Winter in white. White and its shades: the non-colour par excellence and its variations, that from the total purity goes to sand and white coffee. The pure white, the more manifest icon of summer outfits, in several collections of this f/w is a starting point, that designers develop a different menswear that enlight the darkest days from. White, beige, sand reminds us fabrics like linen and cotton, the atmospheres of La Dolce Vita or the stories of La lunga strada di sabbia by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Until the Eighties, who wore white in winter was considered as an eccentric (or as a vulgar) person, in effect there were only jeans and a few sweaters. Maybe a scarf. Today there’s a huge fabric availability: wool, camelhair and cashmere. All you have to do is believe, and choose the right matches. The writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1963 in his house in Rome.

Sexy situation. The gestures of male sensuality are much less than those made, on purpose or not, by women. Our sexy-situations can be counted on one hand, let’s use them! First situation, the business meeting: the way we cross the legs. Of course we can’t twist them à la Parietti style; so let’s put the ankle on the knee (but pay attention not to show the sole to the person sitting beside you, especially if she’s a lady), with the hand on the calf.  Freetime situation, for example on the beach: many women think we’re more attractive bare-chested wearing a pair of jeans, than wearing a swimming suit. And don’t mind if the legs remain white. Home situations: we have two of them. The shaving: it seems that seeing us with the face full of foam, focused in front of the mirror, drives them crazy. Last but not least: the tie, wearing a tie, knotting a tie. In several movies it is done before wearing the trousers, but the risk is to have a too short, or too long, tie. Man-to-man: wear the trousers before, and then knot the tie. Ph. from the website themenissue.com

70s’ Denim. It happens cyclically and punctually: 70s are back in fashion again. And I can tell you more: in summer 2016, flared trousers and flowery shirts will be in the top lists of all the fashion victims. In this season, on the other hand, the references of that anguished decade of the revolution against the hypocrisy of the middle class, that crumbling middle class well depicted by Luchino Visconti in Conversation Piece, are represented by the great offer of denim. But today it acquires a completely different meaning, far away from any revolutionary ideology. I like to think that in its own way denim would like to celebrate that social and cultural movement that some of us regret. Michael Douglas wearing jeans on the set of Napoleon and Samantha (1972)

Master of style. John Cassavetes: a rare mix of beauty and talent. Between the 50s and the 80s he acted in about thirty movies and directed a dozen of independent movies. They were “special” movies, often filmed in interiors, like theatrical pieces. Conceptual films and intellectual scripts. Cassavetes, indeed, is not so famous, mainly among young people. The only movie that reached the public approval and made him popular as an actor at the end of the 70s was Rosemary’s Baby, by Roman Polanski. And the only well-known one he directed was Gloria. A summer night, interpreted by his wife Gena Rowlands. She had the same destiny. she is little known even if she’s as talented and beautiful as others more famous colleagues. Cassavetes has always been in the shadows, like all the greats of the show business and he was (in my opinion) unconsciously sensual. He had an innate and discreet style, he was confident wearing a suit as well as a classic/informal outfit. John Cassavetes (on the right) with Peter Falk. Picture from the book John Cassavetes by Jim Healy and Emanuela Martini (Il Castoro Publishing)

Far and wide. Giorgio Armani, 1982. Ph. Aldo Fallai for L’uomo Vogue. Look at the baggy shapes you see today in the shops’ windows: lots of them show suits, raincoats, coats, shirts, sweaters and trousers that remind the lines of this Armani collection, that dates back to 33 years ago. No, I don’t want to write the nth tribute to Giorgio Armani, but it’s instinctive to say: “Everything started from there and there we come back!”. An ultimate back to the roots? No. In two seasons this trend will be replaced by others. But let’s stick to the present; today we’ve recovered the pleasure of wearing large clothes, that are more comfortable and elegant than the too fitted menswear that has been in fashion for years. But pay attention to baggy trousers; when you sit down your ankles show up looking like breadsticks, and give a disproportionate appearance: the risk is to give this impression also when we stand up; so avoid loafers and pointed shoes and prefer monkstraps or brogues with wide and round shape.