Italian tailoring: slow fashion production for high-quality consumption.
When you hear the word “shirt” what comes to mind is surely a lot of upper body garments created for both men and women. With hundreds of variations to choose from, a shirt could dress you up both for your Monday morning trip to the offices of the coworking or for a birthday party at Buckingham Palace.
Italians may be famous for the stereotype of knowing how to choose good pasta and coffee, but they can be just as meticulous and fussy when it comes to fashion. With Milano being the catwalk capital for decades now, thousands of photographers, stylists, models and fashionistas rush into the city at least twice a year. But when it comes to classy mens’ fashion, it’s mostly a matter of slow production. Luckily for us, despite the widespread commitment to time and money, many men still value and appreciate the quality of tailor made items.
You might be asking yourself about the steps that are required in the process. First and most importantly, the customer chooses a model from the different ones available. Shirts differ from in a variety of features that distinguish them: collars, sleeves, cuffs, hems, fabrics and different ways they fit. Just looking at the collar, we can single out: the spread and the English spread collar (this latter created for the Windsor knot), the narrow-point and the golf, the Oxford button down and the wider cutaway one, and that’s just to name a few. Even though making a decision in such a jungle of options could seem difficult, I’m pretty sure that men choose shirts the same way women choose bags: it’s either love at first sight or not a chance in hell.
Having survived this incredibly difficult choice, the tailor goes on to create the paper pattern, applying the features of the chosen model to the measurements of the customer’s body. Then, following the pattern, the fabric pieces are manually cut and stitched together. In the assembling of the pieces what comes first are the sleeves, ensuring a comfortable armhole; then the other parts. Particular attention is paid in sewing the fourth shoulder, the pleats and the cannon behind, guaranteeing comfort and perfect fit.
Nevertheless, what defines a real masterpiece of tailoring are the finishing touches. At the end of the process the details that could be visible or not, as the collars and cuffs reinforcements might hide them — on the left side, between the third and the fourth button, the letters representing the initials of the owner of the shirt are sewed in. Each tailored shirt is a unique item, handcrafted following a long tradition and with the desire to offer the best wearing experience.
Even though the business world seems to be running faster and faster each day, the pleasure of owning handmade, high quality products is not fading away. And being spoiled with classy fashion is not just for the few selected. Ordering a tailored shirt made in Italy from the fabric of your preference is now easy and affordable on marketplaces like Omioo too.
Bay Barb is our trusted shirts tailor — and not just shirts! Present since 1994 and with the aim to resurrect an artisan craft now endangered in Italy, this small and curated atelier is keeping its doors open in the beautiful region of Umbria (middle Italy), part of land known as the keeper of long lasting traditions. Quality, passion and unique Italian style are the main driving forces of this local business, one that is able to mix in an admirable fashion the New England classicism and the great craftsmanship of Italian masters tailors.
