Cuban cigars so often go hand-in-hand with bespoke clothing. The similarities are fairly clear: both are handmade, artisanal products, both require a certain investment which matches their high quality, and both are enjoyed by people who take pride in seeking out the best options available for any aspect of their lifestyle. As demonstrated at each edition of Pitti Uomo, those who know clothing tend to also appreciate cigars.
Sartoria Dalcuore is a huge name in the world of tailoring. For their recent trunk show to London they chose The Stafford as their base – a hotel which also offers an excellent cigar terrace in its courtyard. It is the perfect place to visit for a fitting of your new suit in the elegant confines of one of the hotel’s suites before celebrating its completion with a cigar and aperitivo.
Today Sartoria Dalcuore is helmed by Cristina Dalcuore and her husband Damiano Annunziato but, back in 1965 in the heart of Naples, it was her father who began the family business. Luigi “Gigi” Dalcuore is now a revered name in the world of bespoke tailoring, having begun his journey at a young age by assisting his dressmaker aunt. By 26 he was a master tailor, and ready to create clothes under his own name. Over the years he developed a style that was more his own than traditional Neapolitan, his eye for detail and ability to see how his customers felt, not just looked, in his clothes allowing him to refine the Dalcuore aesthetic into something unique. “It’s about millimetres, not centimetres,” Cristina explains.
Some of the work of Satoria Dalcuore, with thanks to them for the images
That attention to detail has been passed down from father to daughter. Cristina worked alongside her father for many years before he sadly passed in 2021 – a moment which was marked and mourned by tailors and aficionados around the world – and now continues to take the Dalcuore name far from their home of Naples. Regular trips to the USA and Asia go alongside residencies at The Stafford, and there is a particular taste for their clothes in Beijing and Tokyo. One of Cristina’s passions, and strongest areas of expertise, is the fabrics from which garments are cut: “We work with all the best fabric producers in the world – Vitale Barberis Canonico, Loro Piana, Fox Brothers – and it’s interesting to see the different tastes across the world. UK customers tend to choose Italian fabrics from us, while those Asia go for the English makers.” As we chat, she tells me her flight itinerary for the next few months – it’s extensive, and sounds exhausting.
What, then, do this global cohort of loyal Dalcuore wearers look for? What is that certain difference from the rest of Naples that keeps them coming back to her family? “Technically, the biggest difference is the shoulder – ours is more natural. But for me the real difference is the soul.” It would see that intangible ability to delve into the character of the client and build a garment that will make them feel like the best version of themselves has also been passed down through the Dalcuore generations.
While Cristina provides today’s tailoring brilliance to her family business, her husband Damiano Annunziato is the businessman driving the brand into international importance. His knowledge of modern communication and technology has helped Dalcuore rise from local artisan to global prominence. Accompanying his wife around the world, it is his natural charisma and warm personality which allow clients new and old to feel at home when being fitted, be it for the first time or the 50th. It is also his great passion to have a fine cigar when the day is done. Cubans are his favourite, and Romeo y Julieta in particular.
Damiano enjoys a cigar in the courtyard at The Stafford's American Bar
Time spent with Cristina and Damiano is the best explanation of why Sartoria Dalcuore is so popular. The Stafford suite feels like their living room, the conversation is warm and relaxed and there is a sense that you have been truly invited into the world of the Dalcuore family, not just turned up at a tailor’s to buy a suit and leave. This is the “soul” Cristina speaks of, this is why she is able to dress her clients in a way that makes them feel so good – because a genuine interest is taken in the person wearing the clothes, and how they want to wear them. The technical points and measurements – the “millimetres” – are given due care and attention, but more is paid to the unquantifiable elements which make the difference between a good experience and a great one.
Many fine tailors exist in the world, and many are based in London full-time. Choosing to commission a suit from one which is not permanently based in your city – or travelling to Italy to find them – is a big choice to make, and the fact that so many do is testament to the ability of the artisans chosen. In the case of Sartoria Dalcuore, it is also down to the genuine kindness of the husband-and-wife team at its helm.
Sartoria Dalcuore will return to London in November. For bookings, and a full international schedule, visit www.sartoriadalcuore.com.