OK, first a disclaimer. I’ve never been to Pitti Uomo in person. The following thoughts are based on photos I’ve seen and the accounts I’ve read. In case you don’t know, Pitti Uomo bills itself as “This is the world’s most important platform for men’s clothing and accessory collections and for launching new projects in men’s fashion.” It is held twice a year in Florence, Italy (a place I have been to in person and it’s a wonderful city).
The Good
The good part of Pitti Uomo is the trade fair. It’s a place where business is actually conducted. Movers and shakers of men’s fashion determine what you’ll be able to buy in the future.
The Bad and the Ugly
The bad and the ugly parts are the parades of peacocks, the endless spectacle of ridiculously dressed men hoping to be photographed and displayed on your smartphone and computer screens. I believe this gaudy sideshow is bad for men’s fashion. Why?
Let’s face it, there are many men who do not care how they dress, have never heard of Pitti Uomo, couldn’t pronounce it if they had heard of it, and will, in all likelihood, never hear about it. Then there are those men who do care how they look but are not exactly sure how to go about it. They gamely try to dress well. Sometimes, they research the subject and may have actually heard of Pitti Uomo. And if they haven’t, are likely to.
The former are hopeless. The latter are at risk of being damaged by Pitti Uomo’s sideshows. Now imagine you are an aspiring good-dresser. In your reading, you come across Pitti Uomo. You don’t read about the trade show aspect instead, you see the photos of men dressed in circus costumes in every color available in a box of crayons.
What does it mean?
This can have one of two outcomes: It completely turns you off of men’s fashion and you retreat to your supply of t-shirts and scruffy jeans. Or, you somehow come to the conclusion that you must dress the way of the Pitti Uomo peacocks. The first outcome destroys your interest in the way you look. The second outcome leads to ridicule and ultimately to the same result as the first: the abandonment of good sartorial behavior in favor of not caring.
These are my thoughts from the outside looking in. Is Pitti Uomo actually bad for men’s fashion? What do you think?
© 2019 David Biagini, all rights reserved.
