Over my skin. The heavy jumper, or the cool wool pullover. Worn on the naked skin they evoke erotic recalls, dear to the costume designers of the movies by Visconti, Rossellini, Bertolucci, Zurlini up to more recent movies like Call me by your name by Guadagnino. Timeless, and genderless, sensuality, inspiring the styling of fashion shows and fashion shootings. The lack of the shirt allows the sweater’s fabric to caress the shapes, following and enhancing softly chest, breasts, shoulders; depending on body and personality, the pullover, when thin, is nice to be worn inside the trousers. But beware of the cleavage: the tolerance about its depth is very fleeting, don’t exaggerate.

Fashion notes. A trend stops to be appealing for several reasons, based on the historic moment and on countless variables – among them, the social mutations. It’s true that, sooner or later, the hyperbole overturns and what was neglected comes back again in the must haves top hit. The cover headline of the picture you see below, in this page, “Style&Transgression together”, sums up in three words the main trend of 1996, when the sobriety of the suits’ tailoring and the lack of bright colors invaded our wardrobes, winking to a new classic; the stretch fabrics fitted the body without squeezing its shapes; the colors, pale but not too much, were a trick to play down the total-black. Nostalgia? No, it’s not. Forecasts? Neither. Only fashion notes in retrospective.

Three steps towards the future. A summer ago we were free to travel, have fun, go shopping. Today we are halfway (hopefully) from nightmare and the day after, (still) stuck in a bubble of uncertainty. We’re living our first summer in black and white after years of (naive) inconsciousness, at the mercy of false values, clouded by appearance and far from the essence. The cover of Style Magazine – a magazine about style, especially twice a year and this is one of those times – sends a message for the future: the location chosen by the photographer, an inspired Max Vadukul, represents the past to be demolished and contrasts with the volitive attitude of the three young actors: Laura Adriani, Matteo Oscar Giuggioli and Alberto Boubakar Malanchino. The mood of the fashion – simple, basic – suggests a timeless “menstyle”: a step back, towards a discreet, but not nostalgic, elegance. A step back to make three steps forward: towards a better future that, by now, we can only imagine. And that we have to regain and deserve.

Dress as you eat. Tell me how you eat and I’ll tell you how you dress. Vegan = fundalist minimalist. The 100% sustainable denim is ok, but a big no to animal leather. No to chicks, butterflies and tigers prints. Yes to fabric shoes, like espadrilles, and to a general, strong preference for neutral colors. The final effect is, often, a surprising mess, difficult to define: which is better, cause I hate labels. So do vegans. Vegetarians = rigorous creative. It seems like an oxymoron but it’s not. Bright colors matched with extreme care, slim fit or, if the weight doesn’t allow it due to an excessive carbs intake, the vegetarian opts for a vibrant melting pot of silhouettes and a mix of fabrics, from mohair to linen. Omnivorous = serial consumer. Heterogeneous in terms of food and style. Luxurious, empirical, showy. Generous. Everything and the opposite of everything is worth, only self confidence matters. And it’c cyclical: parka and turtle neck all winter long, printed shirt and beige trousers for the summer. The year after: camelhair coat and jacket…? I don’t know, still have to buy them.

Ode to the stylists. Styling is a job that can be learned by experience, in years of practice, on fashion shootings’ sets. The stylist knows how and when to mix fabrics, prints and colors. He/she knows how to adapt clothing fits to body shapes, according to the proportions. The stylist is the professional that, mixing and matching clothes, creates a final result that pleases, amazes, reassures: in other words it plays a fundamental role for fashion media. Stylists can help photographers building their careers, they can contribute to the success of magazines, editorial campaigns and fashion shows (or they can ruin them as well). It’s an important role that shouldn’t be underestimated. Some of them gained great writing skills through the years and they now write remarkable articles not just for slick magazines but also for widely-read newspapers. When flipping through fashion editorial pages one should consider that behind each single shot there are passion, thoughts, good taste and quite a lot of work.