A menswear store under the influence

Following our recent visit to Pitti Uomo, one of the biggest menswear events of the season, we couldn’t help but notice the endless stream of men of all ages and styles peacocking around the venue. Funny enough, the common ground for most of them is the concrete blocks turned benches, where most of them sat on. This found photo was an instant reminder of those dapper men at Pitti all sat alongside, although the guys here look a bit more relaxed and effortlessly sprezzy, not to mention the outstanding waterfall as background. They might not be eating gelato or just about to check the latest designer trends, but they sure as hell look the part…

Following the previous roundup on long Winter coats, we thought it would be nice to show just how timeless they can be. After digging a little into our box of vintage pictures, we found this dapper gentleman in an Adam Kimmel-esque heavy wool topcoat sitting just below the knee. Apart from the impeccable use of hat and bowtie, what also striked us was the opposite play between the coat’s length and the high cropped trousers, giving him an elongated figure and up to date look. His confident posture and overall panache almost makes us let the white tube socks slip by…

Most likely taken in France, as the message written on the back suggests, this one became an all-time favourite the moment it came out of the box. We love the look’s ecletic mix, blending classic elements as the tall hat, crisp white shirt and black bowtie, with the contrasting pimped out nature of the bold fur collar coat and oversized finger bling. Even though smoking is bad for you, that smoke curtain coming out of his mouth just tops it off brilliantly. It takes a man to sport that much fur and we’re left wondering how many women would be willing to fight over that flower bouquet…

While browsing through our endless stash of vintage photos this one instantly caught our attention. Such a striking contrast between the simple clergy vests and the dapper outfits on these young men, proudly sporting their double breasted sportcoats as if cruising the streets at Pitti. Just take a look at the boy on the left: cuffed shorts, unbuttoned white shirt and peak lapel DB jacket…perfect outfit for those last Summer days.

With the Roland Garros tennis tournament now reaching its peak, we felt it was time to let this Found Photo out of the box and share it with you all. The handwritten date on the back reads Juillet 1926 indicating that it was taken somewhere in France. About the photo itself and besides the obvious impeccable apparel, our guess is they where playing mixed doubles. The question is,… who was the third guy on the back playing with? Clues anyone?!…

This old Found Photo reminded us of the Raf Simons SS11 collection that should be dropping at the shop anytime now. The slim upper silhouette contrasts with the wide trousers showing the play between proportion and volume. Coming to think about it, there might also be a zipper attached to this guy’s back, for all we know…

This is the Found Photo that inspired our current Window. We really enjoy group photos, having quite a few in our archive.
There’s something special about group pics and how one’s individuality always stands out in them. It can be a matter of attitude,
clothes, haircuts or overall style.

While the sun is still shining, there’s nothing better than a summer picnic with your favorite person in the world or your dearest friends. Depending on the mood you’re aiming for or who will be attending, you can either dress up or down for the occasion. In these photos,
we see different outfits for the same purpose, enjoying the boundless joy of eating in the great outdoors. Furthermore, here’s a couple
of tips for a delightful picnic – choose a peaceful secluded spot in the shade, pack a large comfy blanket and a basket full of healthy
treats, always remember to bring a bottle opener and whatever you do, try to keep the food off your shirt…

Remember Charles and Sebastian from Brideshead Revisited? Remember also Sebastian’s inseparable companion Aloysius (his teddy bear)? No clues?!? Ok, we’ll explain. As our current Sale Window is now full of shopping crazed stuffed little friends and since when we first found this photo, the duo from 80s tv series was what instantly came to mind, we put the two ideas together and this is what turned out. About the photo itself, the young men’s eminent looks with flawless hair styles, formal attire and relaxed attitude enhanced further by the countryside estate backdrop, all contributed to our Brideshead Revisited imagery flashback. About the teddy bear, whatever, these days even Lagerfeld has one…

One of the most common things about growing up is to be dressed either by your mother or close relatives. We came across this spanish
family album and were surprised by these boys looks. Wearing their overalls, shorts, shirts, ties, bow ties and cardigans. Either indoors
or outdoors, at parties or in the garden. Regardless of the situation or place they always look good and well dressed, steadily and soundly
building the basis of their future wardrobe. Our point is, family (mostly mothers) play a major role in this department, at least by pointing
out the right direction to follow. The rest, will be entirely up to you…

This is another of our Found Photos we sent to the Sartorialist and that he selected for his Vintage Photo Contest. (see it here)
The back of the photo says the year is 1945 and we’re guessing this is probably somewhere in the countryside.
Observe this gentleman’s meticulously parted hair, the raised argyle v-neck sweater over a white shirt and a diagonal
stripe tie. Notice how elegantly and effortlessly he sits in some kind of early rustic “pretzel” chair.
Judging by his focused gaze, maybe there was a distant lover on his mind…

As you may all know by now, we started a Found Photos category last year, aiming to show timeless style and elegance throughout the years.
As you may also know, The Sartorialist, also started a Vintage Photos Contest last month. We were so pleased to hear about it that we immediately felt the urge to participate and sent him some of our best photos. Amongst the thousands of photos he received, he picked one of ours and featured it on the blog. (see it here)
We are obviously very proud of this and can’t help but to feel that we are somehow on the right track…

p.s. This was the first pic we sent him. It was taken on a boat somewhere, and aside the cool trench look, we think the 2nd guy really looks like Mr. Scott Schuman… Check out the comments section below to see some of people’s thoughts on the photo.

Weren’t we all missing a good old picnic shot?! This one truly caught our eye as these guys really look great in their
suits and ties. A classic look for an otherwise relaxed attitude. The little flowers on the jacket’s lapels really wrap it up.