Pitti Uomo 105: Interviews & Menswear Outfits Galore!

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As big fans of menswear, we went to this year’s Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy, to witness what is considered the biggest stage for men’s fashion, showcasing fine creations by designers and brands. At the event, we met interesting and stylish men, who we think looked dapper and classic!

Niklas Hoppe (@vintagebursche)

[Jack] Okay, we’re here with Niklas; otherwise, Vintage Bursche on YouTube and Instagram, and tell us, what are you wearing today?

[Niklas] I’m wearing something very different from the last two days at Pitti, which was more like formal, high stiff collar. Today is the workwear day. I’m wearing black semi-brogue derby boots; black corduroy trousers that I made myself, very high-waisted with braces, of course; a thrifted turtleneck, but a very like workwear, rough one; a black denim jacket with fake fur at the collar, which is something I really, really like; an elbsegler, like a mariners cap from Germany; and of course, my camera bag that is basically an upcycled suit jacket. This was the sleeve. I needed a bag that is smaller for my smaller camera. So, that’s what I’m wearing today.

Niklas Hoppe

[Jack] The workwear look, is it something that you feel people forget: that vintage fashion is not just formal fashion? 

[Niklas] Yeah, maybe. I mean, I do live comfortable at home, and I don’t… Actually, I’m in IT. I work from home basically all the time, and I don’t wear a three-piece suit when I’m sitting in front of the PC. This is actually something I would wear at home, or I’m wearing at home. And, I mean, people wore clothing at home 100 years ago as well. Or I don’t know… Especially the turtleneck sometimes reminds me of dock workers, so you don’t just have the formal wear, of course. And yeah, maybe people sometimes forget, especially those are that are into the the very structured British way of things. So, yeah.

[Jack] So what got you into the—what—1910s, 1920s aesthetic?

[Naklas] Oh, that’s a long story! I started live-action roleplaying when I was 15. Basically, the fantasy medieval stuff, which is also the reason why I started sewing things myself. And, you know, you have to do some research, historical research for that. That got me into that part. Then, I joined a student fraternity when I started studying Computer Science at university and the house of the student fraternity was built in the 1920s. You have a lot of portraits of young men in very sharp clothing from, you know, late-19th century to the 1920s, and to today. That was really inspiring, and at some point, I thought, “I  think this is more my vibe,” and started to dress like that, to make the clothes myself. Just how I like them.

[Jack] Very nice. Okay, so the old portraits within the house?

[Niklas] Yes, exactly.

19th Century menswear inspiration

[Jack] Did you identify because you felt that they were of a similar age to you?

[Niklas] Yeah, they were basically. Because the portraits were made when they were students at the university like I was when I, you know, first entered the house and lived there for quite a while. So, yeah, that was really inspiring.

[Jack] Something aspirational?

[Niklas] In some sense, yeah. I mean, I really don’t want to live in the past at all, but sometimes, the clothing and the interior design, let’s say, that is something I would like to go back to because it’s a lot more, you know there’s a lot more detail and a lot more conscious design decisions than those like concrete blocks and everything so simple and comfy design things that you have today.

[Jack] Yeah, for sure what things about your style are you most proud of? 

@vintagebursche IG post wearing an Inverness cape he made

[Niklas] That probably has to be all the things I make myself. On Tuesday, I, for example, wore an Inverness cape, which is something I made, and it’s so cool that people come up to you, and you know, “Love the cape,” and you can say, “Well, I made that.” That’s so I just love that! Also, there are positive vibes here in Florence. Just, you know, so many people that are into the same stuff, and then getting those compliments. And yeah, again, it’s really surprising for most because, as much as I love the classic menswear bubble scene, sewing yourself is not that common.

[Jack] No, it’s not. For sure, I don’t think there are many people at Pitti Uomo have actually held a needle and thread. There’s a huge level of interest in the clothing, but actually trying to make something yourself is a different game for sure.

[Niklas] Which is cool because you do need a lot of time to get into things and understand how things are constructed; the tools you need and that’s this kind of stuff, but for me it’s cool because you can really surprise people when you say, “I made that.” And, today, also a very special moment for me because one of the attendees here bought our sewing book and wanted me to sign the sewing book. So, that’s also very, you know, I’m really proud of the book, and you know, that it got so much attention. That’s really nice.

Sewing Vintage Menswear

This book contains tutorials and patterns for knickerbockers, detachable collars, shirt, waistcoats, and more – 1920s style. It also includes brief characterizations of each piece and photos depicting its fashionable usage.

[Jack] That’s nice! Congratulations! And is the book still available?

[Niklas] The English version is still available. I think we have like 100 copies left, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. But, the German book, we started with that, it’s already gone like for one and a half years or something. So, yeah, and we’re really happy with that, but we probably won’t do a reprint because it’s so niche. I mean, it’s 1920’s menswear.

[Jack] And is it just inspiration or have you got sewing patterns in there?

[Niklas] There’s actual manuals on how to sew things. You have a big pattern sheets for everything. There are no jackets inside, but you know, you have a morning gown, trousers, a shirt, spats, knickerbockers. Basically, everything you need, except jackets, when you want to build a vintage wardrobe around the 1920s. So, yeah! 

The Sewing Vintage Menswear book contains actual manuals on how to sew things.

[Jack] Excellent! And would you say it’s easy to make the things in the in the book or does it require a bit of care and attention?

[Niklas] You shouldn’t be an absolute beginner, but there are some things in there. For example, the spats, or I think, we have a baker cap and a flat cap, which are good projects if you’re starting with the book before you do something like the morning gown or the trousers or something. 

[Jack] Very nice! Awesome! Thank you!

[Niklas] My pleasure!

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Osman Adbul Razak (@osmanabdulrazak)

[Raphael] Hi there! How are you? Can you tell us who you are and what your Instagram handle is?

[Osman] @osmanabdulrazak. I’m from India. I’m a tailor based out of India, South. I keep coming to Pitti for the last three years now. Every season. So, we are in Pitti 105, Autumn-Winter. I’m doing natural colors, all cashmere. We have browns, shades of browns, a little pink both with the bag and the shoes.

Osman Adbul Razak

[Raphael] So, walk me through your jacket. The fabric is all cashmere, you say?

[Osman] It’s all cashmere. So, it’s a herringbone pattern. It has three colors. It has a little bit of orange, fuchsia in it, and a natural brown; and what I did is like a sahariana for it. So, it’s easy,  little drape on the trousers, a nice fold, and I have a cashmere sweater on. Shoes is the brand that I own. It’s Southside, me and another friend own it out of India. It’s called Southside. So, we’ve done Belgian loafers in box calf and dressy shoes. So, I wanted to pair it with the bag. So, the bag is an intrecciato. Glasses are TVR, vintage, in a brown tortoise. 

Dresden Ramos (@dapper_tenor)

[Raphael] Hello, Dresden!

[Dresden] Hi!

[Raphael] Lovely to meet you, could you please share with us your Instagram handle?

[Dresden] Yes, my Instagram is @dapper_tenor, like the the singer, tenor.

Dresden Ramos

[Raphael] Nice! All right! Tell me more about your outfit. 

[Dresden] It’s my second day, technically in Pitti Uomo now. So, I tried to go for like a more relaxed casual look. So, I have this leather safari jacket by Oscar Jacobson from Copenhagen, Sweden, and then I have this very thick vest. It’s a Stenströms.

[Raphael] Stenströms, Swedish, with like mother of pearl buttons in grey.

[Dresden] Exactly, and yesterday, they hosted a gala dinner. I sang there because I work as an opera singer. It’s my full-time job. The turtleneck is also from Stenströms, yeah. The scarf is from Lardini. Yes. I’m wearing white flannel trousers from Cavo, very rare Gucci loafers in crocodile that I got in Venice. My socks are beige and light blue to complement a bit my scarf.

[Raphael] What brand?

[Dresden] From Lardini. I wore this antique amber bracelet. I got it from Santorini. Quite unique because it’s not the usual orange. It’s more green. And then, also a ring with a pattern.

[Raphael] The Greek key, right?

[Dresden] Exactly, yeah. And then this is, as you know, the Exaequo Salvador Dali Softwatch in ostrich leather that I set the time in my home country to just be reminded about it.

[Raphael] Which is the Philippines, right?

[Dresden] Exactly! And the sunglasses are Dolce & Gabbana.

Sunglasses Guide for Men

Shaban Ali (@_shaban.ali_)

[Shaban] So, my name is Shaban Ali. I am from Glasgow, Scotland. My Instagram is @_shaban.ali_ with an underscore at the start and the end.

[Raphael] When I met you first, you came to me, and you were like, “You changed my life!” Tell me more about that. 

Shaban Ali

[Shaban] So, I first got into tailoring and classic menswear by YouTube. Literally exposure to videos. Because I think I knew I was badly dressed and I wanted to change that, so I was starting to look around around and search for videos about menswear and how to dress better and the combinations. So, for me, it was an educational thing where I ran into your channel and your videos, and I quickly became hooked and I started to watch video after video after video, and I became fascinated with just wanting to learn as much as possible because I fell in love with tailoring.

[Raphael] Wonderful! Are you a tailor today?

[Shaban] Today, no, I work in specialty coffee. Honestly, actually, I just have a love for tailoring. The journey, the story is I watched a lot of gangster movies set in the 1920s and the 30s, and that was my initial exposure to menswear. And I thought, “Why don’t people dress like this anymore? What happened to all these colors and textures that man used to wear?” Now, it’s really boring, so I fell in love. And then I went to YouTube I was like, “I need to find out more,” and this is where we are. It started with yourself.

Today, I am wearing a vintage suit from the 1970s, which I got in a vintage shop and I had it tailored just a little bit. It’s a very thick, kind of nice cozy wool. And I’m wearing my vintage python leather cowboy boots from Mexico, and I’m wearing a vintage belt also from Mexico. It’s a classic kind of Native American style. I thought it went with the Western vibe I’m going for.

The shirt I picked up last minute actually, a week before I came here. It’s a vintage. I believe 70s, I could be wrong. This is the kind of fabric where you can almost see through it, and it’s got this crazy kind of lapel. This kind of really cool collar that sits over the top.

My turtleneck is actually the only piece that is not vintage I got this from Massimo Dutti. Nice and simple staple piece. The necklace, I got from Croatia on a holiday many years ago, and the hat is another vintage piece I got from a from a shop in Glasgow.

So, my sunglasses are actually from a good friend who I met in Pitti a few years ago. His brand is called Massimio, and it’s just a thick bold frame, which I think finishes off the hat. It’s very bold vibe.

[Raphael] 70s vibe! Great!

[Shaban] Yeah, definitely the vibes.

Pros and Cons of Buying Vintage Clothing

Aaron Jiménez (@LaBuenaHechura)

[Aaron] I’m Aaron Jiménez. I’m from Mexico City, and my Instagram account is @LaBuenaHechura.

[Raphael] Tell me more about your outfit.

[Shaban] Of course. Well, everything in the outfit is handmade by Mexican artisans, in the outer part is from a Mexican tailor, a woman tailor called La Mano de Faty, and it’s an … for first time in my life, heavy wool with cashmere because finally I can use it.

Aaron Jiménez

[Raphael] Normally, in Mexico, you’ll never need it.

[Aaron] No, never. I use only hopsack and linen. So, for me, it’s beautiful to use heavy fabrics because they drape differently, and I love how they drape now. In the lower part, there is a trousers from a Mexican tailor called Luis Vasquez, and the the socks are also made in Mexico. I can’t remember the sock maker.

All the jewelry in this part of the hand is from my own brand of silver jewelry, and this one are vintage on the other hand. The shirt is from a shirt maker in Guadalajara called Herrera. The ascot is vintage, the scarf is vintage, and the only thing that is not Mexican is the loafers. They are Spanish.

Louis Chen (@funk_gb)

[Raphael] What’s your name, where are you from, and what’s your Instagram handle?

[Louis] My name is Louis Chen from Taiwan, and my Instagram name is @funk_gb. 

[Raphael] Nice! You have a wonderful outfit on today. Please tell us more about it.

Louis Chen

[Louis] So, the jacket is actually a velvet jacket. You know, I want to do it more. You know, not only for dinner but also actually as a normal daily wear, so I tend to make it as a… not double-breasted, single-breasted. But, tonight, actually we’re going to have a good dinner get-together Black Tie, so I’m going to wear this one, and the fabric is from Smith Woollens. So, it’s arranged by the head of our sartorial club, so I got this fabric and made it in Asia so [it] fits me excellent, so I really love this jacket.

My trouser is actually a corduroy trouser, which are actually made in Taiwan, and I don’t know actually where the fabric’s from, but this actually shows up in the tailor so I just took it and it’s very nice. It’s a little bit stretch.

My sweater today is actually from a men’s shop in Japan called The Suit Company. It’s a white turtleneck. You know, just very stereotype turtleneck sweater. Yeah, like that, and my hat is actually from UK. It’s called City Sports.

[Raphael] Classic newsboy cap.

[Louis] Yeah, man, I love it because I always buy from them. Not only the newsboy but also the their, you know flat cap, that kind of thing, and the fabric they choose is always, you know, top quality. Tweeds and herringbone fabric, like that, yeah.

[Raphael] And your scarf?

[Louis] My scarf, I just purchased here. You know, just down on the street, and I thought it’s beautiful, so I purchased it. And it looks pretty good with my kind of white theme today, you know, like that.

[Raphael] And then your gloves?

[Louis] Actually, it’s also from The Suit Company, but I found out actually, even for this, it’s not enough. In here, still very cold. The shoes are actually from a Spanish maker called Ana Martin. So, they make female pumps, but they also make, you know, the Opera pumps and also slipper like this. And the good thing about this one is actually the the bow is switchable, so there’s a clip on there. So, you can order additional different colors of the bow and you can click it down. 

[Raphael] Nice! Wonderful! Well, thank you so much!

Austin Robertson (@GentlemansAvenue)

[Austin] Well, my name is Austin Robertson. I’m from Fortworth, Texas, and my Instagram handle is @GentlemansAvenue. Today, I’m wearing, you know, my brand, of course. So, I work at a shop in Arlington, Texas, and of course, wanted to represent the brand but represent my aesthetic and style, too.

Austin Robertson

So, this is a beautiful woolen cashmere jacket. It’s actually a vintage cloth that I sent off to my maker, and tattersall Winchester shirt. I love, you know, the cocktail cuffs, too. Just a gray pair of trousers, and we’ll show it a little bit later, but some purple shoes that my friend hand painted. He does a great patina work so I wanted to represent him here. So, this is actually a tie from one of our vendors, Edward Armah. This is actually kind of a special tie. It’s not woven; it’s actually printed, but it looks like a weave, and I wanted to go all purple and gray today because, you know, purple can be a little bold, but I felt, you know, with the gray bowler, the pants, and everything together, it would kind of tone everything down, so a little bit of both sides.

The Mans Shop

The Man’s Shop

An independent men’s clothing shop located in Downtown Arlington, Texas that has been spiffing up since 1972.

So, I’ve recently gotten into bowlers. I had long hair last year and I wanted to get into hats. I knew that I wanted to do short hair with hats but I couldn’t find the style. So, I started wearing a bowler hat, and the first time I put this on, it just worked. So, it was a find from eBay for like $50, and I’m planning on getting one made pretty soon.

So, this is a signet ring from James Avery. I used to work there a long time ago. All handmade in Texas which is beautiful. This is my wedding ring. This was custom-made. A cool little story on it was I wanted two-tone because I wear a little bit of silver, but predominantly gold, so whenever I wore silver, I wanted it to complement well. Well, the style of the band right here in the middle is the same style as my father’s ring. So, the jeweler said the vendor that they worked with, this is one of one. So, they love the style so much, they put it in their line which I thought was super cool. And I love Tank watches so this is just a uh two-tone face, Seiko with a black band.

Arthur Magnin (@_art_of_style)

[Arthur] I’m Arthur. I am from Paris, and my user tag is @_art_of_style on Instagram, and I’m also on YouTube.

[Raphael] Wonderful! Yesterday you wore this kind of purplish suit.

[Arthur] I think the trend is much into soft tailoring. So, I made the safari suit with a safari jacket, unconstructed, and it was in a plum tweed fabric. So this was very nice. The trousers were a bit too long, so I have to go to the tailor for adjustment.

Arthur Magnin

So, I’m very much into vintage, and for my first Pitti, I wanted to bring this. So, for today, I have a vintage shearling jacket. I bought it from a very old, distinguished gentleman on vintage, and they took exquisite care of it, so I’m very, very glad because this kind of jacket in vintage tends to be very dry. So I’m very happy to have gotten it in good condition and quite cheap.

So, my hat is actually a beanie from Le Bonnet, Amsterdam, and it is, I think, Angora. So, a bit of sustainable Angora and wool. This is a silk scarf, which is also vintage, with a floral pattern in brown, blue, a bit of red. The sweater is also vintage from Pendleton, and it’s a very, very thick because I’ve learned from yesterday that it can get quite cold in Florence at this time of year. This is where we stop with the vintage.

I’m wearing a Berg & Berg belt with these made-to-measure trousers from Aspen Clothing. They’re a clothing  brand in Paris. And my shoes are a commando, Norwegian-welt, Chelsea boots with a suede cuff from Septieme Largeur.

[Raphael] Okay, nice!

[Arthur] And my bag is actually also a vintage find, which I bought in Florence, actually about 2 years ago. My watch is actually an Omega Seamaster from 1966, and I’m very fond of it. My ring, this one is from Studebaker. I think it was a gift for my lovely girlfriend, and this one is from Gudule in France, in Paris. They sell rings at weight.

Whose style is your favorite at Pitti Uomo 105? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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