• Men's Style

7 Lessons We Learned At Pitti Uomo 87

The Power Of Pitti

Sandwiched snugly between London Collections: Men and Milan Fashion Week is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trade show in Florence by the name of Pitti Uomo. On first glance, it might appear like a large global convention for bearded and suited gentlemen to stroll around the city’s picturesque piazza, getting their street style photograph taken. However, on closer inspection, Pitti is widely recognised as the leading menswear trade show, showcasing some of the world’s most exciting emerging and established talents. Pitti’s influence on the industry seems to grow stronger from season to season, having quickly shaken off its dry business to business image to become something more of a spectacle, and a highly anticipated fixture on the fashion month calendar. This past season the event, held from January 13th-16th, saw 35,000 industry insiders descend on Tuscany’s capital in search of the next major trends in men’s fashion. Over the four days, every street, corner and walkway is crammed with menswear’s key trendsetters and influencers, offering up new ways of reinterpreting traditional tailoring – it’s not unheard of for certain attendees to spend months preparing their three or four outfits for their stay in Pitti. Getting spotted here can well and truly take you from style rookie to fashion MVP that quickly. So, no pressure, right? We hit the streets to see what the Pitti Uomo 87 attendees were wearing to deliver some essential style lessons we can all learn:

1. The Golden Age Is Returning

This season more than any other, Pitti’s finest were heralding a return to 1930s and 1950s era fabrics and patterns. Tweed, flannel, corduroy and heavy duty wools featured prominently over the course of the four days. Yet the way in which these pieces were worn was just as much a twist on, as a homage to, the classics, with sharply contrasting colour combinations and bold checks breathing new life into these old-school fabrics:

Photos: Yu Yang For FashionBeans

Inspired By Pieces

• Jack Wills Belgrave Classic Blazer
• Suitsupply Havana Burgundy Check
• Ted Baker Endurance Luboc Large Scale Check Coat
• M&s Collection Luxury Pure New Wool Harris Tweed Check Jacket
• Austin Reed Contemporary Fit Brown Navy Check Jacket
• Austin Reed Overcheck Tweed Jacket
• Richard James Mayfair Checked Contemporary Overcoat
• Suitsupply Lazio Brown Check
• Reiss Thorman Leather Gloves Red
• He By Mango Paisley Cotton Scarf
• Richard James Printed Cotton Pocket Square
• Paul Smith Shoes & Accessories Ombre Wool And Silk-blend Scarf
• Drakes Printed Silk Pocket Square

6. Get Clashing

Flouting outdated style rules, the turnout at Pitti was all for clashing colours and mixing patterns. Checks of different scales were paired together, while colour contrasts that really shouldn’t have worked – but did – cropped up regularly throughout the four-day event. The antithesis to the growing trend for minimalist, monochrome ensembles elsewhere, the outfits at Pitti featured three to four contrasting colours on average, and sometimes more when vivid prints were involved:

Photos: Yu Yang For FashionBeans

7. Appreciate All-New Nick Wooster x Lardini

No Pitti-themed round-up would be complete without a mention of street style king Nick Wooster’s latest exploits. Currently in its second season, Wooster’s collaboration with Italian brand Lardini delivers more of the sartorial smarts unveiled with the debut collection in June 2014. Combining Lardini’s renowned fabrics and construction with The Woost’s signature mix and match patterned blazers, trousers and natty tailoring, it’s the definition of classic with a twist:

Final Word

No longer an industry event shrouded from the public, Pitti Uomo now rivals major fashion weeks when it comes to being a test bed for new style trends. So, which of these lessons do you find most valuable? Did you spot any burgeoning trends that we haven’t listed here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…

Matt Allinson

Matt graduated from Leeds University in 2009 and is currently studying for an MA in Multi-media Journalism at Bournemouth University. He is in charge of the Men’s Fashion Basics section which provides you with a step by step guide to becoming a stylish individual in any situation.