, and after I explained that I wanted to go with a very discreet subtle color in order to let the distinctive cut of the suit be the main event, he immediately got behind that idea.

He made other extremely helpful recommendations as the process went on regarding length of the jacket, length of the trousers, width of the cuff and so forth. I often had opinions of my own about these matters to begin with, but Ari helped steer me towards better choices than the ones I would have made on my own. I am not one to take someone else’s style advice lately, but Ari really does know what he’s doing. His knows how to find the balance between contemporary and timeless, between unique and discreet. He understands what it means to dress elegantly. In a word, he has good taste, as does his father Davide.

I was very impressed with Ari and Davide’s ability to understand and execute my difficult concept. As most of you know, tailoring is about much more than design…it’s about engineering, physics, mathematics. To be able to translate my two dimensional drawings into a three dimensional garment with such precision was truly impressive.

You will note that the lapel and notch shape on my suit jacket are also somewhat unusual…not a peak lapel pointing upwards and diagonally over the shoulders, but rather running directly parallel to the ground. This was more common in jackets in the 1940s, and I appreciated it for its subtlety. Again, given the 1 button double breasted cut, I wanted to keep everything else as discreet as possible. Ari was willing and able to go back and forth with me by email and WhatsApp too many times to count as they worked through the angles and lines required to realize this design…I’m truly grateful to them for their patience and commitment to getting it right.

I recommend Sartoria Tofani without hesitation. Their commitment to craft and to doing things by hand, their deep knowledge and experience, their handiwork, their feel for fit and style, and their communication are outstanding. I was proud to wear a Tofani garment at my wedding and can’t wait to wear it again—and again and again and again. I look forward to my next commission with them.

A few additional notes:

The trousers fit beautifully. I believe it is Enea—brother of Davide—who makes the trousers. I am a sucker for good-fitting trousers, and these ones are excellent. The single forward facing pleat is just perfect. The overall shape of the trousers is just what I had in mind—no excess material, but in no way tight. Just elegant and flattering. They even give me a bit of an ass—I who normally who have none to speak of.

For those who are considering bespoke for the first time: I think it’s important that you either a) have a very clear idea of what you want, with fabric, fit and detail references (ie photos or swatches) in hand before your first meeting, or b) be able to point to something that the Tofanis have made that you already like. Walking in to the first meeting with zero idea of what you want isn’t something I’d recommend. Commissioning a bespoke suit is like designing a house from scratch…it’s not for everybody! It’s something you do because you love the process, because you’re committed to getting something unique, because you’re willing to put your trust in someone, because you care about the details. I, for one, enjoyed every second of it.

Note: my father in law also had a suit made by the Tofanis, and it came out beautifully, despite having only one fitting. Will post more photos of that suit as I get them.

It’s probably worth noting that this was a very casual wedding in Jamaica. Many of the men in attendance didn’t even wear a jacket. This suit was conceived with that sort of dress code in mind.

 

[benjamin831]

Sorry, I hope you don't take offense, but that arrangement is just horrible

 

[Eli Curt]

Sorry, I hope you don't take offense, but that arrangement is just horrible

The floral arrangement? It almost looks photoshopped to me.

 

[LNR]

Sorry, I hope you don't take offense, but that arrangement is just horrible

What do you mean by arrangement?

 

[LNR]

What do you mean by arrangement?

I’m not on here to talk about floral arrangements.

 

[LNR]

Sorry, I hope you don't take offense, but that arrangement is just horrible

I’m not on here to talk about floral arrangements.

 

[Eli Curt]

I really like the final product. I think it's more casual and fashion-forward than I would wear to my own wedding, but it looks great.

 

[benjamin831]

Obviously the button arrangement, folks.