A Sartorial Note on the Pontifical Mass in San Francisco

The pontifical alb shown in this picture was made by Connecticut firm Sacra Indumenta

A Connecticut atelier, Sacra Indumenta, provided vestments for the Solemn Pontifical Mass in San Francisco on July 1 (we posted our pictures yesterday here). Archbishop Cordileone was wearing a pontifical alb specially designed and tailored by owner Susan-Jayne Caballero, who operates out of Norwalk, Connecticut. Mrs. Caballero is well-known in Connecticut and the New York area for her beautiful heirloom-quality bespoke sacred vestments. But we were pleasantly surprised to find out, when we attended the Pontifical Mass in San Francisco, that her reputation has spread to the west coast. You can read more about this amazing firm on the Sacra Indumenta website.

The sacred ministers have just vested Archibishop Cordileone in his pontifical alb in the vesting ceremony at the throne at the beginning of the Mass.

These notes written by Susan-Jayne Caballero, will impress on you the detail that went into the design and tailoring of this one vestment piece:

This Pontifical Alb is 100% pure lightweight Irish linen with special commission Italian hand-made lace from a renowned lace designer in Italy, GALBIATI. The cuffs are lined in pure silk moiré in the crimson from Gammarelli in a shade designated for prelates (as opposed to Cardinal red). The lace is engineered into a continuous panel for the skirt with decorative floral and cruciform motifs and accompanied by coordinated paraments for the sleeve overlay.
I designed a completely custom new pattern with particular vintage details for the shoulder construction and worked with a close friend who is an historical pattern maker, and historical costume museum curator and embroidery artist (Shaina Dombrowik who owns Deciphering Designs). Since I own quite a few vintage pieces, I studied several and worked with Shaina to digitize a custom alb pattern to fit His Excellency that incorporates the vintage construction techniques.
This particular shoulder construction is seen on many vintage albs for securing the neck and shoulder intersection which eases the stress point at that intersection. It is essentially a bias cut godet and allows a bit of flexibility between the shoulder bands and the neck collar band where the micro bunch pleating has gathered in the fullness of the body of the Alb. See here a photo from an Instrgram post where I detailed this construction in progress before setting the collar band.

I added matching white floral embroidery to the placket end point as well as as to each point of the godets on the shoulder bands.
Throughout the entire neckline outer edge, shoulder inset and along placket opening in front, I detailed with 1/4” fine Cluny scallop lace which traditionally protected the placket and collar edges from wearing or soiling badly from perspiration and abrasion. It’s not just decoration! Similar to how collar and stole protectors guard chasubles and stoles and are changed out every so often.
The sleeve moiré silk and lace overlay are both basted on and can be removed fairly easily for cleaning and lovingly basted back to the linen sleeve body.
The tie is a double face cotton sateen with a small bunched pleat at the ends to help the ends lay flat and stay put and prevent it from curling with use.