Veramente elegante

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

alden
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Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:43 pm

Unity is the elemental underpinning of elegance. We have often spoken of the elegant image in terms of the organic whole, one that is more than the sum of its parts. Here is just such an image:

Image

Simplicity of style, purity of line, a masterful choice of materials make this image one to study and emulate.

Cheers

Michael Alden
Last edited by alden on Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
yialabis

Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:58 pm

So much style in this picture, I guess this is the definition of a man who wears his clothes instead of the other way around. And I agree it's not the sum of what he is wearing or who he is , you can not simply add the parts of this photo or think about this elegance in a linear way but only as a whole who's parts are interrelated and interdependent in many different levels creating something very simple and very elegant .
In other words the style in the photo can not be thought as in : a dark navy tie, a sky blue shirt, a well known man etc .. instead it can be seen as in a whole that can only be examined by the relationships the sums have with each other .
Great photo !!!

kind regards
Vassilis
carl browne
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Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:28 pm

Depressing.

It's just a reminder of how far I have yet to go.
speedster
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Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:58 pm

There are quite a few Italian prominent businessmen who still feature such a flair. Take for instance TOD's ceo http://bp3.blogger.com/_Wbd-uMYmb_4/R4 ... aValle.jpg Here from Will's blog. I m actually a bit fascinated by his habit of wearing Swatch watches, to counteract his "Dandy ness ..."

Or the Ferrari president.

But in my in my humble opinion it has as much to do with culture and confidence. But as they say less is more...
marcelo
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Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:30 pm

Just a couple of days away and I realize I have missed a lot of interesting threads. I wonder if Michael Alden could possibly post once more the image at the outset of the present thread.
radicaldog
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Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:16 am

Yes, that picture radiates style and confidence.

As for Montezemolo (Ferrari) and Della Valle (Tod's), well, quite frankly I don't think they even come remotely close to Agnelli. This might be my Italian snobbery surfacing, but Della Valle seems just another parvenu industrialist desperately striving to imitate l'Avvocato. Montezemolo, on the other hand, clearly commands a genuine sense of style, yet I would still say that he is simply getting most of his inspiration from his mentor (and biological father, they say) Agnelli.

RD
JDelage
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Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:02 am

What fabric is that suit? From the picture, I am not quite clear whether it's grey (flannel?) or blue (skye tweed?). There's some level of fuzziness... It looks quite comfy.

In any case, very elegant and not ostentatious at all.
Cary Grant
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Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:09 pm

Great example of "fit" making what might otherwise be common into something commendable.
soupcon
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Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:06 pm

Agnelli's suit is a grey flannel.He was often photographed in that era(1967-1970) in that suit wearing a grey wool tie and v-neck sweater.
alden
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Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:58 pm

Yes, the suit is made from a impeccable and sturdy gray flannel.

The gray suit, blue shirt and muted tie can be found in the following picture. The figure has been altered by time, but the look is none the less timeless and elegant.

Image

M Alden
yialabis

Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:15 am

Yes, the suit is made from a impeccable and sturdy gray flannel.
Could we make it a project for the cloth club ? It looks amazing !!

vassilis
alden
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Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:09 am

Could we make it a project for the cloth club ? It looks amazing !!
That is an old style heavy (18 ozs) woollen flannel. I will have to do some research and get back to you. I think its going to be hard to make anymore.

Cheers

Michael
pchong
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Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:51 am

But what's the deal with the ultra short tie?

alden wrote:Yes, the suit is made from a impeccable and sturdy gray flannel.

The gray suit, blue shirt and muted tie can be found in the following picture. The figure has been altered by time, but the look is none the less timeless and elegant.

Image

M Alden
Degendorff
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Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:49 pm

pchong wrote:But what's the deal with the ultra short tie?
If the double breasted coat was closed, nobody would see the "shortness" of the tie.
whittaker
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Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:33 am

alden wrote:That is an old style heavy (18 ozs) woollen flannel. I will have to do some research and get back to you. I think its going to be hard to make anymore.
Such a pity. It is very distinct. What is the obstacle to making heavier flannel? Machinery or skill?
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