Sportswear: handle with care. Essential? I don’t know, but of course they’re unmissable: sweatshirts, workout pants, T-shirts, white socks, and obviously sneakers. Sportswear became popular during the 80s, also thanks to movies like American Gigolò or the bad remake of Breathless, both starring Richard Gere. At the beginning sportswear remains confined exclusively to the sport context, where the branded gymsuit becomes a must-have and going to the gym is a duty. And then it expands to everyday’s life, becoming the first reason of flattening and loss of sense of style that, in general, was natural even among men. On the other hand it’s so comfortable and practical that even I (partially) gave in to temptation. But I avoid those garments completely lacking in charme, that are often made of synthetic fabric: if it has to be a gymsuit, opt for natural fibres, and choose socks made of mercerized cotton.

The rules of formal wear 2.0 – If it’s true that rules are made to be changed, it’s also true that maintaining the basis is a duty. Does everybody agree? So, to be consistent, we can’t neglect the importance of the suit, intended as jacket and trousers of the same color and made of the same fabric. Said that, matching colors and accessories is all about personal taste. If the suit is eccentric, the best choice is to adopt a clean styling, and vice versa. In other words, if the suit is made of charcoal grey or blue navy wool, you can be more creative with the matchings, opting, for example, for a powder pink shirt. But be careful, because if you’re looking for something more modern, the choice of the suit, even if traditional, requires some expedients: the jacket’s lapels should be regular, not too wide or too narrow, as well as the trousers. So avoid skinny fit and avoid pleats.