News and Info  ::  Trip to Venice and the Ravazzolo factory

In our experience, Sartoria Ravazzolo is unparalleled in interpreting measurements to the millimeter, offering the most exquisite selection of fabrics, linings, and buttons, and widest breadth of model choices, and execution in assembling the very best fitting garment from overcoats to pants. In this case it was a man who lost 3 sizes and needed to have new pants made for his existing suit coats previously purchased from us made by Ravazzolo. Pictured here is Dr. Sylvano Ravazzolo, one of the owners of the firm, with master tailor in charge of the factory employees, Adriano, seen here measuring our client.

 

 

Waist, front rise, back rise, seat, knees, bottom and more measurements were painstakingly debated between the two men while I tried to catch a word of Italian here and there off of my old and tired command of Spanish. Dr. Ravazzolo usually won as he and his tailor barked out the numbers to Monica Ravazzolo. Double checks were made on the coat measurements for the record when new sport coats or suits will be needed. These measurements were all taken after we were treated to an amazing three course lunch featuring risotto and sea bass. It was as good as I have ever had and ordered sea bass every day thereafter until I left. They almost had to roll me out of that restaurant.

 

 

 

The following pictures of the factory are of various machines, processes and people in the Ravazzolo production concept. I never saw such attention to detail by hand before, I have seen a lot of machines in my life, but this factory had an eerie mellowness to it because work was almost all done by hand except where needed to add softness, durability, and quality to the finished garment.

 

 

The cloth on a bolt of fabric above is getting sponged, just a part of the all important washing process which is one of Ravazzolo's main features of quality. Most factories wash once or not at all, they just let the fabric mill do the washing. Here they wash three times to make the garment as soft as can be and minimize shrinkage once the garment is in the customer's hands. Below the cloth is being steamed to stabilize it.

 

 

Monica Ravazzolo and Angelo, the factory mechanical engineer and plant manager, are shown here in front of the command center where each order spends about 3 days being analyzed by three to four technicians for consistencies from prior orders of a given customer or changes, then input to yield a cutting pattern. Monica interpreted for the gentleman. He was a champ and had a lot of patience answering all of my questions.

 

 

This is a pattern cutter following the paper with the pattern that is placed directly upon the cloth so it can be matched, aligned, put together, according to all of the input that the team of technicians just completed.

 

 

Then the lining chosen by the customer is cut to precsion by this machine. It reminded me of an Etch-A-Sketch.

 

 

The garments goes through a ton of hand steps to get to these presses. Not to forget the important use of fine camel's hair interlinings to help the garment keep its shape for many years to come, and all of the hand collar, armhole, and button work that is absolutely necessary for this price and quality of garment. Some of these are custom presses made espicially for Ravazzolo. Shoulder presses, collars, body fronts and backs, and more. I was in awe, but it made complete sense to me that their garment arrives at Raymond Levine a in 100% perfect condition and has shape memory second to none.

 

 

Ravazzolo is in Vicenza in the country, home of many of the premier garment makers in Italy, while we stayed in Venice. I have been to many places around the world, nothing was as beautiful as Venice. Lots of water, no bikes to speak of, no cars at all, just walking and water buses, water taxis, and gondolas. And sea bass.

 

 

The only overcast day was the day at Ravazzolo, talk about perfect timing. The rest of the days were 70 and sunny.

 

 

 San Marco Square is the largest square in Italy and is often seen under water an inch or so. Water is a big issue to contend with.

 

 

Tons of quality shopping near the square including this Paul and Shark company store.

 

 

These small canal bridges abound and one is prettier to walk across than the next.

 

 

The most famous bridge in Venice is the one this picture was taken from, the original bridge built in venice, the Rialto Bridge. What a vision. Restaurants line the waterway and that's where I had my second and third sea bass. I headed there after seeing my 6th church of the day.