The Pope's Tailor

This week in the news we learned that Ditta Annibale Gammarelli, the official tailor of the Pope, is being passed to the sixth generation of the Gammarelli family. You may remember reading about the shop before the last conclave, when they were called upon to make new white cassocks in three sizes to accommodate whomever was elected.

The firm has been making garments for the Pope and other members of the hierarchy since 1798. Each piece is made with the finest material with great detail and care.

Here in the archives, we have a few relevant items:

A 1926 invoice from Annibale Gammarelli, "Tailor of Pius XI, Merchant Tailor to Ecclesiastics."

MN AH15.02
Archbishop McNeil Fonds

We also have a few examples of Gammarelli's work, all of which were worn by Cardinal Carter:

Cardinal's Mozzetta (short cape); red silk with red piping.

TX 28d
ARCAT Special Collections

Cardinal's simar; black silk with red buttons and piping. Complete with pockets, the existence of which makes any garment instantly better.

TX 28a
ARCAT Special Collections  

Cardinal's socks. You can buy your very own pair from meschaussettesrouges.com!

TX 29g
ARCAT Special Collections

The quality of the items in the collection makes it easy to see why Gammarelli has maintained its official position. We wish the future Gammarellis the best of luck in the business of dressing the Pope!