The Parisian Gentleman - Hugo Jacomet

Hugo Jacomet at Cifonelli's, Paris, Sept 6, 2011

Hugo Jacomet is the creator of Parisian Gentleman, a well respected menswear blog published both in French and English.  Hugo catalogs his sartorial adventures navigating the ins and outs of bespoke tailoring - his grand passion.  He shares practical details of how to dress with understated elegance, and recommends those rare stores and fine craftsmen that are lucky enough to make his short list.

On this day we met up at his favorite tailor in Paris - Cifonelli.  I walked into the palatial showroom and found Hugo there to greet me with his signature shock of silver hair and four suits ready to go.



"Cifonelli is the Mount Everest of bespoke tailors," Hugo said with a satisfied grin.  Here he is with Lorenzo Cifonelli in matching jackets.  Lorenzo is the fourth generation Cifonelli at the helm along with his cousin, Massimo.




Hugo revels in the intricacies of bespoke - he shows me this cuff and that buttonhole and that detail under the collar which is invisible to to anyone but the man wearing it.  He took great joy in telling me the extra hours it takes for certain details that only Cifonelli does.  What an eccentric (and luxurious) thing in this day and age, I thought, when it's all about faster and cheaper.

Then off into the dressing room where all the action takes place.  Lorenzo gives the final few tucks and seal of approval.

Shoes by Corthay

I quickly learn that these are the accoutrements of Hugo.  What is just off camera is the tray with the most perfect cup of espresso.



The opposite of ostentatious:  you have to literally dig to find the label.  Men who know just know.

Tie by Marc Guyot