From 1913 till today, during last century, the brand Prada has been changed from the supplier of luxury accessories of the italian royal court and the european elite to a worldwide icon. Its menswear’s total-look project was born in the 90s and it is a declaration of intent from the start: breaking the rules of conformism staying true to a classic/traditional clothing at the same time. From then on, Prada keeps on changing and designs a new man every season. Even if it overturns the previous collection everytime, the concept remains intact: the Prada man is recognisable from miles away. From nylon clothes of the 90s to skimpy cardigans made of silk and wool of 2002; from the collection with origami-garlands to geometrical pop of 2003. In the second part of the 2010s there’s a return of the camelhair coat, today there’s a return of a “rounded” shape of a ’98 show. In this page, there are looks of other brands that can give a hard time to Mrs. Prada.

Legend has it that Tom Ford dismissed out of hand one of his team’s designers due to his suggestion to include a short-sleeved shirt in the s/s collection. Actually, it’s not a really loved garment. Because it mustn’t be worn under the blazer (the cuff must always appear from the jacket’s sleeves), and it requires, in theory, tapered arms, that only a few have. But in the 40s and 50s it was in fashion, among style icons too. Well, this year the short-sleeved shirt is back: with floral/tropical prints, made of silk and viscose or cotton and linen. In the first case, it’s soft and fluid, suitable for an eccentric, young and self-confident man; in the second case, more “rigid”, suitable for both young and adults. Frank Sinatra at Lewisohn Stadium in NY, in 1943.

This week’s picture, from the book Richard Avedon Performance (published by HNA), appeared on Harper’s Bazaar in 1962. This story was shot in Paris, between Chez Maxim’s and the Saint-Régis Hotel, and it was based on an idea of Avedon that, for its production, made himself directed by Mike Nichols (the director of The Graduate). The shooting would have been a homage/satire to the legendary and troubled love story between Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. In this picture – which staged a false press conference – the american actress/model Suzy Parker wears a Yves Saint Laurent dress. The model that plays the role of Burton is obviously in pure Sixties mood too: black round-neck pullover, dark thin tie and white shirt whit mini-collar. Trousers and shoes also black. So I suggest a total black that refers to that decade, which was certainly – with the Fourties – a period of great elegance. Suzy Parker in a picture by Richard Avedon for Harper’s Bazaar (1962)

Divergent thinking. Wide trousers with turn-up, maybe intentionally turned on a leg for this picture, pullover with a wide oval neckline worn on the bare skin, watch with a round clock face, penny loafers and…white, short socks. The etiquette of menswear has very strict rules, and one of them is about socks: they mustn’t be white nor short. But history of fashion and style icons prove just the opposite. The picture we are talking about is from 1951. More than sixty years have passed by, but this is here, flawless, to show us that the charm of some men and of a certain movie iconography is timeless. Is breaking the rules a luxury allowed only to movie, literature and art stars? Maybe. But the temptation to revalue that casual-chic look, which is so “imperfect” in its elegance, is really strong: try to add some garments, to set the tone of the outfit, and see if it works. Gene Kelly in 1951, picture by Alfred Eisenstaedt.

This week we attempt an impossible mission. We’ll try to put together two opposite styles, but with music in common. The cover of the LP by Fabrizio De Andrè and PFM, of 1979, that I found in the book Pop life: a life on the cover by the art director Luciano Tallarini, recalls the pictures by Hedi Slimane. Not for the technique – Slimane’s black&white is very defined and the lights are sharp – but the guitar and the “raw” set make us think about his shoots dedicated to pop-rock stars. Our try is to mix, through menswear, the radical mood belonging to both categories: the aggressive one, from the leather rock world, with the softer and anticonformistic one, from the 70s songwriters, from De Andrè to James Taylor. The coexistence gives birth to a new outcome that redefines these getups placing them in a more modern setting. The cover of “In concert”, album by Fabrizio De Andrè with Premiata Forneria Marconi (1979).