Luca Faloni’s four fashion lessons to learn this summer

Words: Jonathan Wells

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Prime your passports and pack your bags — because holiday season is here. And these overdue escapes and excursions (whether you’re jetting off to some far-flung clime or just hopping into Europe for a short-haul city break) promise to be even more hotly-anticipated and warmly-received than the tropical temperatures they’ll be bringing our way.

But, with balmy weather comes difficulty dressing. Summer style is a notoriously tricky task for modern men, and it pays to get some guidance before you head to the airport and off on your travels. Luckily, for Luca Faloni’s latest edit — the suitably seasonal ‘La Vacanza’ campaign — each and every piece has been created and specifically chosen to beat the heat this summer.

From the ‘Panarea’ shorts to the ‘Portofino’ shirts, the Italian designer has long delivered unmatched craftsmanship with a classic aesthetic. And this latest selection of styles is no different. Using only the most prestigious of Italian producers, the brand has curated the ultimate holiday capsule — and laid down some important summer style lessons along the way…

Let’s start with linens — and a problem that gets many men hot under their collective collars. Shirts are a staple of our year-round wardrobes, but summer brings both soaring temperatures and a need to reassess the fabrics we’re buttoning up. Luca Faloni uses exceptional linen for its ‘Portofino’ shirt (£160), sourced from one of the oldest mills in Italy.

This unerring focus on quality and provenance is a thread that runs through every Luca Faloni garment. Whether it’s pure silk-cashmere from Cariaggi, brushed cotton from Grandi & Rubinelli or even full-grain leather from Tuscany’s Santa Croce, fabric comes first. And the ‘Portofino’ linen shirt, with its mother of pearl buttons and signature ‘Paramontura’ collar, is the pinnacle of the brand’s lightweight linen offerings.

Available in ‘slim’ or ‘regular’ fits, each ‘Portofino’ shirt is crafted by skilled artisans in Bergamo and Brescia, and over 20 different shades and patterns are available, from a simple blue stripe to the bold coral colour you see above. Alternatively, Luca Faloni has also answered the hot-under-the-collar problem by doing away with the collar completely; the ‘Forte’ linen shirt (£130) is half-buttoned, available in nine different designs and makes for an elegant, everyday essential.

Whether it’s a coral colour, those blue stripes or even a subtle shade of lilac, Luca Faloni’s shirts are available in so many different patterns and hues that there’s no excuse not to experiment this summer. But one colour still evades and is avoided by even the most seasoned summer dressers; black. Infamous for absorbing heat, many men simply forgo it entirely come summertime. But Luca Faloni’s second lesson is to embrace black.

Because there are few colours as sophisticated or stylish as a bold, deep black. And, while the vivid, vibrant ‘Portofino’ options we listed above are a great way to turn heads this summer, the same shirt is also available in this darkest of colours (£160), and takes on a much more mysterious, alluring edge in black — particular when paired with trousers or shorts in the same shade.

Another of our favourite pieces from the Luca Faloni wardrobe is the trimly-tailored silk-cotton polo (£170). Crafted from a lustrous blended fabric woven in Piedmont, the luxurious basic has a soft, smooth handle and features the same ‘Paramontura’ collar as the brand’s signature ‘Portofino’ shirt. Utterly breathable, and almost as lightweight as linen, it’s a dress code-spanning essential — and never more versatile than in black.

What do you consider the most important part of summer dressing? Is it style? Comfort? Smartness? For Luca Faloni, formality is undoubtedly important — clean lines and trim silhouettes abound across the range — but the brand’s ‘La Vacanza’ edit swings the summery spotlight onto some of the brand’s more casual pieces.

The linen jersey T-shirt (£110), for example, is crafted in Brescia, in Northern Italy, from one of the finest linen jerseys in the world. Finished with a crew neck and a premium Aloe treatment (which makes the fabric very smooth and soft to the touch), it’s a marriage of casual and formal, and proves that dressing down doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style.

Even traditionally casual accessories, such as the baseball cap, have been given a smart spin by Luca Faloni. The linen cap above (£90) comes in three colours, and is the latest peaked chapter in the brand’s long history of quality and expertise, using sustainable fabrics to offer the highest durability, comfort, and the ability to stand the test of time.

Blacks may be back on your summer style radar — but whites will always be a timeless way to beat the heat. This brightest of colours works to reflect the sun’s warming rays, and absorbs very little heat to ensure your skin stays cool. And, just as Luca Faloni has a handsome selection of black garments, there’s just as rich a range at the other end of the spectrum.

Firstly, we return to the mother-of-pearl buttons and the slim silhouette of the ‘Portofino’ shirt (£160). The closest Luca Faloni has to a flagship product, this all-round, year-round essential looks no better than when worn in simple, dazzling white. Tuck it in, leave it open, wear it with shorts, trousers or trunks. You can’t go wrong.

But there’s even more. Whether it’s a pair of lightweight cotton chinos or a linen towel fit for the beach, you could build an almost entirely-white wardrobe from Luca Faloni. But the best of these light, bright garments? The ‘Panarea’ linen-cotton shorts (£100). Unbelievably breathable, and with a finish obtained through a garment-dying process called ‘tinto capo’, these simple, light-washed shorts are the final fashionable piece of your summer style puzzle.

Want more from the brand? Luca Faloni’s spring-summer campaign took to Lecce’s stone-hued streets and Baroque buildings…

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