Polo Shirts: What does hand-stitched actually mean?

Dear friends of The Fleece Milano,

It’s been a while since we connected with you. Actually, we took some time off to focus on a new project and create something special for you: Long sleeved polo shirts, a product that would embody even more the concept of Made in Italy, at every stage of its manufacturing process. Before we dive into the novelties, we should remind you (maybe more for those who are reading us from the southern hemisphere) that we have very few pieces left in cashmere cardigans and sustainable winter collection. 

Now, where to start from?...Italian tailoring is a centuries-old artisanal craft, synonymous with quality, luxury, timeless elegance and style. Once only accessible to royalty and the affluent, the notion of owning (and wearing) a sartorial piece of Made in Italy isn't as unattainable as it used to be although it still requires a significant degree of knowledge in making the right choices accompanied by a relevant economic effort. This is where we at TFM are trying to bridge the gap between the myth of Italian artisanal craftsmanship and good value for money, through our own research and involvement in working side by side with our artisans without any middleman.

To let you understand what this actually means, we will disclose in advance some of the features of our upcoming spring-summer launch product: the Long Sleeve Polo Shirt. It’s mostly about the passion you put into the details because, as you know, details make the difference. 

1. What is a hand-stitched armhole

Our Long Sleeve Polo Shirt will feature hand stitched armhole. One might not believe the vast change of functionality between machine stitched and hand stitched armhole. It gives more flexibility in a part of the polo shirt that is often subject to tension for the movements.

2. What is a hand-stitched shoulder 

Aesthetics play a major role in Italian tailoring. Hand crafted shoulder like the one of our Long Sleeve Polo Shirt is a fine detail which singles out our polo shirt from rest of the many (let us dare to say, majority) machine made polos.

3. What is a "Crow's Foot" Buttons stitching 

Probably one of the smallest details and yet one of those that makes quite a big impact. A Neapolitan specialty for our new garment: buttons will be stitched by hand with the “crow’s foot” technique also know as “zampa di gallina” which increases longevity of the button during its course of use through the years. Back in the days this was a sign that the button had been stitched by hand, today there are machines (who knew?) capable to perform that stitch but you know us, we still love to do things the old-fashioned way.

There’s even more; these are the fine tailoring details which makes every piece of our polos really a one of a kind:

•  The sleeve has been mounted after the side has been closed. This is why you will see the side seam and the sleeve seam unaligned. This is a legacy of bespoke tailoring, jackets are made this way in order to check the right balance of the sleeve, that adapts to the body based on the posture change. 

• Although it takes more time to make a polo shirt this way, rather than having just one linear seam that goes all the way from the side to the sleeve, it has its own charm which cannot be overlooked.
•  Every fabric has been cut by hand and the seams have been folded by hand, without any use of machine making it authentically hand-made.    
•  Shirt collar has been cut with a curve (invented by the famous shirtmaker Finollo) in order to sit better on the collarbone of the wearer and has a very soft interlining for additional comfort.

We could go on with the list for little while more, but we don’t want to unveil too much at this stage. We hope you will fall in love with it as soon as you see it, just like we did. Next week we will be launching our collection of in a carefully designed seasonal palette so stay tuned.

Browse the collection here