Sprezzatura Explained – DOs & DON’Ts – The Art Of Looking Effortless + How To Pull It Off

I leave my fly open for some extra sprezzatura.

As Picasso said: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

Go to a bar in a suit. get hammered to the point where you pass out. When you wake up in the car park the next morning there you have, Sprezzatura!

I think sprezzatura will naturally come out after mastering your own style blueprint. That’s actually what happened to me, without even knowing the concept. When you are confident, it comes. Thank you for a very good video.

My grandfather was a very sharp dresser but as he got older, and started to lose his faculties, he often displayed several of these style elements such as the narrow end of the tie sticking down below the wider front end or tucked into his trousers. We never knew he was actually a style leader.

It's like the older guys do it better while the younger guys look like they are trying too hard and end up looking like 1970's NY pimps.

So, in other words, sprezzatura is investing the maximum amount of effort possible in order to appear as though you're investing the minimum amount of effort possible. I see...

The older Italian gentlemen pull it off the best.

I remember going to a wedding in Florence, dressed up in suit with floral silk tie, feregamo loafers and silk hanky. Beautiful cufflinks and belt. There were Italians there in slacks and a cashmere sweaters, with loafers and no socks who oozed style and were effortlessly smart.

I do not look at someome with hundreds of accessories and five layers of flamboyant clothing as being effortless. Quite the opposite in fact. In my opinion sprezzatura is in the little details of the clothing as you mentioned as well as a cool confident personality. Great video as always Sven!

I think sprezzatura is only truely obtainable by some people, and most of those people are the kind of people who would never try to do sprezzatura.

If sprezz is too self conscious, too theatrical, too studied, or too imitative, to unoriginal it's not genuine sprezz. In my opinion it's about putting colors patterns and accessories together that are unique to you, and that you personally love. You should be able to walk out of the house without feeling like a show-off in a costume. (Look at me! Look at me!) Merely this is who I am. Do it and forget about it.

I zip my pants halfway, with some fabric of my brief sticking out :3

Amusingly, the not-putting-on-your-coat thing is almost literally mentioned as a negative example of sprezzatura in The Book of the Courtier (keep in mind, this is a book from 1528): "For it is clearly seen that he is striving with all his might to seem to be taking no thought, and this is taking too much thought; and since it passes the true limits of moderation, his nonchalance is affected and unbecoming; and it is a thing that works precisely the reverse of the effect intended, that is the concealment of art. Thus in nonchalance (which is praiseworthy in itself), I do not think that it is less a vice of affectation to let the clothes fall from one's back, than in care of dress (which also is praiseworthy in itself) to hold the head stiff for fear of disarranging one's locks, or to carry a mirrour in the peak of one's cap and a comb in one's sleeve, and to have a valet follow one about the streets with sponge and brush." By the way Raphael, I love your videos about advanced topics like this and also ones in which you expound on clothing fabrics like cotton, tweed or cashmere. Do you intend to make follow-ups for other fabrics like linen, silk, cavalry twill etc?

Your style is much more effortless and cool. You project a personality that is about content and with pleasant presentation. To be cool means not trying to be it. You accomplish that masterfully. (Quite different from these trying-to-impress guys.)

On my personal experience, only older gentleman can pull it off true and authentic Sprezzatura, that is, after years of dressing and eventually finding your own style.

When I think of sprezzatura, I think of virtuoso musicians who appear to play the most complex music effortlessly. Or martial artists who can seemingly take down opponents with one calculating strike. If you wear a suit everyday you will grow into it and develop a nonchalance, think old photos of men in suits from the 50s/60s, especially James Dean's effortless fashion. I personally think nowadays it looks quite ridiculous to go Pitti Uomo style, or even wearing a lot of classic menswear generally. Its the style equivalent of extreme bodybuilders or tattoo addiction (ie competing past the point of looking appealing, sexy or charismatic).

The more I learn to dress well the more I appreciate this channel. Kind of intimidating at first but, but now I'm learning a lot from your videos.

i always said there are no rules to style. just be somewhat neat, harmonize. i been sprezzatura this whole time... This video made me feel more at ease and love my style & myself ten fold.

I Pitti those fools!