"Seen, quite seen, thank you very much"

[alden]

Uppercase

A very thoughtful post.

The third generation of Rubinacci is following in the father Mariano Rubinacci footsteps !!

As regards Rubinacci, they are foundational members of the LL Certified Artisan’s Program (CAP.) That means that the Neapolitan firm has been in the CAP as long as it has existed and even before. Many of today’s most ardent admirers received the advice to go no further than London House in their explorations of Naples from the then “spalla” (yours truly) of the old Yahoo LL site. This advice is as pertinent today as it was a few years ago as the firm clearly ranks among the best of the top ten in the sartorial world.

It is the admiration for another that compels one to be dutifully objective, anything less would be a sign of disrespect. The point of this article has been to point out varieties of imbalances that result in less than satisfactory dress. The article is not one about the maker. That being said, I will confess a preference for the shortcomings of the great as illustrations. It serves no purpose to query anything or anyone of lesser stature.

As a final aside, the question of how classic bespoke clothing is worn, its statement, it's place and indeed, its entire relevance has increasingly become an issue to me.

This thought arises in particular within the context of recent travels which highlighted to me that most everything that I have had made - from suits and tweed sports coats, is pretty much unwearable: such clothing really does put me at odds with my milieu.

It's just not a corporate/tweed world out there anymore.

And a thick, tweed coat just takes up an awful lot of room in the suitcase as well!

Sounds like you have a case of the sartorial spleen et ennui, cheer up. I am curious to know what you mean by being "at odds with my milieu." I tend to only be at odds with their husbands.

Seriously, it is a great subject so let's continue this conversation on another thread.

Again, the Italians trump others in style by turning bespoke clothing rules and expectations on its head and re-stating what is relevant in bespoke today.

I think if you were to insert the word "fashion" to replace bespoke tailoring, I would have to agree with you. They are the fashion marketing experts.

My experience is that Italians and French, once they can afford it, want to look as English as possible. They want Bentleys, houses in Scotland, horses, real furniture, gardens, Purdeys..etc There is an Anglo mania in Southern Europe that has not faltered for a few generations..remember our dear Mariano's father did name his shop "London House" and no one has or will change that name.

PS

And Mariano also wears a SB Peak.

Mariano is wearing a notch SB with patch pockets. I would have been amazed to see a SB peak with patch pockets from him.

[HappyStroller]

Oops, just realized I've been wearing my tie wrongly, outside the waistcoat!

This, for me, has been the real "find" in this thread. I've been vacillating on single-breasted, peak-lapelled coats, and I definitely don't like 2B SBs, but this image shows me that both can be carried off well.

[alden]

But back to our real world as thoughtful dressers and the issues this thread raises...certainly , whether you take Luca's advice when choosing your clothing or his father's advice, you will walk out of Rubinacci wearing two different styles. Which, is up to you and your tastes but it suggests to me that our bespoke clothing choices must be individual to be authentic and relevant; and not unnecessarily proscribed by classical precepts to be meaningful, attractive or tasteful; dressing should not become formlulaic, a boring uniform nor predictable, staid nor dated . Even two generations of Rubinacci's can agree to disagree on how bespoke clothing is best worn today.

Lots of pithy material here. In an absolute sense, if you choose Luca or Mariano, you are not choosing your own "individual" style, you are choosing Luca's or Mariano's. To the extent that these approach your imagined individual style, you may prefer Luca's taste over Mariano's or vice versa. To realize the Uppercase style would mean Uppercase employing his taste working with a bespoke artisan and not a designer. That's a bit of what the LL is all about, learning how to work with an artisan to render one's own imagined, individual style into cloth.

Once one learns to breathe life into the imagined, one is struck with the reality of same in the world. If the robes are balanced, beautiful, or elegant or if they are gaudy and bright, they are the reflection of an individual taste and vision. If they are square, boring. predictable, staid, dated, daring, avant-gardiste, modernist, cubist or apocalyptic, only the author is to blame. It's a serious style responsibility that we refer to as dress.

The notion that a balanced or understated mode of dress need necessarily be classified with the prehistoric strikes me as being a bit too facile. And there is no evidence to suggest that gaudy dress is any more spiritual or witty. It all depends on the man wearing the clothes, the author of his dress.

It is clearly easier and more practical to discharge the style responsibility to a third party, brand or designer. I have nothing against brands or designers since their value add is clearly needed. In fact I am working on my own designs as we speak, designs that will be realized by top flight artisans for the benefit of those who find them pleasing.

Developing "individual" style is a potentially treacherous and costly path. It is also the most rewarding.

M Alden

[Gruto]

Just a thought: The six most important things you have to consider, instinctively or by thinking, when you mix garments to create elegance:

you
situation
color
pattern
fabric weight
historical status

[Sator]

The notion that a balanced or understated mode of dress need necessarily be classified with the prehistoric strikes me as being a bit too facile. And there is no evidence to suggest that gaudy dress is any more spiritual or witty

I remember reading somewhere about mid-19th century gentlemen complaining about the fashion of young men to wear coats with "loud plaids". Those who are ignorant of history are condemned to repeat it.

[J. Cogburn]

I agree with some of the critiques of the look as a whole...with a suit so wonderful but bold I wear it with conservative accessories. A white shirt, dark green tie, charcoal socks, and dark brown shoes. My suit is single breated with standard notch lapels.

It seems to me that a boldly patterned suit requires boldly patterned or boldly colored accessories to tame said suit and provide visual harmony. Wear a white shirt and plain tie with that suit and the windowpane pattern is all one sees. Put a small check shirt under that windowpane suit and a strong repp tie on the shirt while keeping the colors related to one another and - viola! - magic! Putting three patterns together and creating calm and not chaos is, in my book, magic.

Of course, multi-pattern dressing is not to everyone's taste. The fact that so few seem to know how to do it well means that he who can will "stand out" in exactly the way our fellow wants to stand out with that suit but in a non-garish, tasteful manner. But if you don't like that sort of thing, you should probably never have bought the windowpane cloth to begin with.

[alden]

Once one learns to breathe life into the imagined, one is stuck with the reality of same in the world.

These words have taken on a lot of meaning to me of late.

But you will find in writings from years ago a call to individual style. If you have learned the tools here, then apply them...be foremost, and above all, yourself.

Michael

[Jasonmarshalljaz]

this is a photo of me posted for criticism.

please have at it!