English v Neapolitan - is it all in the length?

[S Maran]

Recently on the WAYWN threads on other forums I have been looking at pictures of Iammatt’s Rubinacci jackets. In my opinion these are stylewise about as good as it gets. He has recently been joined by Mfan who has been showing a very fine recent coat from the same maker.

I have not commissioned any bespoke stuff for a couple of years or more. When I did, I used to concentrated on my own fixation for softness and for the line of the shoulders given my unhappiness with my own high square shoulders.

The pictures of really good Neapolitan tailoring however have shown me that the length of the jacket plus openness of the quarters are also critical to the “look”.

When I was getting jackets my tailor used to argue with me about the overall length. He wanted in common with many Saville Row trained cutters, what he called” a good length of coat” whereas I felt a shorter jacket would be more flattering.

Anyway having finally mastered the self–timer of my cheapo camera I have take some pictures of my more recent (but still a few year old) jackets. In the pics the length and cut make them seem even more droopy and dreary than I feared.

Getting them altered is out, and for life- stage reasons it is very unlikely that I will be commissioning any further items in the future, so I will just have to content myself with the thought that the ‘English” look is a viable alternative .

I don’t wear them often since in the local restaurants here, wearing a shirt rather than a sweater and tee shirt is regarded as an affected and unnecessary formality. I enjoy wearing them in Paris where my wife and I go frequently and couples of our age and much older are to be seen dining out in elegant or at least non-sports clothing.

Anybody get any insights ?

Stephen AKA il vecchio

PS: Sorry for the ramble and the poor photography
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By steveson

By steveson


By steveson

[iammatt]

I have no answer to the question, but your three coats are all excellent. I wouldn't change a thing.

[DD MacDonald]

Pay no attention to the tee-shirt clad heathens and wear those jackets daily. You look great. DDM

[RWS]

I'd agree. Even though I might want more open quarters for myself, all three coats look good on you (and you certainly don't look vecchio).

[manton]

A man who can make a gray odd jacket look good is indeed a stylish man.

[dopey]

I have no answer to the question, but your three coats are all excellent. I wouldn't change a thing.

+1. The length, in particular, is perfect for you. But the rest is good, too. Perhaps the best advice I can give you is to shut off your computer. Your tailor did right by you. It is the internet that is likely to steer you wrong.

[mafoofan]

Wow, you look fantastic. I don't see what the problem is! I'm jealous of both the fit of your jackets and your style.

[Richard3]

Very stylish. The jacket length is perfect

[S Maran]

Many thanks for the very generous comments. I had truly expected a few "hints" as to how to correct various tailoring errors as perceived by members. Maybe I'll repost this to another forum in order to collect a few of these.
BTW manton - bad photography on my part I'm afraid - the material is a Bill Shetland in an unusual smoky heathery blue with a green undertone. It has been admired by a few tailors. A grey odd jacket would not be my scene.

[Concordia]

Nice looks. If anything these (London-made?) jackets look just a hair short to me. But I think that I have a longer torso than you, so that's probably only in comparison to what I see in my own mirror. So don't bother changing anything unless you really do want novelty for its own sake.

[iammatt]

Many thanks for the very generous comments. I had truly expected a few "hints" as to how to correct various tailoring errors as perceived by members.

If there is one thing that bothers me, the breast patch on the top coat looks too big. Other than that, you will have to search elsewhere for criticism.

[alden]

S

Your tailor had a lot of experience and a very good eye.

Dopey gave you some sound advice. Be wary of some of the stuff you read on the net.

Another idea you have picked up somewhere is that Neapolitan tailors cut short coats. Only three of maybe fifteen tailors I have know in Naples would cut my coat the right length. All the others would be as much as 1-1.5 inches too long. What you might be seeing is the Neapolitan custom of cutting the back balance purposefully short, so the back rises and kicks out. This is supposed to charge the wearer’s image with dynamism and movement. Frankly, I find the practice unaesthetic.

Bespoke lesson number 1284.5 section A part 2: do not complicate things that are not complicated.

Thanks for having the confidence to post your pictures on the LL.

Cheers

Michael

[manton]

Many thanks for the very generous comments. I had truly expected a few "hints" as to how to correct various tailoring errors as perceived by members.

If there is one thing that bothers me, the breast patch on the top coat looks too big. Other than that, you will have to search elsewhere for criticism.

Not so much too big, but too boxy, straight sided and square. I'd like to see it taper to the top more, and have more rounded corners at the bottom.

[uppercase]

In the pics the length and cut make them seem even more droopy and dreary than I feared.

It's all in your mind.

Who's your tailor?

[angelo]

S Maran wrote:
Many thanks for the very generous comments. I had truly expected a few "hints" as to how to correct various tailoring errors as perceived by members.

I agree with iammatt :
the breast patch pocket seems a little bit big. As far as all the other features,the jackets look perfect including their length that appears very proportionated to Your body.
As far as the question of Your post "English v Neapolitan - is it all in the length?" I believe that jacket length does not represent the main difference between the two tailoring schools; indeed only Mariano Rubinacci , according to the taste of his father Gennaro tightly bound to the traditional style of the '30s , still loves to make shorter jackets differently from other neapolitan tailors and that sounds , in addition to other sublime details, as a personal signature.
More important in my opinion , in underlying the differences, are the widely open quarters that are typical of the neapolitan school ; but the more closed and squared quarters of Yours jackets ,as expression of the english one , look equally good.

Angelo