Ciccos prefer old way
Master tailor Fedele Cicco came from Calabria, Italy, in 1910, with five cousins and an uncle.
He opened a business on North Street in 1915. Today it is run by Fedele's son, Frank Cicco Sr., and his sons Frank Jr. and Larry.
"Back then most suits were custom-made," Frank Cicco said.
There were more than a dozen tailor shops in the city during the 1930s and 1940s, but they've died off, he said.
His business has been able to survive because "that's what we like to do, and my sons like it."
The best artisans come from southern Italy, he said.
Frank Cicco Custom Tailor makes bench made custom garments such as suits, sport jackets, trousers, and vests. Bench made means there are no computers or mass production. All of the garments are handmade.
"I have passion for what we do," he said. "The people who you make clothes for are your friends. A suit makes you look good."
He serves customers mainly in a 50-mile radius. His sons will visit people in their office to get measurements or customers can come to the shop. Most of the tailor's business comes from word-of-mouth or referrals, he said.Frank Cicco is a member of the Custom Tailor and Designer Association. He has served as president and treasurer of the organization.When a customer comes in, Cicco will measure him and allow him to look over fabric swatches for the garment and lining. Then he creates a paper pattern, which is laid on the fabric and cut.With the cut fabric, a try-on suit is made. It doesn't have a lining, but the customer tries it on and adjustments are made. "There's something about setting a piece of cloth and cutting it out," he said.A suit takes 35 to 45 hours to make, while trousers take 12 hours and vests take eight hours. It takes 14 to 16 weeks from the time a suit is ordered to when it is delivered to the customer.Fabrics come from England and Italy, in every color. Customers can even have a suit made with stripes comprising their name in tiny letters.
The Ciccos have made suits in red, yellow, green, lavender and orange. Once, the tailors made an all-white Elvis suit, complete with cape and gold sequin designs.Frank Cicco also can order special lining with a company logo, and ties can be made to match the lining of the suit."If you go into a good store, you might pay $3,000 or $4,000 for a good suit," he said. "You might as well get it custom-made."Cicco said he loves his business and his career."The best part of it is when someone calls (with a compliment)," he said.A typical customer is a businessman. He only has a few women clients a year, he said."Working the fabrics and creating a garment is really the kick we get from it," he said. "And the people we make them for."
