[For readers who have not read the earlier parts of the Camiceria Piccolo Shirt Review (series), please refer to Camiceria Piccolo Shirt Review and Reply from Camiceria Piccolo]
Summer is amazing. At least that's what the local TV station tells us1. For sartorialists residing in this Southern city of China, they can probably imagine wearing their bespoke shorts, bespoke polo shirts and bespoke whatever - and mentally teleport themselves to Naples, Italy.
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| True indigo linen chambray, courtesy of Testa SpA, who allowed @shirtingfantasy to purchase a length of the SS19 item. The sky blue/ white stripe shirt belongs to their "Connery" range from 180/2 cotton (Giza 45) and superfine linen. |
No summer wardrobe (update/ renovation/ rejuvenation/ renewal - picking the right word is an art2) is complete without linen. As @shirtingfantasy is not immune to the intoxication of pretentious sartorialism (meaning: your clothes have no life, unless social media breaths life into them), he decided to follow-up his previous order with linen and cotton-linen.
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| Close-up of the indigo linen. The shirt has a blue-black hue in real. |
For my next order, I will probably ask for the thick decorative stitches (which they just don't like) and let them try matching the stripes (which they have tried) on the shoulder again. As for the fitting issue, I am going to keep the pattern in its current form - virtual fitting for shoulder slope adjustment is a risky business, and I am actually happy enough with the current fit to keep the status quo. It will only be adjusted if I go to Milan to visit Lorenzo and his shop again.
I have also asked for collar shape adjustments. It was an additional thought that came to me after I wrote the post. Then I also asked to move the woven label to the bottom part of the shirt, to avoid possible skin irritation3. The details were sent in a separate email to Lorenzo.
Collar adjustments (Photo A): because of my proportions I need a smaller collar. Measurement A can be shortened from 9 cm to 7 cm. Measurement B can be shortened from 3.5 cm to 2.75 cm. Measurements C1 & C2 each can be 0.5 cm less, so the total C1+C2 becomes about 8 cm. The angle and softness - or indeed all other things about the collar - are just fine and I like the collar.
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| "Photo A" |
When it comes to shirts, @shirtingfantasy can be rather fastidious. 😄
So here it goes.
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| The new collar, from another angle. This smaller collar fits my Asian physique better. |
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| A genuine effort in pattern matching. Note also the decorative/ functional stitches at the shoulder area. I still think they have to be thicker to look impressive - then perhaps it's really too aesthetic than function for Piccolo's liking. |
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| The gusset, attached by hand, obviously. |
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| The travetto. I think this is quite neat. |
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| Buttonholes. Quality seems consistent, although Madam Kwan at @wongmanhoi1025 disagrees (she thinks my shirts are "obviously better made" than a Piccolo shirt made earlier for @bamboohkg). |
Lorenzo wrote in his shipment notification email,
"the shirts have been sent yesterday, you should receive them for the end of this week.
I hope you will appreciate them. "
And I do. I do appreciate Piccolo's overall positive response to my requests. For the decorative stitching, it may just need a bit more international communication. Then I may well be tempted to try Piccolo's beautifully-executed one-piece collar4 if I communicated with Lorenzo excessively:
Until then, goodbye!
Footnote:
[1] Amazing Summer, as they say (https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVB_Amazing_Summer).
[2] Especially when excessive wardrobe update/ renovation/ rejuvenation/ renewal may affect family harmony.
[3] Skin at the back of the human neck is actually quick thick. So it was more of an excuse. Personally, I just don't want to have obvious brand labels (or, for that matter, monogramming of one's initials) on my bespoke or custom-made garments. I think the garment is the most powerful statement the maker makes - just see the instantly recognizable jacket silhouettes by Yuki Inoue and you will understand...
[4] I think this is really one thing they do better than other Asian or British makers. This kind of collars is called Italian collar for a reason!
Shop information:
Camiceria Piccolo
Minimum order: no minimum order
Price range: EUR 160+ for house fabric
CMT service: Yes
Handmade option: Standard 8-step included in price. Additional handmade steps possible, e.g. +EUR 30 for a 12-step handmade shirt.
Mr Dino Piccolo
Naples: Via Chiaia, 41 - 80132 tel/fax +39.081.411824
Mr Lorenzo Piccolo
Milan: Via Mercato, 3 - 20121 tel/fax +39.02.89096922
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