Slideshows

In this week’s scorching Florence heat, the menswear market presented its latest warm-weather wares at the spring/summer 2020 edition of Pitti Uomo. Pitti is a holistic event: as well as the main tradefair at the Fortezza da Basso, there were no-holds-barred runway shows by guest designers Salvatore Ferragamo, Givenchy and the artist Sterling Ruby in spectacular locations across town. But most business is done at the Fortezza: in halls swarming with buyers and editors from Europe, the US and Japan, brands unveiled the shirts, swimmers and seersucker suits that will be in shops nine months from now. There were plenty of relaxed matching jacket-and-trouser sets on display. It’s a refreshing alternative to streetwear that sits between formal and casual; most shoppers aren’t ready to return to double-breasted pinstripe suits just yet. Here are our top picks – get your wishlist ready for next summer.

The new year is young but the menswear crowd has already completed one of its most important events: the autumn/winter edition of Pitti Uomo. The pioneering Florentine menswear tradeshow, which ran this week, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019. Some 30,000 buyers and editors gathered in a sunny (if chilly) Florence to scour the hallowed halls of the Fortezza da Basso and attend special off-site runway shows from Parisian label Y/Project and new Italian brand Aldomariacamillo. Among the wares displayed by the 1,200-odd brands in the Fortezza, there was less chunky outerwear than in previous seasons – increasingly warm winters means that customers are more interested in layering – and plenty of earthy shades, merino knits and, of course, corduroy. Here are our Top 20 picks: these items will hit shops from August but now’s as good a time as ever to start making your winter wishlist.

This week the fashion world gathered in sunny Florence for the spring/summer 2019 edition of Pitti Uomo, the fêted menswear tradeshow. Things were a little different this time at the Fortezza da Basso. For one, where were all the Pitti Peacocks? These Italian men, who famously come dressed to the nines (in three-piece suits, top hats and the rest) and spend their days posing, were far less omnipresent than in previous seasons. Many attribute this to the fact that these dandies have finally embraced streetwear (that most ubiquitous of phenomena) and so were wearing trainers and hoodies, much like everyone else. There were other shifts, including a Scandinavian section and a stellar new hall (“I Go Out”) dedicated to outdoor gear. We scoured the stands and perused the 11 pavilions of the Fortezza in search of our new-season picks so you can start planning for your next summer jaunt.

The 93rd edition of Pitti Uomo, the menswear tradeshow in Florence, has been packed with stellar off-site events: Gucci Garden – a boutique, museum and restaurant – opened in a former palace and there have been shows from Brooks Brothers’ (to celebrate its 200th anniversary) and Japanese designers Undercover and Takahiromiyashita TheSoloist. That’s not to say that the fairgrounds of the Fortezza da Basso have been quiet. The autumn/winter season is always busier than spring/summer (which makes sense: there are more clothes to be worn in winter than in summer so the market is bigger) and Monocle has traversed the halls and sidestepped the peacocks to bring you our favourite finds.