At a man’s feet. It is said that a man’s elegance stays also (and especially) in the shoes he wears. A pair of shoes can be fashionable, classic or sporty, depending on the kind of man that wears it and, for every variety of shoes, there are rules to be respected in terms of elegance. Style has nothing to do with beauty and quality of an accessory: when style is absent, the accessory itself loose its identity. The wider is the offer, the higher is the chance to get wrong. The crocodile – for example – has to be “impoverished” by a minimal look; the chelsea-boot mustn’t be worn with wide-bottomed trousers; bicolor shoes has to be worn with caution and, in case of bright colours’ matches, it’s good to bear in mind that they’re “dedicated” to trendy under 30. Age has its weight talking about sneakers too: if you are over 30 but you wear them because they’re comfortable, do it just in the spare time. In doubt, it’s better to choose classic: a brogue in calf leather, but never in black before 6 pm.

Breaking the rules. Who knows me well, knows that I can’t stand social occasions: I limit my participation to the bare minimum. Then there’s the matter of outfit. Legend has it men are helped: “A beautiful dark jacket, white shirt, bow-tie or tie and you’re ok”, First of all, we’re bored to dress in the same way too; then, not necessarily only ladies can transgress. Can you try to break the rules? Yes, but only if you are already eccentric in everyday life. So, how to break the etiquette’s code for a social event? Take a look at the collections: there’s a triumph of check fabrics, from the micro-printed to the tartan, and there’s a big celebration of colour that leaves space to the most daring matches. And a lot of fashion accessories, and “little” objects of desire, but destined to a vertical decline soon. Picture by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.