EIGHT GUYS WHO MAKE US WANT TO UP OUR STYLE GAME
A sartorial masterclass from the streets of Florence and Milan
Words by Mr Mansel Fletcher
The new year kicks off with Italy’s two big biannual fashion events, Pitti Uomoin Florence and Fashion Week in Milan. Media attention in Florence is almost entirely dedicated to the outfits worn by the attendees, while interest in Milan is spread more evenly between the clothes on the catwalks and the clothes on the street. All of this means that for the guys attending these events there’s an almost irresistible temptation to overthink their outfits, the result of which is that there’s great sport to be had reviewing the street-style shots. However, once you look beyond the men who dress like their mother didn’t pay them enough attention when they were children, there are plenty of stylish guys who remind us why we were so inspired when we first saw street-style images cropping up more than a decade ago.
If the eight men featured here share anything in common, it’s that each manages to look natural in their clothes, and all but one make tailoring seem relaxed and relevant. Now that dress codes are so relaxed, we rarely have to worry about what’s “correct” anymore. This creates a need for sartorial role models who look beyond old-fashioned rules in search of contemporary ways to wear the classic styles. Sometimes this takes the form of wearing casual pieces like denim shirts with tailored clothes, sometimes it’s in the details of the way a garment is constructed and sometimes it’s just down to the personality projected by the wearer. Read on to find out what these eight men can tell us about how we can raise our game.
Sourcing great clothes is considerably easier when you have one of Europe’s best tailoring shops at your disposal, but Mr Andrea Luparelli of Rome’s Sartoria Ripense has more than just world-class resources to thank for his inimitable style. His appearance is remarkably consistent, and always includes a good week’s worth of beardgrowth, a few wrinkles and an enviable sense of ease. This particular outfit works thanks to the relaxed nature of the azure-blue open-neck shirt, the camel cardigan, the rumpled and rustic tweed jacket and the casual shirt-jacket (note the intricate sleeve head). The well-worn pair of peccary gloves work as a rugged and masculine pocket square, and the overall affect is a wonderful example of rus in urbe (country-inspired) style.
Pitti Uomo isn’t just about strutting around in elaborate tailored clothes. There are also plenty of men strutting around in elaborate casual clothes. Few, however, will manage to get it as right as this gentleman. Not many among us would be able to carry off an eight-piece baker boy cap made from loudly-patterned tweed, but here it works as an element in a well-balanced ensemble. The 1970s-inspired jacket is amazing and looks genuinely warm. The jacket’s slightly loose fit makes a relaxed impression that’s reinforced by the rock-star shades, and the colours are nicely balanced by the cameltrousers.
Y-3 Spring/Summer 2018 Campaign — Chapter 1 For 15 years, Y-3 has defined and redefined the language of sport-style with fearless innovation. For Spring/Summer 2018, the landmark collaboration between Yohji Yamamoto and adidas follows a simple directive: fuse the best of Yohji with the best of adidas. This Y-3 concept-returning to the core DNA of its two makers-is reflected in the collection, three campaign chapters, and breakthrough footwear launches. 
10 exclusive pieces from Ex Infinitas’s highly limited, sustainable capsule “With sustainability foremost on my mind, I decided to re-master deadstock surf t-shirts, creating a hybrid of prints from various iconic surf brands over the generations. Each garment in this limited capsule is entirely unique. Similarly, the footwear is a collaboration between Finnish shoe maker Iivo Evijärvi, who has carved a niche by re-purposing discarded vintage sneakers by hand.” －－Lukas Vincent, founder and designer, Ex Infinitas. 
MYKITA Brings Bold New Specs in Collaboration with 424 Berlin independent eyewear brand MYKITA releases a custom eyewear design in collaboration with cult streetwear label 424. Both brands are known for their individual, directional aesthetic, and share an affinity for bringing together artisan and high-tech production techniques in their products.