For the style icons column we have decided to finish the year ‘in style’ with Jep Gambardella of “The Great Beauty” – one of the most influential people of Italian and international cinema of recent years. Interpreted by a superlative Tony Servillo, Jep Gambardella is a well-known social commentator and art critic who, weary and disillusioned, is trying to find meaning among the splendours of high society in Rome. He is a man who has lived and has much to tell and to teach, especially on the topic of masculine style and elegance.
The character Jep has enchanted the public worldwide because he has brought to the fore the typical Italian approach to tailoring. His style does not go unnoticed and is composed of a few fundamental pieces: destructured brightly coloured jackets and tailored men’s shirts worn with the collar open, teamed with linen trousers, which must be white, and light coloured socks and shoes in two colours. Two accessories that show his particular attention to small details enrich all his suits: a panama hat worn high on the head and a handkerchief tucked into a pocket, colour coordinated with a tailored shirt.
The stars of his outfits are the completely destructured, coloured jackets with no lining or shoulder pads. In fact, the Pompeii red and mayonnaise yellow jackets are renowned, worn over a white shirt with an open straight-point collar, as is the scene where Jep wears a white linen suit with a blue and white striped shirt when out walking near the Colosseum with his hands in his pockets, or the scene where he is wearing the same suit with a brown shirt and matching handkerchief. There are also occasions where Jep knows when it is time to leave aside the strong colours, as in the scenes of the funeral or the garden party where he wears a dark suit and tie. Jep Gambardella’s wardrobe is composed of a few essential pieces; his clothes are refined and chosen with care but without too much effort. They may appear to be excessive but are, in fact, timelessly elegant.
