We’re at a point where many of the classic brands are having to make a decision. Make moves forward, or make a stand with their tried and true methods. This applies to all aspecting of the brand–from design to marketing, store visuals to company culture. While the last few years have famously marked a renaissance in menswear, stimulated by an obsession with heritage, there’s that magical question that’s inseparable from the business of the industry: Now what?

You cut your teeth on Barbour and Boglioli, but now you’ve worked Balmain into your lexicon– And to sprinkle salt on the wounds of the tired tailors you want to talk about the brilliance of Umit Benan’s graffiti artists and his surprise unmasking that capped the show off? You might as well go tweet about DSquared (I don’t know how to properly spell DSquared because I don’t care about DSquared) for V Man, blogger.

So why is there a photo of Brunello Cucinelli at the top of this post? It’s because he’s the man leading the “old school” brand I’m most interested to watch in the next year or two. The disenchantment that was flung onto men’s runway shows when I first started blogging has certainly set sights on Pitti Uomo, bastion of anti-fashion, but Cucinelli came out of Player’s Ball 83 above all others. Why? Because he innovated. While most eyes were blinded by the vanity of Manuel Vanni and Luca Rubinacci, those with their heads down got a glimpse of Cucinelli’s down-filled zip perfecto vests, lightweight baseball jackets layered in every which way (Brunello sporting his over a DB suit in the photo above), and nylon overshirts.

This was a big step for a brand that had seemed awfully comfortable with sticking to their fail safe, fabric focused collection. The new product seemed right at home with the staple grey cashmere down vests and washed denim shirts us bloggers grew to love them for. I’m not ready to call Cucinelli an innovator just yet, with exactly two tweets to their name (hey, that’s still doubling up Kiton, right?) and an e-commerce site that’s about as modern as a PT Cruiser. This is only the beginning for them.

As our desire to see and learn something new is swept up by the more theatrical likes of Benan and Browne (likely for the next few years), I’ll be watching the battle for relevancy ensue amongst the big boys of Italian tailored clothing. The recent return of focus to understanding real quality in men’s clothing has left us with many brands that stake their claim on the same thing. With this crowded marketplace, quality seems like it can no longer be a brand’s singular stance. So who will be the brand that emerges and straightens us out with the next wave of timeless? That’s the question they’re all fighting to answer.

I’ve realized recently that one of the things I actually think is really cool about men’s style these days is how guys can wear suits casually. Suits became standard uniform for men thanks to none other than Beau Brummell, but now it’s really rare for a guy to wear a suit by choice. It makes total sense, too–suits just aren’t easy…well, at least not usually.

But more and more guys are starting to embrace the suit outside of its normal context. Accessibility is such a great virtue in the fashion industry. I think that one of the biggest reasons these Italian brands are going so strong right now is that they make wearing tailored clothing approachable. The reason soft shoulders, patch pockets, and unlined jackets are so popular is because they put you at ease. It’s light, it’s not a burden. It’s not just a stylistic choice, a trend, it’s comfort. Go on, wear your suit with yellow New Balances–you’d wear them with your jeans so why not this?

I caught Marcus arriving yesterday morning before many other photographers had gotten in. He’s really stood out as the most stylish guy at Pitti Uomo to me. Good looks and Cucinelli cashmere can get you pretty far, but Marcus has that top-shelf taste that very few–even here at Pitti–possess.

There were lots of capes today at Pitti Uomo, but none looked better wearing one than my friend Agyesh.

I wear a suit about 5 days a week. I wear these sneakers about 3 days a week. There’s some overlap there. Sneakers with a suit isn’t a particularly new look, especially given the moment performance sneakers are having in the menswear community right now, but to me these are the best of their breed.

Designing something that’s complicated and original is hard, designing something that’s minimal and original is really really hard. Check the box on the latter when it comes to Common Project’s Achilles model. The lines are so clean that they have the sort of sculptural qualities I usually associate with dress shoes, which is the reason I think these work so well with tailored clothing. Add the green detailing, a little Stan Smith homage, to put these over top. Favorite sneaker…period.

Tincati Milano

Happy New Years, y’all. Hopefully 2013 will be the year I can return to blogging a bit more. With a thesis, graduation, moving into New York, and the new gig at Suitsupply taking my focus in 2012, blogging was pushed to the back of my mind. Starting off the new year on the right foot with some great holiday displays from a few of my favorite shops.

Brunello Cucinelli

De Corato

RRL

Some classify modern style by fit and detail. I’d say it’s greater than the sum of its parts. Designers like Thom Browne, Mark McNairy, and Tom Ford are some of the few who have really sharp, albeit different, perspectives on modern style. Enter my friend Manolo who has this modern sensibility in spades and puts it to work in the custom clothes he creates. Love the flapped patch pockets on his jacket and the black silk knit tie. We can all learn a thing or two.