Gaetano Aloisio – by Bruce Boyer

Friday, November 1st 2019
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I do not know Roman tailor Gaetano Aloisio. But I've heard good things, and seen one or two as well.

So when Bruce Boyer told me he was having a suit made by Gaetano, I asked whether he would write something brief about his experiences. 

It's not a review, but it is instructional, even beautiful. And I managed to get some pictures of Bruce wearing his new flannel suit in New York recently, before the Symposium. 

 

Gaetano Aloisio

by G. Bruce Boyer

"I’ve been aware of the illustrious Gaetano Aloisio for some time, but, mea culpa, had never met him until recently.

I’d been reading Yoshimi Hasegawa’s lovely book, Italian Tailoring: A Glimpse into the World of Sartorial Masters, which awakened me from my slumbers, and I discovered he had started to visit New York regularly - among his other travels to see customers - and so decided to drop in on him.

Well, to cut to the chase, I scheduled an appointment. I wanted to see the clothes he himself was wearing and talk to him about his craft before taking the precipitous plunge.

So, on a sunny day last Spring I sauntered along to his hotel suite and when he opened the door I gave him the quick once-over with my practiced eye.

Some tailors, it must be admitted, are merely technicians able to draft a pattern and fit the customer. Mr. Aloisio, on the other hand, is one of those rare artisans who is both technically adroit and a point of reference for style.

He was wearing a beautifully cut blue blazer, not quite navy, perhaps just a whisker lighter in color, in a cloth I suspected was a finely woven fresco, paired with an impeccable pair of lightweight grey worsted trousers.

He had accessorised this combination with a neat pale-blue shirt and discreet tie, looking the epitome of the well-dressed international gentleman I found him to be. So far, very good, I muttered to myself.

I always think it’s important to know if you’re dealing with someone who’s got a nice aesthetic sense, or just a specialist with chalk. It saves time. I could see Mr. Aloisio had style and taste in every pore.

However, it’s when you talk with an artisan that you get to know what his aesthetic ideas and ideals are, and that’s what I was really interested in.

I don’t know how others do it, but I want to have an in-depth conversation with the artisan about how the silhouette of a garment reflects the man who wears it. Does the customer want to be elevated or muted, swagger a bit or whisper, make a bold statement, acquiesce, or be perceived as too cool to care? That sort of thing.

You want to know whether or not you’re both on the same page, or even in the same bookstore. We all have a picture in our minds of how we’d like to be seen – as a boulevardier, a country house m’lord, a titan of commerce and industry, or Silicon Valley nerd-cum-billionaire – and we hope the tailor understands that.

We hope that he’s not only a cosmetic surgeon but a psychiatrist as well. We wonder if he’ll be able to see more than the surface of our beings. Will he be able to plumb our depths and analyse the confines of our minds to discern our secret heart’s desires?

So many tailoring firms adhere to their house style regardless of what your appearance may be or what you might request. Or even what you hope to show to others. So many tailors appear to be listening to you, nod and smile, then go away and do exactly what they want. And that can be maddening when you assume you’re going to get what you asked for.

So I spent a pleasant hour or so in gentle but pointed discussion with Mr. Aloisio, chatting of such matters as shoulders and lapels, the curvature of sleeves and the taper of trousers and the placement of pockets. Those little details that are so telling, in which not only the Devil but the angels hide.

I found him more than agreeable. He actually relished talking about his craft and art, and was more than happy to give me his thoughts on the aesthetics of the suit.

I could tell he was sizing me up, his subtle eye moved up and down me like a Kentucky horse breeder looking over a new colt. And he actually listened to my ideas of how I liked my suits to fit. This was the second good sign. Let’s move along, I thought.

Before I go any further, I should give you a brief tour of Gaetano Aloisio’s background. This isn’t gratuitous padding, if you’ll pardon the word, it will help in explaining and understanding his philosophy.

Aloisio was born in the Calabria region of Southern Italy, where so many great tailors originate and where he started training as a tailor when just a boy.

At sixteen he decided to strike out for the North, the land of opportunity in Italy, to the more sophisticated Milan and managed to secure a position with Cesare Tosi, one of that city’s most famous tailors.

After four years apprenticeship in the very belly of Italian fashion, he moved on to Rome to attend tailoring school and complete his education in the craft, from which he was recommended to Sartoria Luzzi, a justly renowned tailoring house.

He did them proud by winning the prestigious “Golden Scissors Award” [Forbici d’Oro] two years later, Italy’s highest honour for the art of tailoring. Rather like winning a Nobel prize for literature for a writer.

In 1991 Aloisio made the decision to open his own atelier in Rome, and has been there ever since.

I mention this history because it seems to me it helps to account for Gaetano Aloisio’s international appeal to his customers who reside and work in the four corners of the world. He understands the approaches and styles of the various Italian tailoring traditions because he’s learned from each of them.

It might be said, I discovered, that he takes certain elements from each when he considers an individual garment for an individual customer. And since he travels the world, making wardrobes for sheiks and politicians, celebrities and boulevardiers, titans of industry, corporate heads and heads of state, and of course gentleman who simply wants to be as elegantly couture as can be, customers provide great scope for diversity in his work.

His atelier now has 40 tailors, seamstresses and finishers, which is something of a measure of his success, since even well-known tailoring firms are lucky to have more than a half-dozen or so assistants.

The craftsmen and women under his direction produce around 70 garments a month, which is nothing for a ready-made factory which can churn out thousands of garments in that time, but incredibly ambitious for a bespoke house.

The point is that, apart from his own natural talent, studious approach, high aesthetics, and skills of understanding the psychology of his customers, I’m firmly convinced that it’s his experience with the different and varying schools of Italian tailoring that have contributed to his great success.

Italy has at least three major tailoring traditions [Editor’s Note: This is something of an over-simplification, but let that pass] – the southern school of Sicily and Naples, the middle one of Rome, and the northern one of Florence and Milan – and Aloisio has studied and practiced in each of them.

“It’s much easier to have a house style,” he tells me, “ because then you can treat everyone the same, pour them into the same mold. I really don’t have a ‘house style’. I much prefer to study the customer, to observe his body and his movements, discuss his view of himself, understand his lifestyle.

“I want to talk with the customer so I can have an in-depth knowledge of how he sees himself in his own mind. There’s a great deal of psychology about our appearances, and I think each man has an idea of how he’d like to look because he knows how he’d like to be perceived by others.” A wise observation from a discerning master.

“But I do have a touchstone that I apply to all my customers: I always want them to look elegant. I want to interpret a man’s style in terms of sophistication, of being comfortable in the world.

“Many of my customers are in fact worldly men, they have important jobs, they travel a great deal, they have a certain social power and so forth. And they count on me to make them appropriate wardrobes.

“But I try to do this always within the lines of cosmopolitan and cultivated taste. Even if the customer wants something very high fashion and a bit more exuberant, I want to do it with finesse. I suppose I’m something of a consigliere to many of them.”

Do we have time for a quick story which nicely illustrates this point?

Awhile back Mr. Aloisio happened to see a photo in the newspapers of one of his customers – a noted politician, no names please – wearing what he described to me with mild distain as “a disastrously fitting, off-the-rack rag of an overcoat.”

He dropped the gentleman a note to mention the flaws in the garment. A few weeks later Aloisio received a note from the gentleman’s wife to say she had gotten rid of the readymade overcoat and her husband would be stopping by to select cloth for a new one.

Now, although he doesn’t follow the unconstructed preferences of the Neapolitan School, nor the more structured silhouette of the Milanese, Aloisio is a fervent believer that a tailored garment should not sacrifice line to comfort, and this I very much appreciate because it perfectly accords with my own views.

I find that when I’m comfortable in my clothes I tend to feel better, if that’s not a too-obvious thing to note. “I prefer a soft chest and shoulder, but with shape,” he points out. “I don’t want to impose a structure on the customer with heavy padding, I follow his body, perhaps making a few minor improvements as I go along.

“This is done by paying attention to how the garment is cut, not by putting layers of cloth inside. Even with a tailcoat, and I make many of them, I try to achieve the formal structure through cutting rather than padding.” I found this especially important and relevant to my own thoughts.

This philosophy of varying his approach to fit the necessities of the customer – both physiologically and psychologically – has stood Aloisio well.

He’s been elected Vice-President of the august Academia Nationale dei Sartori, and I fully expect one of these days he will be elected President if he can find the time to fulfill all the duties that come with that title. Not to mention that he’s been knighted by the Italian Republic.

It’s gratifying to know that occasionally a real artisan is rewarded with honours these days. And I should perhaps mention in passing that he’s opening a school for tailors in Rome this year, where young men and women can learn the skills directly from artisans themselves.

And, oh yes, my suit? I had selected a medium-weight, medium-grey flannel to have made up as a three-piece single-breasted suit. You know, the perfect international cooler-weather business suit for the man who wants to look quietly distinguished and accomplished.

On the first fitting I asked for my trousers to have a slightly higher rise – I always feel more comfortable when the trousers sit over my hips, and it makes for a longer line of leg – and a bit more room in the waist of the coat.

At the second fitting the length of the coat, lapel width, shoulder structure, trouser rise and leg taper were all spot on, so Mr. Aloisio and I concerned ourselves with the smaller matters of style and fit, those telling, angelic details.

Did I think the shoulder line might be extended a whisker? I did. Perhaps lower the right sleeve a quarter-inch? Yes. A bit more room in the seat? Yes, please. And bring the waistcoat slightly closer? Good. Chalked and pinned, my grey flannel would be adjusted and ready for a final fitting. So far, sew good.

The final fitting, I felt, was more for Mr. Aloisio to admire his work than for me to criticize or carp. Button holes had been cut and buttons placed, the adjustments we had discussed had been made, the trousers were cuffed, and Mr. Aloisio had added the braces buttons I had requested.

The result fulfilled my expectations and surpassed my hopes. The grey flannel sat easily on my body, completely comfortable yet slimming, proportionally correct for my physique (slightly short legs and a tendency to bend backwards), subtle shaping and a slight drape.

I looked, at least in my own eyes, like the unobtrusive-but-knowing gentleman I hoped to present to the world. When I say that the suit was in fact me, I don’t see what more I can say in its favour.

Gaetano travels regularly to Paris, London, New York and Tokyo. There is a showroom in Paris, where is almost every week; he is in London almost every month; and he travels to New York every 4-6 weeks. Tokyo is four times a year. 

A two-piece suit starts at €5,500 and a jacket €4,500.

Via di Porta Pinciana, 1, Rome. 

www.gaetanoaloisio.com

Tel. +39 06 8081621

Photography: of Bruce, Elliot Hammer; of Gaetano and his studio, Gaetano Aloisio

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Pyc

Hi Bruce & Simon,

It’s wonderful to see the greatest living menswear writer contributing to the best menswear journalist’s publication.

Great reading! (and looking forward to another book Bruce).

Best,

Pyc

O

Really enjoyed reading this article. It’s great to learn a bit more about the history behind each tailor, especially if it’s written as well as this.

I have quick question and I’m sorry if it’s a bit crass. €5500 is a huge amount of money. Putting questions of value aside (because I’m sure the price can be justified) how does anyone afford this? Are journalists and writers like you and Bruce, or menswear shop owners (like those of the Armoury or Brycelands) extremely wealthy? I have a good job that pays well, but I would struggle to buy (or, I suppose, at least justify buying) a suit for two months worth of mortgage payments or money that could pay for things for children. And that’s even though I can see the value proposition.

I read all these articles on Permanent Style and elsewhere seeing people buying these hugely expensive clothes from tailors and wonder whether I am looking at a wholly different echelon of society (wealth-wise) or I am simply doing things wrong (e.g. not saving up for many years before buying)? Thanks.

Phil

Hi Simon, hi O.,
in my own experience it´s not really a matter of wealth or income (or at least for most western middle class guys), but of priorities and disciplined saving. I have been still a student when I first ordered a Savile Row suit. I worked for it and saved my money for over two years. Other chaps spent theirs on vacations, hobbies or during the day on many little things like Starbucks cappuccinos.

Anonymous

Great question, I am sure that there are many people asking this same thing. I know that I often do. Personally I cannot see anytime in my life when I would be able to afford such prices despite the fact I earn more than double the UK average and am still fairly early on in my career. With the costs of having a mortgage, car, children etc I just don’t see it being possible for anyone in 90% of the professions out there. I imagine allot of the guys who work in the industry acquire such clothing predominantly through staff discounts and uniform allowances [I assume this is the case for the Armory guys]. Whilst it is fun to read about the most expensive tailors and live vicariously through these posts I would think that these prices are out of reach of the majority of your readers. I for one would be interested to see more pieces focusing on ‘real world’ scenarios and affordable options alongside posts like this. I feel it would broaden the spectrum of the website. I appreciate that you do this already to a certain extent with posts on Vintage and other less expensive tailors etc.

Simon, I would be interested to know that if you had stayed in your previous career and not started the website what price brackets and tailors you would use? Bearing in mind it would be purely for personal use and not for creating content?

Anonymous

I look forward to it, and I hope you have a nice weekend.

Anonymous

That is exactly what I am always thinking when reading the very interesting and informative articles on your site. So far I thought I´d be the only one here who wonders how to afford all these beautiful suits and other tailored pieces of art.
Being interested in men´s fashion, Permanent Style is a great source for information and for sharpening the own eye and taste. But it would be impossible for me to afford these upper crust tailors. It´s such a dilemma, I am always hunting for nice piece and good fitting clothes (my recent sin, I ordered the Abbott-Jodhpur boot at John Lobb when being in Paris. A step I considered for years, to be honest.) So it really would be great to know, how one could dress well when depending on a “real life budget” as it has been said in earlier comment.
The other problem – maybe not only for me? – is, that I am not living in London, New York, Milan, Tokyo or Paris. In other words: It´s much harder to hunt down all the nice things on wants. And: All the great tailors you mention do not come to the German city I happen to live in. So how can those who do not live in a Mekka for tailoring or a big international city which is being visited by tailors get some tailored jackets, trousers and suits?

Philipp

I have the same thoughts. Usually if you have an interest in wine you are likely to enjoy good food as well. The same applies for bespoke tailoring – you probably want to combine it with other fine or luxurious things in life (e.g. watches, cars, or whatever) that will afford some investment. It would even feel strange to me wearing a 5.000 € suit while driving an older car or living in an IKEA furnished flat. The concept or lifestyle would feel wrong to me if you know what I mean.
So it all sums up at the end of the day.
Regarding the question about international tailors in Germany:
Prologue Hongkong travels to Hamburg and Munich, the so called Bespoke Service organises trunk shows with an Italian Sartoria from Verona, Anderson & Sheppard travels to Frankfurt and there are German tailors as well (just have a look at Bernhard Roetzels instagram).

Bob

I assume you’re not in the Alexander Kraft income bracket. Therefore:

– Living outside London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Milan means you pay less per square metre of living space, so you can use the money you save on rent or mortgage to travel to your tailor.
– You only need one item of each kind of clothing. Mr Crompton does this for a living, and needs to have multiple items in order to write reviews. Common mortals do not require multiple items.
– Let us take the worst-case scenario, where you wear a suit every day (to work, say). With three suits, six shirts, three pairs of shoes, an an overcoat, you’re covered. Add to that: one dinner suit plus accoutrements, three sport coats, three pairs of casual trousers, a few casual shirts, and a few pairs of casual shoes, and you’re covered for the rest of your life.
– One mistake that us mortals make, as I learned through bitter tears, is that we panic-buy when we get to that point where we require suits. So we end up wasting money. We could have saved up and got one decent bespoke suit for the price of five ready-to-wear ones, if only we knew.
– But it remains an expensive outlay.
– If you are unlikely to make the top-earning bracket (and one usually knows quite early in life), the best bet is to join the military, where clothing, including dress wear, is provided, and you can get by with fewer self-bought suits and sartorial items.
– Given the choice between commissioning a magnificent suit, and buying a present for one’s children, one must always choose the children. Clothing is a means to an end (such as getting a good job, being one up on one’s competitors, or a finding a girlfriend and/or potential wife). But the smile of joy on the face of a child is an end in itself., and a noble and fulfilling one

Thomas Mahon once said that he couldn’t afford his own suits. A searing indictment of the state of affairs, but so true.

Rups

@bob … perfectly said, apart from the part about joining the military to get nice clothes) thats an awful idea as you could also get sent out to a war zone and have your legs blown off … I guess that would save on the bespoke trousers though) a better idea to get free clothes would be to join a tailoring house, where the money is equally bad as the military, but in todays insta age you’d be encouraged to dress up and eat ice cream for some free modelling work for your employer, or alternatively become a blogger and get free or heavily discounted clothing given to you by tailors and others wanting some stealth promotion.

Anonymous

The first suggestion would be to clearly establish what you want as a wardrobe, and then see what is missing, and among what you already have, what you use, and what “has to go” or is reaching end of life and will need replacement, and focus on the missing pieces or the “has to go / soon be replaced” ones. In that process, it’s also helpful to try and evaluate how long have you had this or that piece before replacing, how much use you got out of it, etc,, to be able to set priorities, and avoid purchase mistakes. There’s nothing more expansive than what you bought but never use.
Then, you can stick to cheaper tailors. You want brit style? Just dodge the most expansive ones, you already know you can’t afford them. But why not go to W&S? Contact them well in advance, state the piece you want to have made, in which color(s) and material, what you want to use it for etc.. They might even be able to send you some samples, so you can already see the fabric home, where you have plenty of time to, if not already chose your fabric, forge yourself a better idea of what it is you want (don’t forget to check those outside in day light too, on such small pieces it can make a huge difference).
Then one day, set out for a trip to . You could, for example couple this with a holiday with your family, and depending on your situation, you could leave a day earlier, stay a day longer, or have a “everyone do what they want” day (I loved opportunities like that as a teenager / young adults in holidays with my parents), and shop then. This way, you’re not travelling “just for clothes”. For that day it is then important to have a good planning, and know in advance which tailors / shop you want to visit, when and in which order. This is when your list kicks in, knowing what you are shopping for and sticking to this is a must, and don’t hesitate to take shortcuts: the shop doesn’t have the pieces on your shopping list? It doesn’t matter how nice this racing blue pant with red strip in cashmere is, you don’t touch it and leave. You’re a special size and you’re not sure if they cater to your body type? Pick something, anything, either their biggest or smallest, and try it on. If it’s the biggest and still too small for you, and oppositely, if it’s the smallest and you’re still swimming in it, you leave. No need checking what they have, you don’t have the time for this and no matter how nice this or that is, they won’t have your size anyway.
As well, those luxury store almost always stock up more than what they’ll be able to sell. Some might have a very discounted store not far away, which you can only visit in person, with no website. Those are worth paying a visit to, especially in April (for winter stuff) and October (summer). However those should be your “end of the day” shops, where you go once you visited all the shops in your list. This is where you can be a bit more “open minded”, and go without a clear expectation (but only once you got all the items on your list, or visited all the shops you wanted to). You might get lucky, or not.

I hope this helps

Chris

This would be excellent!

Robin

I’d certainly second a request for a post/s on that as well .

Chris Tinkler

You should also read a previous article posted by Simon (and the comments) re. Is Bespoke Worth It.
When I married and then became a father, it also seemed to me that I couldn’t see a point at which I could afford such things. Even though I did rise quite high and was paid quite well compared to a lot of other people, the mortgage and associated costs, plus running a child took almost all of my money. I did compromise generally on clothes, with the exception of shoes and shirts (no one wore a jacket in the offices I worked in).
However now our son is mid-20s and the mortgage is long gone, and even though I’ve changed direction and have a lot lower income, I’ve now been able to afford to pay for some bespoke clothes.
I’m able to justify it to myself on three counts: one, I’ve always been interested in good quality clothing and can now plan to spend money to get what I want, two, I’m getting older and it’s harder to meet the profile for clothes that fit well “off the peg” and three, I took to heart some advice I heard in my twenties about clarifying to yourself what you really wanted and reviewing the list regularly to sift out what was a transitory desire against a long term “want”. In this way, the Porsche 911SC I wanted in my 20s ended up being dropped as I found over the years that I was unlucky with cars (being rear-ended, a pick up truck scraping down the side of a brand new car, etc.) and have lost interest in the things.
I’m ok with paying more now for clothing, even though the costs are high relative to my annual income, based on my feeling that I’ll get more wear out of items that fit correctly. One example is that even expensive hand lasted shoes eventually develop a problem as they always start to split at the widest point of my little toe on my right foot and (I’m hoping as I’m new to bespoke shoes) this will be now be eliminated due to “proper fit”.
Coming back to “The Plan”, I try to have a loose idea of the things I want to buy and work on the cashflow. I have a serious book collecting habit, a quite serious antiques habit and a moderately serious clothes habit.
Book collecting is aided by abebooks for dead authors (only buying new hardbacks of living authors) and balancing this by getting out books where possible from the library or Gutenberg.org to make sure I really like the book (I’ve knocked a lot of books off the list this way).
Antiques – which can be a lot cheaper than Ikea – are bought from auctions (wholesale rather than retail).
This then leaves me with money to spend on clothes. I buy vintage where possible for the quality on items such as scarves, pocket squares, etc., but I also have to ration my spend on new items. Having the patience to wait a year – or even more – for an item is the key, though.
BUT for most people, I think the real problem will be waiting until you’ve paid off the mortgage and the kids have left, as these will usually be the priority.

O

Thanks for the replies. I’m really glad that I’m not the only one. I have to confess that as nice as it is to appreciate and admire the craftsmanship and style of the clothing, it can become a little depressing over time. It’s nice to stand back and realise I’m not the only one for whom this doesn’t reflect reality. I’m sure there’s someone posting the same thing on a barbecue blog somewhere…

Noel

I haven’t spent this sort of money (partly because of my income and partly because of other priorities as Simon mentions).

However, I’ve used tailors (mostly just one) that cost about 1/4. Simon has mentioned a few such as Graham Browne in London. Of course, the level of finishing, manual work, neatness and so on is not at the same level. But I still get a quality product with a very good fit.

A quarter of the quoted price in this article is still a fair amount of money that many people with higher incomes and different priorities would think of as being too great.
There is also MTM as an alternative (I’ve also tried) and adjusting RTW clothing.

Whilst I’ve acquired certain products recommended by Simon, for me the greatest value of Permanent style is learning about styles, construction techniques, how to talk to a tailor, how to select cloth, colours, textures, how to build a wardrobe, glasses, quality shoes and so on. I then apply this knowledge to my specific circumstances. This article contributes to that process.

Bryan

The cost of good quality tailoring has actually gone down over the decades, but I suspect increased cost of living in other areas has somewhat hidden this. In addition, many people desire to have more quantity nowadays than would have once been usual for many people.

For example, in the cinema director Jean Renoir’s biography of his father, the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, he discusses Pierre-Auguste’s father, who was a tailor. He writes about what a serious matter making and purchasing clothes was and that a suit could cost five months a normal workingman’s salary.

Anonymous

Something I am wondering is when do you say enough is enough. For me there is a moral dilemma because a high end Savile row suit costs roughly a year’s wages of the average person’s salary from many Eastern European Balkan countries (where I come from). Although I can afford having my clothes made on SR, I feel very conscious of the price and sometimes I feel a bit ashamed. The craft is wonderful, the product great, but it cannot really improve my confidence as it is a symbol of inequality and unfairness. (This has led to me usually wearing simple RTW suits at home, and my bespoke ones abroad). Perhaps we are not yet so far down the capitalism path to be saying that what I make is my own to spend with disregard of social/economic reality. Is something wrong with me?

JDV

To me you don’t have to own everything you appreciate. In the end of the day, it’s as valuable to appreciated a few things that have a big worth to you, than to have everything. Save a lifetime to buy a used 911 if you want to, but don’t feel sad because others have a museum full of cars. And if you really want, you’ll find a way to lots of things.

Richard

Following this interesting discussion. Same situation here as many of the above. I started the adventure when having some business trips to Hong Kong, those suits looks terrible, but I thought at that time they looked good, got some education here on Permanent style, styleforum, books, continued to Luxire and a bespoke tailor in Messina, Sicilia. The sport jackets I have from Sicilia is the most expensive clothes I have ever purchased, but it is not even half of what is stated above. And then I discovered “respoke”, ebay. My whole wardrobe is now basically filled with Savile Row and Italian tailoring purchased at 90% off the price on ebay. I know my measurements, I know what suits me and I can see a good cut and quality. The city I live in does not have decent alteration tailor shops either, I can only get very basic alterations done.

rups

@Richard … I hadn’t heard this term ‘respoke’ before, a mix of recycle and bespoke?

Anonymous

How refreshing to read a piece with some soul dealing with the emotional side of tailoring rather than the normal utilitarian style we have become used to on this site. A breath of fresh air. More please!

Robin

I felt my soul become elevated reading this !
(I suppose it helps that Bruce is a professor of English .)

It’s just so beautifully written.
I now feel the need to be very particular throughout my day and at some point visit a tailor and commission something .

We certainly need more of Bruce Boyer on this site .

Anonymous

It is a big step forward to be able to read a bit about heart and soul rather than how stiches compare or how a sleeve is fitted.

Scott

Bruce Boyer is the epitome of the elegant well dressed man, along with Luciano Barbera. Whether you’re 30 or 70, pay attention to what these men advise and how they dress and you’ll always look fantastic while being comfortable and at ease in your clothes.

Bob

And Bruce Boyer is supposed to be the hallowed oracle of journalism and menswear?

It’s Accademia Nazionale dei Sartori. With a double C and a Z.

I should start charging a fee for these little corrections.

Ian F

Hello Simon. A very enjoyable piece of writing and, more importantly, thank you for commissioning it. Some commentators seem to have compared the usual PS writing style unfavourably with that of Bruce Boyer but I think it takes a big person to put oneself, as you have done, into a position where such a comparison might be made. As in tailoring itself, there is not necessarily a right and wrong way, just different. I appreciate and enjoy your continuing work on this site. I don’t always agree with your conclusions and on occasion the subject matter doesn’t appeal but I value the fact that you introduce me to areas I might not otherwise encounter. Thank you, and I hope your evident enthusiasm and journalistic voice will continue to flourish.

Evan Everhart

Simon,

Agreed. Ian is quite right, and I greatly appreciate what you do and say and yr perspective is highly enlightening for me. Thanks again! 🙂

ben w

This is so self-satisfied, not to mention overwritten, that one blanches at the thought of taking guidance from Boyer in any other domain in which the exercise of taste is a factor. Though it does make it less puzzling how he came to write that maundering absurdity “clothing shows you care” a few years back.

Jan

I would strongly second that point. Way too fond of himself and, as a consequence, just not enjoyable to read.

Bob

This kind of contrived style is hugely admired in American journalism.

They wouldn’t get Francis Bown, for instance.

Paul Boileau

LOL. I’m not sure there’s much to get. His “reviews” are dependent on the largesse of the merchant if you get my drift.

Chris

Absolutely – Boyer comes off as someone who wants other to notice him for his “unassuming” style and I’m shocked he actually accurately described himself within the article, where he wrote, “…unobtrusive-but-knowing gentleman I hoped to present to the world.” Yes, I think he does hope to present himself as a knowing gentleman, but the more I’ve seen from BB, the more I’ve come to be disgusted by his excesses, overstatements, and hollowness.

rups

what kind of excesses are you referring to? definitely some misplaced social snobbery at work which to be honest runs through much of the luxury clothing industry, appealing to those who feel they are socially superior to others and wish to display this through clothing which if you think about it all is rather pathetic.

Vince

Well, I’m sold. Just need to find the time and save a little more money. Thank you Bruce and Simon

Janefrances

I recently came across Gaetano Aloisio on Instagram and his impeccable style of dressing even while holding a chalk caught my eye.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Thank you for writing about your experience with him and yes, you look great in your suit Bruce!

Evan Everhart

A wonderful, witty, and urbane piece by Mr. Boyer, as always expected from such a distinguished literary and sartorial figure.

I greatly enjoyed the piece, and his insights upon and elucidation of this apparently master craftsman!

That said, while I love the article and laud Mr. Boyer’s choice of fabric and shoulder line, I do question the fit of the jacket and the proportions and fit of the waistcoat. Not on Mr. Boyer, but I suppose we could chalk it up to his first assay with this craftsman. To be precise, to my eye, the suit looks a bit top heavy, it could be the action shots, but I recognize it and even have some suits with similar fit issues, the thing is, those suits are largely inherited or vintage purchases, and are in need of re-up visits to one or the other of my alterations tailors for various adjustments as I’ve lost weight, or they are awaiting a first adjustment, in queue. My point is this, a suit at that price point from a custom tailor should not have issues with wavy or rolling fit or excessively long drop in the waistcoat which of course gives a shortened leg line, nor should the jacket of such a suit give the appearance of boxiness or top heaviness, even and especially in movement over the wearer, whatever the shoulder extension. I am going to assume that this is because it is a first commission with a new tailor, but as he had 3 fittings, by his own statement, the tailor should have done a tidier and more well fitting job of it. Normally Mr. Boyer’s suits are the non plus ultra of style and elegant fit and I am a bit non plussed by this suits shortfall in those respects. All of that said, I am sure that the handiwork and etc are up to Mr. Boyer’s typical stringent standards, one hopes.

Simon, I would like to see a discussion with Mr. Boyer on his experiences as a bespoke client over the years and his perceptions and opinions regarding what has changed in the industry, and what has stayed the same, and perhaps why, those things have changed, in his studied and erudite opinion. I would also like to see a photograph of Mr. Boyer in his suit by this tailor, at ease as it were, at full length, to see if it hangs better in stillness than in motion, or if I can chalk my bad impression of the waistcoat dimensions and fit up to photographic artifice and angle as opposed to the actual garment. It can be hard to tell without full length shots “at ease”.

Mr. Boyer, my hat is off to you! You are a gentleman of taste and cultivation, and a scholar!

Simon, thank you so very much for this wonderful “expose” and exploration of this tailor by the outstanding and ever interesting Mr. Boyer. As usual, I find myself returning to yr site on the daily!

Evan Everhart

Somehow I missed the still, standing, semi full length shot….it still bunches, sadly. I would earnestly gripe at that tailor about that bunching. I cannot however ascertain what the proportions of the jacket to and waistcoat to trousers are as his legs are cut off. I could assume, but that would be rash, in light of the frequent tendency of photographs to generate optical artifacts. The rippling….. 🙁

Evan Everhart

Thanks Simon,

I was wondering about that. I am not that familiar with Roman tailoring aside from their predilection for shaped shoulders, but was not expecting that to be an overt influence from what the text of the article inferred as to the tailor’s malleability and familiarity with various regional styles and ability to mix and match them to the needs of his clientele. Agreed also with regards to Mr. Boyer’s usual preference for rather soft shouldered drape cut garments which are impeccable.

I really enjoyed this piece and hope that you will have more in this vein. Have you considered an interview with the estimable Mr. R. Press? He is a fountainhead of fascinating minutiae and history of clothing and is by all accounts a very personable fellow.

Looking forward to yr next article which I will be reading momentarily, Sir! Have a Blessed Day!

Ben

It’d be helpful in an introduction to a tailor on this platform to provide some photos of the finished work that actually gives a sense of his skill. For all of Boyer’s renown, I’ve never seen a picture of him—and there’s no shortage of those—that actually shows off his good taste w/r/t the fit of a suit: everything’s always unbuttoned or flapping in the wind. Why bother paying $7k for a suit if you’re going to wear it like a lab coat? (The one closed-jacket shot in a previous, “how to dress like Bruce Boyer” post, with its overallesque cords, doesn’t inspire confidence.)

Those two pictures of Aloisio are quite arresting though.

Anonymous

Firstly thank you for featuring this article Simon: it shows a generosity of spirit to Bruce and to readers to feature other authors. It also shows a true love of the subject matter and an appreciation of your audience that you offer this insight into commissioning. The detail around cutting to shape vs. padding to reach a required silhouette was gold as was the line
‘We hope that he’s not only a cosmetic surgeon but a psychiatrist as well’.
The insight into the psychological aspect of cutting, again, was deeply valuable.
‘I want to talk with the customer so I can have an in-depth knowledge of how he sees himself in his own mind’.
Given the glowing extollation given by Bruce it’s almost now a requirement that you commission from this house? I ask, as with many readers, I have surveyed many a garment upon your frame and can, through experience, gauge fit, form and quality backed by your images and review – all of which are vicariously enjoyable. The garment could be anything but following Bruce’s wonderful description a tangible expression of Gaetano Aloisio’s ethos in PS form would be most welcome. Thank you again to Bruce and to you. Occasional features such as these are most welcome and the quality reflects well upon PS and your own editorial standard.

Robert Giaimo

I’m a fan of Bruce Boyer and now I’m a fan of Gaetano Aloisio. Mr. Aloisio is his own best model, he certainly instills confidence in his craft by the style he projects.
Thank you Simon for the enlightening and good read.

LesTele

I love the double breasted coat. The lowest button spoils it for me.

Is an incongruous button a thing?

Feurich

Strikes me as pretty standard Italian tailoring at a very high cost. Although I would have liked to have seen the suit without the waistcoat to judge better. I searched the tailor’s work on the internet: the examples I saw could use a bit more drape and the lapels strike me as under worked and a bit flimsy. For this price I would do some homework and go to Naples and pay much less.

Jason

Some interesting points about affordability.
Happily I’ve long been in a position to take good care of my family, make a contribution to society and have enough to occasionally indulge myself.
That said, I have rules that are largely driven by my own sense of what’s right.
Cars are a good example. Somebody once suggested I buy a Bentley. I would never do that. I get the craftsmanship but for me £120,000 plus on a car is just too much money. For me, it would be wasteful. I do however drive a Range Rover. Why ? Well because I’ve got a country home that is well off the beaten track. I have two large dogs and I go shooting. The Range Rover is good for the aforementioned and when I’m doing long haul by road it drives like a Bentley.
How does this relate to clothes ?
Well, I would never spend £5000 on a leather jacket or any sort of outwear or casual wear. I buy the vast majority of these type of things judiciously from the likes of ‘Private White’ and ‘A&S’ Haberdashery. I find nice pieces that are, correctly priced and which have the right quality. I would never shop at the likes of Hermes or Loro Piana for this type of thing. I find their pricing vulgar and any quality increment unjustified.
Ditto with shoes and shirts. I buy all my shoes at Joseph Cheaney, they have absolutely the right price/quality equilibrium and I can get great mtm shirts from the likes of Drakes. It’s also worth mentioning that my bespoke adventures in these categories have always ended in disaster.
What has all of this got to do with Mr.Boyer’s whistle and flute ?
Well, this I would buy because any flaneur worth his salt knows that you can only achieve tailoring nirvana at the hands of a master tailor who has been judiciously briefed.
Boyer clearly new what he wanted and with Aloisio he has created a sartorial masterpiece. It is perfect in every regard and is a suit you could wear to a multiplicity of formal and semi-formal events. It is also a suit you could keep forever. His choice of shirt, tie and shoes also complement it perfectly.
Bruce Boyer is certainly a flaneur’s flaneur – just keep him away from a microphone!

Peter Z.

There are certain tailors whom I would consider to be luxury tailors and others (sometimes more expensive) to be simply good/great tailors. The Caracenis (less so), Gaetano Aloisio and Cifonelli/Camps I would consider such luxury tailors on two parameters- the finishing and fine detailing and their tendencies to like and push for more luxurious cloths. Even though Dege and Skinner is more expensive (or similar) than pretty much all of the aforementioned, I can’t consider them a luxury tailor due to their way of working and their cloths suggestions which are typically 12-13 oz worsted. I primarily see this as a positive note as I wouldn’t consider any of the luxury tailors on a regular basis as simply that’s not what I look for in a garment and I wouldn’t want my garment to look “too nice.” Any thoughts?

Lindsay Eric McKee

Hi Simon,
Wonderful as always to hear about a new tailor, especially from Rome, not just Naples, Florence, Milan etc.
If I may respectfully suggest, maybe a review, your time and busy schedule permitting, on the Saville Row tailors ” Cad & The Dandy”. We hear quite a lot about them. I am considering bespoke with them sometime soon.
Many thanks
Lindsay

JJ Katz

A lovely articel, thanks. In contast to what some others have written, while I *always* enjoy Mr Boyer’s writing tremendously, I think that Mr Crompton’s style, when it comes to the precise, technical points of tailoring is “sans pareil”.
Re. the cost; I’m not even close to this price bracket but I’m glad there is a site specialising on that and nearly all its lessons can be translated down to more affordable options.

John

Hi Simon,
I’ve enjoyed reading Bruce’s review. I share your view that it’s crucial for PS’s readers to know what today’s craftsmanship can do and still offer to consumers.
I would have liked to read Douglas Cordeaux’s comment on this final product as well, as I suspect his perspective could be interesting too.
A question that might be of interest to many readers: from which level of craftsmanship (say, from level 3 to 6) does one trully experience an incontrovertible substantial difference between suits or jackets? Or does the law of diminishing return apply here too?
John

Tim

The left shoulder looks off in most pictures, is that just because that’s what an old man’s shoulder looks like or something else? It looks like the shoulder seam is draping an inch over the actual shoulder in the last picture

Fatih

I always really try hard to appreciate Mr. Boyers writings. However, I just cannot relate to his style. He, in my eyes, tries too deliberately to be perceived as prosaic and hence artfully that he overdoes it most of the times. Just to much chi chi on a topic that left behind snobbish views on itself ages ago.

Anonymous

Hi Simon,

With much of the product that you write about being top end Bespoke very expensive and thus out of financial reach for most of your following.
Have you/would you consider writing more about top end RTW? I’m talking about Zegna, Canali, Tom Ford, Isaia, Kiton, Brioni – the last 3 have outlets for those interested in buying/investing in luxury/starting their formal wardrobes and Cesare Attolini.

I mean no offence i really thoroughly enjoy reading your blog every Monday, Wednesday & Friday afternoon but M2M and Bespoke isn’t for every body and there are some great rtw tailoring houses that make product that is probably better than some of the smaller bespoke tailors that you have used/talk about here and cheaper than some of the top tailors you use with amazing cloths, finishing and handwork.

What do you think?

zohair

Why would you not recommend those brands? Are they not value for money when compared with say AI or SA or Drakes? I’m keen to know how the average joe buyer, such as myself, can identify value in the RTW market (obviously one way is to subscribe to fashion journalism such as yours). Why is it better value to buy an button down oxford shirt from Drake’s than say Thom Browne? (if that is indeed the case)

This is a very interesting read as always. And some very interesting comments too.

Sam

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of Bruce in the pre-internet days. From his writing, I gather he’s been dressing quite consistently for over half a century. It would be fascinating to see his style in photos from the 1950s–1990s.

Anonymous

From recent comments, there is a hunger for more articles on quality MTM. For you to quote two rather limits things given the lengths you have gone to discover the wider range of bespoke. Savile Row tailors such as Gieves, Sextons etc. (plus a wide range of off-Row makers) provide this at a high level but I sense, as you prefer to commission full bespoke, that you will avoid this. Please consider that £5k+ bespoke is a product affordable to few (pragmatically even this is reducing, as suits are becoming less necessary due to changing office codes). Quality MTM at £1k-£2k has a much broader appeal which is why more providers have entered the market over the last decade.

Paul Boileau

Interesting article on a tailor I’d never heard of. He must be doing well if he employs 40 workers. I like the suit but the waistcoat does not appear to be wholly successful as has been mentioned. I often wonder how much experience Italian tailors have of making waistcoats as they do not appear to be that popular in Italy. I guess most of the larger houses have an “international clientele” so have to make more now. The open coat seems to be a Boyer signature style and certainly suits this suit. The shape of the sleeve cap in the 8th photo down is interesting.

DB

Are Mr. Aloisio’s prices at the top of the bespoke market? I’m curious.

Anonymous

Re. MTM. You wrote about Gieves five years ago but makers such as Sextons are more recent to the MTM field. Talking around the subject though doesn’t really address it and, for the reasons given, it seems to be more pertinent than ever, the many comments in this strand are proof of this. Bryan points to reduced cost but this doesn’t hold up: over the last ten years bespoke has increased by some margin whilst incomes have, relatively, remained static.

Rups

With respect the argument that value lies in bespoke because they will last decades, or the oft quoted ‘lifetime’ is a red herring promoted by the luxury clothing industry to justify high prices.

Firstly its exaggerated in the sense that a piece of 12/13oz trouser cloth assuming from the same or similar mill, whether put together by RTW, MTM or low or high end bespoke is still a piece of 12/13oz trouser cloth and will wear through at the same rate. Why would it not?

Secondly, let’s say you take real good care of your bespoke clothing, your own tastes will change. That might be driven by a shift in your own likes and dislikes, or perhaps through a lifestyle change eg in your case a move from a corporate environment to full time blogging has meant dressing more casually.

Thirdly even if your clothing stays in good condition and you like it your body is in a constant state of flux. Thats the hilarious thing about bespoke, a tailor spends all that time trying to make minute changes in 1/8s or 1/16th of an inch, but your body can shift a couple of inches even between fittings) Over time, say a decade or two your body will almost certainly be quite different meaning the suit or jacket or trousers cut for you will need to be adjusted. This will usually detract from the appearance of the garment as it was designed with certain balanced proportions.

I would assume a 5-10 year time horizon max if you want to start making per annum financial calculations of cost. I think some of your readers may be shocked at just how expensive this hobby is for ‘hobby’ is what dressing well in tailoring is these days. Ive noticed in the comments readers balking at costs of say 5k euro for suits (eg bruce boyer’s Italian grey one drew some conversation). Looking historically at tailoring, who was it originally designed for? It was the preserve of the idle Upper class European aristocracy who were far more wealthy than the upper middle class yuppie city banker, lawyer, doctor, IT guy etc of today. Look at their lifestyle, they had a retinue of staff and huge palatial homes in town and country. What would be the combined cost of such a lifestyle today? A Russian oligarch or Arabian oil sheikh may be the only ones able to compete. Tailoring was just a part of all that. The middle and working classes just copied with a much smaller change of outfits made to lower standards. On the other side of the coin if you adjust prices of proper bespoke tailoring even including Savile Row 20/30 years ago it was significantly cheaper than it is today. Reason is simple supply and demand. In the UK for example there were bespoke tailors up and down the country, from Savile Row to more local independent tailors and later on post war your had stores like Burtons which also did bespoke tailoring aimed at the middle classes.

Chris Tinkler

There are a few independent tailors up here in North Yorkshire who offer a “bespoke” suit from around £1200 for a two piece but I suspect that this is measured in house and then farmed out to one of the major MTM tailing factories in Leeds for making up.
On the other hand, Des Merrion in Leeds offers a “semi bespoke” solution (as well as a MTM from £1200) from £1800 which includes him cutting and assembling the suit but with more sewing machine use than the full (Savile Row) definition of bespoke.

Peter K

In the comments some people take exception to Bruce Boyer’s writing style.

It didn’t bother me and I enjoyed a piece from him that is a cheerful departure from the “curmudgeon” persona that he seems to have adopted recently.

Anonymous

Hi Simon, you are simply incorrect re. suit prices being more reasonable now than historically (incl. Savile Row). I have posted links on PS about this a number of times. Bespoke, as it trails the ridiculous inflationary bubble of luxe fashion (with a business model of 10% p.a. increases), and becomes increasingly interlinked to the business model (RTW, accessories, watches etc.) has had above inflationary increases for quite some time.

For example Gieves currently offer bespoke from £5k+ in 2008 bespoke started from £3k. That’s 70% in a decade of near 0% inflation and wage increases.
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/gieves-and-hawkes-savile-row-tailor
The following link provides a price comparison that shows an SR suit is now double the cost compared to the 1960’s: widely available MTM suits were also much cheaper and that’s when they were all made in the UK. Respectfully, if you have evidence/links to the contrary I’d be pleased to read them.
https://conversation.which.co.uk/money/cost-of-suit-mad-men-ear-sixties/#comments

Rups

On the point about 70% increases in such and such time frame while wages remain stagnant, most of the business which Savile Row tailors get isn’t reliant on the average working man’s wage packet. Many of the clientele are the super rich, its a mixture of the Oligarchy jet set class, big business owners or directors often from the US and other assorted places around the world, hedge fund & bank bosses with a smattering of Surgeons and other very highly paid professionals. There might be a handful of clothing enthusiasts thrown into the mix. These peoples buying power isn’t affected by wages, they are living in a different world entirely, their wealth being generated in other ways. The clothing hobbyists are playing an expensive game and if on a salary of say £50k it’s going to hurt. It makes me laugh when I read the blogosphere and writers talk about what constitutes good taste, that dressing well is about ‘respect’, that clothes give subtle messages and yada yada yada. A casual walk down a British high street, or even business district in London will quickly reveal that 99.9% of people could not care less and more to the point if you dress in a stylised tailored way you will be the odd ball. Im not saying that’s a good thing or a bad thing but thats my view of where society is.

Rups

ok ok so I admit it Im one of the oddballs. I wear cream flannels cut in 1930s wide leg style, highly structured English equestrian style jackets, often with flower in button hole, burgundy braces (with original cream cat gut ends cause the fluss told me so) and team it all with a chocolate brown trilby. Seriously. Even my own mother laughs at me)

Guy Graff

Boyer stated something that struck a note with me, that I discovered over time in my early bussiness dealings. He said a tailor should be according to him “not only a cosmetic surgeon but a psychiatrist as well”.

Being a Real Estate borker in the “Hamptons” NY for some time, dealing with high profile clients often, I discovered that I was not only in sales but a shrink. Part of my success was based on discovering what clients were looking to project about themselves with a purchase, not to mention all the nuances of personality.

In my view, tailoring is somewhat simalar to Real Estate in that you’re dealing with very intimate qualities and character.

Anonymous

‘I’m talking about all bespoke’ – all bespoke – where, worldwide? No, UK bespoke, in London has grown more expensive. We could discuss bespoke further north but then you never go there…

‘It’s also rather misleading to compare Row prices with luxury as a whole. A lot of the tailors have seen big rises in costs’…
so have luxe brands who, in effect pay the highest rentals in London, NY, Tokyo etc.

But the real issue is why aren’t we seeing more on well made MTM?

Anonymous

…so six MTM in nearly ten years? It’s also not necessarily about cost (cheaper MTM etc.) but variety. There is no evidence that tailoring is spending more on rentsthan other businesses though SR costs are very high. Having spoken to retail managers from Richmond to the West End high rentals and rates are impacting and ending many businesses.

Nick.Y

Hi Simon,

Same question I aksed over Instagram, do you normally have different measurements between gorge/lapel and the shoulder for bespoke suit and sport jackets? or are you more keen to follow the house cut of each tailors rather than adding a bit personalisation?

Generally, I saw people tends to have a lower gorges in formal suit than sports jacket. I think we are quite similar in terms of height and body shape, so I would like to know what measurement do you use, if you don’t mind I am asking.

Thank you

Nick. Y

Thanks for your answer. I just had a browse at those link, it’s really helpful. I wonder if you’ll be writing something about bespoke coating in terms of styles and tailor you’ve commissioned all these years.

Ibrahim

In the US where I live, most men would never pay these prices for suits even if they could afford them. Only the Top 10% of American society make 100K or more a year. Most of those echelon would spend around $1000 to $2000 on a suit but no more. Only men who are really wealthy let us say income above $250K could afford acfive grand suit. That is considering that one does not live in places like N.Y. or NJ where it is expensive and cost of housing and real estate taxes and schools for kids is all sky rocketing.
I would suggest that Simon should start exploring affordable fashion for men who make 100K to 200K a year.

Rups

Are these people you know who spend that much on clothes in menswear circles or outside it mainly? I think Ibrahim is right in saying that most $100-200k guys would not spend $5k on a suit. Its going to be either the super wealthy or the clothing hobbyist who like any hobbyist doesn’t mind spending say 10-20% of their income every year on their interest whether that be sailing or vintage cars etc.

Rups

Well you are the archetypal clothes hobbyist Simon! In fact you are a king among clothes hobbyists by the very fact you are Permanent Style! LOL

If someone earning £50-70k spends $5k on one suit then either they have a spending problem or more likely are clothes hobbyists too) My point is that regular people who just like to look well dressed, ie dont read clothing fora, browse through cloth books in down time, have style books as coffee table reading, are not going to spend about 10% of their net income on a suit. If they treat clothes as a hobby, or passion, then yes they would but it’s a niche fraternity of guys. I call them clothes hobbyists, some might call them the menswear crowd, or even Igents LOL

Chris Tinkler

I agree Simon,
And it’s not a once-off on a £500 phone, but usually a 2 – 3 year repeating cost for a replacement by a more up to date model, whereas the clothing, assuming it is not an extremely “fashionable” cut, will last for years and years without being replaced, merely augmented by other clothes (i.e., PERMANENT style).
I don’t have a mega-salary but this is an area in which I like to invest / spend my money and one of the reasons I come back again and again to your blog is that you are going for the quality angle, even when quality comes at a price, but also doing it with a critical eye to what works rather than just mouthing glossy magazine platitudes.
It is a matter of personal choice, versus other spending options, but if that’s what gives you pleasure then that’s your bag, and as long as you can cover the cost, that’s a personal choice.
There are quite a lot of other places on the internet where you can explore the other options as to price-point, etc., I like it that you stick to your guns on what is important to you.

Ibrahim

I think many American wives would love for their husbands to buy expensive cars! After all they will drive them and end up being theirs ! 🙂 but for their men to spend 5K on a jacket? , well let us say it would cause major disturbances on the home front ! 🙂 which would result in spending at least the same amount on a jewelry piece for the wife in an attempt to bring back peace to the home ! 🙂

John

If you think about, really think about it, and also think about up comming Black Friday and to all the sort of useless stuff peoplle spend good money money thinking they are doing a bargain, 5500 is not that much money really… i mean i see people spending ludicrous amounts of money, people that make less then me and then constantly complain there broke. You see it all depends where you spend your money and how, and what is valuable for you, there are poor people going in debt to see the worldcup on the other side of the world, me i dont care fot it, i like seeing the matches on telvision but i much rather save up to buy a nice suit of the Maestro, its all about point a view people and what you like and where you passions are… for some its figurines of anime others its star wars and me its fashon, you dont need to be rich to buy a thing thats worth 5000 euro, its all about where your priorities are.

Josh

Simon,

Thank you for your lovely website. A source of education and inspiration for me and, I suspect, for many others.

You have written about the many regional tailoring styles, yet have hardly mentioned the Roman style. Is there such a style? If so, what are its features? Is Roman tailoring just similar to those of Milan or Naples?

Please pardon my ignorance.

Oliver Zabar

Hi Simon,
Have you done a shopping guide to Rome like you did for Naples? Any suggestions of good tailors to visit or other shops that one cannot miss in the city?
Thank you.

Oliver Zabar

Great! Cannot wait to read It. I’ll be going there in late July. Hopefully it’s done before!