If London Collections Men is in flux, then Pitti Uomo – the biannual Florentine menswear showcase – is reassuringly familiar, bursting with brands both established and emerging exhibiting their latest wares, stone-splitting sun and more peacocks than the Indian subcontinent. All mismatched suit separates, patterns and candy-coloured neckties, the men of Pitti aren’t known for their subdued style. Which is all the more reason us reserved Brits stand to learn a thing or two from their more outré moves. Here’s what to heed:
1. Make Your Pocket Square The Point
Have we ever seen a pocket square look this good? Probably not. A bit of a Friday afternoon job for most, choosing a pocket square is usually the last thing a man does when styling a suit – it’s a plain white style lazily tossed into a chest pocket, or a polka dot take that doesn’t sit well the pinstripe jacket it’s sitting in. Or, you know, it’s paisley. Here, however, it’s the accessory that makes the statement. Cushioned amongst a classic menswear palette of grey and blue, its espresso, gold, sky blue and white print pops in the best possible way. Props.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
2. Keep Checks In Check
Patterned tailoring is a powerful thing. Unlike its plain-colour brother, it won’t see your suit immediately drowned out by several others that are – bar a slightly different lapel style – essentially the same, snooze-inducing navy or grey two-piece. But as unlikely style god Voltaire put it, with great power, comes great responsibility. Which means if you’re plumping for patterned tailoring, you need to cushion the impact – as below. By opting for a suit with a neutral base, the powder blue of the contrasting check lands perfectly. Making this man’s look enough to catch your eye, without making it sore.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
3. Be Bold
Bold blue suits can be difficult to pull off. (Just ask Mel Gibson.) No one wants to look like their taking their style cue from the Smurfs, so if you’re venturing beyond navy, try cobalt blue. It’s brighter than navy but not so bright as a klaxon colour like azure or cornflower blue. Consider losing the tie, too; head-to-toe colour is a statement in and of itself, so adding in any non-essential accessories can quickly lead to overkill. Finally, get a tan. Bolder colours work best against a richer backgrounds, so if you haven’t been soaking up the rays then swerve this one until you’re a little more sun-kissed. Or fake it.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
4. Mix And Match Neutrals
Tkae a look at the picture below. Notice anything different about the man in it? He’s not staring back at the camera. He’s not staring back at the camera because – just like his outfit – he’s cool as. If you don’t start seeing this image crop up alongside dictionary definitions of sprezzatura in future, we’ll eat our tasselled loafers.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
5. Dial Down The Pink
Not all peacocking is a p*sstake. As much as we like to poke fun at the outlandish looks donned by Pitti’s more attention-starved attendees, there are those that know how to draw all the camera lenses, and none of the criticism. Like this duo. By opting for muted pastel pink over saturated hues, their look reads more Brideshead Revisited than Brighton seaside deck chair. Extra points for wearing hats without looking like utter tools.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
6. Contain Pattern-Clashing
Don’t believe the hype, and by ‘hype’ we mean the countless online guides, eBooks and forum threads professing to tell you the rules for clashing patterns – because there aren’t any. The only true test of seeing whether clashing patterns look good together is by, well, putting them together, and then giving them a good ol’ eyeball. The only ‘rule’ is that you shouldn’t truss yourself up head-to-toe in them. Because that would make you look like a walking patchwork quilt. Instead, do as this savvy man has done, and keep your pattern-clashing to one half of your silhouette.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
7. Beat The Heat
Ever wondered how Pitti men manage to look smart without break a sweat in 30 degree heat? Maybe they’re born with it. Or maybe it’s the stuff the clothes are made from. Swapping wool, coated cotton and corduroy for summer-ready fabrics like lightweight cotton and linen means you can layer safe in the knowledge you won’t spontaneously combust. For extra ventilation, neatly roll up your trouser hems and shirt sleeves and let your clammy limbs breathe.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
8. Get Eclectic
You know, in a lot of ways the outfit below really shouldn’t work. There’s a lightweight raincoat, a zingy printed shirt (that’s possibly also short-sleeved), a pair of dad-friendly straigght-leg chinos and some trainers. Doesn’t sound exactly brimming with promise, does it? But for whatever reason (is it the beard…?), this look does work. Against the odds, the almost-pulsating brightness of the shirt underneath doesn’t jar with its military green and off-white neighbours, but throws them into relief instead, making it look more happy accident than tragic car crash.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
9. Trainers And Tailoring Isn’t A Crime
Of all the trends we’ve charted on FashionBeans, swapping smart shoes for trainers with suits is easily one of the most divisive. We get it, in theory, teaming something resolutely smart with something that’s the epitome of off-duty shouldn’t work, but, in practice, it’s one of the best matches in menswear. If you’ve been naysaying, consider the fact that this man is attending Pitti – AKA the dandy convention AKA monk-strap-lovers anonymous. If he’s warmed to the idea of separates and sneakers, then it’s probably time you did too.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
10. Make Your Bag Mesh
As in, mesh with the rest of your look. Not actual mesh, because that would be weird/a laundry bag. The colour of this man’s clutch/’mlutch’/whatever you want to call it chimes perfectly with the navy blue of his peak-lapel double-breasted blazer. Which means he can proudly sport it as an accessory, rather than a necessary evil that gets swiftly ditched before the photographers start snapping. The lesson? Buy a bag that fits seamlessly in your wardrobe, not one you want to build a wardrobe around.
Yu Yung For FashionBeans
