style

Patti Smith & “The infinite”

25 March, 2023

How to make sense of our world and recharge our spirit

Art helps us make sense of the world. It is beauty, in essence. So, we search for it in any form. Patti Smith & “The Infinite” is one of those forms.

You know life is unpredictable. You make your plans, but life makes its own. And so, because of covid, on the 1st of August, we had to miss Patti Smith’s concert in Milano. 

Her music and poetry are a potent blend. And we are sure her performance would have been so beneficial for our souls.

Also, we really appreciate how she redefined the role of female representation in rock music. Indeed, her androgynous outfits are a big inspiration in fashion. Mannish white shirt and blazer, loose necktie, never pretty but pure coolness. Her style is so iconic that she has created a unique aesthetic. 

By the way, as a homage to Italy in Pompei, Rome and Milan, Patti Smith recited the poem: “The infinite” – by Giacomo Leopardi.

Patti Smith reading Giacomo Leopardi

This is the poem in Italian, but you can listen to the English version directly from Patti Smith’s voice – here

L’infinito

«Sempre caro mi fu quest’ermo colle,
e questa siepe, che da tanta parte
dell’ultimo orizzonte il guardo esclude.
Ma sedendo e mirando, interminati
spazi di là da quella, e sovrumani
silenzi, e profondissima quiete
io nel pensier mi fingo, ove per poco
il cor non si spaura. E come il vento
odo stormir tra queste piante, io quello
infinito silenzio a questa voce
vo comparando: e mi sovvien l’eterno,
e le morte stagioni, e la presente
e viva, e il suon di lei. Così tra questa
immensità s’annega il pensier mio:
e il naufragar m’è dolce in questo mare.»

Art, music, and poetry reflect a certain mindset and a specific style. Most importantly, they bring in the beauty we need to make sense of our world. And the peace of mind to get by with life.

In the end, art, music, and poetry are beauty. 
Beauty that heals our souls. 

Hope “L’infinito” will recharge your spirit!

Style and fashion

23 March, 2023

The question is: do they overlap?

Style and fashion are not equivalent concepts, they do not perfectly overlap, yet they may intersect sometimes. Fashion is about trends, so it changes frequently and involves your wallet. In contrast, style is timeless and goes deeper than money.

We happen to hear people say: “I’m not interested in fashion.” And the funny thing is that they say it with a deprecatory tone of voice, perhaps willing to show a kind of superiority.

Maybe those people ignore that everything that surrounds them relates to fashion. And not only clothing or shoes. But also furniture, food, music, technology and so on. Fashion is everywhere.

On the one hand, considering how the fashion industry presents itself these days, that disgusted reaction can be understandable. Yes, they aren’t entirely wrong. But, on the other hand, if we dig deeper and see how they present themselves in detail, in most cases, that attitude just reveals a total lack of style.

You don’t need to follow fashion, but style is another thing.

Style, not fashion

And so, style is the concept to explore, to value more.
Style may have something to do with fashion, but you cannot identify it with fashion. Both are not equivalent concepts, yet they may intersect. Where fashion flaunts, style whispers. By the way, they cross each other less and less frequently.

Style is about gestures and manners. How you speak, how you live and what you wear. It’s about taste, dignity, and choices made with an effortless posture. It’s an elegance of thought reflected outside. In the end, style is about who you are.

Cool style is doing things when other people don’t. Those unconventional choices that your attitude puts into place with ease.

Most importantly, you can buy fashion, but you cannot buy style.

Bukowski: when words are powerful

23 March, 2023

Capturing the essence of style

The essence of style is not easy to describe and to capture in sentences. But there is someone who brilliantly found the perfect words to frame it.

Thanks to Mary Portas, we have discovered the following piece by Charles Bukowski, which, she says, sums up her feelings on Style.
We found it fantastic! And so, we decided to share it here because Bukowski’s sharp words are really perfect.

“Style is the answer to everything,
A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous day,
To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it.
To do a dangerous thing with style, is what I call art.

Bullfighting can be an art.
Boxing can be an art.
Loving can be an art.
Opening a can of sardines can be an art.

Not many have style
Not many can keep style
I have seen dogs with more style than men,
Although not many dogs have style.
Cats have it with abundance.

When Hemingway put his brains to the wall with a shotgun, that was style.
For sometimes people give you style.
Joan of Arc had style.
John the Baptist,
Jesus,
Socrates,
Caesar,
García Lorca.

I have met men in jail with style.
I have met more men in jail with style than men out of jail.
Style is a difference, a way of doing, a way of being done.
Six herons standing quietly in a pool of water, or you, walking
out of the bathroom without seeing me.”

Yes, Bukowski definitely captured the essence of style in such a brilliant way.
And we really adore this piece!

Not only has he left us a great word of art, but this also reminds us of the importance of words in a world full of fake images.

Making the point on style

11 March, 2023

Fashion design & why Japanese fashion

Making the point on style, analysing the international fashion panorama, helps answer the recurring question: why Japanese fashion?

What is our prerequisite

On an international basis, we look for brands who have something to say, present good design and express their vision consistently. And we keep in mind the shift brought in by the pandemic: going to the essence. So we put together a capsule selection of meaningful pieces.
“Less but better” means that there’s a reason for every garment we choose.

A glimpse on international fashion panorama

We are quite perplexed about the designers’ proposals we have seen lately. We noticed that many brands have lowered the bar offering poor quality and meaningless design, also labelled “sustainable.”

Although some brands show beautiful dreamy lines, these have no context in our lifestyle, at least for now. So, we’ll keep an eye on them.

The Italian situation, specifically, requires a deep analysis.
In short, after the demolition of Italian craftsmanship and after production was dislocated to other countries, Italian fashion is not at its best. Many brands have no soul or remain stagnant, offering no evolution. Those who thrive mainly sell the vision of a sexy woman that sounds too status quo.

A point on style - an image of Japanese style by Plantation1982
Plantation1982

What leaves us perplexed is the direction that some international brands, considered the cool ones, are pursuing. If they aim to design a modern style, they repurpose a Japanese aesthetic. And so, the Instagram images are beautiful, but when you analyze the clothing design, the patterns, you can see where the idea comes from. Brands from Italy, the U.K., or North Europe. They have a large following, but all reveal the same specific inputs.

By the way, what we find somehow interesting is that those brands sell even to Japanese stores. The Japanese buy their own aesthetic made by someone else.

The style point: why Japanese fashion?

However, Nippon offered a lot in terms of unconventional and advanced fashion design. The similarity we find among Italian and Japanese culture is the obsessive attention to detail and style. Although it’s ok to get inspiration, from Italian and European brands in general, we do not expect exactly the same Japanese shapes.

So, rather than choosing European brands featuring a Japanese mood, we take the original ones.

The Wide-Leg Pants

17 March, 2023

This week we take the chance to introduce you to another cool piece: The Wide-Leg Pants.
We picked them from Plantation. The attention they put on quality fabrics with a soft hand feel makes them unique.
This trouser is another item that cannot be missed in your wardrobe. Aiming to put together a capsule wardrobe made of quality clothing, items made to last, we pick out only the pieces we really need.

Discover The Wide-Leg Pants

The wide-leg pants, in dark green supima cotton • by Plantation1982
The Wide-Leg Pants
Plantation

Indeed, there is a specific reason for every single garment we select. In this case, fit, comfort, and coolness are the top.

Same as ‘The straight-leg pants’, it’s made of 100% Supima cotton – a soft fabric with an elegant luster like a silk blend. This classic stretch material got renewed: the brushed reverse side makes it comfortable for the Autumn / Winter season.
With its soft stretch and warmth but not too thick hand, you can wear them starting in September when the weather is still warm.

The material is comfortable to wear for its soft texture and shape. The line does not widen too much even if it is wide-leg, and it gives a nice effect of falling.

Coin pockets like jeans add that casual design detail. As it has a glossy feel, it is a piece that plays well with various beautiful styling. From informal to elegant occasions, it will blend well with your garments.

The colour is a calm dark green, with low brightness but high saturation, and it is not too flashy, so it is easy to incorporate as an accent colour.

The composition is: 98% cotton – 2% polyurethane
You can wash this item by hand.

As soon as we receive the pieces we have selected, we check the fit on different body shapes in order to be able to give you the best advice. Yes, it’s because we are obsessed with the perfect fit.

The Wide-leg Pants look good if you are thin, but they suit bigger sizes very well too.

The niche choice

14 March, 2023

When it comes to fashion or lifestyle choices, you have two options: take the most popular brands or search for what’s different. Likewise, you can go on holidays where crowds go or search for your places, out of the beaten path.

Needless to say that we tend to go for the latter. And if you interact with us – in person or through our digital world – you are on the same page. Perhaps, as we did, you have seen everything in fashion, and now you want more.

So we look for what we call niche designers or niche brands.
And it’s not that we don’t like popular brands. Indeed, we could handpick some cool items out of those collections. But, we love to search for something more unique. For a style that is special, and not immediately recognizable. Therefore, more personal.
That style is you.

Key points for our niche choice

What are the keys we use to analyze fashion collections?

Design and style
First, we are attracted by the designer’s viewpoint, what the brand is bringing in. From what we consider a valuable style proposal, we pick out the pieces we like. Which, then, are reviewed from other perspectives to match our quality standards. The construction and fit, how the garment falls. Wearing occasion and materials. The price point.

Timeless aesthetic
We select items that you can wear for a long time. If some pieces recall a fashion trend, it is never too much to make those items seem old the season after. Indeed, our pieces always look fashion-forward.

Seasonless
We tend to select items that you can wear during the whole year long. By layering, you can use them not only during a given season. It avoids fashion cycles and so the ‘buy & toss’ attitude.

Comfortable
Pieces that you can wear on multiple occasions, but you are never out of place.

Of course, a niche selection is not for everyone. But that makes it even more special.

See the difference

13 March, 2023

Being able to see the difference is a way of speaking the same language.

Simplicity goes to the essential. And the essential reveals the real quality.
When design lacks, simplicity is reflected poorly.

Take a basic top, with an essential and clean shape.
Can you see the difference with a garment that apparently looks similar?
Touch it. Can you feel the material?
Wear both. Do you get a sense of the fit?
Can you feel the quality?

Those who are aligned and share our values don’t need many explanations. Indeed, they instantly get the message. We speak the same language. Furthermore, it’s a matter of trust. Indeed, we only select what makes sense.

The ones who are curious sometimes need time to get in. At least, they search for more information. And that point of communication opens a door.

Those who don’t see any difference from one item to another don’t have the sensibility to go further. Thus, they do not align with our vision of the world. The language is not the same. In that case, there is no connection.

But there’s no need to connect with everyone. Or to be liked by everyone.

A small aligned audience is enough.

Timeless: a mindful buying approach

11 March, 2023

Why now?

Timeless is a concept that has become quite popular in fashion nowadays. Why? And most of all, why now? Let’s dig deeper into this.

Timeless fashion – just as timeless design in general – refers to classic pieces: items conceived and made to last. But it also includes those pieces that feature such an innovative design that even after many years, they are still forward, always relevant. Evergreen, indeed. Those pieces end up being copied by other brands who feed themselves on the creativity of more advanced designers. And, if your eyes are a little bit trained, you can see where the inspiration of these items comes from.

Timeless fashion

Why now?
Now that the system has collapsed, we seek out ways to survive. Timeless is a good strategy because it gives worth back to clothing and its production system. Also, it opens us up to a more thoughtful way of consumption.

Timeless tells you to buy less but better. It is the opposite of disposable clothing, and the opposite of fast fashion.

However, we always promoted a vision of style that was more than consuming fashion trends quickly. And we did this from the very beginning of suite123, about fifteen years ago.
We mainly selected clothes having a certain stylistic content, never banal, with a good design, and made from beautiful materials. In fact, that is the essence of timelessness: items you can wear forever.

Now we are even more concentrated on this approach. Given the situation we are in, we firmly believe it is a mindful and appropriate choice.

The investment is higher, but it’s the only way to have clothes that last for a long time. A very long time if you treat them carefully. Timeless fashion is one of the steps we need to take to reduce our impact on the planet.

Awareness, sustainability and style

11 March, 2023

How they are connected

Awareness, sustainability and style are somehow connected.

Creating awareness through style is the way we pursue sustainability and make a change. When you become self-aware, you dress in a specific way and pay attention to what you buy, how you act. Indeed, through your style, you communicate a message.

We mainly refer to fashion, although this concept applies to any activity that involves design: technology, furniture, lighting, pottery, architecture, art and all layers of our lifestyle.

You may have seen that sustainable brands are now blooming everywhere, so much that you have the impression of living in a wonderful world. In fact, the attention to this topic is so huge. The sense of caring stands out. But let’s dig deeper into what happens for real.

Sustainable brands

The majority of sustainable brands start their new projects simply to match the current marketing requests. Perhaps they wouldn’t sell or get attention without that magic label.
But there’s no regulation on this matter. And even if some certificates provided by the suppliers may exist, it’s easy to imagine what would happen.

Anyhow, by selecting only one eco-friendly material, they enter the universe of sustainable brands. For sure, someone will applaud them. By the way, the game is so easy that it’s worth giving it a try.

The result is a brand labelled as sustainable that, to be honest, is everything but sustainable. The umpteenth brand on the market, on an overcrowded, overpopulated, almost exploding panorama.

And so, creating awareness through style we can understand more about sustainability.

Now let’s be clear, the best way of being sustainable for a brand that shows a poor design, and doesn’t communicate any concept or any added value, is not doing it. That’s it.

Please, don’t do it. We don’t need more brands. We need better brands.