Upcoming San Francisco Trunk Shows

[dieworkwear]

Foster & Sons
March 23rd until the 26th
Fairmont
950 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

The company will also be at the Chateau in Los Angeles before this. LA trunk show will be from March 18th until the 21st.

Note, Foster's last maker is now Simon Bolzoni. I don't know if they'll be carrying their new RTW line, but those interested can check with them.

English shoe making at its most refined | English Shoemakers, London UK

Foster & Son, renowned as 'the shoemaker's shoemaker,' perfected traditional hand welted construction, expertly crafting bespoke shoes for over 180 years.

foster.co.uk

 

[dieworkwear]

Had a pretty good fitting tody with I Sarti Italiani. It was the forward fitting, so still somewhat early to say, but they seem to do a really nice cut. Some quick observations:

1. At least on my coat, the shoulder is indeed wider than my Neapolitan coats. I would say it felt softer than Steed, but was wider than my coats from Solito and NSM.

2. Belt loops came half attached. I don't think I've seen that before. Basically, only the bottom was attached to the trousers, so they hung down like little Craig Green decorations. Obviously will be fully attached when the trousers are finished.

3. Salva pinned the jacket's quarters open. Meaning, he folded the edge back so I could see how the quarters would look. Also don't think I've seen anyone do that before. It's always been chalk marks. But pinning the edge back did help me visualize what the final coat would look like.

4. He offers hand padded and machine padded lapels. I believe the machine pad may be the Strobel discussed here.

Padded lapels by machine

These days I'm working on a big project, converting a men's suit factory from an entirely fused construction to a half-canvas construction...

tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com

Salva says the machine actually produces a better lapel roll on lightweight cloths (say, under 10oz), but that on heavier fabrics, you can't tell the difference. I went with hand padding on my ~12oz cotton-elastane suit just for the sake of handwork.

5. Apparently, no one in Sicily wears heavy fabrics (by which I mean stuff over 12oz). Very little of it in the fabric books, and Salva says that people generally prefer lightweight cloths back home because of the weather (and, I suppose, cause it's more "modern").

6. Looks like they skip to the foward fitting, much like A&S tailors. Don't think I've seen an Italian tailor do that before. The fitting did seem more detail orientated than some of my fittings with other tailors, so that was comforting.

7. My impression is that Salva is one of the more flexible tailors out there in terms of house style, but without being "generic." He seems very open and willing to modify things however you'd like. But even with those modifications, it still looks and feels like an Italian suit.

8. For guys who can't make it out to Florence and/ or find Neapolitan coats to be too narrow, this could be a good option. I think it's a nice way to get that broader shoulder line on an Italian coat.

9. I think @UrbanComposition adds a lot to the process. It's nice to be able to get his eye and feedback.

Anyway, for guys in the Bay Area, I'm really pleased with how many good options there are now for tailoring.

 

[Andy57]

Had a pretty good fitting tody with I Sarti Italiani. It was the forward fitting, so still somewhat early to say, but they seem to do a really nice cut.

It was good to see you this afternoon, Derek.

 

[dieworkwear]

It was good to see you this afternoon, Derek.

Likewise!

 

[UrbanComposition]

Anyone in SF Bay Area interested in Wellema Hats? Cody reached out to me to see if 5-6 would be down for an order. I’m getting no kickback for this, just trying to help the guy. His hats seem really nice, and his prices are competitive considering the materials. Heres a copy/paste of his prices:

ready to wear

Dress Weight
Approx. 4.5oz will feel lighter, softer, and more malleable
European Hare durable to sustain light rainfall, lightly textured $400
Pure Beaver soft & durable, best in wet weather, finer, smooth $550
Mink & Beaver Belly Blends dense, soft with luxur hand $700



Western Weight
Approx. 7.5oz of more dense and durable structure to maintain
shape well over time; comparable to a cowboy hat

European Hare $450
50/50 Blend a blend of Hare and Beaver furs $500
Pure Beaver $600
Mink & Beaver Belly Blends $800

BESPOKE

Dress Weight
Approx. 4.5oz will feel lighter, softer, and more malleable
European Hare durable to sustain light rainfall, lightly textured $500
Pure Beaver soft & durable, best in wet weather, finer, smooth $650
Mink & Beaver Belly Blends dense, soft with luxur hand $800



Western Weight
Approx. 7.5oz of more dense and durable structure to maintain
shape well over time; comparable to a cowboy hat

European Hare $550
50/50 Blend $600
Pure Beaver $700
Mink & Beaver Belly Blends $900


Additional customization

Bound Edges hand-sewn trimming along brim $75

4"+ Brim extended brim length $50

Pencil Curl rolled or curled brim edge often used in western styles $35

Name/Initial Sweatband Stamping approx 15 characters per line $35

Vintage Trimming our pre 1960 archive selection of trimming $35

 

[dauster]

Had a pretty good fitting tody with I Sarti Italiani. It was the forward fitting, so still somewhat early to say, but they seem to do a really nice cut. Some quick observations:

1. At least on my coat, the shoulder is indeed wider than my Neapolitan coats. I would say it felt softer than Steed, but was wider than my coats from Solito and NSM.

2. Belt loops came half attached. I don't think I've seen that before. Basically, only the bottom was attached to the trousers, so they hung down like little Craig Green decorations. Obviously will be fully attached when the trousers are finished.

3. Salva pinned the jacket's quarters open. Meaning, he folded the edge back so I could see how the quarters would look. Also don't think I've seen anyone do that before. It's always been chalk marks. But pinning the edge back did help me visualize what the final coat would look like.

4. He offers hand padded and machine padded lapels. I believe the machine pad may be the Strobel discussed here.

Padded lapels by machine

These days I'm working on a big project, converting a men's suit factory from an entirely fused construction to a half-canvas construction...

tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com

Salva says the machine actually produces a better lapel roll on lightweight cloths (say, under 10oz), but that on heavier fabrics, you can't tell the difference. I went with hand padding on my ~12oz cotton-elastane suit just for the sake of handwork.

5. Apparently, no one in Sicily wears heavy fabrics (by which I mean stuff over 12oz). Very little of it in the fabric books, and Salva says that people generally prefer lightweight cloths back home because of the weather (and, I suppose, cause it's more "modern").

6. Looks like they skip to the foward fitting, much like A&S tailors. Don't think I've seen an Italian tailor do that before. The fitting did seem more detail orientated than some of my fittings with other tailors, so that was comforting.

7. My impression is that Salva is one of the more flexible tailors out there in terms of house style, but without being "generic." He seems very open and willing to modify things however you'd like. But even with those modifications, it still looks and feels like an Italian suit.

8. For guys who can't make it out to Florence and/ or find Neapolitan coats to be too narrow, this could be a good option. I think it's a nice way to get that broader shoulder line on an Italian coat.

9. I think @UrbanComposition adds a lot to the process. It's nice to be able to get his eye and feedback.

Anyway, for guys in the Bay Area, I'm really pleased with how many good options there are now for tailoring.

Whats the pricing like ? sports jacket and 2 piece suit? sounds indeed promising.

 

[dieworkwear]

Whats the pricing like ? sports jacket and 2 piece suit? sounds indeed promising.

I paid about $2,000 for a two-piece cotton suit. The price depends on the fabric, so I imagine wool is a little more, but probably not by much.

My understanding is that prices are a bit low at the moment to help garner interest. There will be a price jump next year (I can't remember by how much).

 

[dauster]

I paid about $2,000 for a two-piece cotton suit. The price depends on the fabric, so I imagine wool is a little more, but probably not by much.

My understanding is that prices are a bit low at the moment to help garner interest. There will be a price jump next year (I can't remember by how much).

That's indeed a steal! and that's full bespoke ? not MTM?

 

[dieworkwear]

That's indeed a steal! and that's full bespoke ? not MTM?

Yes, full bespoke.

 

[imatlas]

When is I Sarti coming back to SF, and what’s the best way to get a notification?

 

[UrbanComposition]

March 9-12. DM me for an appointment. A newsletter opt-in will be on their website soon.

 

[jtorres94]

I paid about $2,000 for a two-piece cotton suit. The price depends on the fabric, so I imagine wool is a little more, but probably not by much.

My understanding is that prices are a bit low at the moment to help garner interest. There will be a price jump next year (I can't remember by how much).

What cloth did you go for? I’ve been wanting an earthy light cotton suit like Simon Crompton’s for a while. Thinking since I Sarti’s prices are still lower i can experiment and try and make something similar.

 

[dieworkwear]

What cloth did you go for? I’ve been wanting an earthy light cotton suit like Simon Crompton’s for a while. Thinking since I Sarti’s prices are still lower i can experiment and try and make something similar.

I don't have a fabric code, unfortunately. I know it's a cotton-elastane blend from Zegna. And that there were two taupe cloths in there -- one that looks slightly warmer and another that has a grey cast. I went with the second.

I know cotton-synthetic blends aren't everyone's thing, but I wanted something with a bit of stretch since cotton can be a bit stiff. If you ask to see the cotton-elastane blends from Zegna, I'm sure Salvo can show you the same books I looked at.

I also thought olive would make for a nice cotton suit. Darker colors show wear more easily since cotton fades. So lighter colors tend to hide their age more. Maybe something to consider.

 

[UrbanComposition]

Hey guys,

I'll try to reach out to everyone individually, but I just heard from I Sarti Italiani that many countries are blocking Italians from entering, or quarantining them for 14 days due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in northern Italy. So far this hasn't affected Salvo (he stops in Munich, and so far Germany hasn't issued any travel restrictions), but it might, so he may try to postpone the trip to avoid being in airport limbo.

He was thinking May, since that'll give everyone enough time to mellow out. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[imatlas]

Got it. Thanks for the heads up.