Cifonelli jacket, D’Avino shirt and others
December 23rd 2013A reader asked what I was wearing at the dinner of Parisian Gentlemen last week. Fortunately, a profile photo was taken that day at the intellectual property conference I was speaking at – the reason I was in Paris in the first place. In t...
Cifonelli jacket, D’Avino shirt and others
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Here are some more pics of Simon's DB: http://dirnelli.tumblr.com/post/69709009635/simon-crompton-shows-you-how-the-cifonelli-bespoke...
D’Avino shirts, Naples
December 4th 2013One of the new makers I met in Naples last month was D’Avino, a small shirtmaker run by Fiorenzo Auricchio (above). Fiorenzo trained as a boy under his father, who worked for Gino Borelli – so a pretty decent education – and then se...
D’Avino shirts, Naples
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There is no shop, just a workshop, and it's a good 40 minute drive outsode Naples I'm afraid...
Dressing for the summer, and the kids
September 2nd 2013I’ve been on holiday the past two weeks in the south of France; apologies for the tardiness confirming some comments. For those interested in more casual dress, here is something from last week, with my youngest hiding her face wisely from the ...
Dressing for the summer, and the kids
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Nice hat. I am having a Brent Black hat being made right now. Looking forward to it especially after seeing yours....
The rise of the polo shirt
August 14th 2013This past weekend I wrote a piece for the FT on polo shirts, which you can see here. Mentioning John Smedley, Orlebar Brown, Lacoste and others, it is hopefully an interesting update for anyone interested in the menswear staple.
The rise of the polo shirt
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Yes, I have all the kinds. And Smedley itself has made all kinds. Most of my Smedley cotton polos are of fully-fashioned jersey, but a few old ones made for the Richetti store in Parma are of pique, cut-and-sewn....
How a shirt should fit
July 1st 2013Learning how a shirt should fit you can take surprisingly long – as most fans of bespoke try far fewer shirtmakers than they do tailors. Once learned, however, the lessons are fairly simple. They are becoming particularly clear to me as I c...
How a shirt should fit
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Yes you can certainly alter them, that's a good idea and better than doing MTM if you only need one or two things. Shirt length depends on whether you wear it tucked in or out. For tucked in, you generally want towards t...
Sean O’Flynn bespoke dress shirt
March 14th 2013At the end of last year I completed a project with Sean O’Flynn to cut a traditional dress shirt, with voile back, Marcella front and detachable stiff collar. Some readers may remember they have already seen this shirt in black tie shoots with ...
Sean O’Flynn bespoke dress shirt
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Just on fit? By ‘cut’ you don’t mean style or make? Then I’d probably say D’Avino, Sean and Charvet. But we’re talking very small differences between them all...
What are your priorities with shirts?
February 22nd 2013It seems like everyone has found the three reviews this week very interesting. If you don’t mind, I’d also like to hear what you think about three things: The value of aesthetic hand stitching (buttonholes or attaching buttons, wh...
What are your priorities with shirts?
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Indeed. What kind of nutter wears a shirt three times! Even a shirt worn during the day, ideally shouldn't be worn the same evening....
Segun Adelaja: made-to-measure shirt review
February 21st 2013The third in this series on bespoke shirts, this post looks at the made-to-measure service offered by Segun Adelaja, who owns a boutique in the Prince’s Arcade. It is obviously not a direct comparison to either Burgos or Satriano Cinque, as it ...
Segun Adelaja: made-to-measure shirt review
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You'll have to contact them Ola - it's a long time since I've been to the shop I'm afraid...
Satriano Cinque: Bespoke shirt review
February 20th 2013Normal.dotm 0 0 1 435 2480 Euromoney PLC 20 4 3045 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes;...
Satriano Cinque: Bespoke shirt review
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To be honest it's been a long time Morten, but I don't think there was that much distinctive about the Burgos style - it was similar to an English shirt like Budd, and quite formal as a result. The quality was good for t...
Burgos of Madrid: Bespoke shirt review
February 19th 2013This bespoke shirt was made for me at the end of last year by Burgos in Madrid. Burgos is one of the oldest and most famous shirtmakers in Spain, and one of very few still making by hand and using old-fashioned techniques. For more background on Burg...
Burgos of Madrid: Bespoke shirt review
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Yes. I think it only helps in easing in more excess, so large sleevehead into a small armhole, given the seam will be machined over afterwards...
Blue shirts: Burgos, Satriano Cinque, Segun Adelaja
February 18th 2013This week is blue-shirt week. Over the next three days I will post about three blue shirts made for me in recent months, by three different makers. Hopefully running the three together will make for some interesting comparisons. They are all identica...
Blue shirts: Burgos, Satriano Cinque, Segun Adelaja
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Hi I am looking for a soft light blue cotton shirt ,do you please forward me any link and offers. thanks...
Emanuele Maffeis shirts
January 18th 2013This is the first in a series of posts about producers I met in Pitti and Florence more generally. Maffeis is part of a family of companies around Bergamo, in northern Italy. Another is Bresciani socks, which of course I’ve visited and writ...
Emanuele Maffeis shirts
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No one carries them here, apparently they're not that popular. But you can order through the agent, Maurice Greig: [email protected] Simon...
Satriano Cinque: bespoke shirt, Naples
October 23rd 2012In 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 h...
Burgos shirts, Madrid
October 8th 2012Last week I was in Madrid to speak at a style forum organised by El Aristocrata and visited several of the tailors and shirt makers, including the wonderful Burgos. Carmen from Burgos is actually in New York this week, travelling with the tailor Larr...
Pettegola shirts
July 16th 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 329 1879 Euromoney PLC 15 3 2307 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Gianni Cleopazzo of Sartoria Vergallo was talking to me recently about an old-fashioned style of shirt he makes for a couple of customers – the &l...
Pettegola shirts
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Well, obviously MTM should not require that trimming. On a RTW shirt, you can take material from the side seams as well, but it's easier for anything large often to use darts, as you're controlling the small of the back...
Get your shirts altered – Turnbull & Asser
June 8th 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 324 1852 Euromoney PLC 15 3 2274 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Shirts cannot be tweaked and tucked quite as fully or often as a jacket, unfortunately. There is no inlay in the side seams, and therefore it cannot be ...
Get your shirts altered – Turnbull & Asser
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Yes, absolutely, just needs a good alterations tailor or seamstress that can cut the same hem line, and use the same stitching/thread...
Chambray shirts: the best twist on classic dress
May 7th 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 303 1730 Euromoney PLC 14 3 2124 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false I know several men who like sartorial clothing but want to bring it down to their more personal (and usually more casual) level. They get bespoke. They ...
Chambray shirts: the best twist on classic dress
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So that's not being washed after it has been made, which doesn't surprise me, but it does look like a slightly more casual material. It doesn't have some of the work shirt details like white stitching, so I'd say it woul...
Combining pattern and colour in shirts and ties
April 23rd 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 207 1184 Euromoney PLC 9 2 1454 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false For many, this combination of colours and patterns will be too strong for any occasion, no matter how light hearted. But take out one or two elements &nd...
Combining pattern and colour in shirts and ties
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I love this combination - risky but it works and as you say Simon - Mastery. However, i would like to see the whole outfit to make a final judgement as it would put the outfit in to context. So any chance? Bradley...
Kiton master shirtmaker: Sebastiano Borelli
January 14th 2012This is Seb. Sebastiano really, but Seb to us. Because we’re just that fond of him. Sebastiano is head of shirtmaking at Kiton, overseeing the 40+ team of cutters and sewers that makes all of Kiton’s shirts in Arzano, just outside Naples....
Kiton master shirtmaker: Sebastiano Borelli
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Yes, that is how discussions normally start. But that's just because it's by far the easiest thing to market. I'm not saying fineness and ply are not important - they are - but fineness will mean that the shirt is more d...
Bespoke shirts at Turnbull & Asser, City branch
October 17th 2011I’ve always felt myself very fortunate to have my tailor within walking distance. Few men today, particularly in the US, have that privilege. But my shirtmaker was always a tube ride away; until now. A few weeks ago Turnbull & Asser beg...
Bespoke shirts at Turnbull & Asser, City branch
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Thanks Nico, I didn't know of either but I will be sure to visit next time I am in Spain. Simon...
Silk evening shirts at Emma Willis
October 12th 2011Wing-collar shirts are flimsy things unless made in the detachable, collar-stud traditional manner. When attached to the shirt, the collar is inevitably too low and lacks the stiffness of the starched original. Precious few shirtmakers make a good de...
Silk evening shirts at Emma Willis
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Yes it should, and yes if that's what you're after it would be worth giving her a try...
Suit, Shirt, Tie 1: Pink and green
August 24th 2011One of my favourite colour combinations is pink and green. The pink here is pale, too pale perhaps to be portrayed accurately in the photo, but it provides a subtle field of colour for green to play on. The green tie, from Neapolitan maker Isaia, is ...
Suit, Shirt, Tie 1: Pink and green
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Thanks, yes love those pale pink Oxford cloths...
Two ways to get shirts altered: T&A, Emma Wi...
August 22nd 2011I used to wear bigger watches. Chunky, sporty things with chronometer dials and a leather strap. So when my pattern was first cut at Turnbull & Asser the cuffs were set quite wide – though slightly wider on the left than the right, of ...
Two ways to get shirts altered: T&A, Emma Wi...
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To answer Kayhan's question about Karl Lagerfeld's special order of shirts, they are made to measure in Paris by Hilditch & Key from his own pattern which, of course, can be used only by him. Another famous Parisian cost...
Five tips on shirts
August 15th 2011Shirts are often underrated. Lying beneath tailored jacket and silken tie, they can seem less important than both. But in an age when men usually take off their jacket during the day, indeed often don’t even wear a jacket to the office, the shi...
Five tips on shirts
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I'm afraid I don't really know who goes up to those sizes Lindsay, sorry...
Naples, Kiton: shirts
July 29th 2011I mentioned in my previous post on the Kiton factory outside Naples that the shirt manufacturing impressed me post. In fact, it wasn’t so much the manufacturing operation as the handwork that resulted – something you can see on any Kiton ...
Naples, Kiton: shirts
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Just plastic ones I have from other shirts - they're thicker than the Kiton ones though, I remember those from back when I used to have shirts made there. They were pretty flimsy. I used to use silver or mother of pearl ...
