November 2019 trip

This past week wraps up a year of increased travel and growth. Launching Sicilian Reserve was exciting but it’s even better to see something through and improve what we do along the way.

I’m happy to say that Sicilian Reserve has been adding more tailors to the US visits and offering greater choice and convenience to customers on the East and West Coast.

Last week I traveled with Guido Davi to meet with new and returning customers for fittings and fresh orders in San Francisco and New York.

We look forward to returning again next year!

Sicilian Reserve in the press - “The accidental maven of menswear”

Palermo tailor Claudio Italiano and Sleevehead meeting our client Ethan in San Francisco. Photo credit: Timothy Archibald.

A friend reached out to let me know that this summer’s issue of Stanford Magazine has been published, featuring an article on Sicilian Reserve, Sleevehead and my recent trip to San Francisco with Palermo tailor Claudio Italiano.

My deepest gratitude to the Stanford Magazine team - Kathy Zonana’s unerring editorial nose for stories worth telling, Deni Ellis Bechard’s superb research and storytelling, Timothy Archibald’s photographic prowess, Giorgia Virgili’s impeccable art direction and Lauren Mortimer’s succinct illustrations. It was a genuine pleasure working with all of you!

Sicilian Reserve x Sartoria Davi (spring 2019)

Close-up of shoulder on a jacket by Sartoria Davi. Photo credit: Juhn Maing

Last week we hosted Claudio Italiano and had a very productive trip to New York and San Francisco. We're pleased to announce that we will be hosting a new visiting tailor in a couple of weeks: Guido Davi (@sartoriadavi).

Guido will visit New York on May 8-10. Unlike most visiting tailors, Guido and I are experimenting with doing 2 complete fittings in a single visit. We are trying this with one client and hope to offer this to more clients in the future. 

Nearly all visiting bespoke tailors limit themselves to a single fitting with each client (1 fitting per trip). For new clients, this typically necessitates at least 2 separate trips to prepare a jacket for delivery. The entire process can take up to a year. In contrast, our approach will greatly speed up delivery without compromising the bespoke process. 

Guido and his brother run a workshop started by their late father more than half a century ago. The more I learn about how they work, the more impressed I am with their attention to detail and uncompromising approach to tailoring. Guido cuts a clean, soft jacket that he shapes in subtle ways for each individual customer.

His clientele is among the most international of any Sicilian tailor, which is a key advantage in my book. Moreover, his English fluency and tailoring skills make him the obvious choice for the most direct, undiluted experience of Sicilian tailoring available in the US. 

By appointment only. 

Last but not least, we’re also working on offering bespoke shirts in collaboration with a Sicilian shirtmaker.

For more info, feel free to check out my blog entries on Guido.  Additional updates to appear on this newsletter as well as the Sicilian Reserve and Sleevehead websites. 

Sicilian Reserve x Sartoria Italiano (spring 2019)

Photo credit: Sartoria Italiano

We're excited to announce the latest iteration of Sicilian Reserve as a platform to help connect Sicilian artisans to new customers. Our primary role will be partnering with tailors and artisans on their visits and trunk shows.

To kick things off, I will be working with Sartoria Italiano (@sartoriaitaliano) for a spring 2019 visit to the US. Claudio and his father run one of the leading tailoring houses in Palermo. I really like his trim, modern take on the Palermo-style jacket. Claudio is impressively versatile and can shape jackets with a more classic silhouette.

But he loves creating smart, superbly modern jackets that could easily be worn on the red carpet and eclipse anything I've seen on the award shows. Excellent choice for those who enjoy color and texture realized in an elegantly shaped jacket.

Dates: April 8-9 in New York City. April 10 in San Francisco. By appointment only.

For more info, feel free to check out my Sleevehead blog post on Claudio, or contact us with any questions.

Last but not least, we're planning to bring Sartoria Davi, another superb Palermitan tailor, to the states later this year. Additional updates to appear here and my Sleevehead website.

Spring 2018 fittings

In launching Sicilian Reserve, we definitely pushed the envelope by setting a goal of a single fitting followed by delivery. 

Anyone experienced in bespoke knows this is rare, especially for new customers ordering for the first time. The normal order of business is two or three fittings. 

But I am glad that we pushed the boundaries and am happy to report that single fittings followed by delivery are possible under the right conditions as seen below. 

For some customers, weight and dimensions can change materially in the months following the initial measurement taking. The key to success is being flexible and observe what has changed and adjust accordingly.

This means likely adding a second fitting, especially with new customers, if we continue to use the traditional fitting process. We are also actively looking at improving the process to allow for greater precision. More news to come soon!

Sicilian Reserve 2.0

Last summer we launched Sicilian Reserve offering heritage tailoring at incredible value. In terms of bespoke product and process, our true peers are tailors in Savile Row and Naples. Yet our pricing is on par with MTM and RTW brands. 

We now have three bespoke lines:

• Simply Bespoke (customer supplied cloth)
• Essential Bespoke (limited selection of cloth sourced by us)
• 360 Bespoke (widest range of cloth sourced by us with the highest level of customization and service). 

Since launching we have been improving the Simply Bespoke line by investing in our visiting tailor process. First, we are now effectively guaranteeing fit by adding a post-delivery fit adjustment. Second, we are also upgrading our fitting process to minimize adjustments during and after fittings. This means the tailor and his apprentice will participate in the April 2018 fittings with a longer term goal of getting closer to a single fitting. 

Our new pricing reflects these enhancements. Effective March 1, our Simply Bespoke line will start at $1,850 for jackets and $2,250 for suits. To our knowledge, this is still the best value in the US market for true heritage bespoke tailoring featuring basted fittings.

Since our Kickstarter launch pricing is something that will not return on a permanent basis, we hope you take advantage of our legacy pricing while it still lasts for the next two weeks.

We look forward to working with you on your next bespoke commission, whether it is your first or just the latest of many over the years.

Introducing 360 Bespoke

Our 360 Bespoke line is limited only by your imagination. We will go to extraordinary lengths to source the perfect cloth for your commission by consulting with leading English and Italian mills and our own sources for rare cloth (e.g. private sellers and collectors). 

Included with all 360 Bespoke orders is a tremendous cloth selection covering 95 percent of the fabric universe for menswear (silks, cottons, linens and wool). Rare vintage or specialty cloths such as cashmere and vicuna are also options (pricing available on request).

Looking beyond the fabric itself, we can personalize the internal lining of your suit with a completely unique look and design using your own artwork, photography or vintage prints (see our 360 Bespoke lining option). Additionally, you will be able to customize the shape of pockets, lapels, patches, etc. and the materials that give life to the details and accents of your jacket including piping, facings, patches and flaps.

For new customers, we will fly and meet you at your home or office anywhere in the continental US (lower 48 states) and Canada for an initial consultation. Fittings occur every spring and fall in New York City and San Francisco. 

The 360 Bespoke suit includes cloth, cloth swatches/samples, design consultations, up to two fittings with our tailor and a complimentary fitting adjustment after delivery.