Direct from Pitti Uomo
Victoria Jackson takes her pick of the trends to emerge from Pitti Uomo, Florence.

Images: Print: Poggianti, Jacques Britt, Eton. College days: Thomas Dean, Andy Richardson, John Smedley. Blue: Andy Richardson, Florentino, Benvenuto. Colour: Closed, Pepe Jeans London, Farhi by Nicole Farhi. Weekend bags: Benvenuto, Bugatti.

June 22, 2012

By Victoria Jackson

Travelling from one location to another in the grounds of Pitti Uomo, one thing was prevalent – effortless styling for the modern gent. Relaxed tailoring was teamed with denim, while the more formal names introduced a casual offer seen at the likes of Thomas Dean London and Florentino.

Despite many trends making their return for another spring/summer season, including nautical and preppy, new silhouettes, cuts, fabrics and colours kept the collections updated, offering something new to buyers.

Print

Floral and paisley prints were spotted at shirt specialists Jacques Britt,Etonand Poggianti 1958, while denim label Pepe Jeans London gave its jean shorts a summer twist complete with a faded floral print.

College days

Taking inspiration directly from American college days, cardigans with number appliqués and v-neck sweaters were spotted at the likes of John Smedley and Andy Richardson, while Canterbury of NZ continued to present their signature rugby inspired shirts and hoodied tops.

Blue

In terms of tailoring, unstructured jackets came in a mix of double-faced linen, wool crepe, garment-dye cotton and cotton-silk blends. Blue, whether it be pastel, ocean or navy was spotted throughout Pitti Uomo, updated with contrasting stitching, coloured buttons and patch pockets.

Colour

In a stark contrast to the natural tones of beige, taupe and cream seen throughout the show, injections of colour came in the form of lime green, forest green and red. Block colour is key to the new season, seen at Closed and Farhi by Nicole Farhi, while coloured denim returned once more at Pepe Jeans London.

Weekend bags

Accessories, meanwhile, catered for the travelling man as holdalls and weekend bags sat in and amongst the collections. Leather panelling, straps and finishes gave added gravitas to the products, remaining classically styled.