Each time I’ve gone to Pitti Uomo, I’ve gotten better at packing. Instead of over-packing with many options in case I change my mind, I now plan for an outfit each day and night, and simply pack that. I can rearrange what days I want to wear what once I arrive depending on conditions, but I’m pretty much set to go with each outfit. I brought only one watch with me: The 39mm Zulu Time from Longines (thanks to Carmen at Longines for loaning me this watch to try out during Pitti!)
And so I present: What I packed for Pitti 106. I’ll do daily videos to walk through each thing, too, but here is the breakdown of the outfits I have in the suitcase. Mercifully, it appears the weather will be fine—not scorchingly hot as it was in 2022.
Outfit 1: Rich navy linen suit from Cavour
Day 1 will be the summertime twist on conservative business dress. A navy suit, but in a rich shade that’s just a touch brighter than normal navy. I’m wearing it with a gauzy cotton shirt from Eidos, and a cheerful bright blue with pink neat patterned tie from Drake’s. I’ll wear it all with my dark brown suede TLB Mallorca penny loafers (my most comfortable dress shoes, and among my most comfortable shoes, period).
Shop the fit
White cotton-linen blend shirt from Anglo Italian or Proper Cloth custom cotton-linen shirt (use the soft Roma cutaway, soft long rounded cuff and french placket to be most like mine. Use code MUSINGS10 for 10% off your first order).
TLB Mallorca Artista brown suede penny loafers
Drake’s blue paisley tie (not exactly the same as mine but close in spirit)
Longines Zulu Time 39mm (If I buy this watch, I think I’ll get the green-bezel version)
Outfit 2: Chocolate brown raw silk jacket from Eidos with white cotton-linen trousers
I reached back into the back of the closet to find the very first Italian jacket I ever bought. From Eidos’ SS2015 collection sold via No Man Walks Alone, it’s a raw silk fabric in a chocolate brown. The cut was inspired by Florentine tailoring (how fitting). I was surprised I hadn’t yet brought this jacket to Pitti, so I’m glad to make its debut this summer. I’ll wear it with white cotton-linen trousers I got from Brooks Brothers’ now-defunct Red Fleece line, a blue and white awning stripe cotton-linen shirt from Proper Cloth, and the polo suede TLB Mallorca penny loafers I just got from Skolyx. I loved the chocolate brown pair so much, I wanted them in a different color (and there’s a very real chance at some point I’ll get them in brown leather).
Shop the fit
Suitsupply brown Roma fit blazer OR brown Havana blazer
Proper Cloth wide blue-white stripe linen shirt (use the soft Roma cutaway, soft long rounded cuff and french placket to be most like mine. Use code MUSINGS10 for 10% off your first order).
Off-white cotton-linen trousers from Suitsupply
Polo suede TLB Mallorca Artista penny loafers
Longines Zulu Time 39mm (If I buy this watch, I think I’ll get the green-bezel version)
Outfit 3: Navy Mock Leno Blazer and white denim from Natalino
This day is a bit of a toss-up, because it isn’t totally locked down in my mind. I’ve been talking with Natalino about wanting to update my review of their tailoring since they have tweaked the cut twice since that first review was published. So he’s bringing a jacket to me at Pitti, and assuming it fits and wears well, I will likely wear that. I also mentioned I want to give his white denim a try, so he’s bringing a pair in my size to try as well. As for a shirt, I’ll have to decide whether to go with a washed denim shirt from Proper Cloth, or the exciting new linen polo shirt that Tailor’s Keep in San Francisco just made for me. I explained the origin behind this shirt on my IG, and it turned out so incredibly well. Even though I know it will look good under a jacket, I almost don’t want to hide it.
Which means there’s a good chance that, instead of all that, I’ll just wear the polo shirt on its own with either the white jeans, the white cotton-linen trousers from the day before, or a pair of blue wool-silk-linen trousers from Atelier Munro which I brought.
Shop the fit
Natalino Mock Leno navy blazer
Polo suede TLB Mallorca Artista penny loafers or TLB Mallorca Artista brown suede penny loafers
Longines Zulu Time 39mm (If I buy this watch, I think I’ll get the green-bezel version)
Outfit 4: Navy suit, redux
At the end of the week, I’m leaving Florence for Milan, and have one event booked: the collection presentation and cocktail hour with Cucinelli. For that evening, and for the day, I’m not quite sure what to wear and will check with my travel partner Joshua (who got me into the event) what he’s wearing. The navy linen suit will be an indisputable choice. But maybe we’ll go for dinner clothes instead. And if that’s the case, here’s what I have in the suitcase for that:
Evening Outfits: Off-white Shawl Dinner Jacket from Proper Cloth
Black tie during Pitti is a time-honored tradition. If you can’t dress up for dinner during Pitti, when else can you? This time I’m going for creative black tie, though I have the option for an almost-canon rendition.
Black tie with a cream dinner jacket will normally follow the same conventions as black tie with a tuxedo. There are a few options but the gist is that your shirt will not have normal buttons showing, but will have studs and be pleated or have a fancy bib at most; and at the very least, simply be a shirt with covered buttons (a covered placket). You’ll wear a bow tie. The trousers will be black and have a satin stripe. Your shoes will be patent leather in black, in a wholecut or slipper style.
If you want to break those rules, the basic key is simply to break them obviously enough that it doesn’t look like you tried and just didn’t know the rules.
So here are the variations I have in mind that may make an appearance, depending how the mood strikes. Keep in mind the context here: Sunset will be around 9pm. I will be in Florence, Italy, where you are surrounded by colorful buildings and unbelievable Renaissance-era ambiance.
The Jacket
Cream wool-linen shawl lapel dinner jacket by Proper Cloth
The Pants
Black cotton-linen tailored trousers by Proper Cloth
The Shoes
Black Suede Belgians by Yanko from Skolyx
Automatically I’m breaking the rules by going with matte, linen-blend trousers and matte suede Belgians. So given that’s my starting point, I have the following options:
- The most classic I can go is to wear a white shirt (no covered placket, and no french cuffs) with my bow tie. I did that in 2022 and it looked great!
Otherwise, here are my ideas:
- Horizontal stripe polo shirt. This one is kinda bonkers, and maybe it gives a California coast kind vibe, but this is the one I’m most excited to try. The collar has this giant swoop to it and the colors are so muted and beautiful they’ll look fantastic with the cream jacket.
- Washed denim shirt. This feels more like what I’d normally do. Kind of evokes something Ralph might do, or maybe Eidos 10 years ago. I wore this basically for dinner with a friend at the end of Pitti 2 years ago, and it looked great!
Shop this fit
Off-white heavy Irish linen jacket at ProperCloth (make it a one-button shawl lapel style, in the soft half-canvassed make, with white MOP buttons, unlined, side vents or unvented, with jetted hip pockets and solid sleeve lining (so it doesn’t show through). Don’t forget MUSINGS10 for 10% off your first order at ProperCloth.
Black cotton-linen trousers at Proper Cloth (make ‘em high waisted, straight, and do side tabs so you have a clean front)
Yanko black suede Belgians from Skolyx
Classic black satin bow tie from La Bowtique
White cotton-linen blend shirt from Anglo Italian or Proper Cloth custom cotton-linen shirt (use the soft Roma cutaway, soft long rounded cuff and french placket to be most like mine. Use code MUSINGS10 for 10% off your first order).
Longines Zulu Time 39mm (If I buy this watch, I think I’ll get the green-bezel version)
Travel Clothes
I don’t wear sweatpants to the airport for long flights, but I typically don’t subject my tailoring to the rigors of all-day flying either. I take a casual and comfortable, but put-together middle ground.
I advocate for long-sleeve polos on planes. Sleeves rolled they can wear cool, but when the A/C gets cranked, you can button those sleeves to cover up a little bit.
I brought two, one for the flight there and one for the return.
Shop the fit
Black long-sleeve polo for one leg of the journey
Navy long-sleeve polo for the return journey
Fatigue pants (see my whole list of other options for green ones here. The ones I have are now all sold out / discontinued, sadly).
Longines Zulu Time 39mm (If I buy this watch, I think I’ll get the green-bezel version)
Hey,
how are the long-sleeve polos from Spier & Mackay? How long do you have them already?
Kind regards
Christian