Pitti Uomo Begins

With the countless women's wear shows that go on throughout the fashion calendar year, it's not uncommon for the general gentleman to feel left out of the sartorial fun. Luckily, the men do have their chance in the spotlight. This moment when designers try out their masculine hand is called Pitti Uomo, a week of menswear collections in Milan that produce trends for the upcoming spring season. And this past week, all engines have been a go for the Spring 2012 presentations. Thus far, legendary luxe labels like Prada, Burberry, Jil Sander, and Dolce & Gabbana have warped the meaning of classicism and turned it into a neo-sportswear hybrid, taking something as simple as a three-piece suit and making it appropriate for even the most casual of garden parties. Just consider Christopher Bailey's combinations of standard men's pieces like fitted knit sweaters and more unexpected garments like nylon parkas, and one understands just how exiting and forward-thinking menswear has become.

It seemed that after a near decade of men's shows, designers would never be able to escape the limiting factor of the cliché suit. Then again, what else would one expect for a man to wear as a mode of formal wear? Nevertheless, people seem to be catching on to the fact that times are changing, and that men can be just as boundary pushing as women. Miuccia Prada went as far as introducing floral prints in her men's spring line-up of paradoxical golfing attire, and if a fashion legend such as her has made note of these revolutionary changes, then so should everybody else.

Text Ricardo Hernandez