Marinella, The King of Tie Makers: Lifestyle, Men’s Fashion
Top Hat goes in search of the ultimate tie, and finds just the right sort of perfect silk knot on the doorstep of a tiny shop in Naples, home to some of the best artisan clothes fashioned in Italy for the Cognoscenti/strong>
Viewpoint by Andrew Scharf, Head of the WCW Group
Now it is a known fact that most men do not like to wear ties. Many do not appreciate wearing a proper suit nor even a shirt with a collar. The excuses given revolve around the fact that men find the clothes stiff, formal, and uncomfortable. When the Americans introduced dress down Fridays, people thought, great, now I can wear jeans and tee-shirts to work, which they did. Clearly inappropriate, the choices of suitable clothes became more complicated. Put it down to a
lack of style and training in taste.
The last couple of years have seen a return to the suit, collared shirts, and yes even ties. “The tailor makes the man”, said Beau Brummel, who is the father of the modern wardrobe and was no slouch when it came to dressing well.
He understood that well cut clothes are about comfort, but it is also about syle and grace. When you are appropriately dressed, you feel better, take yourself more seriously with authority, and can tackle the challenges of the day. The poet, Keats when he was feeling sluggish would bath himself and then put on his best attire before sitting down to write at his desk. He stated that being dressed properly gave him a sense of well-being and put him in the best frame of mind.
A man doesn’t need many clothes, but he does need the right clothes. The key here is clothes that fit, i.e., your real size. Clothes are a man’s second skin and are an excellent representation of his personality and I might even add, consciousness. A properly made suit is cut high in the arm holes, has little padding, and has shape. It is not a bag; when cut well, it allows for maximum freedom of movement and I will wager that it is as comfortable as any shell suit.
If you are in the market for a proper suit, you should visit Anderson & Sheppard on Burlington Street in London, near Savile Row or for the Italian cut at Rubinacci (London or Naples). Let their expertise guide your choice.
Once you make this leap to bespoke, there is no going back. You will have the pleasure to walk about with dignity and pride. The same is equally true of a properly cut shirt. The soft collar when buttoned does not choke, is the right sleeve length, and when made of sea island cotton is as light as air. The mother of pearl buttons are discreet and the detailing exquisite. Two shirtmakers you can trust are Charvet in Paris and Turnbell & Asser in London. The fabrics are soft as a baby’s bottom, and cut to perfection.
Choosing the right tie
To top off your attire, a tie is clearly just the thing. It should neither be too wide nor too thin. The ideal knot, should be a tear drop with either the Cary Grant dimple or two fold sailor style fold.
If you take a look at the tie collections of most men you will be astounded. Most are garish abominations either too busy or simply the wrong colour. Men also have a tendency to change ties frequently because they find it hard to get the right ones. When your clothes are sober, it is one of the few elements to mark off your individuality.
There are only really a handful of excellent tie manufactures. They are hand made; you can tell from underneath the manin piece where you will see a tiny loop of thread, which is the hand made trademark. Ties can be silk, plain or woven, wool, or even a mix. They should have texture and ideally contrast with the suit rather than call attention to yourself. Although some men like motifs, you should be careful which motifs you choose. For example, although I have nothing against Mickey Mouse in particular, if you sport such a design on a tie in orange or pink it sends a message. Taste and style apart, it may not be the message you should be sending at a client meeting or interview.
We had a client last year who simply couldn’t get the knack of ties. So I happened to have a spare sober club tie at the office, which I presented to him so that he could make the right impression at his upcoming job interview. Yes, he had the qualifications, which of course is important. However, with the right satorial code, he was able to put his best foot forward. Make no mistake, first impressions do matter.
Marinella, the King of Ties
Coming back to ties, let me share with you one of the experts, Marinella of Naples, known in some circles as the “King” of tiemakers. Now you may say to me that you have better things to do than to go to Naples in order to buy ties. Aside from the fact that Naples is a haven for fine menswear and a must visit for any style conscious maven, or even a lover of superb Southern Italian food, culture, and art, you have no excuse because you can order by phone or via the internet. Give yourself a little treat and pop down to Naples to discuss ties with Maurizio Marinella. He is affable, the small store is charming, and the swatches to choose from will make you blind.
His ties have become style icons. Many have even offered to buy his business and make it a global name brand. What I really respect is his refusal. Yes, refusal. Here is a man who knows that qulity cannot be mass produced if the artisanal highlights are to maintained to the highest standard.
The shop sits in the Chaia district of the city, which is its chicest neighborhood in the city, and is where his grandfather opened in 1914. As he himself recently stated, “We Neapolitans grow up with the fear that we will be considered as people who only have mandolins and make pizzas, of mozzarella cheese and the Camorra. But actually I, and many others like me, show that there is also a Naples that produces, that works, that gets up at six in the morning, that manages to be successful on an international level.”
Maurizio Marinella is a business leader with a soul. Unlike other manufacturers of ties, his are clearly in another league. He can boast that some of his clients are and have been the most powerful men in the worldsuch as Bill Clinton, George Bush (father and son), Luchino Visconti, Aristotle Onassis, Gabriele D’Annunzio, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and Giovanni Agnelli. Clearly, many of these men were always suberply dressed and sought out the best.
The business is a case study in success and has lasted for ninety years since 1914, when Don Eugenio Marinella opened his shop in Riviera di Chiaia in the heart of Naples. It is an excellent example of sustainability and “Small is Beautiful”. What’s more, nothing has changed. Why change excellence?
The shop is only 20 square metres in size, and the ties are produced the same way, using traditional methods with a passion for quality and perfection. Don Eugenio was a craftsman, and so was his son Luigi. His grandson Maurizio continue this noble tradition.
Many pundits have asked him why like many of the other Italian stylists has he not opened chains of boutiques worldwide?
“Because I am a craftsman and I wish to remain a craftsman”, replies Maurizio Marinella. “I am not interested in large numbers and I would rather keep the tradition alive and fruitful, together with the magic that accompanies it. I have been asked: but if a potential client in New Jersey wanted one of your ties? The answer is simple: he can come to Naples to buy it, or order it by telephone.”
Considering that an Hermes tie can set you back 250 euros, I wondered how much does a Marinella tie cost? The answer is surprising.
“Between 80 and 90 euro”, he said. “Less than many ties produced industrially by some of the great names of Italian and French fashion.”
I wondered, is it possible to survive on just selling ties. The answer is yes.
“We sell between 100 and 120 a day. In a year the turnover is about 8 million euro. Ties must have a sould. I personally choose the materials, the designs and patterns, the cut. To add other shops would mean increasing production beyond this threshold after which or the prices have to be increased or the quality reduced. And my clients would be the losers.”
There’s an attitude you can count on. I won’t you should throw out your current tie collection, but I would give serious consideration to giving them to charity and heading off to Naples. Renew your tie collection and have a splendid holiday in the bargain.
For Further Information
Eugenio Marinella
Riviera di Chiaia 287
Naples
Visit: http://www.marinellanapoli.it
Email: marinella@marinellanapol
