italian:

italian:
the italians are not british. the british put emphasis on classic menswear, functionality, masculine simplicity, and a small yet poignant expression of character - or as they call it, 'dandy'. the italians seem to reverse the order to a degree; the expression of character comes first, followed by masculinity, function, and all sported with a degree of italian class. the combination is difficult, but very artful when pulled off.

i feel like i relate least to the italian style because i'm not as comfortable with the bolder patterns and colors. if you're as un-italian as i am, then admire their culture, and steal what you can from their style.

blue blazer, massive peak lapels, classy patterned shirt with the chest showing, bold pocket square and some chinos - very italian. specifically, white chinos, like the ones below.

italy is very warm. we saw a few male models doing a shoot for some knit sweaters and black suits, and you could tell they were dying. i'm sure the pictures will look amazing with florence in the background, but the concept was fundamentally fake. most people were wearing white and bright colors out of sheer function. that's part of the reason italians get away with bolder colors and seersucker suits - a dark wool suit would just be impossible.

monk strap shoes are huge everywhere right now and are most commonly known as the dressiest of men's shoes. here, they're made a little more casual with the one strap undone, and a little italian with the bolder two-tone color. i loved seeing these in almost every shop window of the old italian leather shoemakers.

italians all seem to be wearing some ostentatious massive watch. they're normally very expensive, and probably not even from italy. a watch is highly associated with image. i liked the simple ones, like the one pictured above.

extremely high quality green loafers and red suede sandals. these are a small example of the importance of character in their dress. i couldn't pull them off, but the italians do. mostly, i respected the fact that their culture is bright, and bold, and dressing nice was keenly masculine.