THE JOURNAL

With all of President’s menswear, it’s about the details.
Cast your eyes over the street-style photographs from any of the menswear fashion shows taking place across the globe at the moment, and you’ll find yourself confronted with swathes of incredibly well-dressed Italian men. Their sartorial superiority is often a source of chagrin for the rest of the show-goers, who haven’t quite managed to pull off that elusive sprezzatura. Pitti Uomo didn’t get its reputation as a street-style hotbed because of the overseas visitors, put it that way.
Mercifully for the rest of us, the Italians aren’t just good at wearing clothes; they’re also a dab hand at designing them. Mr Guido Biondi, who has been the creative director of President’s since 2011, is proof of that. The brand, which is available on MR PORTER from today, makes what Mr Biondi calls “evergreen garments that transcend trends and seasons”. Based in Tuscany, it was founded by his grandfather in 1957 and was originally a high-end trouser manufacturer. It has now been reinterpreted by Mr Biondi as a contemporary menswear brand rooted in Italian artisanship.
“In our headquarters, there is a large archive of more than 3,000 items, which are a source of inspiration for every season,” he says. “But I present these vintage references in a fresh way with subtle details. These details come through most often in the fabrics, which are sourced from elite Italian manufacturers, such as Loro Piana, and Japan.
“Our values are all about quality, and we deeply research our materials,” says Mr Biondi. “The important thing is that it all has to be clean and not too heavy.” This means that the clothes are comfortable yet sprightly, and are perfect for spring. Little dashes of colour appear here and there and the fabrics are light, airy and noticeably high quality. We’ve picked out three of our favourites from the SS18 collection below, and asked for Mr Biondi’s expert opinion. We can’t promise that donning this stuff will turn you into an Italian, but it will certainly give you a nudge in the right direction.

The hand painted T-shirt

Inspired by Mr Biondi’s love of 1960s Californian surf culture, this T-shirt is made from 100 per cent Italian cotton jersey and the graphics are drawn entirely by hand. “Each T-shirt is slightly different from the others, just for this reason,” says Mr Biondi. The charming illustration depicts two surfers skateboarding towards the beach. Do wear it with espadrilles or under a linen shirt. Don’t say “Cowabunga, dude!”
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The Bermuda shorts

“These Bermuda shorts are made of double twisted gabardine, which is washed to make it more supple,” says Mr Biondi. The handiwork of the craftsmen is apparent here, too. The sides of the trousers are embroidered by hand with coral beads and woven with gold thread, which, says Mr Biondi, takes a really long time. But considering how great they’ll look come summertime, it seems more than worth it.
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The drawstring trousers

“President’s dedicates this garment to travellers,” says Mr Biondi. “These trousers are easily packable and will take up little space in your bag. On a flight, for instance, you can change into these and be immediately more comfortable.” That doesn’t mean they’re just for lounging around in. The poplin fabric will take on a more refined appearance when worn with a light shirt or an elegant pair of sneakers.
Wear it with

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