Pitti is a strange phenomenon. What other industry tradeshow has people attend just to hang out there?
Then again, what other industry tradeshow takes place in Florence, Italy…
But the fact remains, the recurring fascination with Pitti in the online menswear space now going on 10 or 12 years is somewhat unique. It’s a testament to the show’s organizers, who have cultivated an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes aspirants and newbies as well as long-time industry veterans. They saw the surging popularity in the #menswear days of 2010 or thereabouts and have embraced it, welcoming successive waves of new people, fueling continued interest.
As a small time blogger from the middle of America, the fact that I was granted a press pass (which came with some not-inconsequential benefits) is the biggest testament to this posture that I can think of.
Small-timer I may be, though, I do have a point of view and wanted to share six high-level insights. I plan to drill down into some of these more in-depth in the future, but for now here they are:
1. Tobacco linen was noticeably back
I’ve always loved tobacco linen and have a suit made from the cloth on my mental list to acquire soon. I think you could have a tobacco linen suit and wear it for years (just like double monks), but it has gone through waves in popularity, seemingly about every 5-6 years, which can make it feel somewhat trendy. The last few years it’s taken a backseat to less saturated hues worn in high-key, tonal outfits playing with shades of stone, cream, and lighter tans. But this year, several stylish men wore it at Pitti and looked great. Key among them were Peter Zottolo (@urbancomposition) who had a double-breasted suit made (he only had the jacket on account of his epic lost luggage fiasco), Max Papier of The Armoury in New York (pictured below) was wearing an Armoury Model 3 suit made from it, and Torsten Grunwald who writes Sartorial Notes had a workwear-style jacket made from the cloth that he wore more than once.
There are more than one color of brown from different mills that could be considered “tobacco linen” or “cigar linen”, which I plan to write more about in the future.
2. Belgians are the default shoe
People have basically coalesced around Belgians as the default shoe to wear with just about anything. As an American, my default would be something like a penny loafer (which I also saw a lot of). I like the idea of Belgians, but their high price and daintiness have been off-putting to me until now. But with the inexpensive Yanko belgians from Skolyx being as comfortable as they are—and as inexpensive—I may be joining the club that seemingly everybody at Pitti has already been in for a while. Heck, I already did and wore them with my white dinner jacket.
3. Gum/rubber soles—on Belgians but also on others in the vein of the OpenWalks—are ubiquitous.
In the past the crepe sole was the soft, comfortable choice for shoes, but with the major success of Loro Piana’s OpenWalk (and its imitators), and the Sagan Stride Belgian, the floodgates have opened for all to wear what I’d call “dress shoes” with rubber soles. I welcome the trend as someone who’s developed some foot issues in my 30s, and can easily see myself getting a pair and wearing them constantly—maybe even for traveling in. As it was, the shoes I wore when I needed to put on something comfortable and forgiving were my suede Sperry’s.
4. Older Italian guys still look great
Whenever I’d be doing street style photos, I could almost never resist taking a photo of any older Italian man. They tended to be dressed simply, usually with just a navy suit or maybe blazer with trousers and tie. In one sense it’s a basic, conservative way to dress. But as we all know, the Italian sense of fit is what brings it to the next level.
5. People have really expensive watches
How are people affording $100,000 watches? Audemars Piguet chronographs, Patek Philippe gold moon phase annual calendars… It’s one thing to see, say, a Rolex Explorer, Explorer II, Daytona or even a mid-90s platinum Day-Date (each of which I saw). As Robert Spangle at Hodinkee noted, there were vintage Omega’s and some Swatches, too. And one Italian man wearing a Rolex Submariner to whom I said, “nice watch”, immediately admitted it was a fake (“da Napoli…” he said). But it still boggles me that someone in this industry under the age of 50 could have a high 5- or 6-figure watch.
6. It’s a very open, inclusive group of people
I noticed this last time I went, in January 2020, though at that time I was part of a small team from an established group (Styleforum). This time I was on my own meeting people and representing Menswear Musings, and it still held true. For being an image-driven industry, I would have expected a bit more cold, you’re-in-or-you’re-out mentality. And to be sure, people still have their friend groups they tend to run with and make plans with, but every single person I introduced myself to was warm, open and glad to make my acquaintance.
