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…

The elegance of the rapper. The clothes don’t make the rapper. Take Daveed Diggs, the talent on the cover of the latest Style Magazine. He has critized the USA, infact the title of the interview is “I’m not proud of being American”. I very barely know rap music but, after watching Diggs starring in the Netflix series Snowpiercer (inspired by the namesake movie by Bong Joon-Ho, the Korean director of Parasite) with Jennifer Connelly (the girl that in Dario Argento’s Phenomena trained insects), and in Wonder with Julia Roberts, I started to follow him on Instagram, where he has almost one million followers, and, incredibly, I started to appreciate also his music genre. And I liked the fact that he agreed for Style Magazine to wear clothes far away from the standards and the clichés of the rapper. Proving that talent doesn’t need labels.

Classic, always. A summer, many years ago, my mother – who was close to her eighties – was invited for dinner by a couple. One of them showed up at the restaurant with combat boots, ripped jeans and tank top; as I recall he wore around his wrist a nice series of studded black leather bracelets. The day after my mother, who was very open minded but there’s a line, with her quiet tone of voice told me that she had found a little inappropriate inviting an elderly lady and showing up dressed like Tom of Finland (this is mine, it goes without saying that mum didn’t know the character by Touko Laaksonen). She stuck to the most classic of the classics: “In the end, what does it take? I didn’t expect the jacket: a nice white shirt with dark trousers and you never go wrong”. Maybe even mum knew that in addition to not making you look bad ever, a simple white shirt with a barely starched collar can be even sexy.

Over my skin. The heavy jumper, or the cool wool pullover. Worn on the naked skin they evoke erotic recalls, dear to the costume designers of the movies by Visconti, Rossellini, Bertolucci, Zurlini up to more recent movies like Call me by your name by Guadagnino. Timeless, and genderless, sensuality, inspiring the styling of fashion shows and fashion shootings. The lack of the shirt allows the sweater’s fabric to caress the shapes, following and enhancing softly chest, breasts, shoulders; depending on body and personality, the pullover, when thin, is nice to be worn inside the trousers. But beware of the cleavage: the tolerance about its depth is very fleeting, don’t exaggerate.

Dress as you eat. Tell me how you eat and I’ll tell you how you dress. Vegan = fundalist minimalist. The 100% sustainable denim is ok, but a big no to animal leather. No to chicks, butterflies and tigers prints. Yes to fabric shoes, like espadrilles, and to a general, strong preference for neutral colors. The final effect is, often, a surprising mess, difficult to define: which is better, cause I hate labels. So do vegans. Vegetarians = rigorous creative. It seems like an oxymoron but it’s not. Bright colors matched with extreme care, slim fit or, if the weight doesn’t allow it due to an excessive carbs intake, the vegetarian opts for a vibrant melting pot of silhouettes and a mix of fabrics, from mohair to linen. Omnivorous = serial consumer. Heterogeneous in terms of food and style. Luxurious, empirical, showy. Generous. Everything and the opposite of everything is worth, only self confidence matters. And it’c cyclical: parka and turtle neck all winter long, printed shirt and beige trousers for the summer. The year after: camelhair coat and jacket…? I don’t know, still have to buy them.