Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Tiberius Sneaker
The full-expression Zanotti, with everything the house is known for.
$1,000+
Shop the Pick →The Italian Boyfriend · /italian-mens-style/
The Italian Boyfriend: Amalfi, Como, and looking expensive by lunchtime
Italian men's style is a small number of correct decisions repeated in good weather: linen instead of cotton, tailored swim shorts instead of board shorts, loafers with no socks, sunglasses that cost more than the shirt.
The underlying rule is that nothing is technical. No performance fabric, no logo, no shoe that could be used for exercise. Espresso at noon, aperitivo at six, and a boyfriend who somehow always looks expensive.
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The two decisions that matter
Swim shorts cut like trousers, so he walks from the beach into lunch without changing. Loafers, so he never wears a trainer to dinner.
Everything else
Sunglasses, knitwear over the shoulders, and coffee taken seriously at home.
The warm-weather shelf
Linen, loafers and the swim shorts you can walk into lunch wearing.
Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Rhuben Sneaker
The top of the sneaker range, and priced like it.
$1,000+
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Frankie Savage Sneaker
Hardware-heavy, and unmistakably from this house.
$1,000+
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Touluse Sneaker
The most expensive shoe on the site. Worth knowing it exists.
$1,000+
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Andris Sneaker
The other top-tier sneaker, in a cleaner shape than the Touluse.
$1,000+
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Rasmus Sneaker
Mid-weight sole, textured leather. The one that works with tailoring.
$500–$1,000
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Linus Sneaker
Suede, which is softer and considerably more Italian than calfskin.
$500–$1,000
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Clermond Sneaker
Under three hundred dollars for Italian-made leather from a name house.
$250–$500
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Giuseppe Zanotti · Men's Shoes
Giuseppe Zanotti Ewerton Sneaker
The mid-tier Zanotti. Enough detailing to read as designer, not enough to shout.
$250–$500
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Cole Haan · Men's Shoes
Cole Haan Pinch Penny Loafer
The penny loafer, correct with bare ankles from May onwards.
$100–$250
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Cole Haan · Men's Shoes
Cole Haan Pinch Tassel Loafer
Tassels are the dressier option, and the one that reads Italian rather than preppy.
$100–$250
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COOFANDY · Men's Shoes
COOFANDY Linen Two-Piece Shirt and Trouser Set
Matching linen top and bottom, which is the entire trick. Positano without the flight.
Under $100
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COOFANDY · Men's Shoes
COOFANDY Linen Drawstring Trousers
Elastic waist, wide leg, breathable. What men in Puglia have worn all August for a hundred years.
Under $100
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TOMS · Men's Shoes
TOMS Alpargata Loafer
A loafer with an espadrille sole. Softer than a driving shoe and far easier to pack.
Under $100
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TOMS · Men's Shoes
TOMS Alpargata Classic Slip-On Espadrille
No socks, no laces, no thinking. The correct shoe for a coastal August.
Under $100
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Panama Jack · Men's Shoes
Panama Jack Straw Safari Sun Hat
UPF 50 and a 2.5-inch brim. Protects his face and does most of the styling on its own.
Under $100
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Bruno Marc · Men's Shoes
Bruno Marc Penny Loafers
Penny loafers under a linen trouser is the whole look. Start here before spending four figures on it.
Under $100
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Clarks · Men's Shoes
Clarks Bushacre 2 Chukka Boot
Suede desert boot on a crepe sole. Twenty-five thousand reviews and it has looked the same since 1950.
Under $100
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Clarks · Men's Shoes
Clarks Shacre II Run Loafer
A loafer with a rubber sole, so it works on cobbles. Smart from the ankle up, sensible underneath.
Under $100
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COOFANDY · Men's Shoes
COOFANDY Ribbed Knit Short Sleeve Polo
Knit polos hang differently from piqué — softer collar, better drape. The Amalfi shirt for thirty dollars.
Under $100
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COOFANDY · Men's Shoes
COOFANDY Knit Short Sleeve Polo Shirt
Twenty dollars. Buy it in cream and it does most of the work of a much more expensive holiday.
Under $100
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FURTALK · Men's Shoes
FURTALK Wide Brim Straw Fedora
Wide brim, packable, twenty-seven dollars. The hat does the styling and the sun protection at once.
Under $100
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Comhats · Men's Shoes
Comhats Oversize Straw Fedora, XXL
In the larger sizes that straw hats almost never come in. Worth knowing if he has a big head.
Under $100
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Fossil · Men's Shoes
Fossil Brown Leather Belt
Brown leather with a plain buckle. The belt that stops the linen looking accidental.
Under $100
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Timberland · Men's Shoes
Timberland 35mm Classic Leather Jean Belt
Sixty thousand reviews at seventeen dollars. Real leather, and it will outlast three cheaper ones.
Under $100
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Italian Style FAQ
What should a man wear in Italy in summer?
Linen or cotton shirts in solid colours, tailored shorts or lightweight trousers, driver loafers or leather sandals, and good sunglasses. Avoid athletic sneakers, cargo shorts and anything with technical fabric — that is what marks a tourist far more than the accent does.
What are the best swim shorts for men?
Tailored ones with a proper waistband and side fasteners, like the Orlebar Brown Bulldog. The point is that he can wear them to lunch without changing, which is the entire logic of a European beach day.
Can he wear loafers without socks?
Yes — that is the intended way. Use no-show liners to save the shoe, and let the shoe dry a day between wears if it is hot.