Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the pop-up then got in the way; a...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the pop...
White tie and blue shirt: Sunny formal in Sartori...
Wearing a white tie with a blue shirt is something that makes perfect sense in Naples. To a certain extent, wearing sugary-pink jackets and lapis-blue tailoring makes sense too. It's just sunny so much of the time, even in winter - and that sun is s...
White tie and blue shirt: Sunny formal in Sartori...
Wearing a white tie with a blue shirt is something that makes perfect sense in Naples. To a certain extent, wearing sugary-pink jackets and lapis-blue tailoring makes sense too. It's just sunny so much of the time, even...
Sartoria Pasinato cavalry-twill suit: Review
This suit from Vicenza-based Sartoria Pasinato has turned out very smartly, with a clean fit and very sharp line. Part of this is a result of the cloth, which is a cavalry twill from Vitale Barberis Canonico (584, 440g). Twills like this (covert is ...
Sartoria Pasinato cavalry-twill suit: Review
This suit from Vicenza-based Sartoria Pasinato has turned out very smartly, with a clean fit and very sharp line. Part of this is a result of the cloth, which is a cavalry twill from Vitale Barberis Canonico (584, 440g)...
The first fitting process – with Sartoria P...
First, there must be coffee. With the Italians, always coffee. Being English I find it hard to relax and chat. I want to get straight to the fitting, rather than sit down and exchange niceties. But it is a nice social ritual, and does build relation...
The first fitting process – with Sartoria P...
First, there must be coffee. With the Italians, always coffee. Being English I find it hard to relax and chat. I want to get straight to the fitting, rather than sit down and exchange niceties. But it is a nice social r...
Sartoria Panico fitting (and a roll neck for a lo...
One of the less-discussed sides of Pitti Uomo is the number of tailors that set up in a hotel or appartment at the same time as the fair, in order to see customers. Although most visitors to Pitti are buyers from around the world, those buyers are o...
Sartoria Panico fitting (and a roll neck for a lo...
One of the less-discussed sides of Pitti Uomo is the number of tailors that set up in a hotel or appartment at the same time as the fair, in order to see customers. Although most visitors to Pitti are buyers from aroun...
Sartoria Ciardi – The next generation
Renato Ciardi, who sadly passed away earlier this year, was truly one of the greats of Neapolitan tailoring. Succession planning is rarely one of a bespoke tailor’s strengths, but fortunately the Ciardi family began planning for this several y...
Sartoria Ciardi – The next generation
Renato Ciardi, who sadly passed away earlier this year, was truly one of the greats of Neapolitan tailoring. Succession planning is rarely one of a bespoke tailor’s strengths, but fortunately the Ciardi family began p...
Olive covert-cloth suit, from Sartoria Vergallo
It's hard not to feel that the future of the suit lies in more practical cloths than the fine worsteds of the past 30 years. We may move towards a situation where these cloths will be reserved for formal wear, while everyday suits and jackets are ma...
Olive covert-cloth suit, from Sartoria Vergallo
It's hard not to feel that the future of the suit lies in more practical cloths than the fine worsteds of the past 30 years. We may move towards a situation where these cloths will be reserved for formal wear, while e...
Style Guide – the partners shoot
The Style Guide has been wonderfully received so far - at the launch events in London and New York, but also online and through personal messages. Thank you all. There are a few things I realise I haven't emphasised so far. One is that we proudly d...
Style Guide – the partners shoot
The Style Guide has been wonderfully received so far - at the launch events in London and New York, but also online and through personal messages. Thank you all. There are a few things I realise I haven't emphasised s...
House styles and difficult customers: The Tailori...
Edward Sexton Before the public part of Tailoring Symposium in June, we all gathered next to the pool at the Four Seasons to have a chat about tailoring and its future, with The Rake busily making a video of the event in the background. This was ...
House styles and difficult customers: The Tailori...
Edward Sexton Before the public part of Tailoring Symposium in June, we all gathered next to the pool at the Four Seasons to have a chat about tailoring and its future, with The Rake busily making a video of the eve...
Short video from Vitale Barberis event in Milan
A nice little video here from our launch event in Milan for the Permanent Style 2015 book. Not much substance I’m afraid – more a promotional sting than anything else – but there are some nice shots of Simone, Fabio et...
Short video from Vitale Barberis event in Milan
A nice little video here from our launch event in Milan for the Permanent Style 2015 book. Not much substance I’m afraid – more a promotional sting than anything else – but there are some nice shot...
Grey shirts with grey suits, at Milan launch
Last week was the official launch of the Permanent Style book, with an event in Milan hosted by Vitale Barberis Canonico and A Caraceni. I was interviewed by the fashion editor of La Repubblica, Simone Marchetti, about my history and views on cont...
Grey shirts with grey suits, at Milan launch
Last week was the official launch of the Permanent Style book, with an event in Milan hosted by Vitale Barberis Canonico and A Caraceni. I was interviewed by the fashion editor of La Repubblica, Simone Marchetti, ab...
Vitale Barberis opens archives
Last week Vitale Barberis Canonico held a party at the mill in Patrivero, near Biella, to celebrate the refurnishing and opening up of its archives. It was a great event, and the archives have created a rich resource for designers the world over. Ale...
Vitale Barberis opens archives
Last week Vitale Barberis Canonico held a party at the mill in Patrivero, near Biella, to celebrate the refurnishing and opening up of its archives. It was a great event, and the archives have created a rich resource for...
The Rake opens London Collections: Men
This is probably the busiest week of the year. I tend to avoid the fashion shows, but there are now some great tailoring events in the calendar – including The Rake’s party at Claridge’s on Sunday night and the English G...
The Rake opens London Collections: Men
This is probably the busiest week of the year. I tend to avoid the fashion shows, but there are now some great tailoring events in the calendar – including The Rake’s party at Claridge’s on Sunday night...
Giovanni Barberis Organista
This is Giovanni Barberis Organista, tailor to the Vitale Barberis Canonico family. The two families are only distantly related (the last two names are both surnames, indicating a split at some point). More importantly, Giovanni’s family have m...
Giovanni Barberis Organista
This is Giovanni Barberis Organista, tailor to the Vitale Barberis Canonico family. The two families are only distantly related (the last two names are both surnames, indicating a split at some point). More importantly, ...
Italy’s mills and merchants explained
This is a follow-up to my popular post on English mills and cloth merchants: how to tell them apart, how they are related and how to select between them (basically, don’t; there is little difference). Italian mills are a lot simple...
Italy’s mills and merchants explained
This is a follow-up to my popular post on English mills and cloth merchants: how to tell them apart, how they are related and how to select between them (basically, don’t; there is little difference). Italian...
VBC Rides!
The glorious ‘VBC Rides’ cycling team, with riders from a variety of the local mills. We’re in front of the Oropa monastery, at the end of the glorious climb from Biella that was made famous by Pantani in the 1999 Giro:...
VBC Rides!
The glorious ‘VBC Rides’ cycling team, with riders from a variety of the local mills. We’re in front of the Oropa monastery, at the end of the glorious climb from Biella that was made famous by Pantan...
Vitale Barberis Canonico
This past week I’ve been in Biella, visiting the lovely people at Vitale Barberis Canonico and researching a piece on Italian mills and bunches – a follow-up to the popular post on English mills. Barberis is going through something of a t...
Vitale Barberis Canonico
This past week I’ve been in Biella, visiting the lovely people at Vitale Barberis Canonico and researching a piece on Italian mills and bunches – a follow-up to the popular post on English mills. Barberis is going th...
A travel innovation: VBC 1663 Bellagio Rolling Bag
I’ve been travelling for the past two weeks, and while I fold my suits very assiduously (inside out, shoulder into shoulder, around a pair of trousers), they clearly suffered over the multiple journeys. I have no solution for such long periods ...
A travel innovation: VBC 1663 Bellagio Rolling Bag
I’ve been travelling for the past two weeks, and while I fold my suits very assiduously (inside out, shoulder into shoulder, around a pair of trousers), they clearly suffered over the multiple journeys. I have no solut...
Huddersfield’s mills and merchants explained
I was up in Yorkshire last week, based in Huddersfield and seeing a few of the mills and merchants, including Pennine, Johnsons and Dugdale. What struck me hardest when I got back was the lack of understanding among bespoke customers, ...
Huddersfield’s mills and merchants explained
I was up in Yorkshire last week, based in Huddersfield and seeing a few of the mills and merchants, including Pennine, Johnsons and Dugdale. What struck me hardest when I got back was the lack of understandi...