Play on Shades
Ecru and off-white are not the easiest alternatives to pull off within the color spectrum, especially if you have a lighter skin tone such as myself. However, with Summer on its way and a couple of sunny days to get your tan going, these are two of the season’s must haves. As neutrals, you can pair them with virtually anything as long as you avoid washed out looks: the key is to achieve a chromatic balance by opposing different shades and creating an interesting outcome. Play around with hues while favouring subtleness over obvious combinations such as opposing colors.
Details: herringbone linen blazer by Gentleman (tailored), ecru cardigan by H&M, light blue dress shirt by DKNY, slate grey trousers by Boglioli, taupe suede derby shoes by Buttero x Porvocação, silk paisley scarf by Zara, braided leather belt by Acne and socks by H&M.
Model and Styling: Miguel Vieira
Photography: Rita Lino
Source: beyondfabric
Rome: last day
The sunny last day provided me the chance to sport the newly purchased Borsalino I had been wanting to get my hands on for ages. Deciding on the color definitely posed a challenge due to the amount of different hues of grey, green and blue available, just mind blowing…Ultimately, and as it was my very first fedora I ended up going with the good old navy version. Its darker shade provided the right amount of contrast when paired with the camel peacoat, pink candy stripe oxford and summery white jeans.
Most of the times I dress by heart, instead of overly thinking about mixing and matching I throw on pieces that go well together, and that was just the case here - the fun part about this look is the number of distinct patterns working in harmony: vertical stripes on the shirt, horizontal stripes on the belt, polka dots on the tie and paisley on the scarf. However, due the different shades and scales (most of them are on accessories), none is overpowering when you look at the whole picture.
Details: camel peacoat by Our Legacy, pink candy stripe oxford button down shirt by Our Legacy, white slim fit jeans by Massimo Dutti, navy fedora by Borsalino, aviators by Ray-Ban, navy polka dot silk knit tie by Carolina Herrera, burgundy paisley scarf by Zara and striped ribbon belt by Purificacion Garcia.
Shot @ Piazza di Spagna, Rome
Rome: day 3 - Vintage finds
After checking all the high end labels located in Via Condotti and Veneto, we indulged on one of my favourite hobbies: vintage shop browsing. I can get lost for hours in these places and Rome was a pleasant surprise, offering a great selection of pieces at affordable prices and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met (more on that later). I’ve been looking for a suede bomber for a while and this one immediately caught my eye hanging amidst waxed Barbour jackets and Burberry trenches: mint condition, snug fit, outstanding camel shade and a €65,00 price tag, perfect. Paired with white jeans it’s a tough one to beat…green sweatshirt for that contrast shade and an unexpected twist with the burgundy scarf creating an extra layer at the waist. Not to be worn everyday, but it’s nice to experiment and think out the box for a change…
Details: vintage camel suede bomber jacket, garden green great sweat by Our Legacy, grey crewneck tee by Levi’s, white slim fit jeans by Massimo Dutti, aviators by Ray Ban, watch by Gucci, bracelets by street vendor and burgundy paisley scarf by Zara.
Shot @ Tiber River, Trastevere, Rome
Rome: day 2 - A brother’s tribute
After greeting us with a sunny first day, the city suddenly became filled with a grayish tone and the cold and rain made an appearance. Time to throw on the only piece of outerwear I had packed, a camel wool peacoat I had been trying to snatch from my brother’s closet ever since he got it: thankfully a few weeks earlier we reached an agreement… When it comes to outerwear, few other pieces carry the undeniable classiness of a peak lapel double breasted camel peacoat. It was only after a couple of hours that I realized my attire was comprised of several items my brother handed over to me: peacoat, jeans and cotton shopper, so I guess in a way, this is a tribute to him. Love how the camel, denim and dark green shades on the bag, socks and recently purchased watch strap all come perfectly together…
Details: peak lapel double breasted camel wool peacoat by Our Legacy, jeans by Levi’s (511 slim - tailored), distressed brown penny loafers by Lottusse, aviators by Ray-Ban, paisley burgundy scarf by Zara, watch by Gucci (NATO strap by Smart Turnout), cotton shopper by Driftwood Collective and polka dot socks by Zara.
Shot @ Piazza Farnese, Rome
Q:Hi there, Truly an inspiring blog you have, thanks a lot! I have a question about my search for the perfect summer jacket; I'm searching for a jacket that is versatile - so I want to wear it with a denimshirt or simple t-shirt but also with an more dressed way (shirt + cardigan + tie). And because it's for the summer, I prefer it to be colorful (light red for example). Hopefully you can help me with some suggestions. Thanks again :) Kind regards, Andy
Anonymous
Hi Andy, thanks for the support!! =) The search for the perfect summer jacket may pose somewhat of a challenge, especially when you throw light red to the mix. For me, it should be unstructured, fully unlined or just sleeve lined and made from a lightweight fabric such as cotton or linen. Several brands offer these features although with different price tags, but since you didn’t mention a budget, I’ll leave with some alternatives to cover the whole spectrum:
- Boglioli
- Barena
- Beams + (the closest to light red)
- YMC
- Zara
Hope this has been of help!
Best,
Miguel Vieira
Spring Trends: Go To Hell Bottoms
In whichever way it may come, color is mandatory when the sun begins to shine. This time around, it seems the infamous Go To Hell (to put it simple, unexpected eye-popping colored items) are back in full strength. From formal slacks to relaxed jeans or chinos, everyone’s dishing their own favourite versions to brighten up the urban landscape.
Bright yellow, green, red or coral are all part of the game, as are embroidered motifs. It appears nothing has been left out the equation for this season’s bottoms, especially if you add the assortment of washes, patched alternatives or even paint splattered versions. With so many offerings, the trick is deciding which ones are worth investing in: like a kid in a candy store, chances are you’ll want to grab one of each to keep your options open and cover the whole chromatic spectrum.
However, instead of ending up with a rainbow like wardrobe, go through your collection and narrow the choice to missing or complementing shades. Go ahead and do some styling of your own, set aside some pieces and try to picture what would look good with them. After all, there’s no use in buying items you’ll hardly sport as they don’t match your other garments. Also, bear in mind that bottoms deliver much more of a visual impact than say, for instance, a sweater or tee. When in doubt, go for safer options but don’t be afraid to experiment with the whole color palette prior to deciding.
Top to bottom: 1 - Acne; 2 - Zara; 3 - Park & Bond; 4 - Rugby Ralph Lauren; 5 - Paul Smith.
The safe choice when going for colorful bottoms is to tone the top part down, making use of neutrals. However, going against this and pairing it with yet another strong shade like this wine v-neck can step the whole look up a notch. Love how the ever faithful navy peacoat initially just shows the bowtie and then opens up to reveal a burst of color…
Peacoat by Paul Smith, denim shirt by Our Legacy, v-neck sweater by DKNY, jeans by Zara, waxed derby shoes by Buttero, silk bowtie (vintage), braided leather belt (vintage), watch by Baume & Mercier and bracelet by street vendor.
Model and Styling: Miguel Vieira
Photography: Rita Lino
Urban Menswear Myths #3
Inherent to our perception of color and its earthy, warm or cold tones, we are keen to associate it with different seasons of the year. As a rule of thumb brighter/lighter shades become Summer staples, whereas warmer/darker ones are usually considered for Winter.
This division of the color palette into strict seasons always put me off in a way, but I can relate to it simply by taking human behaviour into account. We’re moody beings, subject to humor variations which besides our personal issues, are undoubtedly influenced by the weather itself. Our usual good Summery mood, a kind of temporary euphoria, leads us to express it through the use of color; in Winter however, our gloomy disposition is the perfect match for darker shades. Nonetheless, we were also given the gift of thought and decision making, which should overcome our humor when it comes to outfits.
One of the colors which is discarded right off the bat come colder days, and regrettably so in my opinion, is white. The epitome of lighter shades, it’s usually viewed upon as a SS alternative not only for its shiny mood but also for the ease of getting dirty. There’s no argument there: white will always be prone to stains, even more so in rainy, windy days. Sporting it in the rain might be a bit of a stretch, but it shouldn’t be left out of your wardrobe as it’s likely you’ll experience a few nice days during the season. Pulling off your white jeans with a hunter green cashmere sweater, topped with a navy duffle coat and snuff suede double monks is well worth the trouble of throwing them in the washer afterwards… and besides, they aren’t meant to look pristine all the time. After all, you still sport your crisp white shirts, so why give up the bottoms? 
I had something like this in mind: Gloverall Mid Length Duffle Jacket, Kitsuné V-neck Cashmere Sweater, Rugby Solid University Oxford, Zara Jeans, Ovadia & Sons Snuff Suede Milford Double Buckle Shoe and Anderson’s Woven Belt.
