PITTI 26 STREETSTYLE
To the uninitiated, Pitti Uomo is a bi-annual men’s tradeshow, held in the magisterial surroundings of the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy.
A gathering of the great and good of brands, stores and press from around the globe taking place in January and June of each year.
And if menswear is at all on your radar, it is where one can take endless amounts of inspiration for one’s own closet from the well heeled attendees, courtesy of the myriad number of street style photographers, myself being one of them.
This round up also comes with a slight caveat; people who attend Pitti get DRESSED. UP. Sometimes frighteningly so, but that’s not to say that their boundless enthusiasm and expressiveness can’t be channeled into fits for the day to day. A pop of colour here, a smatter of layering there. It’s all a matter of context.
I guess my point is please take all of the imagery you are about to see with as much salt as you want. This isn’t in any way meant to read as prescriptive. Just the humble two cents of a lensman who’s been in the game for a while now.
Please enjoy and have fun!
@jkf_man
The colder, rainier months in the UK definitely requires a waxed jacket of any kind, I’d argue, and offers a myriad of options for layering. This gentlemen here keeps it cool by pairing his with a plethora of navy items and and some tortoiseshell specs.
You’ll often find that some of the best dressed attendees at Pitti Uomo tend to be the photographers themselves as they often are dressing for practical reasons rather than just ‘peacocking out’. I was particularly drawn by this guys military, fur hooded parka with lining, the little peek of bandana around the neck out from what I’m guessing is a denim/trucker jacket underneath. Like an onion baby! And while I don’t think I could ever pull off a cowboy hat such as this, he does it with aplomb
Bent van Looy is a polymath; a jack of all trades, master of all, if you will. Radio host, painter, drummer, front man of Belgian group Das Pop and EPIC dresser. Also happens to be one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.
Here, he has a great double breasted suit on with a shirt and tie, a scarf louchely draped across his shoulders AND a baseball cap. I’m a big fan of dressing down a very formal outfit and dressing up a very casual outfit so I’m all for the cap with tailoring but there are some guidelines. If you want to attempt this I feel it is best served with a more relaxed tailoring option. Stay away from the more corporate looking dark grey’s and navy’s is my best piece of advice
I saw a lot of this kind of look around the fair; a preppy/Ivy under layer with a more western or workwear outerwear item thrown over top. I think it looks great and offers a real visual distinctness.
Down. What more is there to say? I like the three different representations here in terms of the style of down you could opt for; a vest, jacket and parka and three superb colours to boot. Matched here with denim or chinos, these are all great casual weekend options.
Erik is a stylist and merchandising consultant based out of Stockholm and one of the finest wearers of colour I’ve ever met. Takeaway from this look is always, always ensure that, if you are going to add a pop of colour, tone down the rest of the outfit.
Side note, one of the easiest ways to add said pop is with a brightly coloured piece of knitwear like a brushed Shetland jumper.
To tuck or not to tuck? That is the question. I’m a huge proponent for the Untucked Lifestyle™. I will die on that hill and the main reason for that is proportions and visual interest.
If you want to add a little ‘something something’ to a look, one of the quickest and easiest things you can do is untuck a shirt you’ve got on underneath a sweater. It kind of does the same thing a belt on a suit does; it breaks up the top and bottom half.
I don’t think there’s a guy I’m more jealous of in the land of sartorial giants than Permanent Style mainstay; Manish Puri. I mean just look at this dude! I love this outfit and it is is an excellent representation of something I mentioned earlier; dressing down a formal look.
The double breasted, grey chalk stripe suit is a fairly conservative looking item of tailoring but when paired with a patterned silk scarf AND a vintage Barbour jacket it softens the ‘Wall Street’ perception.
A wonderful selection of outerwear options here for every discernible taste; whether it be the eye catching patterned over coat compared with the arguably more straight forward brown twill version or the evergreen waxed jacket.
In terms of one’s wardrobe I’m an advocate for spending money in 3 areas; shoes, tailoring and COATS. Choose well and they’ll last you a lifetime.
There were a shedload of Cowichans, the thick, hand-knit wool sweaters from Canada, on display at Pitti; most actually serving as the sole piece of outerwear. It was a mild January in Florence it must be said.
Takeaway? Chunky knitwear should be a staple. Whether it’s a vintage Cowichans, an off-white, classic Arran, a brushed Shetland or even a fair isle. Pick one or all and you’ll be stylishly toasty over those winter months.
I’ve been photographing these gentlemen for the best part of 12 years now. They’re the makers of the classic Spanish ‘Teba’ jacket in Zaragoza, with feasibly the most unassailable scarf game in the Fortezza.
At first glance you think they’re wearing a crazy amount of colour but the rest of the outfit is anchored in neutrality; browns, greys, blues and greens. A delightful example of having a little fun with your clothes if ever I saw one.
