The goods
Abid Rahman
Numero Uno Ah Italy! There’s probably nowhere else you need to look to fill your wardrobe. Well, apart from Savile Row, Burberry, Dunhill, Ralph Lauren, Rag & Bone, Berluti, Saint Laurent, Dior Homme, ermm … yeah, apart from those, you don’t need to look very far. Oh and Brooks Brothers. OK, apart from all those, you don’t need to look outside Italy. And for sunglasses, we recently came upon Roman brand The Numero, whose shades are made in Italy but have lenses by Germany’s Carl Zeiss. They look fancy and are pretty hi-tech to boot. We like the Henry Kissinger-like black-framed glasses (above right; HK$2,650) and the slightly more fashion-forward pair (above left; HK$2,750). The Numero is available at Lane Crawford.
Happy feet Some people will tell you that the hipster thing to do these days is to sport “outre” socks with all outfits, no matter the occasion. Alas, the dandy has been doing that for centuries, so there. Either way, if you’re looking for socks that range from quirky to just colourful we recommend Happy Socks (above), which, surprisingly, come from the land of order and muted colours that is Sweden. There are too many designs to mention, but they all clock in at HK$110 a pair, so you might want to stock up on socks now and not wait for Christmas presents from your mum. Happy Socks are available at Lane Crawford, IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2118 3388.
The legend continues Nino Cerruti is one of the grand figures of Italian fashion and one of the guys who took high-end menswear from the quiet reserved world of gentleman’s tailors to glamorous ready-to-wear lines featured in Hollywood films. Although Cerruti is happily retired these days, his legacy lives on at his eponymous brand, which has kept the smart, elegant and timeless aesthetics of his designs as well as the use of the best fabrics in the world. We recommend the autumnal look of navy wool jacket (HK$7,990), knitted jumper (HK$2,390), shirt (also HK$2,390) and slim-fit trousers (HK$3,390; all above right), with the gloves yet to be priced for Hong Kong. We also love the smart, simple ensemble that looks like it has come straight out of filmmaker Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, comprising grey suit (HK$10,990) and crisp white shirt (HK$2,390); sadly the gloves, tie and leather manbag aren’t yet available in Hong Kong. Cerruti 1881 is in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2118 8666.
Double duty Proper leather shoes or smart trainers? It’s a conundrum for most men these days, but may we suggest a solution? Buy both. Actually, we’re joking. If you can only afford one option, then why not a trainer-dress shoe hybrid? That is, shoes that feature the comfort soles and colours you get with trainers but maintain classic shapes and shoe styles. Paul Smith does some excellent hybrids, including the Grand brogues (above right; HK$4,200) and the Pitt monkstrap (above left; HK$4,300). Paul Smith is in The Landmark, Central, tel: 2523 5868.
