In menswear circles, many of us prefer not to take notice of trends. Instead, we like to invest in timeless garments that don’t date too much. Some call this ‘slow fashion’. It’s a great philosophy to wear safe and staple garments all the time, but sometimes you just want the latest dope AF threads. The reality is that menswear trends do exist, they just move very slowly.

Trends

While womens fashion changes nearly every 6 months, menswear moves at a significantly slower pace.

For example, if you think back to tailored menswear in 2010, the skinny suit was extremely popular.

This look included skinny lapels and even skinnier ties.

I still have a hard time convincing my friends to ditch their skinny jeans.

Guys, it’s over!

I will admit, at the time the skinny look was the shit.

It started at the top with Armani right down to Zara and H&M.

With this example, it has taken taken more than 5 years for ‘skinny’ to die out in Australia.. and in some places is still going strong.

What I’m trying to say is that although we try not to pay attention to trends in menswear, they do exist and they move slowly, particularly in Australia.

Business at Pitti

I was not at Pitti to buy on this occassion. Why?

Because I already did buying I needed to do at Pitti94 and Pitti95, respectively.

I achieved the goals I wanted to for buying, and I found it to be an arduous process.

Luckily, I have found parters who I can trust to do business with.

I went to Pitti96 to cement my exisiting relationships with current suppliers and fabric mills, be involved in the global menswear movement at ground zero and to get 6 months ahead of the curveball by taking in very best the summer style from around the world.

What is Pitti Uomo?

Pitti is a global crossroads for trends, new ideas and the launches of innovative men’s fashion.

This year, over 30,000 visitors in total and over 18,500 buyers dominated by tremendous energy and optimism in a difficult year for international trade at Pitti 96.

Salvatore Ferragamo, Canali, and Givenchy all presented their SS20 collections in Florence.

Natural fabrics such as wool, linen blends, seersucker and cotton created softer silhouettes and defined the summer season with an elegant nonchalance.

From around the fair, these are the top 5 style trends that I observed.

1. Safari Jackets

Safari/M65/field jackets have been highly popular among sartorialists for almost 5 years now.

They have finally reached the mainstream, as people increasingly wear the 4 pocket military jacket with both tailored and casual-wear, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

In my view, safaris look best in cotton or linen, in military green or cream.

Safaris provide an excellent alternative to a casual jacket or blazer.

Worn under a shirt and tie, crew, or turtleneck, they are a must have for gents in 2019.

I wore my vintage Burberry safari jacket in cream on Day 3 in monochrome with my favourite tailored white SD trousers, white Cordone shirt, and Borsalino panama hat.

Made-to-measure safari jackets are now available at Samuel Diamond Tailors, by appointment only.

If you want an excellent off the peg safari I recommend Informale.

2. Sandals and Espadrilles

Sandals were everywhere!

The Koreans and Japanese gents wore leather sandals with suiting really well, almost like a slightly more exposed loafer.

While I thought the leather sandal looked great with tailored white trousers, I’m not a huge fan of them with two piece suiting.

Personally, I am much more a fan of espadrilles.

They introduce a slightly more casual vibe to your suiting and can easily be worn with shorts, jeans, chino and even formalwear.

If you do get espadrilles, please don’t get ones that look cheap.

I’m exactly not sure what defines a cheap looking espadrille, but you know one when you see it.

3. Monochrome

Monochromatic dressing means wearing separates of one colour that have different textures and/or similar shades of that colour for an overall tonal look.

This was everywhere!

There was a great deal of monochrome at winter Pitti95 (six months ago) too, and things have’t changed.

The best colours for a spicy monochrome look are white, brown, navy and grey.

I can’t stress how cool and confident monochrome can be.

Bold and super classy.

If you not too sure how to pull off monochrome, take a look at the Ralph Lauren Purple label and see how it’s done.

4. Casual Shirts

There was a bombardment of bowlers, Hawaiian, party and pyjama shirts.

Guys want an alternative to the ‘shirt and tie’, which is also why turtlenecks, crews and polos have also been popular.

The fair was a flurry of what I call ‘chook shirts’, aka party shirts, and they look super cool with suiting.

They add a little ‘Miami Vice’ to you wardrobe.

My tip is that the collar should be popped and spread over the outside of the lapel.

5. Pleated Trousers

This is no surprise to many, but pleats are back.

If you only wear flat front trousers, you should consider getting some lovely pleated, or double pleated trousers.

They provide detail and functionality.

The primary function is to give you some more room and stretch around your seat and front through the extra fabric within the pleats.

The last pair of flat front suit trousers I got was in 2016, and I haven’t looked back.

Double pleats were huge in the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s, and have been a pretty staple detail of menswear for nearly 100 years.

During the 2010-2015 ‘skinny trend’, discussed to above, flat front trousers dominated as part of that slick and skinny silhouette.

In 2019 guys want more shape in their trousers, which means a slightly more relaxed fit and pleats are a key part of this look.

Most people have pleats because they are simply another nice detail (much like cuffs on trousers).

However, this look is NOT for everyone.

The extra puffiness from pleats is something to consider.

Until next time!

Ciao ragazzi,

Salvatore!

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