E. & G. Cappelli, tiemaker

While in Naples, I had the pleasure of visiting with Patrizio Cappelli, the renowned Neapolitan tiemaker. Two weeks later–presto! Five seven-fold, unlined ties appeared on my desk at work. Even if I had nothing else positive to say, I’d be throwing praise at the prompt delivery.

This was my fifth time in Naples, but I must admit I had trouble finding Patrizio’s shop. It’s located on Via Cavalleriza, which branches off of Via Filangieri, just off of Piazza dei Martiri and downhill from Via Chiaia. The surrounding area is one of the most pleasant in the city, and certainly the most upscale. So, getting a little lost actually turned into an enjoyable afternoon. Of course, I should’ve realized he’d be located in a courtyard, as so many of the fine men’s shops in Naples are. Mea culpa.

To my credit, all the internet photos of Cappelli’s shop suggest a one-room operation and therefore an on-the-street storefront. However, as I entered the courtyard and turned the corner, I realized that the atelier must be quite a bit more substantial than that. The gold plaque announcing “E. & G. Cappelli” is attached to a multi-floor, free-standing building.

After passing through a small foyer, the main section of the shop comes into view. It is dimensionally much deeper than suggested by all the photos that merely frame the glass table at the far end of the room. All along the left side of the shop are multiple shelves with loose silks and other tie fabrics to browse, organized by color and weave. To the right, some ready-made ties sit on display and a stairwell leads down to the shop’s lower level.

Downstairs, the main area is largely reserved for the display of finished ties. However, underneath the display tables are four or five wooden carts, each packed to the brim with every striped silk imaginable. All the most staid, traditional regimental patterns are available, but just as many less conventional configurations are included. I happened to find a particularly striking brown-and-navy striped repp for myself.

Out-of-view is a storage area and what looks to be  the actual workshop where the ties are made. One gets an idea of what the typical Cappelli customer prefers based on what is on view and what isn’t. Most of the displayed ties are four-fold and lined. Seven-folds are fewer, and the handful of ready-made unlined seven-folds must be retrieved from a box in storage.

Somehow, all five of the fabrics I picked for myself turned out to be navy blue. Shameful, I know, but what can I say? I know what I like. Anyway, the variety of silks available at Cappelli is mind-boggling, rivaling Marinella’s selection and exceeding it in some respects. Certainly, it is overall more interesting. There is not time enough in a day to sort through everything, so you’re better off coming in with a general idea of what you’re looking for. I just happened to be looking for navy blue.

I think they came out very well, but  I was expecting as much given the examples I’d already seen and which had lured me to the shop in the first place. They are exactly as ordered, but there was some miscommunication with respect to padding. While the ties are all seven-fold and unlined, they each have a layer or two of very thin padding sewn in. My Rubinacci seven-folds typically come without any padding whatsoever, so that’s what I was thinking of. I contacted Patrizio about it and he promptly offered to make the change for me. On that note, it is worth pointing out that Patrizio’s English is very good–a huge asset and not typical amongst Neapolitan tailors and craftsmen.

The workmanship appears comparable to Rubinacci’s. The distinction is in the material. Obviously, neither Rubinacci nor Cappelli produce their own silks, so much depends on the particular fabric one happens to pick from each shop. However, in general, Cappelli’s printed silks seem to be more substantial, but less soft. Not better or worse–but different.

By this point in time, I’ve tried multiple bespoke ties from each of Marinella, Rubinacci, and Cappelli. Marinella was my first experience. The ties most resemble the relatively thick, crisply finished, machine-sewn ties that one expects to find at a luxury department store in the States like Bergdorf. Not a bad thing, and Marinella executes that model exceptionally well. However, it’s the fabric selection that really shines. It is vast and absolutely unimpeachable, if not a little boring and slightly anonymous.

In contrast, Rubinacci and Cappelli both nix the standard luxury tie paradigm. Both unabashedly embrace the handmade nature of their product: dimensions will always diverge by some degree versus what is stipulated, edges will be soft and imperfect, and the little, irregular hand stitches will be readily visible. Rubbing the ties between your fingers, you can feel how purposefully light and loose the construction is. For many, the appeal of such a tie simply won’t calculate.

But for the converted, it’s hard to enjoy anything else. I’ve never returned to Marinella since my first order. They make a great tie, but not one that feels very special to me.

Between Cappelli and Rubinacci, the differences are more nuanced. Cappelli does default to a more moderate weight and thickness than Rubinacci, though Patrizio will make you what you like–lined, unlined, padded, unpadded, etc. As one might expect, Rubinacci is more single-minded. Even their padded four-folds don’t appear to have any innards. You have to peel each tie halfway open to expose even the slightest sliver of paper-thin padding. If you want something else, Rubinacci is not for you, but such ties are their speciality and they may be the best at making them.   

Yet, from my observation, the most striking distinction is in fabric selection. Cappelli’s is more broad, with far greater depth in standard patterns, such as stripes, dots, and micro-forals (the sort that dominate at Marinella). It is the better shop for finding the perfect stripped repp or exactly the right printed dots. On the other hand, the selection at London House is more edited and eccentric. You are less likely to like everything, but perhaps more likely to find a one-of-a-kind fabric that you absolutely must have.

I, for one, am happy to use both. At first blush, any difference in construction or material quality appears marginal. In this case, I think that’s high praise for each maker.

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