In Naples last week, I was able to have a fitting on the shirt I ordered from Satriano Cinque earlier in the year. As neither Luca nor Gabriella travel to London, this was the only opportunity to get a fitting done – indeed, in the end we had two fittings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
I have high hopes for Satriano Cinque. The make is good, with all the practical handwork in a Neapolitan shirt but fewer of the frills that push up the price of a Kiton shirt, for example. (For more on the background to Satriano, see my post on The Rake here.) I’m hoping that Luca could become my shirtmaker of choice, starting to replace the Turnbull & Assers that currently occupy most of my wardrobe. Once the fit is established, as it should be after these fittings, I can order shirts fairly easily through pictures of potential cloth sent by email, or swatches sent by post. And there’s nothing to compare to the make in England.
The fit shirt is made out of the actual cloth but merely basted at the seams, and with plenty of excess on those seams so that the shirt can be adjusted out as well as in – something that cannot be done on a finished shirt. The collar and cuffs are made from waste cloth.
The fit was good but the right-hand side had to be picked up a little, the sleeve lengthened a touch and the waist taken in slightly. On the second fitting, the chest was cleaner but still needs a tiny bit of excess taking out of it, and the seat was a little tight. It’s very hard to see this on a photo – much harder than a suit, and that is rarely accurate – but the difference was marked.
The final shirt will now be made up and sent along with the Solito jacket mentioned earlier in the week. More photos then.
