Style Icon - Gianni Agnelli
The "Gianni Agnelli look" is still extremely pervasive on Italian Sartorialists.
I have always had a hard time finding many photos of Gianni on the internet but I found this the other day and thought it would be fun to post.
Has anyone every seen a good book on Agnelli Style....oops...maybe I shouldn't say that and just do one myself!
Thanks to Claudio for emailing me this photo!
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post a commentHe was extremely stylish, his widow also had amazing style back in the day ... & obviously his grandson lapo continues to keep up the family tradition these days ...
can you really wear a watch over your shirt?
i noticed the watch worn above the shirt? what do you guys think of that?
Wrist watch on the shirt. Good man.
Great look! Never seen anyone with the watch over the sleeves of the shirt though..
Make a book on Lapo and Agnelli. I'll buy one copy for sure! Extremely good idea!
Stylish, yes. But, what's with the watch?
Che stile l'avvocato..
This is a very italian 80's style..
Andy Warhol's portrait of Gianni Agnelli , for those who might be interested in this great man!
I agree with you about Gianni's style...his style is unique even today. Many of us can learn from him and now his grandson doing a fine job keeping "stlyle" synonymous with the Agnelli name.
by the way, there's a book titled "Gentleman: A Timeless Fashion
by Roetzel which a few photos of Gianni.
Saludos,
Roberto (Miami)
The jacket is great, as is the tie. I would find a watch over the shirt uncomfortable, as it restricts the movement of the fabric, but on the other hand, it may make for easier and surer access when you want to check the time...
Watch over shirt; this man is decisive and powerful. He's made a statement, and will broach no argument about it - befitting a titan of industry. Woe to the wealthiest American businessmen, where is thy style? Could you imagine Bill Gates wearing anything stylish?
Hate the watch over the shirt cuff, tackiness at it's finest.
the watch over the shirt was agnelli's trademark, as was wearing driving shoes without socks. he was larger than life - the italians called him il avvocato - he was a lawyer by training. they don't make men like him anymore!
the watch, signature! no one does that here in Italy... I guess he was the only one ^_^
He was allergic to Gold / Silver, if I recall correctly, hence him having to wear it over his shirt. Very, very sophisicated and all around [i]true[/i] Sartorialist.
more than lapo, i think john is the one following gianni's footsteps...
I remember reading somewhere that the reason for the watch over the shirt was that Italians wore a tighter shirt cuff, and that if he had worn the watch under the shirt it would have ruined the fit!
There are also some pictures of him wearing his tie outside of his sweater!
John Elkann is very lucky in that he is the same size fit as his grandfather. He must be doing something right since Nicholas Antongiavanni dedicated his book "The Suit" to him.
There was an article in Vanity Fair about Agnelli, and also about John. However, and entire book would be very welcome!!
I would so buy that book! Call it L'Avvocato.
Wearing a watch this way is still in practice among some male fashionistas i.e. dandies of the day. Some may call it tacky, but it is no less a style signature than letting the top of your underwear show above low-rise pants. It's a 'look.'
Flusser's book "Dressing the man" has a few photos of Agnelli.
Yeah he'd style alright. The grandson is a lost soul though.
the watch over the shirt cuff was one of his many trademarks.
i wear my watch over my shirt cuff because it's easy to tell time without lifting my shirt cuff. my other reason for wearing it is it's another layer of protection for my watch leather band. your sweat can easily eat away your watch leather band and this can be costly in the long run.
luciano barbera wears his watch over his shirt cuff also.
other Agnelli's trademarks:
*wore his buttondown collar unbuttoned
*wore mountain boots with his suits
Yes, he wore the watch over the shirt because the watch metal would irritate his skin. He also left his button-down collars unbuttoned.
Hi! It's right! Gianni Agnelli's Style is really very stylish and chic bud not to much! I like italian elegant style too! Greets from Italy! Saluti a tutti! Davide
ps: The Sartorialist is really a good Blog =o)
Make a book on Lapo and Agnelli!!!
when lapo wears his grandfather's old suits - that look is absolutely unbeatable!
you'll love it.
albert cfc
Gianni Agnelli was and is still a legend in Italy. Not only the watch over the sleevs was a classic of his style, the shoes or the tie over the pullover, too.
You can find a lot of material about his life here (in Italian), some pictures, too:
http://www.gianniagnelli.it
http://www.repubblica.it/gallerie/online/economia/agnellipotenti/index.html
http://www.repubblica.it/online/economia/luttoagnelli/stile/stile.html
There some books here in Italy describing his life ans his style.
Today his nephew, Lapo Elkann, is one the stylich man in Italy and the inheritor of the grandfaster's style. I send you a picture.
Saluti from Milan
I totally agree with the fascination of the innate style of l'Avvocato inherited by Lapo (apart from general behaviour and hair colour..I have seen him and his hair seems fluo)and absoluted not by John Elkann who seem an automate...anyway...as regards the watch over the shirt...he emulated the ultimate artist Jean Cocteau ..French magister elagantiarum
Marella Agnelli...stunning...an article about one of her gardens in the Age issue of American Vogue...anyone remember the Avedon photo of her...my god...the neck..seems he fiddled with the photo...I mean NOone has a neck that long!...also remember the famous photo of the nude Gianni diving from some yacht..when you're sure of your style, the watch works :-)
Ralph Lauren and his wife have both been photographed wearing Panerai over sweater sleeves.
http://www.bulletincanada.com/watchphotos/PamRL-2.jpg
http://saddleoxford.typepad.com/photos/other_panerai_items/architectural_digest.jpg
Of course, these are very large watches on two rather slender wrists. As far as Agnelli, I tend to accept the tight cuff/ don't want to destroy my shirt/ besides it's a 'look' explanation.
This, my good man, is inspirational. Besides being a fan of the boots with formal wear look, what is most impressive here is the confidence with which he breaks every fashion rule. Adherence to the letter of every fashion law may be produce a well dressed man, but not a particularly interesting or surprising one. The rules may be a great starting point, but you'll hardly fit the bill of sartorialist if you can't find a way to do interesting things within or outside of those rules. And that is what is inspiring about this man. In the anonymity of cyberspace, one may question his choices but in person he hardly seems one that would stand for such nonsense. If boots and dispositioned time pieces are his thing and he wears them with such panache, who are you to question that?
If you want stylish - in a functional way - checkout former US man in Iraq L. Paul 'Jerry' Bremer. Here http://www.functionalfate.org/images/paul_bremer.jpg
He wore those Brooks Bothers suits, shirts and ties every day - and topped them off with the classic Timberlands. Sure it was for function - he was attacked God Knows how many times by assassins - but he also looked good in them. Same as Mr FIAT. I know some people might not agree with the idea of Bremer and the Iraq mess etc - that's not for this Blog of course - but he carried it off with something approaching coprorate panache in the style-stakes under the nastiest of conditions.
Ahhh, the 2d image convinced me.
When somebody can play with clothes to the point of making some sort of transgression maintain the formalist elegance is just amazing!
I wonder if his law training (I also trained in law) gave him this conceptual style approach to the norm and the transgression of the norm that makes life FUN.
Ahhh, the 2d image convinced me.
When somebody can play with clothes to the point of making some sort of transgression maintain the formalist elegance is just amazing!
I wonder if his law training (I was also trained in law) gave him this conceptual style approach to the norm and the transgression of the norm that makes life FUN.
One of the best-dressed man ever!
Many of photos of him can be found
at Gettyimages or Corbis. There was
a great editoral about him in the
Robb Report in 2003, where the editor claimed him to be the ultimate "Robb Report Man."
His influence is very evident in the
following well-dressed Italian man:
- Lapo Elkann, Fiat Marketing and grandson
- Matteo Marzotto, CEO, Valentino
- Alessandro Benetton, Benetton heir and banker
- Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Fiat President
- Diego Della Valle, CEO, Tods
- Sergio Loro Piana, CEO, Loro Piana
- Roffredo Gaetani, Ferrari dealer and nephew of Agnelli
This is favorite blog...keep up the great work!
Anthony from NY
It is funny that some might equal being a CEO and being stylish: One is not consequence of the other.
Ooh you must do a book on L'Avvocato! You're the right man for the job. What are your thoughts on the style of his grandsons Lapo and John?
Watch over the shirt is such a statement, you can always tell when a man takes time and effort.
one of my favorite dressers of all time Gianni Agnelli
Defintely the most stylish guy of the 20th century (with stevemc queen in Thomas Crown a close second). he even looked stylish stark naked, as per that famous pic where he dives in from his yacht.
In the 2nd pic, he is wearing a pair of Tods boots. Diego della valle very smartly sent him several models of his shoes when he started. the car shoe really took off after GA wore a apir with a suit on italain TV.
GIanni Agnelli, only you can do it! No one else! I love you.
i just adore him. I liken him to an exboyfriend who was very poor, but incredibly creative, driven, dapper and smart. Somehow it seems to me that there is something subtly sarcastic about his elegance.
the style godfather of all modern italian men...the originator of the brown shoes with a suit, brown leather/suede boots with a suit, the watch over the cuff, the big italian tie knot, the shortened tie, the long part of the tie longer than the short end of the , silk knit ties with suits, the sweater over the suit shoulder, the unbuttoned shirt cuff under a business suit, unbuttoned buttondown worn with a tie under a business suit...hall of fame playboy from the 50s and 60s (the terms playboy and jet set were inspired by him)
The avvocato is a legend... Lapo is a joke! Lapo embodies the worst sides of the Italians.
The re-introduction of his grand fathers suits are not only a tribute to l'avvocato, but a testament to great tailoring that one can take away, which says "quality out lasts quantity and in the long run saves you money". The true definition of Investment clothing. To the max!
You should ask his newphew Lapo Elkann, in fashion too, he might help you with the Agnelli book
Didn´t he also wear the watch like that because he had a tattoo on his left arm? See http://www.truncellito.com/2001/tatuaggi. I think that this is also a possible reason for this style.