Luciano Barbera is a menswear icon for many reasons. But the most important thing to me was that he always made it a point to dress in a comfortable, appropriate and understated way.
Dressing comfortably means avoiding tight suits or too-pointy shoes that still plague some areas of menswear. Dressing in an understated way means avoiding fashion extremes. Dressing appropriately means many things, but cosplay isn’t one of them. We’re not trying to force a three-piece suit into inappropriate times, places, or events.
“The most powerful expression is an understatement. That’s the philosophy of everything I do,” he said.
These are all powerful and practical things to remember. And I think it should be a reminder that even though we wear less tailoring than we did 10 years ago, there is still a lot we can learn from Italian icons like Simone Righi, Mariano Rubinacci, Sergio Loro Piana or Matteo Marzotto.
But today we’re here to talk about Barbera. There are a few specific, tailoring-related things readers can learn from his style.
1. Wear contrasting shoes
Barbera loved tan shoes and wore them every chance she got. A lot of it made sense, since his suit was a bright color and his shoes were still darker than the suit material.
But he also wore slightly darker gray pants and tan shoes. we discussed last year Wear shoes that are slightly lighter than your pants to add visual interest. (If you still don’t understand why this is unusual, read this article.)
I suggest that readers can take this from Barbera even if they don’t wear a tie, hank, or other formal elements.
2. Wear a very soft hat
God knows, hats with brims are difficult to wear. But if there’s one thing that makes it easier, it’s that it’s soft and worn. Barbera always seemed to sit on it for half an hour and as a result often receded into the background.
How do you get a hat like that? Well, if you buy something made of soft, unlined felt, you’re treating it like garbage. one of the following Rock’s Rollable Hat It would seem to be the fastest. All you need is to keep rolling a few times. And the stiffer it feels, the more it will seem over time if you don’t have a baby. You could submerge the sturdier felt in water, but I confess I haven’t had the courage to do so.
3. Or a beanie
Barbera also wore flat caps and even beanies or baseball caps as trilby alternatives. But flat hats always made him look older and less stylish, and baseball caps seemed like a joke. Vinny, on the other hand, had a sassy side to him that seemed quite attractive.
This hat may actually have been a joke for all we know, or at least some kind of commercial stunt. But it’s nice to see how a little wool beanie can make a person stand out so elegantly.
4. Learn color combinations
Barbera was a master of color combinations. It helped to wear country clothes that were easier to wear with other bright colors like green, beige and brown, but I really made the most of them. My three favorites are shown in order above. yellow and medium brown; red and green; Bright red and dark brown.
All of these combinations can be applied to your wardrobe in different ways than those shown. yellow scarf and medium brown suit; A red striped shirt under a green jacket; Light red knit with dark brown coat. You don’t have to wear a suit and tie to find inspiration in this outfit.
5. Have fun with mixed patterns
You have to go back almost 20 years to find it. First mention of pattern density It hasn’t lost its charm in PS. There’s something about seeing ties, shirts, jackets and pocket handkerchiefs in different patterns that still stirs the soul of any tailor lover.
secretOf course, the goal is to keep the densities of adjacent patterns sufficiently different from each other. Big checks on a jacket, small stripes on a shirt, diagonal clubs on a tie, etc. You can also deliberately flirt on the edge of this. For example, I love a striped shirt with a striped DB suit, but balance it out with a dark, solid-colored suit. anchor of a tie In the middle.
Although I rarely wear patterned handkerchiefs these days, I like to play with the interplay between suit, shirt and tie patterns. This is a great way to add interest without resorting to bold patterns or colors.
By the way, I’ve also learned over the years that Barbera’s glasses colors only work on people with redder or Italian tans. It took a long time to solve that problem. You can see it here.
Like all of the most iconic wardrobes, Barbera doesn’t seem to be going for style one way or the other. It helped that he dressed within a relatively narrow confines of classic menswear, but nonetheless.
I often refer to him when people abuse the term ‘sprezzatura’. This means the exact opposite of what they think. “It literally means detachment, but a better way to think of it is quiet confidence or understated style,” he said. “Style is when people recognize you without you having to try.”
Every time I read Barbera’s interviews and quotes, he inspires me to take a closer look at textiles. Fabrics, of course, were his legacy, and he always talks about his dislike of ‘flat’ fabrics with no character, and how natural fibers are best. He makes you want to run your fingers through the fabric rather than click online.
Here are some of my favorite Barbera photos: Remember, all you need is one element to inspire. The point is not to recommend the overall look. Absolutely not.
