Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli

This is a post about making choices and decisions, which as a Libra, I often find incredibly difficult. Peter Clemenza, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have the same sort of hang ups. He knew what he didn’t want (the gun) and what he did (the cannoli) and was confident in his declaration. I wish I could have such a straight-forward mindset.

Being a steadfast devotee to men’s style can sometimes be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you want to cultivate a personal style and aesthetic that is uniquely you, but on the other you might not want to pigeonhole yourself – leave the options open if something outside your “normal” strikes your fancy.

I don’t think it’s all that uncommon to want to break out of a personal comfort zone. Comfort zones, after all, can very easily be equated to ruts. And who wants to be boring?

I found myself in a situation like this back in November when we were in Milan. Because what does a style-conscious guy do when he’s in Milan? He goes to Al Bazar, of course. And he goes there with a purpose – to acquire something (in this case a blazer) you can only get in a small Milanese boutique and that he knows to be of high quality and that fits perfectly.

| WEARING | Daniele Alessandrini coat, Al Bazar blazer and shirt, Vintage Yves Saint Laurent pants, Suitsupply tie, Reiss leather document holder, Tateossian and L. Jonas bracelets, To Boot New York shoes | PHOTOGRAPHY | by Rob McIver Photo

But the question is: which direction should you go? Let me take you through two options that were on my mind during this particular visit.

Option 1: Choose something unique; something I haven’t/won’t see anywhere else. Logical. Why would I get navy blazer at a place like Al Bazar?

Option 2: But wait a minute… Maybe I should pick something in my comfort zone. After all, I know the fit is great and the fabrics are amazing.

I narrowed it down to two double-breasted choices – a dark moss green or a “Brian” brown. Obviously, looking at the photos in this post, you know which one I ended up with, but that wasn’t before buying and then returning the dark green version.

Yes, the dark green blazer was a little more unique, but it was also trendy. (Where did that green trend go last fall, anyhow?) The brown was more “me” and even though it was a comfort zone purchase, it’s one that I’ll be wearing for a long time and can use in a variety of situations. Score one for versatility.

Thanks for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

Brian Sacawa
He Spoke Style