The Best of Pitti Uomo Street Style 2023
While it’s more trade show than fashion week, the Fall/Winter 2023-2024 menswear shows kick off this week at the 103rd edition of Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy.
Traditionally associated with tailoring and classical menswear, Pitti Uomo has, in recent years, seen a shift — first towards more heritage styles and, then (like the rest of the fashion world) to more streetwear adjacent styles — both in the booths and on the piazzas inside and outside of the show.
This is the first Pitti Uomo since January 2020 that feels somewhat “normal”, with throngs of buyers, press and exhibitors from around the world flocking to Florence, after numbers had dwindled in recent editions as a result of travel restrictions.
On the street, there’s also a sense that Pitti Uomo 103 represents a return to normal, at least in Pitti terms, with noticeably less streetwear than at any point since 2017. In its stead, fair-goers have opted for more tailoring and tailoring-adjacent pieces — turtlenecks, neckties, silk scarves, sport coats, balmacaan coats. The footwear, too, has seen a drop-off in trendier sneakers, with timeless court silhouettes, boots and hard-bottomed shoes preferred.
Pitti has often been a playground for colourful expression. And, in that respect, the looks on the street stand in stark contrast to previous editions. The most noticeable on-street trend in Florence this January is the relative absence of bold pops of colours. There have been yellow and purple sweaters, blue and red coats and the occasional vibrant accessory, but, on the whole, it’s been more muted tones of brown, grey, navy blue, beige, and olive green that have made up the dominant colour palette.