Naples and its tailors: a deep dive into the history of Italy
Naples was a royal and very prosperous city. Capital of the Kingdom of Naples (from the 13th century) then of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (in the 18th century), the city rivalled France, Spain and England as a major European capital.
It was in the 14th century that the « Confraternita dell’arte dei Giubbonai e Cositori”, was founded, the oldest association of tailors, whose members crafted garments for royalty, nobility, and the affluent bourgeoisie.”
From the 19th century onwards, the city was already home to a great number of tailors, inspired in particular by what was being done in England.
It was in the early 1900s that Vincenzo Attolini, the renowned tailor and head cutter at Rubinacci, created the inimitable Neapolitan tailoring style as we know it today.
Even though the city declined from the 19th century onwards, the craftsmanship has been perpetuated and Naples is still today home to the cream of Italian tailors.
