ChatGPT: 2023SS Recommended Fabrics Vol.1 Caccioppoli “Jackets”, “Suits” & “Sun Dream Ⅳ”

Tomohiro Hayashi

The first recommended fabric feature for 2023 begins with the Neapolitan merchant Caccioppoli. Although the bunch books have not yet arrived, we are pleased to present an exclusive preview of their latest spring–summer jacket and suiting fabrics. These collections are filled with materials that spark joy and make you want to dress up and head out. We hope you enjoy exploring them!

Caccioppoli 2023SS Recommended Fabrics

Jacket

Checks

Hopsack

Herringbone

Blue Collection

Suits

Stripes

Checks

Plains

Cotton Solaro

Sun Dream Ⅳ

Super 130's Wool Solaro

Super 150's Wool & Silk

Plains

"Jacket"

This spring/summer season, the leading jacket qualities are again the luxurious wool × silk × linen three-ply blends. In addition to the classic blues and browns, beige, purple, and turquoise blue really catch the eye.

Checks

In recent years we are seeing more linen blends even in autumn/winter bunches. With a reasonably substantial "summer tweed" weight like this, depending on the colour and how you style it, you can easily wear it almost all year round.

Madras-style checks with crisp, saturated colours that are simply fun. You can pick up one of the colours in the check and immediately picture the trousers you would pair with it.

A very open, dry hand thanks to a viscose × cotton × polyamide blend. It would be a pleasure to wear unlined over a simple T-shirt.

Hopsack

Our long-running best-seller: the classic wool × silk × linen hopsack with its beautifully deep, saturated colours.

Herringbone

This herringbone range really does offer an outstanding selection of colours.

One of the most striking entries in this collection is this bold, oversized houndstooth with a wonderfully rustic texture. On an off-white ground, light brown and blue-grey are layered on top. The composition is 75% canapa and 25% wool.

I only had a vague notion that "canapa is somehow related to linen," so I went back and checked. "Canapa" is the Italian word for hemp. When you search "canapa," your results are flooded with charming bags from a certain Italian brand, and it's hard to get to the fibre information (laughs), but if you search in English for "hemp," you finally arrive at what you are looking for.

Canapa is one type of bast fibre, just like the more familiar linen and ramie. However, although linen and hemp are both "linen-type" fibres, their characteristics are quite different. Linen has long, supple fibres and is therefore widely used for suiting and shirting. By contrast, canapa fibres are shorter and stiffer, which makes processing more demanding, and for tailored jackets it really needs to be blended with wool or similar to achieve sufficient strength and durability. The reason we still go to the trouble of using such a labour-intensive fibre is the uniquely generous, rustic texture that only canapa can offer. It also performs extremely well: its excellent moisture-regulating properties and low thermal conductivity keep you cool and comfortable in summer, without a clammy feel. In short, it is a fibre that is a little more difficult to work with, but exceptionally pleasant to wear.

Today, canapa (hemp) fabrics are relatively rare, but in Japan they were already being used for ropes as far back as the Jōmon period, so in fact this is a fibre with deep roots in Japanese life. It may well be that some of my distant ancestors also relied on canapa in their daily lives. Perhaps that inherited memory is what stirred within me the moment I saw this cloth--I fell in love at first sight and am currently having a jacket made in it. This will be my first canapa jacket, so I am very much looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Blue Collection

Italians are famously passionate about blue, and Caccioppoli is no exception. From weave structure to weight and subtle shade differences, the breadth of this blue collection is impressive.

"Suits"

The suiting qualities share a similar mood with the jacket bunches. Many of them are resort-inspired wool × silk × linen blends. Purple, one of the key trend colours, is particularly prominent. Wide-spaced stripes remain a must-have for spring/summer again this year.

Stripes

Checks

These wool × silk × linen checks have a beautifully nuanced, slightly "washed-out" look. Although they sit in the "suiting" section, I personally would be very happy to order a stand-alone jacket in this quality. A sharp result is guaranteed. The brown check in the centre of the upper row also appeared in last year's collection--I immediately commissioned a suit for myself when I saw it. When I showed that suit to Mr. Cosimo during our appointment, he was delighted and took several photos. The newly added purple-toned check for this season feels very fresh.

Plains

These plains work wonderfully not only as suits, but also as separate jackets or trousers. For the trousers, a relaxed, wider leg with a resort feel would be an excellent choice.

Cotton Solaro

Here we have another fabric that stands out from the crowd: a cotton Solaro. In 100% cotton indigo blue--personally, I would love to call it "herringbone denim." When I asked Cosimo, "Is this really just one single shade?" he replied, "We didn't find any other colours that really made our hearts race." He proposed styling it with trousers in this cloth, paired with the beige canapa jacket mentioned earlier.

This one spoke to me as well, so I am currently having a suit made. I am always drawn to "denim suits," but have tended to avoid them as they can feel a touch too casual for The Dressing Lab. This cloth, however, has relatively little surface texture, uses fine yarns, and--with its wool-like appearance and herringbone weave--should result in a refined suit with just the right amount of ease. I fully intend to enjoy wearing the jacket and trousers as separates as well.

"Sun Dream Ⅳ"

"Sun Dream" is Caccioppoli's most luxurious spring/summer suiting collection, and it has now been updated from Ⅲ to Ⅳ. The core quality--Super 150's wool with 15% silk--is as exceptional as ever, and the expanded colour range for the Super 130's wool Solaro, newly enriched in this Ⅳ edition, is sure to be a hit.

Super 130's Wool Solaro

Compared with the previous Ⅲ, the herringbone of this Solaro has been made slightly wider, and the colour range has been expanded. In Europe, Solaro continues to be popular as a cloth that works perfectly for more casual tailoring. Recently, wool × silk Solaro has become the norm--exemplified by pieces such as DRAPERS "SAPPHIRE" introduced last year--so a pure wool Solaro like this is now quite a rarity. It is particularly well suited for those who are drawn to Solaro but feel that a wool × silk Solaro may come across as a little too dressy for everyday wear.

Upper row: the Solaro blues. From light sax blue to navy, there are five shades in total. During our appointment, Caccioppoli's Mr. Vincenzo proudly highlighted this part of the collection. We are currently preparing a sample suit in this blue Solaro, so please look forward to seeing it. Once tailored, the three-dimensional shape and play of light will be truly beautiful.

Lower row: the Solaro greens, browns, and beiges--now established as standard contemporary colours. The orange shade in the foreground is the closest to the original, traditional Solaro palette, with a very vivid contrast on the reverse.

Super 150's Wool & Silk

From here, we move on to the core Sun Dream quality: wool & silk. The double-face stripes are wonderfully sensual, while the relatively conservative glen checks, herringbones, and plains benefit from the fine wool and silk sheen, resulting in understated fabrics that still convey a rich, sophisticated character.

As you would expect from a Neapolitan merchant with an unwavering devotion to blue, Caccioppoli offers an outstanding blue gradation here. Simply beautiful.

Wide-spaced stripes that would also work perfectly as stand-alone jackets.

The subtle green at the top left is particularly intriguing.

Plains

Even the plains come in this extensive colour palette. A dark suit cut in Sun Dream will have a refined freshness and a quiet sensuality that is quite special.

Thank you very much for reading to the end. Did any of these fabrics resonate with you? We would be delighted if you could visit The Dressing Lab to see and handle the actual cloths in person.

"New Fabric Fair 2023SS"
24 January 2023 (Tue) - 25 February 2023 (Sat)

At The Dressing Lab, we will be hosting a New Fabric Fair to showcase our latest spring/summer collections. We warmly invite you to visit us, enjoy the beautiful new fabrics, and experience their textures first-hand.

Brands: Caccioppoli (カチョッポリ), DRAPERS（ドラッパーズ）
※ Spring/summer collections only, including new arrivals

Items: Suits, jackets, trousers, waistcoats, coats

Special offer: Orders placed using fabrics included in this fair will be available at special promotional prices for the duration of the event.