Description

Robert Rudloff was an old-school Parisian tailor. His shop was located 36 Rue Bichat in the 10th arrondissement​​,​​ not far from Belleville. This working-class part of the city was where most tailors​​,​​ cobblers and bootmakers had their shop in Paris from the late 19th century to the early 1990's. Even though they were not as famous as those located near the Champs-Elysées​​,​​ their craft was still incredible. Some even trained under the tutelage of their more prestigious counterparts before opening their own atelier. In the case of Robert Rudloff​​,​​ he opened his shop in 1963 and operated it until 1986. His style was reminiscent of the old Parisian school of tailoring​​,​​ before the arrival of Joseph Camps (who later founded Camps de Luca) and the legendary Groupe des 5. Tired of replicating the style of Savile Row like their forefathers (such as Lanvin​​,​​ Paul Portes or Larsen)​​,​​ five new tailors decided to create a completely new way of making suits in the late 1950's and early 1960's. These five tailors were André Bardot (whose clients were actor Jean Marais and writer Jean Cocteau​​,​​ among others)​​,​​ Socrate​​,​​ Di Nota​​,​​ Gaston Waltener​​,​​ and Joseph Camps. Max Evzeline will later join in 1957 (attracting many celebrities such as Gilbert Bécaud​​,​​ Charles Trénet​​,​​ and Serge Gainsbourg). Their cut became a perfect blend of Italian style (inspired by Brioni and Caraceni) and French attention to details such as the Parisian lapel​​,​​ precise hand stitching​​,​​ and perfect cut. Their association lasted only until 1968​​,​​ but their style (especially under the patronage of Joseph Camps) lived on with Francesco Smalto​​,​​ Claude Rousseau​​,​​ Gabriel Gonzalez and Henri Urban. Robert Rudloff chose to continue the old tradition of Parisian tailoring. The cut was rounder​​,​​ the shoulders more structured with a slight slope​​,​​ with a likening for tweed​​,​​ heavy flannel​​,​​ and countryside garments. The construction was also heavier​​,​​ in order for the garment to last a lifetime. Every stitch was still done by hand. The best examples are the old French movies of the 1950's with Jean Gabin (who was a regular client of Opelka​​,​​ the representative of the old Parisian school) or with Lino Ventura (a regular client of Cifonelli who was at the time considered old-school). I'm proposing a stunning example of Robert Rudloff's work: a brown tweed jacket in a stunning gunclub pattern. Made in 1969​​,​​ it is the perfect jacket for the countryside and the autumn-winter months and can be worn with a variety of trousers (corduroy​​,​​ tweed​​,​​ flannel​​,​​ wool​​,​​ cashmere​​,​​ cotton). As always with Robert Rudloff​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ it is fully handmade​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ from the lining to the buttonholes​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ from the shoulder to the collar. The conditions is excellent​​,​​ especially for its age. The jacket is best fitted for someone with a 38UK​​​​​​​​​​/​​​​​​​​​​​48FR​​ size​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​ around 1m75. Here are the measurements: Shoulders: 44cm Sleeve length: 60​​,​​5cm (with 5​​,​​5cm of fabric to let out) Chest: 49cm Waist at button: 50cm Jacket length: 78cm (collar included​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​ with 4cm of fabric to let out) Lapels: 11cm Quality similar to the following bespoke houses: - In France: Camps de Luca​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Cifonelli​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Claude Rousseau​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Arnys​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Lanvin Mesure​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Henri Urban​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Max Evzeline​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Opelka​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Kenjiro Suzuki - In Italy: Caraceni (Augusto or Domenico)​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Rubinacci​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Dalcuore​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Panico - In England: Anderson & Sheppard​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Henry Poole​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Huntsman & Sons​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Nutters of Savile Row​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Chittleborough & Morgan​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Richard Anderson​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ Meyer & Mortimer Possible to try it in Paris 15th Arrondissement.