I sent Mina Adamo of Napoli su Misura a length of linen for a jacket the other day. Ms. Adamo of course is the leader of the Neapolitan tailoring house that is this year's overnight success among the iGents.
The nice thing about Napoli su Misura in addition to periodic visits to San Francisco is that they seem comfortable with minimally lined jackets. That has been the one area of tailoring where I have had a little trouble. None of the Savile Row houses that have made clothing for me cares to do them and Chan does not either, so, assuming the first one is a success, Mina and her crew will be my linen specialists for a while. First fitting in November, hopefully.
While that is going on, Patrick Chu at W. W. Chan, who had been making my summer clothes, is working on the cloth in the photo, the first of a couple of mid-weight worsted odd jackets for spring and fall City wear. That is an 11 ounce lambswool from Harrison's Moonbeam book and the second will be a gray 10 ounce bell hopsack from Scabal. Chan has just about perfected my pattern at this point, however I still have them give me a fitting. There is always a sleeve that needs rotation if nothing else and it is so much more satisfying to have that sort of thing done before the "completed" jacket arrives.
Giving up that perfected pattern is the hardest thing about starting with a new tailor, however I have seen enough of Mina's work over the past year to be comfortable adding her to the mix. It just makes sense to have firms specialize in the things they know how to do well.
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6 comments:
Did the Savile Row boys ever give a clear reason for avoiding them?
I suspect that since they are accustomed to making lined jackets they are not comfortable with having all their unfinished seams and what-not on show, which it seams to me (pun) is all too common on a Savile Row which is rattling out suits.
But what about this: Savile Row tailor Steven Hitchcock (who visits the U.S...
http://www.thesavilerowtailor.co.uk/2010/07/how-to-keep-cool-this-summer.html
There is not the demand for it in Englnd since the weather is milder, and it is more work as the seams must be finished.
Glad to see Mr. Hitchcock trying one though.
I'm surprised WW Chan are unwilling to tackle unlined jackets. You would think a firm based in Hong Kong, with Shanghai roots, would be versed in that sort of thing.
Do you know if any of the other Hong Kong tailors are open to taking on unlined jackets?
One of my Savile Row tailors, after some discussion, has made quarter-lined productes for me from tropical worsteds - of excellent quality.
I am interested in changing my lining as well. I noticed that you are in San Francisco Will. Do you have any experience with Victors tailoring or Franz tailoring?
I use Franz. Great work.
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