St Regis Grand. I never stopped marvelling at the magnificence of this hotel. This weekend, a large group was in the hotel -- top-producing dealers for Cub Cadet ( http://www.cubcadet.com ), "the leader in premium outdoor power equipment, we deliver on that promise each and every day. When you buy Cub Cadet outdoor power equipment you know that you are buying equipment that is built tougher, built smarter, built better." I ran into a very friendly couple and had a pleasant chat. Another couple I ran into decided that they had to be Serious and not smile because they were in a grand hotel. I'm sure most people in the group were nice people, but they were not well dressed (sweaters, jeans, sneakers). I was checked in by the same person to a corner suite on the top floor, #416. The cozy suite was nice to have as a complimentary upgrade, but would probably be not worth the increased cost over one of their Imperial rooms, which I occupied last weekend.
Mimmo Siviglia. I tried on my sample shirt and, as usual, enjoyed the discussion with Mimmo and Francesca about fit, shirtmaking techniques. I selected a few more fabrics. Once again, Francesca's husband came at the end of the appointment; they closed the store for the day, drove me to one of their favourite restaurants and introduced me to the owner. The restaurant was tiny and the boss was also the cook. And the pasta was delicious. Here is a photo of the Mimmo Siviglia atelier from the outside, which does not do justice to its actual beauty.
Battistoni. I found this almost by accident. The best way to describe Battistoni is the Charvet of Italy. Traditional gentlemen's haberdashery, enjoying patronage from royals and the superwealthy. High quality goods, but I was still underwhelemed. I think it was the all-too-serious attitude once again that bothered me. If you were a duke, they might open the door for you; if you were a prince, possibly a smile. I suppose the great marketing idea here, as is the case in all snob stores, is that they'll treat you like you aren't worth anything at first, so -- there's no other way to say it -- you feel compelled to buy something to prove to them that you're not poor or just soaking up the store's atmosphere. Amazingly, this technique worked on me, but I won't be returning to Battistoni in the future. Custom shirts, EUR 350 per shirt, 3 order minimum, sample shirt ready in 3-4 days.
Rubinacci. If Battistoni was thristy for royal blood, Rubinacci was hungry for black gold. Didn't like the atmosphere in the store, glitzy and very new money. Again, you are almost not buying products here, you are buying the respect of the salespeople. Custom shirts at EUR250, no minimum order, usually no sample shirt for overseas customers.
Pellicani. A small shop carrying RTW ties and MTM ties near the Pantheon. I bought one just for the fun of it but personally can't see the value proposition of a made-to-measure tie. Owner would rather not be bothered, frankly. I'm surprised how badly one can be treated at so many of these stores in Rome.
MTM tie at EUR 90 incl shipping.
Il Papiro. Charming stationery store near the Trevi Fountains. Nice lady shopkeeper. 10 pieces of cotton correspondence cards with matching envelopes, hand-engraved, for EUR 22.50.
Some photos to end this thread....
La Dolce Vita.... a truly carefree life in Rome.
