An Apple Picked From the Tree

MEN OF THE CLOTH 2010 TRAILER from Vicki Vasilopoulos on Vimeo.
The number of master tailors in the world has declined by more than 99% since 1950 and the trend continues. Attempting to preserve some of the richness of that past is the decade-long effort of Vicki Vasilopoulos, whose documentary-in-progress, Men of the Cloth, has a new trailer on FaceBook.

Men of the Cloth is about three world class tailors of Italian heritage: Philadelphia's Joseph Centofanti, Nino Corvato of New York and Brioni's Checchino Fonticoli of Penne, Italy. Well past the retirement age of most men when work began (Centofanti is now is his 90s and the others not all that much younger), the film's release in 2011 will not come too soon for the principal characters.

Many men never experience a hand-made suit for one reason or another, but every man should take the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the craft. After all, as one of the tailors in film says, "The difference between artisanal tailoring and industrial tailoring is like the difference between canned fruit that is ready to eat and an apple that you pick from the tree."

Men of the Cloth itself promises to be another apple.

Visit the Men of the Cloth website and make a contribution to the film's post-production expenses.