Take one hundred years of an elegant tradition, mix it up with fine Italian taste. What you get is pure stylish nobility.

We had the pleasure of talking to Giuseppe Stigliano and Alezander de Zuanne two Italian entrepreneurs who are co-founders of a sophisticated chic company, we will shed some light on their philosophy or lets say Polosophy.

What’s Up Jeddah: First of all tell us a little more about the concept behind Polosophy and when it started?

Giuseppe Stigliano: At the beginning of 2007 Alexander and I were talking about the upcoming demand for made-to-measure clothes, especially shirts. We were reflecting on the spreading of casualness in offices and asking ourselves what garment would take the place of a classic shirt in a more casual ambience. The only answer was: “The Polo Shirt!”. Next step was wondering why nobody made made-to-measure polo shirts.

After that we started seeking a partner to help in production and finding the right fabric. We immediately understood we were forced to have a strong positioning on a upper-middle target. We produced our first polo shirts in March 2007 and after some trials we found the right way to release our product. The website has been launched only in 2008 when we already had more than 100 Italian customers.

WUJ: Why polo shirts not anything else?

GS: First of all we found a lack of offer in this field and we wanted satisfy the demand from those clients who are used to bespoke their clothes. We also decided to give a new interpretation of such item, by making it high fashioned, rich in elegant details without compromising its casual soul. All good tailoring companies can bespoke shirts, suits or ties but no one offers bespoke polo shirts. We preferred to focus on just one item, making it at the maximum possible level of quality.

Alezander de Zuanne: Actually it is very hard to bespoke piqué polo shirts because of the nature of the fabric itself. Differently from cotton, silk or linen piqué tends to “move” after cutting if it is not pre-treated in a certain way. This is our most important know-how and our main strength point.

WUJ: So what makes Polosophy unlike any other polo shirt out there?

ADZ: Our main strength is the bespoke factor, which is something that nobody offers today, and the top quality of the fabric. Bespoke means made at a customer’s behest and exactly to the customer’s specification, without use of a pre-existing pattern, differentiating it from the made-to-measure industry, which alters a standard-sized pattern to fit the customer. The term derives from “bespeak”, which means ‘to ask for’ something. It comes from Savile Row, where a customer would bespeak a measure of cloth. The bespoke bolt of cloth was unavailable to any other client until the entire suit had been cut, assembled, and sewn. A bespoke polo is a way to preserve your style and your attention for details even in casual contests by wearing a more  comfortable garment.

WUJ: What type of fabrics do you use?

ADZ: All Polosophy polo shirts are made of a precious piqué jersey, which is typical of the polo shirt tradition. It has been created to guarantee softness on the skin, strength and durability. We are currently working hard in order to propose some new fabrics to our clients.

WUJ: What are the areas in the polo shirt that the client can customise?

ADZ: After measurements are done, the client is asked to choose the color of the shirt, of its seams, the type of collar and cuffs and many other details like the peculiar mother-of-pearls buttons deigned to exalt their lily shaped sewing and the optional linen decorations. The client can also decide to have his monogram embroidered on the shirt, which will make it even more unique.

WUJ: So if there is a new client in Saudi Arabia or UAE, would you come over here to take their measurements?

Giuseppe Stigliano: In Europe we can set an individual appointment with a minimum order of five shirts. In this case our tailor goes directly to the client’s place for measurements. Otherwise we use to set up a calendar with the main cities of the world for visiting regular patterns and new clients. In this case we ask for a minimum order of three polo shirts per client. We usually receive our clients at the Hilton Hotel thanks to a partnership that we signed since the beginning. At present we are working on a possible visit to UAE next summer, so all your readers’ reservations are welcome!

WUJ: Can you give us names of some of the famous clients you have right now, because we know you have some very flashy names?

GS: the first rule of Polosophy is every single client is a “famous” client. This is the reason why we don’t put any logo on our polo shirts, the attention is totally focused on the client. We are proud of serving some famous clients but we absolutely do not reveal their name: privacy is our second rule by the way…

WUJ: How can people contact Polosophy to set an appointment?

GS: People can contact Polosophy by phone, by email or filling the reservation form on the web site (www.Polosophy.it). Our operators will contact them back for details on the appointment or just for answering their requests.