Marcello Mastroianni, traditional and Italian sartorial shirt icon

An Italian film icon, known throughout the world, thanks to cult movies such as “La Dolce Vita” and “81/2” by Federico Fellini. We are talking about Marcello Mastroianni, an actor with an instinctive talent, who saw acting as a game, as entertainment. He was down-to-earth and natural with everyone, a star, without acting like one, and a charming seducer, who, without any effort, would have women falling at his feet. His natural disenchanted nature is reflected in his sober, ultra-elegant dress, with outfits that became a point of reference for Italian sartorial tradition in the fashion world.

As we can see in all of the characters he plays, Mastroianni’s style has both vintage and contemporary appeal. His signature dress code is based on just a few precise elements that we can see summed up nicely in “La Dolce Vita”. In the famous scene that takes place in the Trevi Fountain, leading character, Marcello is wearing an elegant dark suit with a tailored fit, over a white shirt with a Kent collarand longer wings to bring out the full panache of his slim tie with its Windsor knot – a look that has recently come back under the spotlight, thanks to outfits that emphasise skinny ties over the minimal slim-fit shirts, strictly in white with a Kent collar, although smaller this time. The same film shows the actor in a more casual, all-white suit, over a black shirt, worn open over the chest and with a small scarf tied around his neck.

The originality of Mastroianni’s look is all in the way in which he wears various accessories: from his iconic Prada sunglasses or the Persol 649 specs worn with a mocking air in “Divorce Italian Style”, to his on-trend black Borsalino hat in “81/2”. Some of the distinctive, Italian Style fashions dictated by Mastroianni include shoes by historic Florentine brand, Sutor Mantellassi, which he wore on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his classic overcoats, including the tweed paletot, or the beige trench, always worn with the collar up. Mastroianni’s wardrobe staples are always simple and essential – never too refined – and today, his style continues to be seen by all as synonymous with the quintessential charm and elegance of the Italian man.