Some of us work hard to create a look of elegance. They study, they learn, they make careful style decisions. Others of us seem to achieve elegance naturally. They have an air of easy grace and carelessness that seems to belie the effort involved in looking fantastic.
What’s the difference? It’s sprezzatura: the Italian concept of nonchalance with excellence, which we might call studied carelessness. And it’s a fantastic way to create your own individual style. But how to achieve it? What’s the difference between painstaking perfection and effortless perfection? It’s the imperfections.
Good style shouldn’t look like you worked hard to create an ensemble; it should look like it sprang into being spontaneously, joyfully. Avoid being overly careful when placing your pocket square. Let your tie knot be off-center. Wear shoes that do not exactly match your suit. A small imperfection may be the key to creating the perfect air of sprezzatura!
