THE JOURNAL
For those of us who did not live through the 1960s, 1969 feels impossibly exciting. Call it Fomo, but it is a common psychological trick that everything seems amazing if you were not there. And that year in particular signals the end of a decade that, for people numbed by the infinite well of experience afforded by smartphones and social media, had much of probably the one thing the internet cannot easily grant us. Authenticity.
We are a society that is currently re-hashing the 1990s in a bid to feel something culturally, so the year The Beatles started recording their last album (something we are still trying to repackage and experience for ourselves – see Get Back on Disney+), the first man walked on the Moon and President Richard Nixon withdrew troops from Vietnam feels, well, surreally, intangibly, #epic. You won’t hear Adele or Stormzy singing, “Those were the best days of my life / Oh yeah / Back in the summer of 2020”, for example.
Another event occurred in 1969, which, while perhaps not as momentous as those listed above, is significant for our purposes at least. The Italian brand Aspesi was founded. Born in 1944, Mr Alberto Aspesi did not miss the connection between his label and a decade of unparalleled liberation. Aspesi began as an outfitter that focused on quality shirts.
Of course, today, Aspesi does more than just shirts. It offers the full gamut of wardrobe staples, and is especially well known for its outerwear. It uses practical and innovative fabrics to produce pleasingly useful and becoming items of clothing. This is no more evident than in this new collection, live on MR PORTER now, and helpfully pictured and styled for you here.
It feels distinctly modern, and, more importantly, very sure of itself. There are no references from a distinct decade; no parodic, ironic details. There is nothing to suggest an insecurity about where we are and what clothes we should be wearing in 2021. And no need to escape our reality. Instead, these clothes imbue both acceptance and awareness of their surroundings.
For example, this first look shows us that a simple, striking block of colour can go a long way. And so can a pair of wool trousers, especially useful when it is winter. With the second ensemble, modern, innovative practicality is the overall feel. What could be more sensible and yet stylish than a hooded gilet and some soft, wide legged cargo pants? If you do desire something a little more formal, that takes you away from everyday wear, then Aspesi know very well that a sober combination of stripes and a blazer is very much your friend.
To better understand how we got to where we are, there is nothing wrong with harking back to the past. But it is better to live in this moment and adapt to it. We’ve done enough escaping this year – if not in any real sense, only from the comfort of our own homes. So now, perhaps, it is time to live authentically in the present.