The indefinable but unmistakably Italian look of tailored nonchalance is tastefully and imaginatively epitomized, we feel, by our showcased trio of fashion discoveries on this and the following pages: the elegantly unorthodox four-button spectator sports suit with vertical front pockets, the tropically awning-striped dinner jacket with self-covered buttons, and the rugged coarse-weave beige cotton pullover shirt with color-coordinated slacks.
(concluded on page 117) three fashion finds (continued from page 59)
Impeccably correct for resort wear around the globe, both summer and winter, the spectator suit (while uniquely atypical in toto) incorporates many elements of the current Continental mode in sportswear: longer jackets, extending three or four inches below the sleeve end; natural shoulders; narrow lapels; fitted chestlines; gentle waist suppression; slightly fuller sleeves than in recent seasons; cuffed trousers (though business and evening suits remain cuffless) and highly individual detailing. The ascot-accented silk sport shirt, Roman-striped to match the jacket lining, reflects the bold-striped shirt influence which dominates both leisure and business wear on the Continent, and exemplifies the kind of subtle style detail which has made Italy a fountainhead of worldwide fashion design for discriminating men.
The circus-striped silk jacket, a formalized adaptation of the popular American blazer, can be worn both at sporty and semiformal functions. Available in a spectrum-spanning selection of muted and uninhibited shades, fitted with three self-covered buttons for a custom-tailored touch, and worn in coordination with meticulously matched ascot, open-collared shirt and solid-color slacks, these jackets have created a new look of studied informality in resort wear which promises to make the leisure scene in a big way this season both in America and abroad.
Our featured bulky-weave pullover shirt, spotted on the strand at Rapallo, is one of a rich assortment of increasingly esteemed Italian sport shirts in coarse-woven fibers. The monochromatic beige theme of this handsome shirt and slack outfit sets the tone for this year's Riviera styles. From hat to shoes, shades of tan, beige and straw -- accented with a soupçon of crimson, purple, cerulean and gold -- enliven the resort wardrobe with what might accurately be termed venturesome understatement.
