Claude Rousseau was the tailor of the Parisian elites. Trained by Joseph Camps himself, he became one of his master-cutters, along Francesco Smalto and Henri Urban. Claude Rousseau was considered by Smalto to be the best cutter. The King of Morocco, Hassan II, wanted Rousseau to be his personal tailor, but Joseph Camps refused, fearing Claude Rousseau would open his own atelier. This is exactly what Francesco Smalto did in 1962, along with Camps best salesmen and most of the clientele (including Hassan II).
Claude Rousseau would do the same thing in 1967 and opened his atelier Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, not far from another excellent Parisian tailor, Max Evzeline. He instantly found success, proposing beautiful suits, coats and blazer to business tycoons, politicians, and other prominent public figures. Some of his clients included the Bouygues family (both Francis and Martin Bouygues), Vincent Bolloré, Prime Minister Edouard Balladur (during his presidential campaign) and Ariel Wizman.
Claude Rousseau was obsessed with details, notably the stitching, the buttonholes, and his fly on coats and sportcoats (also known as arrowheads). He was renowned for the precision of the cut of his double-breasted suit, probably the finest in the world. He was decorated in 1997 with the Ciseaux dOr (Golden Scissors, the equivalent of the Golden Shears on Savile Row) for his incredible work.
After 40 years of working in tailoring, he decided to retire in the early 2000s. His current shop Rue Marbeuf was then merged with Cifonelli, who bought his different designs and patterns. Claude Rousseau continued to work for Cifonelli until the early 2010s. Cifonelli still uses his method to make certain double-breasted suits and shoulders if the client wishes to.
I propose a typical example of his work: beautiful kaki trousers in sturdy whipcord. Made in 2004, they are an excellent choice from autumn to spring with your best sportcoat and derbies.
As always with Claude Rousseau, it is fully handmade, from the sewing to the buttonholes. They featured a rare "point baguette" (an handmade seam along the line of the trousers, similar to what you could find on a tuxedo trousers, but without the satin band). The condition is excellent.
The trousers are best fitted for a size W38UK/48FR, around 1m80.
Here are the measurements
Waist for trousers: 48cm (with 9m of fabric to let out)
Length from inseam: 78cm
Length total: 103cm (with 6cm of fabric to let out)
Legs width: 23cm (with 5cm of fabric to widen it)
Trouser Cuffs: 4cm
Quality similar to the following bespoke houses:
- In France: Camps de Luca, Cifonelli, Francesco Smalto, Arnys, Max Evzeline, Lanvin Mesure, Henri Urban, Opelka, Kenjiro Suzuki
- In Italy: Caraceni (Domenico or Augusto), Rubinacci, Dalcuore, Panico
- In England: Anderson & Sheppard, Henry Poole, Huntsman & Sons, Nutters of Savile Row, Chittleborough & Morgan, Richard Anderson, Meyer & Mortimer
Possible to try them in Paris 15th arrondissement.
