Today the leading trade fair for menswear comes to a close. In this special dispatch from the biannual event in Florence, we deliver a health check on the industry and look at the trends set to shape how men dress. We also have some travel advice too.This is what’s coming up in today’s special edition:

THE OPINION: Pitti proves that showing up in style matters
LIST: Three trends to shop
Q&A: Raffaello Napoleone, CEO Pitti Immagine Uomo
THE LOOK: Sorry Peta, is fur back?
DINING: The trattorias where deals are made
OVERHEARD AT… Pitti Immagine Uomo 2026

OPINION / ITALY

Far from a shopping spree, Pitti puts menswear on a pedestal
By Grace Charlton

It’s a satisfying feat of historical continuity that Florence plays host to Pitti Immagine Uomo (or Pitti for short), the biannual menswear trade fair that concludes today. The Tuscan city first made its fortune in the 12th century by trading wool and later expanding its textile expertise to silk and brocade during the Renaissance.

Since the 1980s, Pitti has been taking place at the sprawling Fortezza da Basso, a former military fortress built by the Medici in the 1530s. It is here that a complex of pavilions is divided into loose themes and given names reminiscent of Eurovision Song Contest entries, including “I Go Out” for the outerwear brands and “Dynamic Attitude” for clothes that fall under the streetwear category. More than 750 brands have participated in the January 2026 edition, more than half of them hailing from Italy.

Pitti acts as a barometer for the attitudinal shifts that can be felt from season to season. This January, the existentialism surrounding Donald Trump’s tariffs and the luxury industry slowdown seems to have dissipated and turned to resolve. German, French and Spanish buyers have been out in force while the US and China no longer represent the market goldmines they once were. Meanwhile, Japan offers a curious case study: while the weak yen means the country’s economic might has somewhat waned, it still yields an outsized influence when it comes to aesthetic sensibility and reputation for excellence. Two of this year’s guest designers, Soshi Otsuki and Shinya Kozuka, are Tokyo-based.

“Pitti is akin to the aperitivo before the men’s fashion weeks in Milan and Paris,” the founder of Paris-based accessories brand Bonastre (below, left), Fernando Bonastre de Celis, tells Monocle when we stop by his booth. “We don’t really receive orders here anymore but it’s a good way to make sure that there’s follow-through later down the line.” Many of the exhibitors echo this sentiment. The days of buyers signing off orders in Florence are almost over but establishing a presence at Pitti remains an important marketing exercise, one that lends prestige within a tightknit community of menswear enthusiasts.

Over a glass of chianti classico at Trattoria Cammillo, a collocutor at the neighbouring table tells me that he’s been coming to Pitti for more than 30 years to find new stock for his family-owned Chicago boutique, Burdi Clothing. Around us, Pitti veterans loudly greet each other over clanging plates. Cream cashmere jumpers remain miraculously unstained despite the plentiful portions of spaghetti alla carrettiera being consumed. Coats perched just-so on men’s shoulders finally come off. These moments on the well-tailored hems of the trade show represent Pitti at its best – stylish and besuited men gathering to see, sell and sport quality menswear away from the avant garde runways that dominate the season ahead. And while there has been talk of luxury market headwinds – a thriving Pitti is always an auspicious sign for the industry. 

Grace Charlton is Monocle’s associate editor of design and fashion. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

THE LIST / TRENDS

From indie scents to alpine threads, here are three themes from the trade-show floor

1.

Cortina-ready

With Cortina preparing to host the Winter Olympics in February, brands have come up with pieces that will help you to navigate a black slope in style – and a well-deserved après-ski. Italian luxury house Herno’s puffer jackets (below, left) and fleece jumpers with Alpine scenes are a particular standout, while Polish outwear brand Space Friends (below, right) has been experimenting with a semi-transparent nylon that reveals glimpses of its pieces’ goose-down lining.

2.

Niche perfumery

A new addition to the Pitti line-up is Hi Beauty, a section dedicated to independent perfume brands creating scents that you won’t find in an airport duty free. It’s a sign of the global beauty industry’s sustained growth in recent years and suggests that consumers are keener than ever to complement their outfits with a scent. We recommend that you sniff out the wares of Grasse-based Marie Jeanne or South Korean brand Saranghaeyo (below).

3.

Perfecting the essentials

Would it really be a Pitti report without some mention of a slick shoe or a great pair of made-in-Italy trousers? For the former, Timothée Paris’s Beaune loafer is worth considering if you’re in search of a new pair. For the latter, meanwhile, look to Tuscan brand Giabsarchivio (below, right) which is currently under the creative direction of Japanese designer Jumpei Nakaarai. And for some laid-back Antipodean flair, Australian brand Kerrin’s Breezebreaker jacket (below, left) is a shoulder-season piece that will see you through the spring.

The Tuscan capital has long attracted visitors with the promise of timeless wonders. Here, we take a closer look.

Q&A / Raffaello Napoleone

‘I’ve never bought anything because it’s fashionable’ – Pitti CEO on dressing the part

Presiding over Pitti Immagine Uomo since 1995 is the affable Raffaello Napoleone. As CEO, he oversees the trade fair’s organisation and ensures its continuing relevance in Italy and beyond. Here, he tells us about Pitti’s evolution and his approach when it comes to personal style.

What rules do you follow when it comes to your own wardrobe? 
I’m 71. I was born in 1954. I’ve been dressing the same every day for a long time. I like velvet and a sariana in the summer because it has pockets. I’ve never really felt like a fashion person. I just dress in a way that is comfortable and suits my lifestyle. I’ve never bought anything because it’s fashionable. I have a personal tailor in Rome who is now quite old but I have enough suits for the foreseeable future – as long as I don’t change my figure, so I walk and play tennis and golf.

To read the full interview with Napoleone, click here.

The look / fur

Hide and seek: Why finding old furs is the key to seasonal style

If Pitti attendees preening for positive appraisal outside the Fortezza da Basso are anything to go by, fur is making a comeback. After much hand-wringing over the issue and bans on pelts at high-fashion houses, including Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Burberry and Balenciaga, there’s been a discreet creep towards the sporting of pelage – albeit with one caveat: that the animals in question have been long dead. “If it’s sourced from your grandmother’s closet, it’s OK,” says one fair attendee, a fashion student called Matteo. Others are quick to mention that their fur coats come from vintage stores in Rome or are inherited from a nonna.

There’s now a general acknowledgement that fake fur is arguably worse for the environment than the real deal. It’s made from petroleum-based acrylic or polyester and sheds microplastics. Doing away with fur altogether is, of course, the more virtuous option but one that denies the Neanderthalian urge for a soft animal coat when the thermometer mercury plummets.

Now, moral complexities gently aside, the men of Pitti can teach us a few lessons about incorporating pretty pelts into our winter wardrobes. If pulling off a statement floor-length fur coat might be a step too far, fluffy details around the collar, jacket lapels and the cuffs bring an element of opulence to an outfit. The key is to keep the overall ensemble tonally in check and otherwise understated. So if you’re lucky enough to have been bequeathed some old furs from a chic ancestor, it’s time to retrieve them from the back of the wardrobe and give them a second life. 

Fur more chic looks and in-demand designers, click here.

Eat here / Florence

Want to know the spots frequented by Florence’s fashion crowd? Try these restaurants

This is Italy. Any deal worth making should be done correctly, meaning over a bistecca alla fiorentina with copious amounts of chianti classico. But which trattorias attract the Pitti set? Here are three industry favourites.

1. 
Il Santo Bevitore
The Tuscan dishes at Il Santo Bevitore (pictured) are reimagined for the 21st century in an atmospheric setting complete with vaulted ceilings and dark-wood panelling. Make sure to stop by the restaurant’s lively enoteca, Il Santino, which is conveniently located next door, for an aperitivo or a digestivo.
Via Santo Spirito, 64/r
+39 55 211264