tweedydon
Call Me a Cab
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This jacket is wonderful.... Not just for its own sake, but for the American stories that are woven into its fabric.
If the Brooks Brothers jacket, above, was a sign of the Establishment, this jacket is an example of the other end of the American spectrum--the self-made immigrants and long-time workers who built AMerican from the ground up, and made themselves wealthy in so doing.
Let's start with the jacket itself. Made by Schneider's Custom Tailoring of Pittsburgh, you might think that this was made by a tailoring firm with German origins. But it wasn't; Schneider's was owned and operated by Tonino Trivelli, an Italian immigrant to the United States. Trivelli had little formal education, since he began work as a tailor's apprentice in 1946, age 12. The Second World War was just over, and young Tonino needed to help contribute to the family finances in a devastated Europe. Through hard work and skill he rose to the rank of Master Tailor--no mean feat in Italy. At some point he emigrated to the United States, choosing as his destination Pittsburgh.... as he already had family connections in the large and vibrant Italian communities that supplied a lot of the labor to the local steel mills. There, he set up Schneider's Custom Tailoring, eventually managing to move into the prestigious Oliver Building, Pittsburgh's famous skyscraper. He'd arrived--and his clients knew it. You want first-rate Italian tailoring? You go to Schneider's.
And who better to be a client of his than another self-made man, Edward L. Solomon? A long-term Western PA working class family, his grandparents were in the steel industry as foremen and union bosses in Beaver Falls and Pittsburgh, probably employees of Crucible Steel. After serving in the Naval Air Corps Edward saved enough to buy Mercer Lime and Stone, which he expanded and made successful.
Steel, stone, and Italian tailoring from immigrants who started age 12.... This is an *American* jacket!
And it lives up to its heritage. Made in November 1993, this is a beautiful glen plaid check, this is cut from lighter-weight 11 1/2oz cloth; perfect for modern office environments, which is just what the CEO of Mercer Lime and Stone needed. The colourway is beautiful; muted and autumnal. This has patch pockets--always a desirable feature! It's half canvassed and half-lined, and has a single centre vent. It's subtly darted--as you'd expect from Italian tailoring--and has a two button closure. This is a wonderful example of Italian-American tailoring! It's in excellent condition.
Asking just $50 for a piece of American history, boxed and shipped in the USA.
Measurements:
Chest: 22
Sleeve: 23 (+1 3/4)
Shoulder: 19 1/2
Length: 30 1/2
If the Brooks Brothers jacket, above, was a sign of the Establishment, this jacket is an example of the other end of the American spectrum--the self-made immigrants and long-time workers who built AMerican from the ground up, and made themselves wealthy in so doing.
Let's start with the jacket itself. Made by Schneider's Custom Tailoring of Pittsburgh, you might think that this was made by a tailoring firm with German origins. But it wasn't; Schneider's was owned and operated by Tonino Trivelli, an Italian immigrant to the United States. Trivelli had little formal education, since he began work as a tailor's apprentice in 1946, age 12. The Second World War was just over, and young Tonino needed to help contribute to the family finances in a devastated Europe. Through hard work and skill he rose to the rank of Master Tailor--no mean feat in Italy. At some point he emigrated to the United States, choosing as his destination Pittsburgh.... as he already had family connections in the large and vibrant Italian communities that supplied a lot of the labor to the local steel mills. There, he set up Schneider's Custom Tailoring, eventually managing to move into the prestigious Oliver Building, Pittsburgh's famous skyscraper. He'd arrived--and his clients knew it. You want first-rate Italian tailoring? You go to Schneider's.
And who better to be a client of his than another self-made man, Edward L. Solomon? A long-term Western PA working class family, his grandparents were in the steel industry as foremen and union bosses in Beaver Falls and Pittsburgh, probably employees of Crucible Steel. After serving in the Naval Air Corps Edward saved enough to buy Mercer Lime and Stone, which he expanded and made successful.
Steel, stone, and Italian tailoring from immigrants who started age 12.... This is an *American* jacket!
And it lives up to its heritage. Made in November 1993, this is a beautiful glen plaid check, this is cut from lighter-weight 11 1/2oz cloth; perfect for modern office environments, which is just what the CEO of Mercer Lime and Stone needed. The colourway is beautiful; muted and autumnal. This has patch pockets--always a desirable feature! It's half canvassed and half-lined, and has a single centre vent. It's subtly darted--as you'd expect from Italian tailoring--and has a two button closure. This is a wonderful example of Italian-American tailoring! It's in excellent condition.
Asking just $50 for a piece of American history, boxed and shipped in the USA.
Measurements:
Chest: 22
Sleeve: 23 (+1 3/4)
Shoulder: 19 1/2
Length: 30 1/2
