My Favorite Menswear Stores In Italy
Plus what's new at the shop!
In January I took a break, closed the store, and went to Italy for the first time. It was entirely for vacation, to enjoy good food, seek inspiration, visit gardens, reset. And of course I did a little shopping…
Some random thoughts about Italy -
Rome is very romantic. The winding cobblestone alleys adorned with cafe tables and twinkling lights, adoring couples (first dates? total strangers?) making out around every corner. A+ vibes.
Rome can also be very unromantic as soon as you venture away from the touristy cobblestone streets… it is just a giant city after all… but some of the best food & drinks were out there. “travel isn’t always pretty” - Anthony Bourdain
I packed 3 sweaters, 3 pants, 3 button-downs, 2 tees, 2 pairs of shoes, a coat, and a zip-up fleece. This was too much for 12 days. I ended up wearing my favorite vintage usa made 100% wool LL Bean sweater, 15oz railcar denim, and my wool corridor coat nearly every day. If I did it again, I’d ditch at least 1 sweater, a pair of pants, and the extra shoes.
I didn’t see much streetwear fashion in Rome, just a lot of men in skinny jeans 🤷♂️
The streetwear scene in Florence was much better, but the Piti show was also happening while I was there, and that definitely could have contributed to the number of gorgeous people wearing gorgeous outfits strutting about.
The fancier the gelato looked, the worse it tasted.
If you order a Florentine steak, they bring it to the table raw, showing it off like a bottle of wine, and then serve it to you bloody AF - I couldn’t do it but my carnivorous gal Lauren loved every bit of it 💀
On my first morning in Italy, I walked a mile to a small cafe in an ambiguous, graffiti-filled part of town that made me go “this is Rome? huh…” and yet, I ended up in the cutest place having the best coffee— a flat white— I think I’ve ever had in my life. And some of the best service too. When it arrived at my table, for example, the barista accidentally tipped the mug and a spot of milk dribbled down the side… no bother to me, but she immediately took it away and remade it because it was no longer perfect and that is my love language.
I attended a variety burlesque show at a small local bar that went until 5am and was entirely in Italian. (I only made it until 230am, and woke up at 8am the next day thinking I was DEAD.) But it was 100% worth it. Everyone in the room was singing and laughing and it didn’t matter at all that we didn’t speak the language.
The vintage shopping scene in Florence was some of the best I’ve experienced.
They like to joke that an Italian breakfast is a cappuccino and a cigarette ☕️🚬 My Italian breakfast was orange juice (it’s almost exclusively fresh squeezed there and available everywhere) water, and that cappuccino.
For me, this trip was about seeing something new, the energy, the culture, the gardens, the strangers, the unexpected places where the locals are hanging, and the unassuming corner store that looks like crummy 7-Eleven, but has a cream puff made in house that’ll rattle your brain and knock your knees together.
Remember, just because it’s not pretty doesn’t mean it’s not great.
Okay now onto my favorite stores -
This is maybe the smallest store I’ve ever been in, but it was my favorite. 2 Arrows was half the size of our previous barbershop location, and that’s a generous guess. Here’s why I loved it:
They only carried 4-5 brands. And what they had from those brands was clearly very intentional. I am a big fan of not having too much to choose from.
Brands of note: Heimat Textil, Sunray, Orslow, and Rototo socks.
Most of the shop was actually their studio. The owner was sitting at his work bench actively making belts and bracelets. His English was broken, but he went to great lengths to have a conversation with me. There was a beautiful chaos to the space. It felt lived in, and despite how small it was, I didn’t want to leave.
This is one of the bigger stores I’ve been in. It was actually three stories! The first floor was dedicated to menswear, the second to womenswear, and the third to vintage.
Why I loved it -
Despite its size, the brand curation appeared quite small.
The womenswear was also fantastic. Lauren left with an entire new outfit.
There was one garment on the floor in each style, usually size medium, and if you wanted to try it on, they’d bring your size out for you. I like this, and have been seeing it for a while now in places like NYC and LA.
Brands of note: Beams+, Barracuda, Barbour, Merz B, and Universal Works
I left with a cashmere burgundy cardigan from Barracuda, a brand I am hoping to bring in to the shop soon!
DESII was actually broken into three parts side by side: a full on vintage shop, a shop with new clothing, and the cafe.
Why I loved it -
The cafe. I just love a store that incorporates a component that is an invitation to hang. While the cafe was technically next door to Desii and not inside, similar to Aimee Leon Dior and Cafe Dior in NYC, it still added to the overall experience.
This was the most crowded store, packed wall-to-wall with garments and gear. I had to dig to find certain items. But I actually went back twice and maybe that was the point? The first time, I knew after leaving that I just didn’t see it all so I made sure to go back for more later.
TONS of USA Made, Made in Japan, and Made in England
Brands of note: Tellason, Velva Sheen, Sanders, Orslow, Filson, Redwing
You might recognize this brand from your very own Fancy Groceries. The owner, Gianluigi, welcomed us to his space with open arms. He and his wife showed us incredible hospitality, offered us drinks the moment we arrived, and we even spent the evening together eating and drinking and laughing despite being almost total strangers.
Why I loved it -
His shop is actually inside a barbershop. It was seamlessly incorporated - both spots complimented each other perfectly and really provided that vibe I am always seeking: can I hang out here even though it’s a clothing store?
The actual retail section was small, but I wanted to explore it 3x over because of all the fine details - they had some great furniture to display clothing.
Everything Gianluigi makes is made from natural materials like wool or cotton. The craftsmanship was top notch, and the garments were HEAVY in the best and most comfortable way.
Alright that’s my Italy recap! Sorry it took me so long. I woke up sick on day three while I was there and came down with the flu right after I got home. I think I was sick for 30 days straight.
New items are starting to arrive at FG a weekly basis! New Gitmans and new Wonder Loopers have officially dropped. The Wonder Looper Super Looper is here in two vintage, varsity colors. They landed on wonderlooper.com last night and sold out already. So we’re one of the only places left you can get ‘em.
New denim from Railcar, Tellason, and Naked & Famous (ecru foxfibre!) will be in within the next 2 weeks, as well as desert boots from Astorflex.
Hope to see you soon for a cup of coffee and chat!