When it comes to men’s fashion, Italian style is synonymous with elegance, luxury, and unique craftsmanship. There are many reasons why Italian men are considered to be the most stylish and fashionable men in the world. If you want to incorporate the Italian aesthetic into your summer wardrobe, here’s the ultimate guide to do so.
Linen Suiting
Summers in Italy imply lightweight fabrics, like linen, cotton linen mixes, and seersucker. From linen pants and blazers to tailoring suits, Italian men look effortlessly cool and stylish in linen. Invest in a linen suit or in separate linen pieces that you can mix and match.
Under the hot sun of the Italian Riviera, a good-quality linen suit not only will keep you cool but also give you a spirit of “sprezzatura”, a casual elegance that gives an effortless and nonchalant style.
Pair a linen suit with a crisp cotton shirt with a more structured collar designed to be left open at the neck. Skip the tie to add a casual flair to your formal wear.
Muted Color Palette
Italian men do not follow the current fashion trends, instead, they opt for classic and timeless pieces that combine with modern ones. In other words, they choose classic blazers, jackets, and tailored trousers with textures, patterns and colors of the season.
Most Italians prefer a monochromatic and very specific color palette that focuses on light and neutral shades such as white, khaki, off-white, cream, beige, sand, stone, light grey and pale blue.
The key is to choose shades of one color and mix them together. For example, you can wear a light beige shirt with mocha pants and dark brown loafers. Keep in mind to add only one colorful piece at a time, and keep the rest of your look in subdued shades.
Chino Pants
For Italian men, chino pants are their alternative summer choice for jeans. Either long or short chinos, they prefer them in simple cuts and sophisticated neutral colors.
However, your chinos should follow the contours of your body and fit you properly. Chinos should fall between your ankles and the tops of your shoes but never longer so that the material is neither scrunching up on the shoe nor too short that it’s exposing the sock.
Put on a pair of high-waisted chinos, a cotton shirt, and your summer blazer on top for a summer casual date. Khaki chinos go perfectly with any shade of brown, while beige chinos pair well with a light-blue or white shirt.
Accessories
In terms of accessories, Italian men pay a lot of attention to their jewelry. Mainly, they prefer a nice leather wristwatch, statement rings, metal bracelets, a fedora hat and silk neckerchiefs.
The great thing about these accessories is that there are so many different varieties available to adjust to your style. Avoid over-accessorizing, so if you want to decorate your wrists opt for a nice bracelet or a leather watch and a statement ring.
The right Italian outfit is complete with the proper sunglasses. From vintage frames and retro shades to modern aviators and metal D-frames, Italians know well how to style a nice pair of sunnies.
Loafers
There’s nothing more Italian than the actual loafer shoes, especially the iconic Gucci Horsebit loafer. Almost every stylish Italian man wears a pair of loafers, as it’s the most versatile and classic shoe. During the summertime, casual loafers can be worn sockless with shorts, linen pants, chinos, from morning till evening.
As for colors, go for rich brown, tan, black and burgundy that are easy to pair with any outfit. It’s better to invest in good-quality loafers that you can wear all summer long.
Style soft leather black loafers with ankle-length pants and a Cuban collar shirt to inject effortless Italian cool into your outfit. Or embrace the laid-back stylishness that comes from brown suede loafers with chino shorts and a button-up shirt.