Cifonelli of Paris makes some of the most beautiful tailoring I’ve ever seen. I thought a post, therefore, on the details of a jacket rather than me rambling on about the technical stuff. Above, the broad lapel of the double-breasted, with gorgeous double-sewn lapel buttonhole. Its raised nature make it an impractical thing, but nonetheless beautiful for it.
Why do English patch pockets frequently have so little curve and character?
The signature brown horn button, polished on the rim and matte on the inside
Lapped shoulder (and in the background, back) seam
Label and pocket flap with handsewn buttonhole
Silk lining and handwork around the inbreast pocket
Signature ‘C’ on the buggy lining, attaching the two sides across the back
Beautifully attached lining panel over inside vent
Cuff buttonholes, with those buttons and that patch pocket
This is beautiful indeed.
Simon may i ask the price of this jacket? What cloth is that?
Thanks a lot,
Patrick
The inner breast pocket is so beautifully executed. That style (maybe it’s called Barcelona) makes relining a jacket trickier but it’s so much better than making the pocket mouth from lining.
The sheer neatness of all the work is startling. I admit that I’d never even seen a piece of Cifonelli work until you featured it here. They really mark the pinnacle of good tailoring.
That is magnificent. I’m not normally a fan of patch pockets, but these are a bit special.
Hi Simon,
This an indication among numerous other things of your cosmopolitan perspective on menswear!Even on shoes, you remain quite open despite all!…
Since I do not live very far away from from rue Marbeuf, I will take just a closely look on what they have been doing.
John
Fantastic pictures. Thanks a lot. What kind of prices are we talking about? Sorry to ask about the $$$ but unfortunately it is part of the equation…
Hi Simon, thanks for sharing the beautiful Cifonelli details; what’s the fabric?
Hi – the fabric is Harrison’s Moonbeam, 75% superfine lambswool, 25% angora.
A jacket like this would cost €3800
Simon
3800 euros?
I believe that Cifonelli was very,very more expansive; much more that Huntsman,Rubinacci or Caraceni of Milan.
That’s for a jacket, remember, not a suit. At current exchange rates to the pound, that’s more expensive.
wow. how much for a suit?
Closer to €5000
Thank you Simon for your answers. Prices are high indeed… This being said, we all agree here that the jacket seems to be really fantastic.
Question for you: i saw that there is another Parisian tailor, called “Camps de Luca”. Do you know them? Heard of them? Are they comparable to Cifonelli in quality and in prices?
To be precise, Cifonelli starts at €4900, Mario Caraceni in Milan is €4800 I think, Huntsman is over €5000
Edouard, yes Camps de Luca are very good. I’ve visited but never had anything made. Wei Koh at The Rake has had some absolutely beautiful things there. Comparably in prices and quality
You have highlighted a slight issue I have with your blog. That issue is the disconnect between quality and price, specifically – value. You feature many very well made and beautiful garments and shoes on your site, but sometimes I get the impression that you purchase certain items just because they are high end and therefore expensive/exclusive. The Cifonelli Jacket featured above is incedibly well made and a truely beautiful thing that you will treasure for many years, but in comparison to say an Andeson & Sheppard or something by John Kent, is it really worth the money?
The Cifonelli jacket is a close call. But, there are other features, such as a the probably highly impractical eye shade with ribbon fastener. This is surely a choice of fashion/exclusivity over quality/value/practical benefit. Other example include Berluti shoes or anything by Kiton. All high end and the products of fine craftsmanship, but neither are really worth the over-the-top asking price if we are honest.
Besides this slight qualm, please keep up the excellent work!
It’s a good point. I wouldn’t say that Cifonelli is worse value for money than A&S though. It may even be better value given the work.
It’s hard to argue over price with Berluti shoes, and with much of Kiton. But I would say with Kiton that they put a huge amount of work and investment in their things, rather like Hermes. It’s just a question of whether they spend on the right things. Loro Piana is similar.
Simon,
Thanks for sharing this information with us. Could you amend this entry with an image of you wearing the garment? You’re blog is awesome.
@anon,
Things can be beautiful for the sake of being beautiful. Price need not be a constraint all the time. You are free to look elsewhere for value.
Hi Simon,
For naturally warming fabrics such as Moonbeam and cashmere, does lining make it wear warmer?
Lining will make everything wear warmer, but only a little.
However, proportionately to the weight of the cloth, it makes less difference with winter materials. And given you won’t be wearing those fabrics in warm weather, it should also be less of a concern
So there really isn’t much different between a fully lined or half lined cashmere SC, right? I guess I want to squeeze out more versatility by being able to wear winter fabrics during spring, so I’d probably opt for less lining even on winter fabrics
Dear Simon,
I was wondering if you are able to share the type of silk used on the lining? Is it similar to a habotai or crepe de chine? Perhaps in the range of 16 m/m ~ 22 m/m?
Kind regards,
Nicholas
I’m afraid I don’t know Nichlas, sorry