There are some people who would describe their current style as slovenly. If you are one of those adherents, then we suggest you now step away from those slouch-inducing sweatpants and oversized sweaters. Your aspiration for spring should be sprezzatura, an Italianate nonchalance most effectively achieved through investment in appearance-uplifting, lightweight suiting.
Men’s suits for spring: the post-pandemic transition piece
Jacket, part of a suit, £3,720, by Brunello Cucinelli
Think of the springtime suit as a post-pandemic transition piece, sitting serendipitously between the sportswear silhouettes of your lockdown wardrobe, and the stiff, starch-filled tailoring of your former office-bound existence. Look to subtly oversized proportions that have a laidback lilt, easy unlined silhouettes and fabrics that welcome the warmer weather.
RELATED STORY
As we ease gently back into the outdoors, it’s only natural to feel the pull of organic tones, such as chestnut, honey and walnut. At Ermenegildo Zegna, artistic director Alessandro Sartori has looked to the hues of the label’s Oasi Zegna nature reserve, in the Biella Alps in northern Italy, for inspiration, while at Jil Sander, softer silhouettes have been imagined in slate, caramel and sky blue.
For those keen to emerge from lockdown with a more exuberant energy, we recommend offsetting that spirit with an insouciant stance, hands shrugged into loose trouser pockets. Turn your attention to Bottega Veneta’s bouclé suiting, which is striking in its textural fabrication. There’s another winning adjective for your new season style glossary.
Jacket, £1,490; trousers, £590, both by Jil Sander by Lucie and Luke Meier
Jacket, £2,420, by Loro Piana ‘Black, White & Sun Yellow Kinetic Sculpture’, £9,000, by Daniel Reynolds, from The New Craftsmen
Jacket, £2,750; trousers, £1,280, both by Bottega Veneta. Boots, £945, by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Blue Glass Five Piece Mobile II’, £5,400, by Daniel Reynolds, from The New Craftsmen
INFORMATION
This article appears in the May 2021 issue Wallpaper*, available to download
-
A revamped Edinburgh apartment combines Californian-style modernism with modern craftArcher + Braun have transformed an apartment in a historic house with finely tuned contemporary additions and sympathetic attention to detail
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
Gingerbread City: architects sculpt London out of the season's favourite treatUntil December 29 in Chelsea, see London brought to life in a seasonal-appropriate medium by leading architects and designers
-
Giant cats, Madonna wigs, pints of Guinness: seven objects that tell the story of fashion in 2024These objects tell an unconventional story of style in 2024, a year when the ephemera that populated designers’ universes was as intriguing as the collections themselves
-
How 2024 brought beauty and fashion closer than ever before2024 was a year when beauty and fashion got closer than ever before, with runway moments, collaborations and key launches setting the scene for 2025 and beyond
-
Loafer bags to sock shoes, 2024 was all about the mashed-up accessoryWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss reflects on the rise of the surreal hybrid accessory in 2024, a trend which reflects the disorientating nature of contemporary living – where nothing is quite what it seems
-
The wait is over: Matthieu Blazy is Chanel’s new creative directorMatthieu Blazy has been appointed as the new artistic director at Chanel, after a critically lauded and commercially successful tenure as creative director of Bottega Veneta
-
Bottega Veneta drafts Venetian artisans for its unique ‘Bottega for Bottegas’ project, a gift list of local craftItalian fashion house Bottega Veneta has sought out six craftspeople from in and around Venice to create precious objects – from playing cards to jigsaw puzzles – which arrive just in time for festive gift-giving
-
Fashionable Christmas baubles to accessorise this year’s tree, from Bottega Veneta to LoeweSelected by the Wallpaper* style team, a gleaming array of Christmas baubles for fashion fans featuring fantastical designs from Bottega Veneta, Loewe, Prada and more
-
A rare conversation with Jil Sander as she releases her career-spanning monograph, ‘Jil Sander by Jil Sander’Jil Sander tells Wallpaper* the story behind her new monograph, a kaleidoscopic journey through her collections designed by Irma Boom
-
Bottega Veneta’s latest must-have accessory is a giant Richard Scarry children’s bookBottega Veneta has recreated Richard Scarry’s seminal 1985 children’s book ‘Biggest Word Book Ever’ in woven leather, alongside a playful capsule of accessories inspired by the American author’s picture books
