Pitti Inspiring

Well, it’s that time of year again.  Fashion shows, Pitti Uomo, &c. have the fashion press blogging, tweeting, and photographing more than any reasonable human being would think possible.  And I’m certainly not complaining.  The only things I’m a little bitter about is that I’m stuck here in the States instead of roaming the lovely streets of Florence. Each year I look forward to the photographs that flood the internet from Pitti Uomo, and thanks to the explosion of street fashion photography they just keep getting better year after year.

This Pitti is so far no exception, and I have spent a great deal of time hunched over my keyboard either lusting after some coat or wondering why I didn’t ever thing to pair two patterns or colors.  And this to me is one of the great things about real style – it doesn’t change only with the seasons, it doesn’t only follow the mandates of trends, and it doesn’t limit itself in scope or scale.  Yes, I’m talking about photos from a twice-yearly fashion event, but forgive me that for a moment.

Style is a journey, and after a few years of scouring the web for pictures, I almost feel like I know the cast of characters whose journey I’ve been admiring.  There is a small group of gentlemen whose faces just pop up day after day, year after year, and who always seem to be doing something just a little bit different, but definitely with a personal consistency.  Some men always wear interesting stripes, while others layer in ways that defy convention.  Each is different, and while not all of them sport things I would want to wear (see: hobo gloves, multiple waistcoats, and furry hats), I admire the spirit behind it.

And the beauty of this is that many of these gents, thanks to the wonders of bespoke, are wearing things truly unique to them.  Their clothing and their character are inseparable.  Not just because you can’t saunter down to the local high-end department store and pick up a matching jacket, but because without their help you might not have even been able to imagine that jacket.  The clothing, rather than something with which one identifies and adopts, is generating from the person himself.

While many of us cannot afford to dress this way, I think we can still learn something from this mentality.  Don’t always pay attention to how things are styled in shops, windows, &c., and just follow your eye.  Mix, match, mix again, and above all, enjoy dressing.  These guys sure do, and isn’t that what it’s really about?

Images credit – www.fashionising.com