‘Timeless style’. If you read menswear blogs or magazines, you’ll have come across these two words before. They might sound like industry buzzwords, but embedded into these three syllables is as good a piece of style advice as you’ll ever get.
Essentially, timeless style equates to an aesthetic that looks chic and sophisticated no matter your age or the direction the contemporary fashion winds are blowing. It transcends generations. It’s why we still look to the likes of James Dean, Paul Newman, Alain Delon and Steve McQueen as style icons – because what they wore over half a century ago still looks refined today.
Sounds pretty simple, but try finding a wardrobe that would look equally good on a 25-year-old as a 55-year-old.
At the core of timeless style are some pretty simple tenets: excellent fabrics, classic silhouettes, an understated palette, and that elusive Italian skill, sprezzatura – the art of making elegance look effortless.
There’s one brand that has made this style of dressing its raison d’etre, and it’s called Luca Faloni. Great cuts, a sartorial mindset applied with nonchalant European flair, and superb premium fabrics underpin Faloni’s approach to menswear. As a result, its garments reach the zenith we’re looking for—timelessness.
Therefore, we’ve curated some of our favourite garments from the new Luca Faloni collection that will bolster your outfits with exactly the kind of chic timelessness that you need to become an icon of menswear in your own life.
10 Capsule Wardrobe Essentials for Autumn/Winter
Brushed Cotton Shirt
As the summer recedes and you transition away from your favourite linen shirts, the autumn months usher in the need for a warmer, slightly heavier fabric. Cue the brushed cotton shirt.
What immediately strikes you about this fabric is the textural nap, or in other words, the ever-so-slightly furry handle that feels so nice against the skin, but also lends your looks some tactility.
Faloni’s brushed cotton shirts are crafted in Italy with cotton from Grandi & Rubinelli and feature a bold one-piece ‘Paramontura’ collar and Mother-of-Pearl buttons.
They come in both slim and regular fits, with the former perfect if you like layering with relaxed tailoring, while the latter is great for wearing more casually.
Denim Shirt
The denim shirt originally started life as a blue-collar garment, treasured by Midwest railroad workers for its ruggedness. It became an icon of Americana and is still one of the most ubiquitous garments in menswear today.
But it has also evolved along with the quality of denim fabrics, as evidenced by Luca Faloni’s elevated iterations of this classic. Faloni produces a number of different refined denim styles, all of which are made in Northern Italy using cloth from the renowned Albini Mill.
Available in both slim and regular styles, they’re a really useful garment for dressing down tailoring or adding a subtle textural finish to a preppy look.
Long-Sleeve Knitted Polo
Knitted polos have exploded in recent years, perhaps due to a more relaxed approach to sartorialism, which has seen the shirt and tie make way for casually tailored outfits.
The knitted long-sleeve polo delivers texture, tactility and a much softer, sportier collared aesthetic. Faloni’s iterations are some of the best we’ve found, not only in style and fit but also in the fabrics they’re composed of – namely, two-ply cashmere and silk-cashmere blends.
Fine gauge, lightweight and perfectly cut, they make for an ideal smart-casual layer come autumn and winter. The range of understated tones means they will work with literally everything in your wardrobe, too.
Suede Jacket
As transitional jackets go, they don’t get much more sophisticated than the suede jacket. If the black leather jacket was born to ride, then the suede jacket found its calling as a flaneur, strolling around looking impossibly cool.
Luca Faloni’s goatskin leather bomber is a beautiful example of artisanal craft rendered in a modern, laid-back silhouette. Handcrafted in Veneto and finished with pure cashmere details, it is a stunning contemporary bomber and comes in two versatile colours: navy and hazelnut brown.
If there was ever an investment piece to raise the bar on your timeless wardrobe, it’s this.
Cotton Pique Shirt
While many contemporary brands have opted for boxy oversized silhouettes in their shirt collections, they don’t tick the ‘timeless’ box. A great timeless shirt should flatter the figure, which is exactly what Luca Faloni’s Siena cotton piqué shirts achieve.
Every wardrobe should have at its core a crisp white shirt that can lend itself to a wide variety of aesthetics all across the smart-casual spectrum, and Faloni’s cotton piqué style is a testament to this.
Crafted in Bergamo with a subtle diamond texture to aid crease-resistance, it’s incredibly comfortable and, thanks to the cutaway collar, can be worn with tailoring or a more laid-back outfit.
The shirt also comes in a wealth of neutral tones, such as sage green, chocolate brown, light blue and peach.
Medium Weight Chinos
The glue that sticks all preppy and timeless wardrobes together, cotton chinos are all things to all men. Whereas you might have been wearing lightweight cotton or linen styles throughout the summer, now is the time to transition to a midweight cotton fabric to adjust to the changing weather conditions.
Crafted in a beautiful cotton twill in northern Italy, Luca Faloni’s chinos feature a classic tapered cut with a slim fit and a slight stretch for additional comfort.
Cut with a mid-rise, these chinos are definitely on the smarter end of the spectrum. The details reinforce this, such as a triple-horn button closure, an internal waistband to keep your shirt neatly tucked in and a central fastener to secure your belt.
Smart-Casual Polo Shirt
Once merely a sporting garment, the traditional short-sleeve polo shirt has evolved new iterations for a smarter audience, not least the Luca Faloni customer.
Faloni has taken the blueprint of this timeless menswear classic and raised the bar by using a stunning silk-cotton fabric. Interestingly, it’s more silk than cotton, so you can only imagine how nice it feels against the skin. The cut is relaxed yet refined, with concealed seams for a minimalist finish, and features Australian Mother-of-Pearl buttons on the placket.
It’s one of those garments you’ll wear on its own or with a lightweight cardigan. But you can just as easily switch it up with an unstructured blazer or tailored separates when you need a smarter look.
Shawl Collar Cardigan
The shawl-collar cardigan was a favourite of menswear icons Steve McQueen and Paul Newman and had a cult cameo appearance on the shoulders of ‘The Dude’ in The Big Lebowski.
It was initially meant to be a modern iteration of the smoking jacket, but then preppy collegiate types made it their own in the 1920s, and then Hollywood made it cool in the 60s.
Today’s versions are more refined than the chunky originals, but no less comfortable. Luca Faloni’s version is a beautiful rendition, constructed in Bergamo with 100% four-ply cashmere from the prestigious Cariaggi Fine Yarns Collection. It’s woven with a ribbed handle for a modern aesthetic that drapes really nicely too.
It looks fantastic worn over a simple white tee with chinos or jeans, but it can also be used in lieu of a jacket with smart pleated trousers and loafers.
Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater
An essential transitional piece of knitwear, the crew neck garment is one of the most versatile pieces in a man’s autumnal wardrobe. It can be worn on its own, casually layered over a tee, or one of Luca Faloni’s brushed cotton shirts for a preppy appeal.
Faloni’s crew necks are predictably stunning. Their eclectic collection incorporates various yarns, from 2-ply cashmere to silk-cashmere blends.
Available in a plethora of neutral tones, these crew necks are an absolute no-brainer for elevated cold-weather fits.
Beanie
As difficult as it is to say, yes, beanie weather is coming. And while the classic beanie is a great way to keep your head warm when the mercury dips, it has also become something of a style statement, especially given its versatility.
It doesn’t matter if your style is preppy, sartorial or with a workwear edge, the knitted beanie brings a relaxed element of texture to all of them.
Naturally, Luca Faloni’s beanies are rib-knitted in ridiculously soft 4-ply cashmere and come in various neutral tones that you can easily coordinate with your autumn and winter fits.
Shop the full autumn/winter collection at lucafaloni.com now
—
A paid partnership with Luca Faloni – words and opinions are Ape’s own.
