“dolce vita cocktail” attire for wedding in Italy

I’m going to a wedding in Tuscany, Italy at the end of September. I’m wearing a black suit for the wedding (required) but trying to put together a really nice outfit for the welcome dinner which is “dolce vita cocktail” dress. It’s at a villa in the Tuscan countryside. Would love some guidance/suggestions here. I’m a little under a year into my clothes/style journey and have leaned into classic menswear pieces, many with a modern touch. What colors, fabrics, styles come to mind for an event like this? I started playing with an outfit idea based on a green silk knit tie and linen/cotton jacket that I thrifted. I’m not married to these but like them well enough. Struggling to choose the right trousers though. Linen pants did not look good (it looked like a bad suit). I have a nice pair of stone high rise chinos that are a couple shades off of the jacket. Shoes - I’m thinking brown suede loafers, which I may grab from Meermin during my NYC visit next week. I also have black Alden tassel loafers that I just snagged on eBay. Some notes on sourcing - I can go to any shops in DC/Baltimore/NoVa area. I’m also going to NYC next weekend and will check out Meermin, Alfargos marketplace, and other retail/vintage. I also have a ton of thrift options where I live. Would appreciate any thoughts on the current outfit idea, or even other directions to consider or pieces to look for at thrift/retail over the next several weeks. Or even if you just want to drop some inspo links. Thanks!
10 Replies
mattw282
mattw28211mo ago
Get some Linen or tropical wool trousers in Navy. Contrast the jacket.
gimp
gimp11mo ago
Is that a grenadine (grossa) tie? So I agree on summery jacket. Yours in stone/sand seems fine. I'm not sure how much I like the shirt-jacket-tie nexus. It feels a bit off. I like the tie but it maybe has too much contrast. Black grenadine is quite formal and I prefer it with darker blues and grays and such. I think I'd prefer a solid white or ice blue shirt here, with a tie that's more ... summer party. Even maroon/burgundy. For trousers I'd probably prefer mid to light gray, light brown / fawn, steel blue. On the stone-cream spectrum I'd prefer an actual matching trouser, ie, make it a suit. Darker trousers are a maybe. I don't have a winning recipe in mind, would have to see it, if you wanted navy, charcoal, etc.
AAE
AAE11mo ago
thanks, ill try this out. just got some PRL navy linen trousers from ebay I'm not sure - thrifted, so all I know is it's a Zegna tie and says "MADE IN ITALY CCIA VERCELLI 116738" on the tag.
AAE
AAE11mo ago
It’s a deep green/olive color. Some different lighting in these pics.
AAE
AAE11mo ago
Thanks for the feedback so far. The tie was just a starting point because it was unique/fun for my current wardrobe, but I'm not set on it
Küther
Küther11mo ago
If you wanna be like the Italians, wear a normal worsted suit in blue, white shirt, normal tie, loafers and no socks. Speaking from experience. If it's not an Italian wedding your outfit will probably work
AAE
AAE11mo ago
thanks! I doubt I can also fit in a blue suit for the trip but I may try. It's not an Italian wedding - US folks doing a destination wedding in Italy.
Küther
Küther11mo ago
Then go ahead with your plans! I just wanted to warn you if it's an Italian wedding because literally 90% of men would be wearing the outfit I described. (And it looks great imo)
AAE
AAE11mo ago
Nice album here