Splendido splendente - my very first Pitti Uomo
You can take Hollywood for granted like I did, or you can dismiss it with the contempt we reserve for what we don’t understand. It can be understood too, but only dimly and in flashes.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's description of Hollywood has not aged a day, and on my first visit to Pitti Uomo, I understood exactly what he meant.
Splendido splendente
For a few days, Pitti Uomo does something almost impossible - it makes you feel like you've been teleported into a fantasy version of Italy (that version of Italy we all have in our heads).
Golden light, beautiful people, hundreds of cameras - men and women in their finest suits, carrying themselves accordingly. Everyone is performing, but sincerely, which is the trick. It’s like being on a movie set, perhaps a spin-off of La Grande Bellezza, except it's real, and it's Florence, which might be the most cinematically perfect city in the world for exactly this kind of theatre.
Per la vita una splendente vanità
Don't get me wrong - Pitti is entirely about vanity, and that is not a criticism. It's the whole point, and I chose deliberately to be part of it.
There's a genuine psychology to clothes that's easy to dismiss until you feel it. What we wear changes how we see ourselves, how we move, how we meet the world. Put on the right thing, and you stand differently. Now multiply that by a few thousand people, all operating at their best, and the fantasy starts feeling real, even if just for a few days.
What I wore to be a part of this fantasy
I, in fact, did not have valigie grandi
I didn't overthink it at all. I put together a brief Pinterest board to map the general vibe I was going for - not because I needed to, since my wardrobe already is that Pinterest board, but it helped me stay focused (especially as I was packing the evening before a very early flight). I came prepared with three days of outfits, plus a handful of pieces I knew I could mix and match if I needed.
This was my Pitti inspo for this year - 70s California cowboy
All my looks, however, had one common element - apart from the hat, everything I wore was both vintage and imperfect. I can understand how this contradicts the idea behind Pitti, which is the finest tailoring, exceptional fabrics, shiny shoes and perfectly matched accessories. Well, I was never much for rules and two - I went there to represent my brand. Vintage Cowboy Store is not about the looks, but about embracing the beauty of the garment that has already lived a life.
Day 1
Attending the event solo and not knowing many people, I wanted to make an entrance. I chose a three-piece suit from the 1970s, tailored in Florida, which fits like it was made for me, looks exactly right with a Stetson, and feels perfectly matched to the occasion.
These were the pros. The cons? They revealed themselves slowly, in the heat.
My perfect suit is a fully lined polyester-made piece. Very low maintenance, but maximum sweat and the weather in Florence was brutal. 36 degrees and not a cloud in sight. Don’t ask me how I made it through.
I was, however, very clever when it came to the hat choice and went with my latest purchase, a straw Stetson. This model is called the Vanlesco Western Toyo, and I’m linking it here if you’re interested. I have it in size S, with some additional padding under the sweat band.
Day 2
Wanting to feel more like myself, I decided to play it cooler. Not temperature-wise - layering isn’t something you want to do on another ‘severe weather warning’ day. Nevertheless…
here with the loveliest Anna!
Somehow matching the theme of this summer’s edition (which was the pool), I went in all blue, wearing 60s Roebucks jeans, 70s H Bar C shirt and 70s Levi’s blazer. Same Stetson, plus a pair of boots I've owned since 2016.
To my absolute delight, I quickly realised that I was not the only one rocking this rough vintage vibe on that day! Cooling off in the shade just outside the Fortezza, I ran into some of my Instagram friends - people I'd known online for years but never actually met. And then others, strangers at first, all cut from the same vintage cloth. We ended up spending the entire day together - and most of the night.
Day 3
As I’ve been lately experimenting with mixing western wear with vintage military pieces, I thought I’d give it a go. I really like how the textures and colours work together, though they’re two entirely different vibes.
The shirt is actually listed - it’s this gorgeous satin, liquid copper Wrangler piece from the 70s. I knew it would look insane in the Italian sun. I paired it with a 70s US Army pair of trousers, 70s Tony Lama boots and a 1974 dated brass buckle belt. What I also liked about this look is how strong and masculine the bottom part of the look is, and how light, fluid and feminine the top is - again, that tension is how I like my clothes and what my brand is about.
L'ha scritto anche il giornale
Not every day you get to find yourself in Vogue, walking down with your mate! Irony is, that was the morning of the first day, I was just about to get my pass sorted, and wasn’t even aware that this moment would be documented!
Io sorrido eternamente
For me, this event was primarily about people, and secondly about the looks. As incredible as it was to be surrounded by that much inspiration - so many different interpretations of what we all share, this love of clothing, of fashion, of dressing with intention, what I'll remember most has nothing to do with what anyone was wearing. I came back home feeling almost high from the interactions, already plotting how to cross paths with some of the Pitti friends again. It has been a real pleasure.
