Description

Domenico Caraceni is a legend in the world of tailoring and is considered as the father of the modern Italian suit. As the founder of the famous Caraceni family​​​,​​​ he is the embodiment of Italian bespoke tradition​​,​​ perpetuated by his brothers and their descendants. Domenico was the son and grandson of tailors in the Abbruzo region of Italy. Domenico learnt with his father Tommaso and his brothers Galliano and Augusto​​​,​​​ notably by disassembling Savile Row sportcoats and suits (some suggested Henry Poole) to know how English tailors constructed garments. In 1913​​​,​​​ Domenico left his village to open his first atelier in Rome. His suits were a blend of Savile Row structured shoulders​​​,​​​ and the comfort and lightness of Italian tradition. His brothers join in him in the 1920's to help. In 1926 he moves to Via Boncompagni​​​,​​​ followed by new stores in Milan​​​,​​​ Paris (92 Avenue d'Iena)​​​,​​​ and shortly in Naples. Domenico and his brothers built a good clientele​​​,​​​ made of celebrities such as Edward VIII (later Duke of Windsor)​​​,​​​ Douglas Fairbanks​​​,​​​ Josephine Baker for a famous tailcoat​​​,​​​ and a young Gianni Agnelli (later CEO of Fiat). In 1940​​​,​​​ as WW2 breaks out​​​,​​​ the Paris shop is closed​​​,​​​ and later Domenico dies at the age of 60. After the war​​​,​​​ in 1946​​​,​​​ his brothers decide to manage one atelier each: Augusto will go to Milan (A. Caraceni)​​​,​​​ while Galliano will stay in Rome Via Marche. Galliano managed the shop under the name Domenico Caraceni with the help of his sons Tommy & Giulio (who worked for Kilgour and Davies & Son)​​​,​​​ first Via Boncompagni and later Via Campania​​​,​​​ until the 1980's. Gianni Agnelli continued to be a regular customer​​​,​​​ as well as Luca di Montezemolo from Ferrari. Other celebrities and politicians followed (Giulio Andreotti​​​,​​​ Jacques Chirac​​​,​​​ Charles Aznavour​​​,​​​ Marcello Mastroianni​​​,​​​ Henry Fonda). They continue their work to this day under the name Tommy & Giulio Caraceni. The name Domenico Caraceni is still in use today with one of Domenico's former apprentice​​,​​ Gianni Campagna​​,​​ who also makes wonderful suits for politicians and celebrities (notably Pierce Brosnan and Jack Nicholson). Caraceni suits can be defined in two words: beautiful and comfortable. They feature a nice pagoda shoulder​​​,​​​ a high but deep armhole​​​,​​​ a wide lapel with a good belly​​​,​​​ and pleated trousers for comfort. It is more relaxed than A Caraceni​​​,​​​ without losing the distinctive cut of the early Domenico Caraceni. I propose a stunning example of their work: a double-breasted midnight blue dinner jacket in a very soft velvet with mother-of-pearl buttons. Made in 1977​​,​​​​​ it is the perfect garment for your formal occasions​ and end-of-the-year events​,​ or as a lounge-jacket from autumn to spring. ​It can be paired with a variety of trousers (black​,​ grey​,​ red​,​ white​,​ blue​,​ etc.). As always with Caraceni​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​ it is fully handmade​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​ from the lining to the buttonholes​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​ from the shoulder to the collar. It features everything you are looking for from the Caraceni style (wide "olive-leaf" lapel​,​ pagoda shoulder​,​ stunning level of details). The condition is excellent. The jacket is best fitted for someone with a 40UK​​​​​​​/​​​​​​​​50FR​​ size​​​​​​,​​​​​​ around 1m80. Here are the measurements: Shoulders: 45cm Sleeve length: 63cm (with 5cm of fabric to let out) Chest: 52cm Waist at button: 53cm Jacket length: 80cm (collar included​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​ with 4​​,​​5cm of fabric to let out) Lapels: 11cm Quality similar to the following bespoke houses: - In France: Camps de Luca​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Francesco Smalto​​,​​ Cifonelli​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Claude Rousseau​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Arnys​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Lanvin Mesure​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Urban​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Max Evzeline​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Opelka​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Kenjiro Suzuki - In Italy: Caraceni (Augusto or Ferdinando)​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Rubinacci​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Dalcuore​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Panico - In England: Anderson & Sheppard​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Henry Poole​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Huntsman & Sons​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Nutters of Savile Row​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Chittleborough & Morgan​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Richard Anderson​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ Meyer & Mortimer