This includes a visit to Wool’s Boutique Uomo and a few vintage stores!
Click HERE for the main Italy page!
We’re finally at the last leg of this Italian journey. I was honestly starting to get the blues. This has truly been the best vacation I’ve ever been on!
The last stop on the trip was Rome, but we ended up popping by Siena for a few hours on the way there. While you’ll see from a few photos that the city is quite large, it definitely felt “small” due to the narrow streets. Perhaps I just mean “cramped”. Outside of the expansive Piazza del Campo away from the tourists and crowds, the city felt a bit quiet, almost like Lake Como or a few of the neighborhoods in Venice.
Day One
Instead of eating lunch or even a snack like a smart person would, Isabel and I got to work to check out a few churches. One of which was actually the house of St. Catherine of Siena, which was intimate and quite nice. No photos were allowed to be taken while inside the sanctuary, but we ended up buying a few vintage postcards that featured the artwork. This was a Sunday, so it was also fun to see a few members of the local parish (dressed quite well) spill out right before we got there.
We ended up skipping the Duomo in favor of the Basilica of San Domenico. This Gothic church was massive and served as a bit of a preview for the churches we would see in Rome. There were a handful of tourists inside, but based on what my mom said about the Duomo, we probably did the better move.
Because this was more of a traveling day (and we would arrive in Rome in the late afternoon), I dressed rather simply. Instead of the big shirt and pants that characterized most of this trip, I wore a simple cotton sweater and my grey shorts. Nothing too crazy but still looked quite nice. You guys know I don’t wear casual stuff often and when I do, it still tends to be rugged or at least use a few layers (tee + jungle jacket, etc). This was like I said: simple and easy. It even looks a bit preppy if you think about it!
Once the two hours was over, we got back in the car for our 2.5 hour drive to Roma. It was now almost six, which meant most stores and churches were closed for the day. Since Isabel and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, we just walked over and found a nice little restaurant a few minutes from our hotel. We avoided a place called “Crazy Pizza” since it had less than three stars and instead dined at Tempio di Bacco where I had a delicious pasta (that I forgot the name of). We were tired and since this part of the trip did not have my step siblings, we retired for an early evening. The Vatican would await us tomorrow.
I did make note of a few things we were near. There was a glove and tie shop near us that seemed to be manned by a friendly old man (who told us to come back when he was open). There was also a Sartoria Rossi, a #menswear brand that I had seen a few times in other cities. They were open a little later, so I was able to stop in a check it out. Outside of a few bold jackets (like a purple hopsack DB), most was standard menswear faire with an Itaian spin: soft shoulders, wide lapels, and oddly, two button jackets. It was a little pricy, being around €650-1K per jacket, but it seemed right.
After buying things in Florence, I didn’t think I was going to shop in Rome.
Day Two
It was a good thing that we took the previous evening to rest early, because we were up bright and early for our trip to the Vatican. We knew that it was going to be packed full of people, so we wanted to be there on time for our guide to let us in.
Even though I am not religious, I thought it would be appropriate to dress “nicely” for this occasion. This meant a return to the uniform of the trip (using my navy DB and pleated brown trousers), but with a dark knit tee instead of a severely unbuttoned shirt. You’ll also note that I’m in my fisherman sandals, but done with dark socks to make it more somber. I think it worked for the occasion of going to the Vatican.
This wasn’t a walking tour, but by God (lol) it felt like one. The Vatican’s grounds are quite expansive. And because we’re only there once, we wanted to see as much as we could, from parts of the Vatican museum (which includes Raphael’s rooms and lots of other paintings and sculptures) to the square and the Basilica.
One major downside of the guided tour was that the museum moves in one direction, so if we wanted to go back and take more time at a certain artwork, we would have to go back to the beginning and move through until we got to the place we wanted. We had to make this roundabout journey since the tour glossed over the contemporary gallery, as it dropped us off at the Sistine. Isabel and I actually really liked the contemporary stuff, since it’s not common to see religious themed modern art, let alone ones that the Vatican purchased!
The Basilica was unreal. I wasn’t expecting the ceilings to be so high, which honestly made me awestruck and gave me a bit of vertigo. The marble walls and floors. The countless sculptures (including the Pieta). The Baldachin. The ornate lamps. The tomb! Everything seems so carefully made. Makes you consider just how boring Protestant churches can be!
All of the Bernini sculptures got me inspired to give myself a non-menswear goal for this trip. Even though St. Peter’s is where Angels & Demons ends, this would actually be the start of my own journey to visit the Altars of Science on the Path of Illumination. By which I simply mean, I wanted to make sure that my time in Rome included a few specific Bernini sculptures, as well as the churches they are found in. The one in St. Peter’s for “Air” was not one of the statues on the colonnade but the relief ones around the obelisk. It is specifically the one labeled “West Ponente” that Langdon noticed.
Once I got my silly photo with the “Air” sculpture, we had a quick lunch (around 4PM, yikes) at our the local McDonalds. It was actually not bad, which wasn’t surprising considering most McD’s outside of the US are often good and interesting. The burger I got was not as heavy as I expected. The local things like the jam croissant and the pistachio McFlurries were quite good while the pizza poppers (I forgot what they called it), were exactly as you expected.
The next stop was the site of the Church of Illumination: the Castel Sant’Angelo. The giant fortress was no longer accepting visitors inside, but that was okay; I was plenty content to view it from the outside, making note of warrior angel on top as well as the other angels that adorn the bridge. It was a truly epic site.
The Ponte Sant’Angelo led us across the Tiber back into the main part of the city, where we were oddly right near a few stores I had saved.
One of which was Cinzia, which boasted an impressive selection of vintage menswear. A lot of it was tweeds mixed with a few designer pieces, but there was one that caught my eye: a silver DB from the 1980s. Not only did the fabric feature a paisley print, but it also featured a iridescent red hue that made it look like it was Solaro. To my surprise the jacket was made of pure silk. The owner said this was one of his favorite finds (from a noteworthy designer) and that it would be priced accordingly. I briefly debated it, but I knew I wasn’t going to wear it despite how much I enjoy wearing grey tailoring.
We moved through a few more vintage stores that were on the same street (Via del Governo Vecchio). Two of them didn’t seem to have a name and I struggled to find them on the map after we left. They were also quite similar in that they just seemed to be stuffed full of vintage clothing, accessories, and shoes; this made it quite similar to La Bomba in Long Beach. However, prices were just as high as any other vintage store. It truly makes you wonder about the Italian culture around vintage!
Another store that we found was Kolby (not vintage), which intrigued me not just because of their camp shirts and chore blazers (I outgrew the khaki linen number I got in France a while back) but because of their sandals. I’ve been wanting a nice brown leather one for a bit and these looked like they could be a replacement. I decided to make a mental note of them and come back if I had time (I never did) because there was one more store I wanted to see before the day was over.
Wools Boutique Uomo was recommended to me by Gianni, a member of my Patreon discord. And boy was I glad he did.
The little atelier is tucked in a narrow space on Via del Governo Vecchio, where you can almost miss it due to the other vintage stores, wine shops, and plethora of cafes. Inside is what I’d call a menswear haven, mainly because it seems to be the best I saw while in Rome. Rota trousers, Caruso made jackets, and spread collar shirts (in poplin, linen, and denim) made up the products on the racks. But the main feature of the store is the ties.
Drake’s needs to move over because outside of Tie Your Tie (and of course my beloved vintage pieces), this might be one of my favorite places for ties. They were all incredible. Grenadines, repps, foulards, and jacquards were all found right here in front of me. They just had so much life and interest, making them a bit more special than the ones I saw at M. Bardelli a few days prior. Maybe that’s because these geometrics and stripes were just a little bit more quirky, making them similar to the ones we’d see in Esquire Man and therefore, making them quite close to my personal taste. Giovanni, the proprietor of Wools, told me that he picks out all the fabrics.Each tie is handmade by the F. Marino factory and features rather thin (but robust) interlining and hand rolled edges, making them appear and wear elegantly. The best part is that these ties were €120 which made them very accessibl (come on Drake’s).
In the end, I bought two ties, two block stripes, which I fell in love with when I saw them (and had always had trouble finding out in the wild). And, for a bit of a spoiler, I actually bought one more on my last day. I wouldn’t get the tax refund on one tie (since it didn’t meet the threshold for VAT), but that was okay. I loved everything I got from Giovanni; I think he could tell how happy I was.
After a few more stores, Isabel and I walked over to yet another Altar of Science: Bernini’s Piazza Navona. With all the tourists and locals hanging around, I will never understand how an assassin was able to bring a kidnapped cardinal here without being caught. We snapped a few photos and started our journey to find some dinner.
We succumbed to an aperitif (a €5 Aperol) and eventually ordered food from what turned out to be a very mediocre place (with a mediocre carbonara). This was bound to happen when you just walk around Rome aimlessly without checking reviews. Granted, this was still streets ahead of the most basic chain Italian place in LA, where the only benefit is that you’re family.
The sun had set and we finished our evening by walking around, eventually coming across a pretty expansive shopping area. This included places like Drumhor, Slowear, Velasca, and so on, which we made a note to try and go back to.
At this point, we were exhausted. Not even gelato would sustain us. So instead of walking 30 minutes back to our hotel, we called a cab and immediately went to bed.
Day Three
The next day was an interesting one. We had packed a few things on our itinerary, so my outfit was easy and breezy. The grey shorts and sneakers made a comeback, being worn with an untucked navy sportshirt (a surprise pick up during the previous Dapper Day Expo). The effect is a bit more louche than the School Boy Look but I wasn’t about to look too much like a dork while walking around Rome.
Our first stop was the Santa Maria della Vittoria, the “Fire” church on the Path of Illumination. That moniker is a reference to Bernini’s sculpture, the Ecstasy of St. Theresa, or St. Theresa on fire; there is even a carving of a flaming heart! While this was the setting of a wild action scene, the church is actually quite beautiful in real life. It’s smaller than the movie portrays and contains gorgeous red and green marble all around. And fortunately for my feet (I started my day in loafers and changed to sneakers later), it was a ten minute walk from our hotel. With the Vittoria done, I only had “Earth” left to visit.
Isabel had her own church after mine, which was the Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. It has a very humble exterior, which made the inside so much more impressive. Extremely high ceilings, a giant organ, and only a handful of tourists brought back that “small” feeling. It’s crazy that this church is found in a random part of the city, though Rome obviously has an overabundance of churches.
We also stopped by the Borghese gardens for a small stroll. There was an art museum there, but we ended up skipping it since we were due at the Colosseum in the early afternoon. Instead, we had a fun time going around the small lake that surrounds the Temple of Aesculapius. It’s a beautiful site that was full of tourists and locals hanging around.
Lunch was at a local sandwich shop called PaninArt that seemed to be popular with locals, simply because there was a huge line of italian businessmen. It was operated by one man, who would work simultaneously on as many orders as possible. This reminded me of Gol Tong, a Korean Fried Chicken place where the owner (a former film director), is the only worker. And like Gol Tong, PaninArt was absolutely delicious and very affordable! I had the Cezanne and Isabel had the Verdi.
On the way back to the hotel, we ended up stopping by the Glove Shop. Gloves were not on my list (especially not after buying five ties during this trip), but I realized that I’ve never owned a really good pair of gloves. The ones you may have seen me in are an old H&M pair I got in high school. Naturally, I walked out with a pair of gloves. Dark brown in a relatively light leather and silk lining for LA weather; I don’t need no cashmere lining! Isabel also got a pair, in a lighter brown with a reddish hue. It’s currently “cold” in LA, so we’re making some use of it (or rather, just an excuse to wear it).
We caught a cab with my family and headed down to the Colosseum, where we were met by Roberto, our guide. He was incredibly charming and funny which made sense as we later learned that he used to be an actor and comedian. He took us around the amphitheater, sharing anecdotes about its creation on the site of Nero’s Colossus, it’s evolution to a site of commerce, and its eventual stripping by locals due to a few earthquakes. I knew none of this before Roberto shared it with me.
From the top of Palatine, Roberto shared with us a bit of info on the Roman Forum below. I’m not gonna lie, the vertigo was getting me good while I was up there. This was where the tour ended (around 5PM), but Isabel and I decided to walk through the Forum on our way to see the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, two sites that we hadn’t gone to. The following day was the last full day in Rome, so we wanted to make sure we got it in. We also wanted a to see as much as we could, so we declined to call a cab.
Even at around 6PM, the Pantheon was crowded. The same could be said for Trevi, though the Pantheon is a place that actually closes. It took us a little while to get into both places properly and enjoy the sights (and not simply take a photo and leave). I was very happy to have seen Santi’s earthly tomb (his actual resting place, not the tomb he designed) and to have dropped a coin into the fountain.
Dinner was at the very small Fraschetteria, where I had a bistecca mortadella. I’m not exactly sure what I expected, but nevertheless it was quite tasty. No alcohol was consumed that night as we were again, quite tired from all the walking. That being said, we did stop by a jazz club before turning in. The cover and mandatory drink was worth it, as the group was fantastic. The song we heard before we left was Laura, which is one of my favorites (especially when Williams and Perlman did it).
To my surprise, we had enough energy to walk back after this.
Day Four
And so it ends.
It was fitting that the last day of the trip began with a rush. My mom had scheduled a 7AM photoshoot with a photographer to commemorate this family trip, which meant that all of us had to wake up at 6AM and get dolled up. It was worth it, as the streets were largely empty during this time. Tricia took us through some beautiful places for individual couple and family group shots, ending with a stellar shot in front of the Colosseum.
I decided to wear a suit for the occasion, being [slightly] appropriate for the photoshoot and for getting in the mood for this final outing. I say slightly because my mom wanted Earth tones for the shoot (while looking nice); I did explain ahead of time that my khaki suit wasn’t going to fit, and she understood. With it is my 1930s cream rayon polo shirt which is one of my favorite pieces due to its age as well as the fact that it is one of the most perfect pieces of sportswear. I will be very sad to outgrow it (which is happening quite soon due to my shoulders). The move of a cream polo and a navy suit can be quite expected (I am sure someone has done this at Pitti already), but it’s one of my go-to looks. It does feel quite vacationy and elegant all at once.
In fact, you may remember that I’ve worn this look before, though at that time it was with suede tassel loafers rather than shell cordovan.
We were quite professional and speedy (perhaps due to the fact that everyone is used to me taking photos of them), so we finished the private shoot in a little over an hour. Everyone else went back to the hotel to nap, while Isabel and I decided to stay behind and begin our day. After all, I still needed my “Earth” church to complete the Path of Illumination.
But before that, Isabel wanted to see one of her churches. We had previously passed by the Church of St. Ignatius on the way to the Pantheon, but it was closed due to a service. Luckily it was open this time, no doubt due to the fact that it was still the morning. Like the other basilicas, this church was massive on the inside. What was intriguing about this one was the ceiling fresco. This was painted around 1685 by Andrea Pozzo and features personifications of Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. It’s a bit of an optical illusion, which makes it seem that this scene of apotheosis is happening right above your heads, with no ceiling to block the view. Gorgeous!
We took one of the few taxis of the entire trip to Santa Maria del Popolo which housed the Chigi Chapel, which was designed by Raphael Santi…and contains sculptures by Bernini (specifically the pyramid monuments and Habakuk and the Angel). Of course the Chigi Chapel is only one of many chapels in the church, with each one having a very distinct style and different artworks within. While I was there for Bernini, most tourists come to the Popolo to see two famous Caravaggio paintings: Crucifixion of St. Peter and Conversion on the Way to Damascus. They were a nice surprise to see!
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Lunch was finished across the Piazza where I was denied gnocchi since the restaurant we picked had run out. It was now around 2PM, where we were due back at the Pantheon to meet with my brother and his boyfriend to have some boba, our first boba in Italy. This place was right next to the Pantheon and despite being in such a touristy area, it was really good! I ordered a coffee milk tea and the bobarista made a point to tell me that I could ask for more ice if I needed it. I assumed this was due to the fact that Italy isn’t used to serving ice with their drinks.
Isabel and I had the opportunity to go back and rest at this point, but we decided to keep going. No, not for churches (I was finally done with the Path) but for shopping (window and regular). So we backtracked a bit toward Piazza Navona, where we tried to go to stores that we didn’t get to do earlier.
This included places like Drumohr, A. Marinella, and Slowear. These places don’t really require much to write about (especially Slowear with their low rise Incotex pants). What was interesting was Davide Cenci, which was a department store that stocked Polo, Boglioli, and Alden. Despite being in a city where almost every man was in a loafer, they did not stock any loafers from Alden. Their Alden selections were apparently their own custom make ups. Perhaps Italians prefer their own brands for loafers than a USA one.
One notable store was Vintage55, a store that felt a bit like a RRL, at least from when I peered in a few nights prior. I was expecting it to be a curated store, but it actually stocks their own products. Each of the designs felt like a summer-ready reinterpretation of true vintage workwear and milsurp. I especially liked their linen western shirts and their shorts, but I ultimately didn’t buy anything.
There was also Blu Studio Shop, which felt incredibly Pitti ready thanks to their shoulder treatments. I’m a fan of spalla camicia, but when the shoulder is narrow, it starts to make me look like Mr. Raro from way back in the day. I tried to size up just to see what it looked like, but the shopkeeper was sure that I was a 48. Oh well!
Even though I wasn’t buying anything, Isabel was quite happy with what she got. Before I went on this #menswear gauntlet run, she and I went to a local leather and stationery store near the Pantheon. She got a few pieces of parchment and journal paper for her friends and I ended up getting an orange leather case for my sunglasses. On that note, I was actually on the lookout for a nice pair of sunglasses. Based on a few posts by people I follow, Italian sunglasses just seem so fun! This meant that Isabel and I popped into plenty of stores trying on a few frames. Despite seeing a few interesting pieces, nothing really grabbed my eye (lol). I was ready to be done by the time we got to the Spanish Steps, which was our final spot for a couple’s photo.
As it turns out, Moscot was right near there! I popped in and ultimately got a Lemtosh, their iconic P3-esque frame, which is a shape I honestly did not own yet in my sunglasses collection. It’s so funny to have bought an American product in Italy, but hey, these shades are cool and I’m glad I got them. Plus the VAT refund worked, so I think I got these cheaper than if I were to buy them stateside.
We put back our newly acquired goods in our hotel and rested a bit before going out for our final dinner. Isabel and I decided to go to Ristorante Rossini, a place that we noticed was full while walking near Fraschetteria. To our amazement, they actually had a rooftop area, which was quite fitting for the occasion. It was here that I ate the only gnocchi I had for the entire trip and it was worth it. We polished it off with a glass of moscato and sharing a tiramisu.
And speaking of occasions, I actually changed for dinner! Instead of doing a suit and tie (I was already in a suit), I changed it up by wearing the tuxedo again. I had hoped that I would wear it again on this trip, but outside of the wedding, it’s pretty hard to find a reason to wear it, especially if we’re moving around and sweating. But for a finale and a night cap, it was great.
I didn’t get fully kitted out (we were walking in public after all), which is why I had a little bit of fun with “alternative black tie”. Though if I’m being honest, this isn’t that at all. Rather, its me wearing the tuxedo as if it were a suit, with a black spearpoint polo, beret, and my sandals. I guess it could work for creative evening wear, but its definitely just right for a nice dinner and drinks. Isabel also changed slightly but she still looked as lovely as ever.
It was during that dinner that we shared how happy we were with each other and how grateful we were that we got to accompany each other on the things we wanted to do (many of which we wanted to do together anyway). Not only am I incredibly lucky to have been able to visit these places while being so young, but to also have been joined by my significant other. I think that is what made for such a wonderful trip. If this was like Japan, where I was largely on my own when not doing family stuff, I could imagine myself getting too exhausted to do anything but shop. But with Isabel here, I felt inspired to see as much art as I could and commit myself to the Path of Illumination (and see her sites too).
Anyway, once the sappy dinner was over we set off to Club Derrière where my brother and Nicholas were waiting. However, on journey, we had a surprise: we ran into Sora and his partner Megan, who walked us about halfway to the speakeasy. I normally get to see one or two menswear guys during all of my international trips, but I had assumed this wouldn’t be the case for this one. I’m glad to have been proven wrong! As it turns out we had largely been on a similar vacation…just one day apart (which meant that we couldn’t really meet up until our final evening). We quickly chatted and made potential plans for double dates whenever Isabel gets to join me on my regular NYC trips.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of (or much to say about) the speakeasy because we honestly weren’t feeling it. It’s no shame to the bar at all, which seemed cool and had unique drinks (we had one and it was nice), but the sentiment was simply because Camden and Nicholas were already feeling dead tired. They already had a cocktail each before we got there and it didn’t seem like they had really recovered from the 6AM call time (which would be repeated the next day for our flight home). Them being tired made us realize how tired we were, so we all grabbed a cab back to the hotel (because we weren’t going to end our trip with another 30 minute walk).
That might have been a bit of an uneventful way to end the trip, but I think it really encapsulates everything that this trip has been about. Menswear. Delicious food. One (or two) drinks. Lovely company. And feeling good and tired enough to turn in early. In other words, I was satisfied and happy.I missed home. Or maybe just the ability to make more outfits. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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a little bit of rest 
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