It might have been more than a hot minute since I’ve lived in Italy, but there are some habits you just can’t unlearn. If we’re hanging out, there’s a pretty definite a chance I will be arriving within a 15 minute window of our established time. It doesn’t matter how early I leave, or how late I leave, I always seem to arrive at this golden time. I’ve dubbed this “Italian time” since that’s just how the clocks all operate in Italy — you’re arriving simply too early if you’re not fifteen minutes late.
The team over at Rakani is on the same page as me, which is great as their Fashionably Late Collection was basically made for me. Their +5 watch, $170 on Rakani.com, ensures you always have an extra five minutes no matter what — the design of the minute hand means you arrive exactly on time.
I’m all about a neutral outfit with big pops of color. I loved the red band on this watch, which was a great contrast to the usual options out there for guys. While those big, bulky metal watches are great, sometimes it’s nice to switch it up with a padded leather option. Even though leather bands are typically a more old school option, the bright color makes the watch seem more modern than even metal options.
As we’re finally gettting back into warmer weather and more sunshine, an easy way to make your outfit pop is with sunglasses. I think my apartment is starting to be a bit of a sunglass shop, since I can’t stop picking up new pairs of glasses. I’m all for cheaper sunglasses — one of my favorite pairs cost $6 — but there’s also something to be said of investing in a pair of high quality glasses. The guys at Spy Optic sent these over for me to take a test drive, and they’re super sturdy, and I think a great deal for the price. These Bleecker frames are from the Spy Optic Crosstown collection, and I think they’re a great deal at $139.00 — vintage style and quality at a modern price.
The shoes are a recent purchase, and I’m pretty obsessed with them. I have a thing for red shoes that started with a first pair that I bought as a souvenir in Venice, Italy, and the trend keeps on going strong. They’re suede with a textured tongue in snakeskin that I think is super cool. It’s the little things.
Photos courtesy Kristin Booker for Giafrese
Sunglasses and watch c/o brand