Neapoltan Shoulder

[the tailor]

As requested, a picture of myself in a jacket I made for my first tailoring trip to New York, October.
Neapolitan Shoulder, no padding, small amount of dommette at the sleeve head. I work in this jacket most days, it has rapidly become my favourite jacket. Sorry for the picture quality, this has been resized for my web page.

[uppercase]

I like that and you look comfortable in it.

For us laymen, what is the difference between padding and dommette?

I think that's always a source of confusion for me.

It looks like you also have a bit of a rollino going on there in the sleevehead; nice.

[kirsch]

Very nice, Desmond! I really like those shoulders. Can you produce something that nice in your MTM?

[smoothjazzone]

Thanks for the picture Des. Looks good on you. What is the fabric?

[the tailor]

I like that and you look comfortable in it.

For us laymen, what is the difference between padding and dommette?

I think that's always a source of confusion for me.

It looks like you also have a bit of a rollino going on there in the sleevehead; nice.

I work in it most days, its very comfortable.
What do you mean by padding? Do you mean wadding?
Dommette is a very soft cotton, I think it's cotton, but will stand corrected, it is normally used on the chest, on top of the canvas, pad stitched in place.
When used for the sleevehead, I cut a length on the bias, and fold it in half. Then stitch it in place to give the sleevehead the lift from the shoulder end.
There is a lot of rollino in that sleeve.

[the tailor]

Very nice, Desmond! I really like those shoulders. Can you produce something that nice in your MTM?

I can give any shape the client wants, as long as the cloth will stand it.
The difference with my MTM is the handwork, there is no where near as much, shape is shape, shoulders are shoulders.

[the tailor]

Thanks for the picture Des. Looks good on you. What is the fabric?

The fabric is from one of my favourite cloth merchants, Bateman and Ogden in Bradford West Yorkshire, England

[edhayes]

I think that shoulder is the one that Des is making me for my first suit from him. At least I hope it is.

[dopey]

I think that shoulder is the one that Des is making me for my first suit from him. At least I hope it is.

Well if it wasn't, I bet it is now.

[the tailor]

Yes Ed,
I am making you a Neapolitan shoulder, as per your request.

[kirsch]

Des,

I'm very new at all this...

Is that particular coat you are wearing a closed, pressed open, or shirt-shoulder seam?

--Chris

[iammatt]

Des,

That coat looks nice, but the shoulder does not look like anything that I have seen from Naples. Perhaps you can explain how it is so and how you came up with the idea.

Thanks.

[Cufflink79]

Dear Des:

The coat looks great. If you don't mind my asking what kind of vent did you use, or did you leave it unvented?

I think it would look great with side vents, course I think anything with side vents looks great.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[the tailor]

Des,

I'm very new at all this...

Is that particular coat you are wearing a closed, pressed open, or shirt-shoulder seam?

--Chris

Chris,
The actual shoulder seam, the point where the back and shoulder join together, is pressed open.
The sleeve is basted in position by hand and then sewn in place.
A small peice of dommette, the soft felt used inside the chest portion of the garment, is cut on the bias and folded in half.
This is sewn as close to the seam as possible to give a little lift, crown, rope, rollino or what ever else it can be called, to the sleeve head, there's another!
I could have left the dommette out.
The seam that attatches the sleeve to the armhole and shoulder etc, is left unpressed on my jacket, the sleeve head is gently pressed over towards the sleeve.

[the tailor]

Des,

That coat looks nice, but the shoulder does not look like anything that I have seen from Naples. Perhaps you can explain how it is so and how you came up with the idea.

Thanks.

iammatt,
The shoulder is completely unpadded, there is nothing in it but my shoulders.
When I first made the jacket, the idea was to use a tiny amount of wadding at the shoulder ends.
As I got closer to finishing the jacket, I decided to leave it unpadded.
I re-cut the shoulders to allow for no padding and finished the jacket.
As far as I know, an unpadded jacket, with the type of sleeve I cut for it, very full, lots of rollino, is known as a neapolitan shoulder.
When I worked for my father, we made many such jackets and always refered to them as neapolitan shouldered.
I will of course stand corrected