Welcome to Styleforum’s City Maps! Remember that these lists are not definitive. They have been chosen by our editorial staff to reflect what we believe our community will appreciate. We are open to suggestions, and are aware that shops close and re-open regularly. If you have a store suggestion or a comment to share, let us know in the comment section.
Welcome to Styleforum’s City Maps! Remember that these lists are not definitive. They have been chosen by our editorial staff to reflect what we believe our community will appreciate. We are open to suggestions, and are aware that shops close and re-open regularly. If you have a store suggestion or a comment to share, let us know in the comment section.
Sartoria Formosa has perhaps one of the best reputations in Naples. The tailoring house is tucked away in the same courtyard as E&G Cappelli, right on Via Cavallerizza, between Via Mille and Via Cavallerizza. It’s a small, woody courtyard–not a lot of foot traffic. However, the workmanship brings its own clientele, and people throughout Naples say the best double-breasted jackets are made here.
The original proprietor, Mario Formosa, passed away somewhat recently, and his son Gennaro now runs the shop. Gennaro is an incredibly warm and gracious gentleman. I came with Gianluca Migliarotti, the director of O’Mast, and he welcomed us both into the workshop by offering us some espresso (a cultural custom for Neapolitan tailors). While we chatted, I noticed three tailors fastidiously sewing away, one of whom was a particularly young man. A good sign for those of us who hope to see Neapolitan tailoring continue well into the future.
Gennaro showed me three garments. The first was one of the double breasted jackets that his father was known for. It was a 6 x 2 jacket (six buttons, two functioning) with peak lapels, extended front darts, and slightly puckered sleeves. The natural, soft shoulders (spalla scesa) and subtly sweeping lapel made it something to behold. The second was a navy single-breasted jacket with a few details that you commonly see in Naples—3/2 roll, soft shoulders, extended front darts, and slightly extended lapels to accentuate the chest. Instead of patch pockets, however, there were jetted ones, and in place of the double stitching, there were single seams that ran right up to the edge. These details gave it a nice, sober look. Finally, Gennaro pulled out a grey herringbone coat that his tailors were working on. It was slightly shaped in the waist, and had a beautiful curved roll towards the buttoning point.
Across from the laboratorio is another workspace, which functions partly as a showroom and partly as a working area for a custom denim line that Gennaro is developing. The jeans had a very continental feel, meaning the fabrics were slightly softer and the fit slightly slimmer. There were also some shirts on display, which made me think Formosa did custom shirts here as well. The collars were exactly the kind you see everywhere in Naples—somewhat high collar bands with soft, long points.
Later that evening, Gianluca and I were walking around Chiaia when we bumped into Gennaro again, who happened to be on his way driving home from work. “Come in,” Gennaro said. “I’ll show you the rest of Naples!” Ever the host, he took us through Bagnoli and Posillipo, two western seaside districts where Roman ruins run up right to the water’s edge. The region sits high above the city, and you can see Mount Vesuvius, the Bay of Pozzuoli, and much of Naples itself. The views were spectacular, and you could see the water and city sparkle below the cliffs. After he dropped me off at my hotel, I smiled on my day well spent.
Showroom and laboratorio
Via Cavallerizza a Chiaia, 37
80121 Naples
Tel. +39 081.41.45.92
Showroom
Via della Moscova, 30
20121 Milan
Tel. +39 02.89.45.34.90/91
One beautiful coat, three angles.
The standard Formosa 6×2 double breasted, Gianluca, and a glimpse of your humble author.
Peak.
A single-breasted jacket from Formosa. Note the lapel proportions, elegant roll, and jetted pockets.
Notch.
Formosa double breasted suit with tonal buttons.
Collar options, from Italian to really Italian.
Fabrics and some jeans Formosa’s new denim line.
I hope that’s a pinup calendar behind the jacket rack.
Robert Patterson runs Revolver San Francisco, a shop and gallery that has stocked plenty of the lines Styleforum joneses for: Yuketen, Monitaly, Creep, Crate, and Journal Standard, among others. Revolver’s stock and atmosphere are very Pacific—somewhere between the Haight and Japan. But Revolver is just one among several successful projects that Robert is involved in in San Francisco. Ahead of Styleforum’s 10th anniversary events, in which Revolver will take part, Fok-Yan Leung talked with him about his philosophy.
Fok-Yan Leung: Robert, could you tell me a little about the history of your store and projects?
Robert Patterson: Experimental geography. We run lots of small, interesting projects that intersect. From Revolver, our first retail store in Lower Haight, to Voyager on Valencia, to our ramen restaurant in the Mission, to our upcoming Japanese sweet shop Suica—everything builds on an exploration of geography.
Each of our projects is built up from prior things. It’s fun to build things and see them grow. Different places require different things. Revolver was first. Revolver is sort of fancier and homier, cosy and neighborhood like the Lower Haight—off the beaten and hidden. Voyager is more exploratory and collaborative.
Ken Ken Ramen is food based. It grows out of our love of Japan and ramen. Taka, my business partner and head chef, and I met at Revolver over a shared interest over some Japanese brands, specifically Yuketen footwear. Today they all intersect in our commitment to quality service, attention to customers, and having fun! [Editor’s note: Ken Ken also serves Boba Guys, a project from a Styleforum/Superfuture member]
FYL: How do you go about buying for the store? On the phone, you told me that it was a neighborhood store. How has that affected your decisions when you are in NYC, or LA, or LV, or at some other tradeshow?
RP: Again, geography comes into play. We’re really rooted in being part of Northern California and finding wares that are practical, fun, a little bit off and strange. Pieces that reflect the climate, people, and place that we live in.
And while do sell unique and fashion-forward items from emerging brands, part of the reason I think people like Revolver is that we are very focused on a meeting a local demand and reality. At Revolver customers find jeans that suit everyone, like those jackets in herringbone tweed that thirty year olds buy to spend Saturday afternoons with their girlfriends at the bar around the corner. This local reality is a stranger to many trendy boutiques that aim for an international clientele and find that the most appealing customers are those that come from far away. We’re a general store in that respect and really enjoying selling to a wide range of people from cool kids stocking up on the new threads from emerging brands like Hixsept to more classic tailored pieces from old brands like CP Shades that just work on everyone.
FYL: How do you differentiate yourself from the competition?
RP: Service, our staff, and collaboration. We’re pretty proud of the service we provide to customers and aim to meet almost any requirement they have. Again without support from local everyday customers we wouldn’t have any place in the city to have fun. Also we have an excellent growing team. Nearly everyone who works at Revolver makes interesting product and partakes in our 20% rule—which allows them to spend 20% of their paid time on any project that they find interesting. Valerie, our manager, makes a beautiful line of jewelry. Julia, another staffer, makes home wares and crafts; another curates our vintage collection; others make and manage our growing in-house collection, etc. Their passion for their own products that we carry differentiates us both in staff and product and allows them to focus on bettering the stores for customers.
Lastly we’re all about collaboration. We love working on unique strange projects. We’ve worked with guys at Upper Playground to surfy kids at Mollusk Surf Shop to perfect gals from Spartan in Austin on store pop-ups, events, other items, etc. We love working with other people on fun projects to get our batteries recharged and to see things from different angles. Always a good thing in our opinion.
FYL: Could you tell us a bit about the lesser known brands you carry.
RP: We love exploring brands from around the world—especially ones that lend to our unisex aesthetic. Denham the Jeanmaker—men’s/women’s denim line with technical outerwear and jackets. Super well-respected and based on a combination of heritage research and forward design.
Hixsept/Etudes from France is just the perfect unknown men’s brand, with great tailoring, quality, and fit. Sort of a surfy Engineered Garments. Really beautiful, simple, but still forward.
Sifr from Singapore/Indonesia is just awesome. They make really amazing men’s wear, simple jungle pants, great relaxed blazers, and wonderful chukkas.
Satcas is awesome basics line from Indonesia that just sells out every season. Great nylon hooded fisherman jackets, jungle cloth jackets.
Workers from Japan. Like Roy of Self Edge—one guy on a mission to create a huge growing reproduction line. Always out of stock but beautiful reproduction pieces using amazing fabrics. Hard even for us to get—these are just standout products that are amazing.
CP Shades—wonderful linen wear that reminds you of Kapital/45 RPM but more accessible. Flowing wrinkled grey linen dress shirts and stranger wool vests. We worked with them on slimming everything down for our store. True Bolinas / California relaxed hippie wear.
FYL: Could you tell me about your house brand?
RP: Dillon Montara—named after two beaches we love in California. It’s a growing collection – all made in San Francisco. Tapered jeans, unisex dress shirts in heavy Japanese fabrics. We’re working with an ex-Levi’s guy on fits and patterns. Our dress shirts have a great slim but classic block and the jeans have little details, but we’re still having fun. It’s nice having a retail outlet to explore and we have a great relationship with a garment factory to produce small quantities of pieces.
FYL: Could you tell me a bit about your ramen place (I’m sorta hungry right now?)
RP: Revolver is where I met Taka Hori, one of the other owners of Ken Ken Ramen—our ramen restaurant in the Mission. Taka loves Yuketen and always came to our stores to check out new drops. Having lived in Japan myself, a friendship emerged and we started working on our ramen project together. Just like many of the brands we carry—we make everything in-house using premium products and passion. We love ramen and strive to make a beautiful, lovingly produced product. Similar to Revolver—at Ken Ken we aim to please both our customers and staff to make good product that are made of local parts but part of a larger whole. It might sound strange, but these all collate.
FYL: How did your experiences in Japan (aside from the ramen) affect your approach to retail?
RP: Service and quality. We only wish we could be as good as some of the stores/restaurants in Japan. Having lived in Japan there is a real commitment to quality and service.
FYL: If you were to give advice to someone starting a clothing store, or a ramen house, what would you say?
RP: Find a passion and explore it in your own way. Don’t over plan or worry about failure. Start with a step and just enjoy the ride and where things go.
Nick with some very nice shoes (although I spy a stray Ugg)
Nick V., owner of esteemed shoe repair outfit B. Nelson Shoes, NYC, knows his stitch. And his welts, and his vamps from his throats. He knows shoes. He takes abused, worn-out kicks and recrafts and resoles them–rehabilitates them. In an ongoing series, Nick will be answering some of my questions to help you treat your footwear better.
Pete asks: What’s the number one most important step a guy can take to keep his shoes looking better, longer?
Nick answers:
Actually, there’s two equally important steps, waterproof/polish and use shoes trees:
WATERPROOF AND POLISH: Apply two light coats of waterproofing to your shoes. Meltonian Water and Stain Protector is an easy product to find and very effective. It’s essential to use a non-silicone waterproof treatment on dress-wear, because silicone is oil-based. The oil can darken leathers. It tends to pick up dust and dirt. It also might not mix well with conditioners and polishes you may want to use in the future.
Polish and condition your shoes regularly.
USE SHOE TREES: Make sure that you have a pair of cedar shoe trees, AND USE THEM REGULARLY! Regardless of whether or not you think your feet perspire… they do. Cedar is a dry wood that absorbs even the slightest moisture. Insert them when the shoes are new and immediately after each wear. This will prevent any moisture from settling into the lining of your shoes. Moisture will cause decay of the leather.
In addition to keeping the liners dry, shoe trees help to maintain the original shape of the shoe. They also reduce the prospect of deep creases forming on the uppers caused by normal wear. The split-toe, claw-back style offers even tension vertically and horizontally. They are easy to install and remove. Leave the trees in the shoes until you are ready to wear them again.
The Nepenthes NY store in New York’s garment district stocks a lot of Engineered Garments, the company’s best-known brand in the United States (and often the easiest to wear). But EG has a lot of stockists, while some of the lines in Nepenthes stable are much more limited in distribution. Rough & Tumble, billed as “nontraditional shirtmakers,” complements EG’s established rumpledness with unexpected design touches (last year I picked up an oxford shirt with a bandanna-print pocket) and less dedication to Americana. This spring Rough & Tumble via Nepenthes NY is offering a couple of linen jackets, Bermuda shorts, and summer shirts with charmingly goofy details–including cruiser pockets, built-in (?) pocket squares, zips and snaps, and batik prints. We only have some teaser shots; visit Nepenthes for a better look.
Guest post by Grant Harris of Image Granted.
Image courtesy Rue 14.Rue 14
1803A 14th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
Owned and operated by a husband and wife tag team, Rue14 has been a fixture of D.C. shopping since it opened in late 2008. Husband Andrew brings his experience as a buyer at Brooks Brothers, while Jiwon relies on her expertise gained from her time working in production for Ralph Lauren. The idea for Rue 14 was to bring the look and feel of a SoHo boutique to D.C. without the NYC price tags. The store carries a progressive lineup of modern offerings including Gant, Happy Socks, Nudie Jeans, Penfield, and Will Leather Goods, among others.
Image courtesy Georgetown Patch.
Sky Valet
1800 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20007
You could be forgiven for passing by Sky Valet’s modest Wisconsin Ave. storefront, which barely hints at the selection of men’s shoes within. Sky carries some of the highest quality, most world-renowned (and most expensive) footwear brands around. Including bluchers, oxfords, monks, loafers, and boots, the lineup includes cordovan models from Alden, Edward Green whole cuts and cap toes; Loake suede oxfords and desert boots; Crockett & Jones double monks and slip ons; and Bowhill & Elliot evening slippers. From American-made to bench-made in Britain, Sky Valet can suit footwear needs from casual to formal. Sky also does a brisk business in shoe repair.
Tari
1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC
One of the newest thrift and consignment shops in the District is Tari. Another gem located in the Georgetown neighborhood, Tari offers consignors and consumers a place to find luxury brand names at lower prices. Zegna blazers, Borrelli and Canali shirts, Burberry and Brioni trench coats and vintage Charvet ties are prevalent throughout the store. You’ll have to become a regular to catch the best stuff, but that’s the idea.
Everard’s
1802 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20007
Louis Everard has dressed everyone in D.C. from presidents to business owners, to bloggers. Everard’s has two locations in the District but the most recognized is the Georgetown location, just a couple doors up from Sky Valet. Louis sells American heritage suiting brands such as Hickey Freeman, but also carries the best of non-U.S. brands, like Marcoliani socks, Tino Cosma ties, and Martegani shoes. Everard’s prides itself on its made to measure service and will gladly create something to your personal taste.
Monita
1961 Chain Bridge Rd.
Mclean, VA 22102
Monita Italian Leather is a shoe shop and walk-in made-to-order footwear boutique. The Tysons Corner shop is the only boutique located in a residential shopping mall on our list. Monita offers its customers ready-to-wear as well as custom footwear from several of a dozen little known, but well-established Italian brands the average American consumer may not be familiar with (like Doucal’s and Maurizi). Customers have manyoptions from suede oxfords to calfskin Beatle boots to penny loafers. For MTO, the customer’s measurements are taken on site and then are allowed to select from upwards of 50 different shoe styles including leathers, brogueing, laces, etc. Weeks later you’ll enjoy a hand-lasted, hand-finished pair of custom shoes.
Other worthwhile stops:
J. Press
1801 L St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
The venerable trad-ing post only has four locations, so it’s always worth a stop for university stripe OCBDs (with flap pocket), ribbon belts, and sack jackets that remain much same as they were 30 years ago or more (some of the salesmen are the same, too, and can share some good stories).
Field English Custom Tailors
2134 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
As close as D.C. comes to Savile Row, Field Tailors has been creating bespoke men’s clothing for decades. William Field II took over the business from his father a few years ago and still offers English cut suits in fabrics from Dormeuil and others. Appointments preferred.
Guest post by Grant Harris of Image Granted.
Streets of Georgetown is the local outpost of Hart Schaffner Marx's dandy chain.
Streets of Georgetown
1254 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20007
When Joseph Abboud sold his namesake label to become chief designer for HMX Group, the largest manufacturer of tailored menswear in the country, he worked with HMX CEO Doug Williams to open Streets concept stores in select cities. The Streets concept capitalizes on major cities’ top-drawer shopping neighborhoods or streets—in DC’s case, Georgetown. The boutique is stocked with some of the elder statesmen of American suiting, including Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Streets offers off-the-rack suiting as well as a truly tailored experience with made-to-measure services offering several hundred fabric choices. Bobby Jones, Coppley, Palm Beach, Austin Reed, and Filson round out suiting, casual, and sportswear offerings.
Federal
2216 14th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
A recent addition to the DC shopping scene, Federal may sound like it caters to the politicians and lobbyists of Washington, but it’s far from what you might think. Located on 14th St. corridor, it’s part of a restructured and converted skate shop. Its street-oriented history is reflected in on-trend offerings from a range of heritage-based Americana and workwear lines like Tellason, Pendleton, Red Wing, Danner, Dickies, Filson, Converse, Clarks, Herschel Supply, and others. D.C. has a rep for being short on this sort of gear and Federal is changing that.
The good doctor.
Dr. K’s Vintage
1534 U St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
Dr. K’s is a vintage shop on the U street corridor that stocks the best edited stock of vintage men’s apparel in the city—leather jackets, militaria, cowboy boots, varsity jackets, and original cinchback denim from Levi’s. A native of Thailand, Dr. K has brought some of his personal collection to the shop, and can be seen showing off his latest finds from Brimfield or the Rose Bowl or more clandestine sources. Dr. K is often open late, but keeps strange hours so it’s best to call ahead.
Sette Neckwear
Suite 300
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20006
Sette means “seven” in Italian. Given how much attention is given to Neapolitan menswear, it’s a breath of fresh air to have the presence of Sette in D.C. A collaboration between a former Robert Talbott designer and a White House staffer, Sette offers a lineup of made-in-Italy woven or printed silk ties for power players inside the beltway and beyond. Sette seven folds come in a versatile 3-inch width and are constructed with the exacting standards of old world Italian tie makers. Silks are sourced from the hills of Como, then folded, slip stitched and packaged. Each tie is a unique creation and is part of a limited run of no more than 21. Each is individually numbered, and owners can register them online with Sette. Sette ties don’t come cheap, but the customer service, presentation, and product are arguably worth it.
Other worthwhile stops:
Commonwealth
1781 Florida Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009
Sharing an address with Stüssy, Commonwealth is D.C.’s outpost of the Virginia Beach streetwear king. Source for limited edition footwear, high-end hype like Maiden Noir, and wildcards like Gitman Vintage and Creep by Hiroshi Awai.
Hugh and Crye
3212 O St. NW #5 (between Potomac and Wisconsin)
Washington, DC 20007
DC-based brands fits shirts differently–by body type rather than measurements. Trim, darted cuts and strong colors and patterns dominate. Their bright Georgetown space is shop, laboratory, stockroom, and office all in one.
More recommendations to come in part II.
There’s English Style and then there’s English Style, and located just a few steps away from London House is Magnifique Naples, a store with a real Anglo sensibility about it.
Magnifique Naples is a small but densely packed shop that has been on via Filangieri for nearly 50 years. Inside, an entire wall of neatly stacked cashmere sweaters sits behind brightly patterned tartan scarves and colorful umbrellas, which, of course, are made with dense wood or whangee handles. On the other side of the shop are English wool fabrics and fine cotton shirtings for the store’s made-to-measure programs, as well as tweed flat caps, English-style shoes, and various leather goods. Go a bit further back still and you’ll find a display case with accessories like leather-covered flasks, uniquely designed wooden calendars, and English cufflinks.
C’est…
The whole shop feels like a place in England that vanished sometime around the 1930s. You walk in and expect to smell wet tweed, pipe tobacco, and old army coats packed into wooden crates. Except you don’t. The store holds all the charm of the Old England, but with newer goods.
In the back of the shop I met the its founder, Signore Mario Esposito, who sat in a heavy chair as he monitored the shop’s floor like a ship’s captain. Signore Esposito is a no-nonsense looking man. He wore a navy knit tie, bengal-striped shirt, and a blue blazer, and he looked quite serious with his furrowed brow. Still, I approached and told him how wonderful I thought the store was. I don’t think he understood any of my English, but seeing how enthused I was, he cracked a smile and spun a monologue in Italian, which I couldn’t understand. Even after all these years, however, you could tell this man’s heart was in this shop, and he enjoyed meeting people who properly appreciated it.
Not everything in the store is British though. For example, Mario’s son Dario showed me some Valgrisa jackets they were carrying. Valgrisa is an Italian outerwear company that’s inspired by the traditional, indigenous cultures surrounding the Aosta Valley. One of the jackets was based on the Valley’s alpine guide coats, and another was modeled off of the Royal Park’s Hunting Guards uniform. Though both were Italian, however, they fit in well with the shop’s British sensibility.
As Dario later explained to me, his father created this store in order to give men a taste of England and the scent of Naples. I think they’ve done just that.
Magnifique Naples
Via Filangieri, 18
Naples, Italy 80121
Knitwear and accessories at Magnifique.
Among the neatest collection of fabrics I’ve ever seen in a working shop.
Bundled tartans.
Let me just check my calendar… yes, it’s a drinking day.
Outerwear in an unusual cut from Valgrisa.
\
Brollys.
Messy splendor at Magnifique.
Giuseppe Rossi of Jaja Camiceria. Nice shirt.
By serendipity, I found Jaja Camiceria while walking around Rome one day trying to find a good lunch. I’ve always believed that when you’re in a touristy area, you’re better off searching for food off the beaten paths. So while walking down a smaller side street near the Spanish steps, I came across this custom tailoring shop.
Jaja has been around for almost 45 years, but changed ownership two years ago and is now run by Giuseppe Rossi. The shop’s front room is where he meets and fits clients, and all the shirts are made in the back. Giuseppe does all the custom pattern making and cutting, and he and three of his tailors do the sewing.
Since everything is bespoke and handmade, they only produce four shirts a day. Hand-sewn seams go around each of the armholes and down the plackets, and distinctive mother-of-pearl buttons slide through the handmade buttonholes. The side seams, hems, and collars are made by machine, but they’re done with such a high stitch count (nine per centimeter) that they’re barely perceptible.
Signore Rossi was nice enough to demonstrate for me some of his handwork. Taking one of his current client’s shirts, he slowly and patiently hand stitched up the placket. As he later showed me, monograms are also genuinely hand embroidered, which you could tell by examining the back of embroidered fabric. Truly hand-embroidered monograms lack the small piece of fabric on the back that’s attached on machine embroidery to prevent wrinkling.
Prices for custom shirts start at $260, and go up from there depending on the detailing and fabric. Due to how much work is involved in cutting the first pattern, there is a minimum three shirts for the first order. Jaja can also make boxers out of their Italian shirtings for $50, as well as pajamas out of soft cotton flannels for $235. Looking back, I wish I had ordered a couple of monogrammed boxers. Who can’t use a pair of Italian boxers with a shadowed monogram?
Jaja Camiceria
Via Belsiana 7A
Rome, Italy
Signore Rossi stitches a placket.
Handwork on a Jaja placket.
Bolts of fabric at Jaja.
Collar styles at Jaja.
Spreads.
Hand-embroidered monogram from Jaja.
A man is not fully dressed until he has a pocket square in his pajama pocket.
Embroidered boxers--better than writing your name on the waistband with a sharpie.
All photos and text by Derek Guy. Check out Derek’s other sartorial endeavors at Die, Workwear and Put This On.
