The Best Dressed Man in Bologna of coats, suits, and the monochrome

by Sean Toomey Illustrated by Lucia Tian

Here we are again in the dead of a seemingly neverending winter. But, hell, that’s what Februaries are for. I hope that you all are staying toasty and layered up, because I seem to have found myself overseas, some four thousand miles from home, and it’s just as fucking frigid. But, here I am, doing some old fashioned reportage for you old fashioned readers, on the city of Bologna, Italy and its denizens.

Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity to experience a new culture, see new places, and speak a new language, but that doesn’t mean you can slack on the language of style. I wanted to give you all some useful and well-needed style advice for a trip or semester abroad because, let's be real, a wardrobe consisting of Nike joggers, your smelliest hoodie, and your favorite pair of sandals might not cut it. Today, we’ll be taking a little tour through the Bolognese style and all its little quirks.

My first stylistic impression of Bologna was that there must’ve been some terrible accident right before my arrival because, as far as the eye could see, everyone was wearing black. Much to my surprise (I had already queued up the Gordon Lightfoot) there was no shocking and songworthy industrial accident— people just really seem to like the color, or lack of it. Every street is dotted with black-clad figures looking like out-of-focus extras in a Powell and Pressburger movie, though sadly Europe isn’t all in black and white. Black coats, black berets, black bags, it’s universal.

Beyond the black, which appears as a stylistic unifier throughout the city, Bolognese fashion diverges into three categories, generally based around age, that catalog the fashion seen on the streets.

First up: university students. In their constant presence around the Piazza Verdi and in cafés sipping on endless espressos, they contain by far the most