7 Major Differences Between Italian and American Men: (2) Fit

Italian designer, Francesco Smalto, once declared “Fashion, in my opinion, is balance. It’s taking into account the shape of the head, the shoulders, or the stomach.”

Accordingly, the first concept behind fitted or tailored clothing in Italy is proportion: Italian men value proportion, equating it to seductive elegance.

For the most part, Italian brands accentuate the male physique, creating a silhouette of broad shoulders and a robust chest as the upper garment narrows down to a thin waist.

Correspondingly, the bottom wear picks up where the upper wear left off, accentuating the buttocks, thighs, and strong slim legs.

Contrary to current trends in the US, Italian men prefer to wear clothing that corresponds exactly to their size.

American men tend to “buy up,” not just one size but several sizes, creating a more baggy silhouette, to which they often refer as “casual.”

As for Italian men, “casual” has nothing to do with size.

Read the full editorial:
Part 1: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover, Unless It’s in Italian!
Part 2: Formal
Part 4: Frilled but not Frilly
Part 5: Fashion-ability
Part 6: Fear “less”
Part 7: Fine Tuned
Part 8: Finalmente

Photo Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.