I receive daily requests about the uniform and the Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Many knights approaching the investiture are looking for information about how to make a solemn cape or how to choose a Knight's beret with attention to the smallest details.

I must say that very often these requests come from people who have already made a purchase from certain retailers, but have been deeply disappointed.

I'm not surprised, because if you are a professional or a member of the Armed Forces, you are naturally inclined to dress with particular decorum. And when you find out that you have bought not only a cape, but also the beret or the metal decorations, sloppily made, then a deep sense of disappointment certainly pervades your soul.

But why have we reached this point?

The reason is simple: shopkeepers are often not experts in the sector, or simply choose - as a matter of profit margins - to offer capes, accessories and Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem with approximate decorations and made from very poor quality materials.

Unfortunately, even in this field as in others, made in China is rampant.

You can easily verify the result with your own eyes.

Go into any shop and see what you find: cheap Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, with precarious and eye-stitched decorations, cape made of heavy synthetic materials, which serve no purpose other than to cause sweating and irritation in those who is wearing.

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is one of the oldest and most prestigious Orders of Chivalry in Christianity.

Becoming a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre therefore means becoming part of a history and a tradition rich in solemnity and prestige.

For this reason, the choice of the uniform and the insignia of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre for the ceremonies in which a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre takes part must be made in a conscious and informed manner.

It is not uncommon to hear Knights say "the most important thing is to have a good cape, the rest is not important".

I can certainly say that, anyone who thinks this, is wrong because the Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre are not just accessories. Although you can buy a wide variety of Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, you do not necessarily have to choose according to personal taste.

The Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem are mandatory and must be in line with an elegant and dignified style. Indeed, to leave no doubt that personal interpretation is incorrect, the Statute of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre defines its form and characteristics in detail.

Nothing is left to chance.

Personally, I also believe that those who are used to dressing in a certain way are already inclined to buy accessories that enhance their personal style.

When I started working for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, I focused on the then most conspicuous problem that professionals and senior officers of the Armed forces encountered at the time of investiture: the average cape available on the market was very badly made.

After I brought the real tailored cape to the market, rediscovering the pleasure of wearing a garment of real tailoring for men, many customers have begun to ask me to also take care of the remaining accessories of the Equestrian Order.

What is the point of wearing the most beautiful tailored cape if the beret, the gloves and Insignia Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre are not up to the situation?

But above all, I thought, why not share my experience in the making of vestments and sacred silver with the Equestrian knightly orders?

Nowadays, most of the customers no longer limit themselves to ordering me a cape, but they ask me to fully take care of their image in accordance with the Statute of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and with the utmost attention to their personal style.

This is why I personally oversee the making of the beret, gloves, Insignia of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, tie and bag. I know only the logic at the service of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre: to propose handcrafted solutions of the highest quality and tailoring, thanks to the professionalism and many years of experience of the masters of the Progetto Liturgico.

A cape for ordination as a Knight or the Insignia of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, as you know very well, are not simple items of clothing. They represent much more: they are a symbol and they are also the sign, visible to everyone, with which you will present yourself on the day of your ordination and which you will wear during the solemn ceremony of investiture as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

The beret of the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is the mandatory headdress that completes the uniform of the members of the Order.

The rules of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem establish precise shapes and materials that regulate the manufacture of the beret. Unlike other products available on the market, the Progetto Liturgico's beret of the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre is created and manufactured in strict compliance with the standards dictated by the rules of conduct of the members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The beret of the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre that you can find in my workshop is strictly handmade and it is tailor-made, so that its characteristic shape fits your head perfectly.

As expressly specified in the Statute, the Progetto Liturgico's beret of the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre is made of real black velvet and decorated with a hand-embroidered frieze.

Just like for other accessories, I give my clients the possibility of adding their own initials to the inside of the beret. This is because often in the confusion of the celebration, the beret is lost or confused with that of other confreres.

It may seem like an irrelevant 'detail', but it is a problem that my clients tell me about and which I obviously hope you do not experience.

I would like to draw your attention to a relevant detail: while it is true that the beret does not change, each rank has its own badge. The decoration foreseen for the rank of Knight is defined by the art. 5 of the Statute, which states verbatim: "Scarlet Cross of Godfrey of Bouillon on a Silver Shield on a black velvet disc".

The white gloves, together with the cape, the silver or metal insignia of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the black beret, represent the set of essential and mandatory elements for the uniform of the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The statute states that the Knight must adopt suitable white gloves: unfortunately the usual shops and classic industrial manufacturers do not provide ad hoc lines, with elegant models created for solemn circumstances and events. Therefore, they use and recycle what they have in stock: poor quality gloves, made of synthetic materials, suitable for fitting the hand of a waiter, but certainly not that of the member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

I provide my clients with white gloves for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem that are comfortable, well-finished and light, because they are handmade in soft cotton - a fresh and easily washable fabric.

They ensure a perfect fit for all sizes, which means that every Knight of the Holy Sepulchre will no longer have to worry about whether the size is too small or too large.

A particular detail I would like to highlight is the possibility of embroidering your initials: in this way you are always sure to recognise your gloves. And you will no longer risk to swap your gloves with those of another Knight, as when, for example, you place them next to each other in the pews of a church.

Personally, it bothers me to wear someone else's gloves by mistake. I always prefer to immediately recognize my gloves.

As for the cape, at ceremonies, you will see confreres wearing the most different insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. This is not a prophecy, that’s the truth.

The most surprising thing is that Article 6 of Title II of the Statute defines in an extremely precise way how the insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre should be. Nevertheless, anarchy reigns supreme.

In order to avoid the multitude of interpretations and opinions, I want to start from the letter of the Statute and examine it with you.

The text reads:

"According to the ancient custom, the insignia of the Order is the Cross which has its name from Godfrey of Bouillon that is the Cross strengthened in gold, enamelled in bloody color, with four crosses adhering to its four sides, equally strengthened in gold, enamelled in bloody color. The ribbon from which the Cross must hang is made of black marbled silk".

If this is the general indication for Knights and Dames of all ranks, in the following point 2 of the article, it is clarified that the specific insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre consists of: "Enhanced Cross in a measure of 3.5cm x 3.5cm, surmounted by Military Trophy. These hang from a ribbon less than 4cm high made of marbled black silk and long enough to adhere to the neckline of the cape”.

In addition to this, which is the Ordinary Insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, the following are allowed:

• a small gala cross with narrow ribbon;
• a black silk rosette with the cross - for civilian clothes

Now that I have explained the standard to you, you will certainly be able to observe - with a critical eye - the multitude of variants and interpretations that crowd the market, but the only decoration you should have is the one that meets the above indications.

To avoid misunderstandings, I want to show you how the insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre should dress on the cape. That's why I'm adding a photo taken a couple of days ago before delivering everything to one of my clients.

Everything else is not in compliance.

As you may have noticed, the only specific indications missing are those relating to the materials to be used.

It's the same, as for the cape: you can find everything around, but I am the only one who makes the real tailored cape for a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre in my workshop.

Returning to the Insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, the materials commonly used are silver and metal. Of course 925 silver is more valuable than metal, but I want to make one thing clear.

I find it regrettable the well-established bad habit, according to which metal insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre are definitively cheaper than silver ones. On the contrary, I believe that they should differ only in the metal used, certainly not in the quality of the workmanship.

It is unthinkable that there are first-class and second-class clients. Each one of my clients, by the very fact of demanding the tailored cape, clearly expresses the desire not to conform to the sloppiness in dressing prevailing among the knightly orders.

How could I ever advise my client to wear insignia on his cape that are not in compliance with the sober and elegant style of the uniform?

Professionally, I have made a choice: to follow only a specific target clientele. Anyone who personally knows me, knows that I am not interested in 'numbers' and crowds. I can follow only few clients at a time, to them I fully dedicate my obsessive attention to their image.

As for the priests who rely on me for their vestments and sacred vessels, I have decided to entrust my clients only with insignia that:

Whether you ask me for silver or metal insignia, I will, in any case, entrust you with the most beautiful handcrafted work, made by minting technique, just as it was done in the past.

I gladly leave the industrial production using the lost wax casting technique to the mass. I leave cold-applied enamel to the competition instead of patiently baking it in the oven. I leave the insignia with opaque enamel and precarious edges to those who have a cape with dangling threads.

Mass production clashes with the principle of Beauty.

My clients are aware of this and appreciate it, but if what you are looking for is any old Insignia for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, then you should look elsewhere.

The uniform ribbon is another matter. It is only worn by members of the Armed Forces. If necessary, I can supply it "opened" (e. g. to be fitted on the guides, which the client already has) or "closed".

The tie for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre and the bag for his cape are not mandatory accessories, unlike the beret, white gloves and Insignia.

However, this does not mean that they are not important and should be neglected: a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre who wants to appear solemn and worthy must meticulously take care of every single detail.

Specifically, I have adopted a tie for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre made, like all the other accessories, always selecting high quality fabrics.

Unlike cheap products on the market, in which the symbol is only silk-screened, I decided that the cross of Godfrey of Bouillon was embroidered on the fabric of the tie for the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.

Based on my experience, I have identified 4 colours from which to choose the one that best suits your style: light grey, blue, black and amaranth. In all cases I want the cross to always be embroidered in semi-gloss red thread.

I must say that the choice is so popular that.... I see numerous imitations of my work online. A good sign!

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to say a few words about the cape bag of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

As a knight, you will participate in the many ceremonies that your delegation will organize. And each time, you will have to carry your cape and your accessories.

What seems to be a negligible accessory becomes an important tool for properly holding your kit. I recognised the disappointment of my first customers with the usual silk-screened bags and decided to adopt a very different solution.

The main complaints about the products already on the market were basically focused on 3 aspects:

It was not easy at all to find the best cape-bag available on the market. That's why I oriented myself towards a robust bag for carrying men's suits. Then, I made further improvements to an already excellent starting solution, and today I can deliver to each of my customers:

As I have already said above, what really matters to me is to take care of the image of the Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, more than placing products. And looking after the image essentially means:

I believe that everyone should be free to make the purchases they consider most appropriate, but if what you are aiming for is attention to detail as well as an investment that will last you for years, then I believe that the only thing to do is: