*This is an extract from the book Bespoke Style, which is available here on the PS shop*

Nunzio Pirozzi has a strong reputation in Naples. Indeed, he’s one of the few master tailors that other tailors consistently praise.

(The usual method of expression is pursing the lips and an emphatic thumbs-up.)

Generally, this refers to a tailor’s technical abilities, and Nunzio is certainly strong there.

However, from a style point of view he is unusually modern. He tends towards the short jacket, narrow trousers and tight fit of the younger Neapolitan tailors, despite being of the older generation.

The jacket of this suit is not long, and yet it was one of few in this series where I deviated from the house style – requesting it to be an inch longer.

House: Sartoria Pirozzi

Address: Viale Antonio Gramsci 23, Naples

Site: www.sartoriapirozzi.com

Cutter: Nunzio Pirozzi

Price (at time of writing): €3500 (incl VAT)

Suit starting price: €3500 (incl VAT)

I commissioned the suit in 2016 back when Pirozzi were working with tiemaker E.Marinella, and visiting London regularly as its in-house tailor.

Unfortunately they no longer do so, but Pirozzi do still travel to Asia, at Sartorial in China, Dal Duca in Hong Kong and Strasburgo in Japan.

I already had a caramel-coloured corduroy suit from Anderson & Sheppard, and it was one of my favourites. But that had a double-breasted jacket, and I was always unsure whether it was the right choice – I found I couldn’t wear the jacket with jeans easily, for example.

So this was an attempt to correct that choice, as well as make something that was a ‘three-way suit’, in that the jacket and trousers could be worn separately, as well as together as a suit.

The suit has done well in that respect, and been worn all three ways. But it was probably overkill to have two such similar suits. I should have stuck with just one or the other.

The overall style of this Pirozzi jacket is definitely Neapolitan. The canvas in the chest is lightweight; the quarters are open; the body is cut close.

But the shoulders are different. There is a little padding in there – just a single layer of wadding, but more than most Neapolitans.

The shoulder is a touch wider, and there is a touch of wadding at the top of the shoulder, creating a subtle roped effect.

These are all small points, but overall they make the top half of the jacket stronger and more formal than most Neapolitans.

The lapel and collar are interesting too. The lapel line isn’t quite straight, unlike almost all other Neapolitans (Rubinacci being the exception we’ve covered).

It is ever-so-slightly convex, curving outwards towards the shoulder.

And the gorge (where collar and lapel meet) is very high. The measurement from the point of the lapel up to the shoulder seam is 2¾ inches, which is the smallest of any tailoring covered in this series.

Like many other contemporary suits, the angle of the top of the lapel is also quite flat, pointing out towards the sleeve rather than downwards. (Compare it to the downward slope of Ferdinando Caraceni.)

Those last two points – the height and angle of the gorge – are in keeping with the view of this as a rather modern Neapolitan.

As mentioned at the beginning, the jacket is not long (30½ inches in the back seam) and yet it was lengthened at the first fitting.

It is also cut quite close to the body, has a fairly wide lapel (4 inches) and slim trousers (19 inches at the knee at 15 at the cuff).

So we can perhaps characterise the overall Pirozzi style as a Neapolitan suit with English influences in the lapel and shoulder, and a modern cut in the length and slimness.

The sleeve is more generous than some Neapolitans, partly as a result of that roped sleevehead. But it still narrows to 11 inches at the bottom.

The buttoning point is fairly high (17½ inches from the shoulder seam), there’s definite though moderate shape in the waist and lower back, and the outbreast pocket is a little lower than normal at 10¾ inches from the shoulder (most are 10).

Little deviations here and there – but as I always say, this is what makes the style of a suit.

Although this is my second suit in this cord, I have to say I never tire of how nice it looks with an ‘Italian background’ of navy tie and blue shirt.

The tie is of course from Anderson & Sheppard, as is the white-linen handkerchief (A&S are sponsoring this series and so have provided all the accessories, with Edward Green supplying the shoes).

The shirt is a denim-coloured linen, made by D’Avino.

Those shoes are EG Dovers.

Style breakdown:

• Shoulder width: 6½ inches
• Shoulder padding: Thin wadding
• Sleevehead: Wadding, slightly roped
• Sleeve: Moderate, narrows sharply to cuff
• Lapel: 4 inches
• Gorge height: 2¾ inches
• Drape: Small
• Outbreast pocket height: 10⅜ inches
• Buttoning point: 17½ inches
• Waist suppression: Moderate
• Quarters: Open, from first button
• Length: 30½ inches
• Back seam: Moderately suppressed
• Vent height: 10¼ inches
• Trouser circumference at knee: 19 inches
• Trouser circumference at cuff: 15 inches

Photography: Jamie Ferguson