Bike is trendy. Maybe Milan wasn’t ready; but sooner or later such an international metropolis had to start a process of evolution towards a conscious future. But every two posts of the mayor Beppe Sala, there’s (still) someone who: “Why don’t we talk about the bycicle lanes in corso Buenos Aires?”. I pass there every day by car on my way to the office and, at first, I admit that adapting wasn’t simple; so much so…and I didn’t need so much time to get used to that. I could do nothing more wrong than stating which is the best attire to ride a bike; clothing brands specialized in sportswear, as well as in formal wear and fashion, have legitimized all the possible variations for the outdoor, that – today – can’t be described as “free-time wear” anymore. And now, the bike is the real trend, since we’re in the midst of Giro d’Italia…

Gainsbourg Icon. Serge Gainsbourg, the bad boy of french pop, was said to be arrogant and violent and that his lifestyle dissolute; the label of “beautiful and damned” doesn’t fit him that much, because he was certainly not “beautiful”. But “damned”, probably, yes. Anyway the unkempt appearance it’s still somehow quite attractive related to the idea of a kind of devious and eccentric men, defined as artists and uncommon person, so that he’s become a real icon, and his style it’s being re-proposed to represent a certain nonchalant fashion. Tom Ford In 2002, during his time as creative director for Gucci, designed a collection feauturing extremely comfortable silhouettes made from soft and fluid fabrics like jersey and wool cloth. Although the reviews were enthusiastic, the collection didn’t have the expected results. The same thing happened, more recently, for Zegna collections by Stefano Pilati. I have already written about how oversize fashion still can’t find its way to the general public’s heart, for now. I personally like it, but I recognize its limits.

The elegance of mixing. Softness, romance and disorder, three keywords that depict a man that’s inclined to handle his own look, and to take the risk of not being completely in line with the codes of traditional menswear. In this column I’ve already written about what I think in terms of a more contemporary attitude, but I understand that mixing genres could be not so accepted by the Italian general public. Elsewhere this mix has been legitimized for quite a long time. But, you know: we’re one of the most conservative countries in Europe. But don’t say that Tony Musante doesn’t embody a universal and traditional masculine aesthetics. And yet, the “frilly” accessory doesn’t jar. This week’s picture portrays him in the backstage of Anonimo Veneziano, directed by Enrico Maria Salerno, out in 1970, one of the first (Italian) movies that focused on the hypocrisies of traditional family. Upstream and nonconformist, indeed.

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.