It took a while for the spring to warm up here in Finland, but I was finally able to properly wear my new bespoke jacket from Pino Peluso the other day. And what a jacket it is. The lapel roll and the cut in general, combined with all the amazing details make it definitely my favorite jacket and in my opinion, also my best-fitting jacket.
That silhouette and the well-appointed open quarter. Also a nod to my new C&J Harvard Cordovan loafers which seem to go well with classic tailoring.
The process started earlier this February as I wanted to have a sport coat in the traditional Neapolitan fashion, that is, something very classic to wear during the summer. Having become friends with Pino, I also wanted to give him a bigger freedom to create a garment that he would feel represents his house style. So while I wanted to have some certain features on my first suit, I decided to go with Pino's intuition regarding the details. On his recommendation, we agreed on a three-roll-two jacket (three buttons but only two buttons work), with patch pockets and--true to Neapolitan style, only one sleeve button.
As with most of my communication with Mr Peluso, this whole process was also conducted via WhatsApp. As Pino already had my measurements and the model he created when making my suit, we aimed to attempt the process without fittings, as a remote bespoke commission.
So, how do you choose a fabric via WhatsApp? From experience, I can now say that it can actually be a rather fun process, but probably not ideal for the tailor as he has to make quite a lot of efforts to send pictures. As always though, Pino was super helpful and got me photos of the fabrics I wanted.
At this point I also have to say it's necessary to have a tailor who speaks English before one considers this sort of bespoke project. Luckily that's not a problem with Peluso, as you can get all the necessary things across adequately and I would say his sharp sense of humor is even more amplified by his Neapolitan-English.
I ended up choosing a fantastic green linen-silk blend for the sports coat fabric. Unlike with bigger tailoring houses where the process is structured and sometimes similar to a made-to-measure experience, the process with Pino, like with old school maestros with smaller production, feels personal and traditional.
This unconventional color was chosen without planning it, as looking for a light green fabric was not even a consideration at the time. However, after seeing this shade and its texture, it felt like an obvious choice for a timeless sport coat with a nice vintage feel to it. It was different to anything I owned and to my surprise, combined beautifully with a wide range of trousers and accessories. I paired the jacket with a light beige, neutral trouser color. These particular trousers are handmade made-to-measure from Vaatturiliike Sauma, from a lightweight Caccioppoli cotton.
A mix of light and fresh colors. While blue and green rarely look good together, they certainly can when you choose the correct shades and textures.
Pino's signature shoulder yields a natural shoulder line and allows for ease of arm movement. Also note the fantastic notch lapel and the button hole.
Despite originally thinking we would complete the sport coat without fittings, I had an opportunity to visit Naples to have a fitting. The jacket was already in a sort of second-fitting phase and when I tried it on it was almost exactly right. Apart from adding some extra room for my left shoulder, we didn't do any other corrections (which shows how a good tailor can create your garment without any fittings if they have your pattern ready).
A few weeks after my trip I received the sport coat in Finland. Having just worn it in Naples in near-ready condition, I naturally knew what to expect, but it was still quite satisfying to receive the final product with all its finished details. The gorgeous Sartoria Peluso lapel and the insane amount of shape built into the chest area was especially pleasing.Leaving the jacket on a table, the chest basically remains in a 30 degree dome without any support. I also absolutely love the way the handmade shape and thicker fabric makes the lapel look three-dimensional. It's as far from a flat lapel as it can be, and looking at the pictures it almost looks like it is indeed, floating on the chest piece.
I hope at least a few of the amazing features come across from the pictures.
Bresciani linen socks and my C&J Harvards.
I'm obviously a very happy with this jacket. It came out better than I imagined and should serve me well for a long, long time. The wasabi green (cheers to my good friend Arian for making up that name by the way) is a different but great color that is both fresh and versatile. In my opinion, this jacket pairs especially well with dark burgundy, espresso brown and even forest green. As seen in these pictures, it also looks quite handsome when combined with a mid green tie and carefully selected style elements.
Spring in Helsinki.
Items include : Sartoria Peluso sport coat, Vaatturiliike Sauma mtm shirt and handmade mtm trousers, Berg & Berg 6 fold tie and linen pocket square, Bresciani linen socks and Crockett & Jones Harvard Cordovan loafers.
As a full disclaimer, this jacket from Pino has been given to me in exchange for some help I provided him earlier, as mentioned in my Naples trip article.
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