Exercising One's Sense of Style
Or, learning to love dressing like a warm weather Italian gentleman.
As an avowed and vocal fan of layering and, yes, sweaters, summer always offers a bit of a challenge for me, sartorially speaking. I am super visual, so I like to picture how I want to look and then build the specifics of my outfit around the vision. It isn’t always a direct inspiration but more frequently serves as a jumping off point for me. During the winter and fall I already have a clear idea of how I want to look, but during the warmer months the image is harder to pin down. I don’t love wearing really bare clothes unless it is insanely hot or I am at the beach so there is some internal negotiating required to accept the fact that I probably should not be wearing a heavy cashmere sweater and pants in eighty plus degree temperatures, while still wanting to feel like myself. Recently, I have started to gravitate toward a few specific pieces and after spending some time looking through old magazines and image archives, I had a moment of realization as to my true summer inspiration:
This photo is the platonic ideal of how I want to look during the summer at this moment: to start, the man is wearing a layering sweater! (Trademark pending.) In addition, nothing is too exposed: note the longer shorts, the ideal length of the sleeve on his t-shirt and his closed toe shoe. Like most Italian menswear, the look is all about the coordination of the pieces and the fit of each item. What I especially love is how deceptively simple the look is and how well it aligns with my own appreciation of consistent taste that is developed and molded in one’s image. It seems Mr. Armani himself would agree with my assessment: he told GQ during the ‘90s that “A sense of style is innate, but it takes shape through constant exercise.” I love this idea of a signature that involves consistent and open-ended stretching and development. I’ve come to accept that during the summer, I essentially want to look like an older Italian gentleman on his way to aperitivo. It is possible that I conjured up his destination based on my own appreciation of aperitivo culture.
The elements of the look themselves are not that complicated; the image serves as a good source of inspiration but also has plenty of opportunity for individual personalization. I’ve been looking at photos this week from men’s fashion week and it seems many of the attendees share my elder Italiano aesthetic desires. Permutations of tailoring and short looks also featured heavily in the composition of both the Prada and Valentino men’s shows. I can appreciate that some people might prefer a more feminine twist on this vision, and I think that the choice of shoe and the specifics of the short go a long way toward the direction that this look takes. You can also always tighten up the fit if you so desire. But don’t blame me when you can’t eat all the cheese and salumi that comes with the aperitivo because everyone knows that is the best part!
The main elements of this look are the light jacket/thin sweater, elongated shorts, perfect tee shirt and closed toe shoe. Given that the look appears to be simple, I would argue that the watch, sunglasses and belt are just as integral in bringing the look together, but since we don’t have all week to devote to this, for today’s purposes I am going to focus on those four sartorial building blocks. Beginning with the jacket: I have been gravitating toward boxier workwear jackets and I think they work well here as an outer layer. I like this one because it feels authentic but the fit can still work for a woman. I prefer these jackets in the traditional french blue or navy as it feels closest to their original incarnation but I’m also feeling this denim one from Lemaire. If you want to hew closer to Mr. Armani’s original vision and go for a sweater instead of the jacket (a choice I support), the sweaters from Raey are some of the best lightweight ones I own. I especially like them as basics in my wardrobe so would suggest this thinner cashmere and this fine rib merino to fulfill all of your summer sweater dreams.
Finding the right tee shirt can be tough. I prefer ones with slightly longer sleeves, not too tight, and long enough to tuck in but not too long and messy around the waist. At the risk of again sounding like an ad for Khaite, this is my favorite tee that I have found recently. I got it before I really codified the look above, but it happens to work perfectly with these other elements: a true example of consistency in one’s taste level and a testament to knowing your personal aesthetic. One could choose a more fitted option with shorter sleeves but for me the sleeve length is what makes this one special.
The short is a bit more polarizing. For the most literal interpretation of my inspiration image, I would probably select these Khaite shorts, or these shorts from Bode made from vintage textiles, but since we’re not just looking for literal, I would also consider denim or a stripe as a way to capture the essence of the image in a less proscribed way. I love a long short and have been eyeing these from Toteme for the last few months but resisted buying them mostly because they hit at that spot right above the knee that proportionally will make me look like I have no legs. (If you’re tall, however, I am wildly jealous and say go for it). The smarter move for me and my fellow petites is to buy something with a higher waist and either a shorter hemline or one that sits below the knee so it doesn’t cut you off in that spot. I prefer longer to shorter in almost everything, although I don’t mind denim cutoffs, so I’m a fan of these from Frankie Shop, which are sadly sold out, and these from Raey, which are happily not. I also like these striped silk ones, which I think are a bit more forgiving than the denim and are great for hotter temperatures. I had also mentioned swapping out the tailored short for a skirt if one wanted. I love the shape on this one and think it serves the same purpose as the short but would elevate the look if you’re going for something less casual. As for me, I still may end up buying those denim shorts; what can I say, sometimes the heart wants whatever unflattering thing the heart wants!
Lastly, the shoe. One could simply select a classic loafer, and that would easily close the loop on the Italian/Preppy hybrid aesthetic I am chasing. I do like the idea of that loafer with a thin sock but I am also considering a few different ideas. I really like this variation on the chukka boot from At.Kollective. The shoe does have a bit of an orthopedic feel to it but I truly have never met an unflattering shoe that I didn’t like and want to buy in multiple colors. For an alternative direction: apparently it is the summer of the mesh shoe, a fact of which I was unaware until after I bought mine. I’m not super jazzed about wearing things that are really “in” and recognizable; nevertheless I find myself wearing these shoes embarrassingly often. I am uncomfortably conscious of how little stands between me and the street when I wear them, and they always elicit strange feedback from literally everyone I encounter but I love that they are a closed toe and not a basic ballet flat and also softer than a loafer. Mine from The Row are almost sold out but I had also considered these from Dear Frances, which may have a bit more heft to them. In a random turn for me, I also love these crystal mesh ones and maintain that I contain multitudes and unpredictability is necessary in life and taste.
Despite how simple it appears, I could go on and on about additional ways to interpret and personalize this look - that is how perfect I think Mr. Armani appears in this photo. The most meaningful thing to me is how he clearly encapsulates his philosophy on style and how we can use this simple image to question ourselves about what we value in our wardrobes and our stylistic instincts. This is the fun part of experimenting with fashion and exercising your own taste. Don’t forget the Negronis.