My sun-dappled dome of a forehead bears testament to what has been a wonderful Summer.
Highlights for me were post-surfing pints of cider in Cornwall and bezzing around the coves of Corfu in a speedboat, with only lunch and lashings of assyrtiko white wine on the agenda.
On the work front, I’ve made hay whilst the sun has shined and it’s now the countdown to Christmas.
As the North wind doth blow, the Michelsberg mankini must now be put in mothballs but there is still much to look forward to.
A veal wellington and glass of claret at Sous Le Nez, always tasting so much the better when the rain is lashing against the windows.
That first log fire at home on a Sunday, feet up, book in hand, the tinkle of ice against a crystal tumbler of Angel’s Envy bourbon.
In the film “The Gentleman” is the line, “For every look there is a season, and for every season a strategy.”
When the mercury drops in Naples, our espresso sipping counterparts won’t be scootering off to Mountain Warehouse to buy discounted fleeces and puffa jackets.
Their look might appear thrown together but in practice is given as much thought as the naming of their children.
The strategy is buying fewer things but of a higher quality, and layering these complimentary garments alongside beautiful accessories.
This is the time for soft woollen cloths and noble fibres like cashmere to shine, made up into enormous scarves, stylish knitwear, tailored jackets and overcoats that swish with all the splendour of a peacock’s tail.
They’ll have sunglasses, pocket squares, fur-lined gloves spilling out of their ‘barchetta’ out breast pockets; a travel bag crafted using the most beautifully distressed leather, aloofly slung over an unstructured shoulder.
Clothing to an Italian man is more than a means to keep dry and warm.
It is a religion, a passion, an art, something to take delight in and savour.
If you want some inspiration, check out photos of the January menswear show Pitti Uomo in Florence, where the best dressed men in the world congregate to flaunt their wears.
It’s a masterclass of confidence, creativity and sartorial flair.
Back in my home town of Otley, as the Chevin is enveloped by brooding skies and drizzle, the high street is less Rubinacci and more Millets chic.
Try and give a stranger a kiss on both cheeks in The Otley Tavern and you’ll get blood down your Brunello Cucinelli gilet, but the hot pork pies at Weegmanns beat any bowl of spaghetti alla puttanesca.
My Autumn / Winter bunches from my Neapolitan cloth merchant Ariston have just landed, and as I’ve delivered the majority of wedding suit orders for 2024, I’ve now time to channel my inner Giacomo, and treat myself to some new Winter clobber.
When the first frost hits the ground, that soft caress of a new pair of flannel trousers against my diminutive calf muscles will be a beautiful thing.
I feel the cold more and more each year so will take particular delight in further double-breasted numbers; perhaps one in wool-cashmere, another in a baby alpaca blend and finally, for that Boogie Nights vibe, one in Corduroy.
Even dressing down now holds serious pleasure for me, as I can get high on my own supply of Michelsberg made-to-measure knitwear, produced in Umbria.
I’m a delicate little flower with sensitive skin and can even find virgin merino wool a bit itchy, so I’ll be tucking into my cashmere & silk collection.
There are some new styles on offer, including a roll neck with “ribbed collar, hem an cuffs ” (presumably designed for increased pleasure?) and a new chunky knit cardigan with shawl collar, to go alongside my staple V-necks and long sleeve polo shirts.
On the chino front, it’s soft moleskin and ultra-fine corduroys; for casual trousers, a new ‘Jersey blend’ of wool, lyocell and cashmere, made softer by a semi brushed finish, and for a vintage feel, some new Japanese densely woven gaberdine cloths with a resilient, stiff, dry handle.
Hands up, there is serious damage potential to any man’s credit card at Michelsberg Tailoring.
Tweeds, tux’s, velvet dinner jackets, P-coats, Car Coats, Overcoats, (did I mention coats?) are all for the taking and your tailor’s warm embrace and a glass of Scotch is never far away.
Retail therapy always has it’s place and there is so much joy ahead – comfort food, warm ale, ski trips, Winter swells, black tie events, runs along frosty trails, long soaks in the bath, Bonfire Night with cigars and a fire pit.
Clambering into my Fiat 500 electric this morning, I slid the roof back with a smile on my face.
Chilly but with bright blue skies, I raised the collar of my Michelsberg trench coat, fired up Antonello Venditti’s ‘Grazie Roma’ on Spotify and slipped on my sunglasses.
James Michelsberg might live in Yorkshire but his heart is never far from the Tyrrhenian sea.
Ciao amici miei!
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