The Godfather of Style – Lino Ieluzzi

With our month dedicated to a handful of travel highlights, we thought it would only be appropriate to feature an international icon of style – Lino Ieluzzi. When it comes to staying ahead of the trends in men’s fashion, some say to look to the Italians. If the Italians are the ones that are doing it the best, it is Lino Ieluzzi who is doing it better. Mr. Ieluzzi has been a favorite subject among street style photographers such as Scott Schuman, which quickly led him to achieve global recognition for his masterful sartorial execution. It is rare to see Lino photographed without a few of his signature pieces: the double breasted suit, double monk strap shoes, and an extra wide neck tie. With his "devil may care" attitude when it comes to dressing - check out the width of those suit lapels - Lino doesn't need to read a book on style because he most likely wrote the majority of it by happenstance. In an interview by Wei Koh for men's magazine The Rake, the icon himself offers a few pointers from his unique sartorial insight:

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“It’s funny because I started to leave the top buckle of my double-monk-strap shoes open because they were easier to slip on this way. One day, a Japanese journalist told me that in Japan, all the men are doing this because they saw a picture of me.”

“Putting on a new jacket is like driving a car for the first time. At first, you are careful and self-conscious about the steering, about changing the gears, but with time, it becomes totally natural and you don’t think about it at all.”

“I would never buy something that is already aged or broken, because I think this is not honest. When I break something myself, through my experience with it, it then becomes beautiful because it is part of my life. At the same time, a real gentleman must take care of his things. Polishing your own shoes should be a great pleasure.”

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Lino Ieluzzi is owner of Milanese haberdashery Al Bazar, a boutique which Lino has owned since 1969 and ushered in a return to classic tailored elegance. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of double-breasted suit offerings at his shop. *Photographs of Lino Ieluzzi by the Sartorialist.

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