Seasonal Confusion! Ivy in the Argentine

I realise it’s been some time since I posted on The Weejun but this has mainly been due to an extended trip to Buenos Aires & Montevideo.

The seasons being upside down meant the search was on for classic leather and suede which led me to source some fantastic items that I will be posting on here as soon as I get some time. It’s weird though to go from nascent summer in London to autumn in BsAs. Despite it actually being warmer there this autumn than summer here (no surprise there then), it was definitely an autumn vibe in the air. That meant desert boots, oxford popovers, G4 buttoned to the neck against the sunny early morning chill and that supposdely British staple shetland jumpers.

Argentina (and to a lesser extent Uruguay) still has vestiges of the preppy/rugby/equestrian/collegiate look but unfortunately it only remains in the hands of men of a certain vintage. I mean old. Unlike Italy or Spain it’s extremely rare to see young people dressed in a classic style, even a latinized one. Like the UK most people of all ages there have absolutely zero taste or style. Although there is a huge Italian population it’s as if the distress back home in Italy that drew them to Argentina and Uruguay after the war was so great that they simply bypassed the Italian miracle of the 50s and 60s that led to Italy’s premier place in mens style. That Italian bastion of mens hairstyling in particular seems have been bypassed – most men sporting a home cut greasy shapeless footballer style. Mullets also abound but these tend to be on native Americans.

However, dotted around in the more upmarket corners of Buenos Aires and Montevideo can be found traditional gentlemen’s outfitters where Shetlands (with saddle shoulders!), Gloverall duffles, OCBDs and the ubiquitous Argentinean beef roll loafer (with or without tassels), may be still be spotted in immaculately dressed window displays in stores where you need to press a buzzer to enter their rarified atmosphere. Of course being South America there is a percentage of latinization of some of these classics, but the roots are there nevertheless.

Anyway, it’s supposedly summer in London despite the 17C so here’s a picture of shorts and loafers before we tackle the antipodean latin autumn collection…