In the 1300’s Florence was an important center of wool production. During the 14th Century, the quality of wool and silk textiles in Florence became popular world wide and became an enormous source of wealth for the city. The growth in this industry led to the wool and silk guilds being the most influential in the political life of Florence during this time. The wealth from textiles would also serve to fuel a portion of the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th Centuries. It is relatively easy to find a Renaissance painting that highlights the wealth of its patron draped in rich textiles.
Today, Florence is home to Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo. The city is also home to many prestigious fashion schools such as Polimoda. The luxury goods industry and textile production are intertwined in this historic city.
Since 1929, the House of Tessuti (“Casa dei Tessuti”) in Florence has been providing high quality fabrics and bespoke tailoring services to its exclusive clientele. It seemed appropriate that on our honeymoon we would visit this historic store to purchase fabrics and, in the case of my husband, have a jacket made.
The store offers the best of Made in Italy high fashion fabrics to its typical clientele of celebrities and royal families. The shop is currently run by the founder’s (Egisto Romoli) sons, Romano and Romolo who carefully curate their fabrics. While they are open to the public, the shopping experience is a combination of touring a museum and designing a custom piece of clothing wherein you are exposed to the finest that Italy has to offer and anything that you can imagine can be executed. While we walked in off the street (with our Texas attitude of assuming we would be welcomed and loved), I would recommend that you schedule an appointment to select fabrics or to have something made. As you have likely surmised, the fabrics are luxury items, typically couture level quality, with a price tag to match.
After pursuing the floor to ceiling bolts of fabrics my husband selected a black and white striped, Armani cashmere for a jacket. Romano expertly measured him for the jacket, discussing its cut, button and buttonholes, and lapel style and width to ensure it would meet my husband’s expectations. Satisfied, we paid for the jacket that would be shipped to our home, arriving in approximately 8-weeks time.
Mary Beth I have a passion for creating and experiencing unforgettable moments and sharing those with others. I hope that this story has helped you experience one of those moments.
