File: Aspesi, confidential Italian brand (+ test of the Minifield jacket)

Aspesi is a relatively discreet Italian brand. It was greatly popularized by Scott Schuman, American photographer and founder of the famous blog TheSartorialist (for free or not? I wonder).

It's a bit like the Italian APC: simple, timeless and well thought-out collections, with very few or no visible logos.

The kind of brand where you never know if a piece of clothing is from the current collection or from last year. One, because their products have a timeless side and two, because most of their basics are still present season after season.

This observation is even more marked on their e-shop : they have a sort of permanent collection, but which is still the subject of sales (one might have thought the opposite, like the APC raw jeans ).

Scott also takes the opportunity to develop the idea (yes, I read minds) that to maintain a slim appearance at the upper body level, it is very important to play not on the torso but on the narrowness of the sleeves .

The thinner they are, the more visual space it frees up between the sleeves and the torso, thus giving an impression of slimness (and without being cramped in a coat that compresses your chest).

A perfect jacket for winter or spring , thanks to its removable lining. Removable linings which are increasingly used by all men's ready-to-wear brands to make their clothes more versatile.

Again, Scott will promote it through his blog. And it was at this time (~2011) that the brand launched an e-commerce site via TheLevelGroup .

In a recent interview, I-don't-know-which-marketing-director said that an e-commerce site must be able to reflect the same brand image to its customers as in a store. Not falling short of expectations and providing the best possible customer experience.

Any luxury brand that does not deliver on the digital level is bound to take a hit.

Aspesi, a product-centric brand

The product above all

The story begins in 1969 (or 1961, or 1981? I found a bit of everything but 1969 seems to be the most recurring date).

Alberto Aspesi is the eponymous founder. The brand begins by producing shirts and then, subsequently, the entire men's and women's wardrobe.

You can therefore opt for the total Aspesi look if you wish. Each piece is carefully considered. In addition, I advise you to go see their lookbook: the color combinations are always well felt.

Portrait of the founder

Alberto Aspesi is not an over-publicized character: his interviews are rare. He prefers to devote himself to his work, and we can understand that. It emphasizes the product rather than the communication.

A few exceptions, however: we can count collaborations in the 1980s with well-known photographers such as Peter Lindbergh. He notably photographed the sublime model Linda Evangelista for Aspesi.

These photographs are still very often highlighted by the brand via its Facebook.

Thanks all the same to Tenue de Nîmes magazine for persevering to put together a little interview with Alberto Aspesi during one of their trips to Milan. You can find their full interview here .

What can we learn from it?

First lesson: his work is centered on materials , everything starts there. He therefore always chooses what is best, or at least what he thinks is best. Of course, the style of the piece (particularly through the cut) is not neglected.

A good piece stays beautiful. It stands the test of time.

A beautiful piece remains beautiful. It stands the test of time.

Men's creations are generally good basics that stand the test of time, but are constantly improved and brought up to date. This is also the leitmotif of the brand.

To create his pieces, he is not alone in making decisions: Alberto has notably collaborated with major designers such as Lawrence Steel (for the women's collection) and Dirk van Dooren, artistic director of the brand for 17 years.

Success partly comes from there.

Alberto thinks that the bridge between art and fashion is not as obvious as we would like to believe, which does not prevent him from being fond of arte povera (“poor art”, if we translate literally) .

I'm not an art historian but, according to Wikipedia, this Italian artistic movement was born in the 1960s:

Arte povera artists adopt a behavior which consists of challenging the cultural industry and more broadly consumer society.

This ties in with the idea that the beauty of the 21st century is mainly found in objects (go and see the designer , Marcel Duchamp's bicycle wheel has nothing to do with beauty.

Some works of art are also displayed in certain Aspesi boutiques.

The success of Aspesi field jackets

The Aspesi wardrobe places a large emphasis on military-inspired clothing . This is a specific characteristic of the brand: there is a plethora of what we call field jackets , from the M65 to the M43 via the M51.

And as explained previously, the color combinations are always very successful. You will easily find what you are looking for for every season of the year.

Other pieces of the Aspesi wardrobe

Overshirts

Aspesi's historic core business is shirt manufacturing . And it shows. Their overshirts - which you can wear like a jacket - are very well made.

Here again, several choices of materials are available depending on the season:

Pants

They also produce very lightweight pants that feature a pleat , similar to suit pants.

Be careful, the slimmest model ( super secco ) is not that slim. Leg opening at 19 cm: semi-slim therefore.

What about the future for the brand?

We come back to their leitmotif: continue to work on the basics, simple and very good quality products, while adapting to new developments (developing e-commerce for example).

Test of the Aspesi Minifield field jacket

This test is not sponsored, I have not received anything from Aspesi. Well, at the same time, I didn't ask for anything either 😉

You'll notice right away that it's long enough to protect your little bum in windy weather and short enough not to fall into the long coat category. I'm not going to go over the history of the M65 for you, the web is full of articles on this subject.

It is perfect to wear casually or with a suit : a good alternative for those who, like me, hate trench coats – too flirty/seductive over the past few years in my opinion – or for those who are tired of wearing a MAC.

It is also multi-pocket: perfect for taking your home with you, and especially for carrying your favorite paperback books. Or the one that someone gave you for Christmas and that you throw in a corner of your room; you will no longer have excuses.

Features of the Minifield field jacket

It is a jacket made of 100% Japanese cotton .

It is equipped with a non-removable Thermore lining, which is an imitation of shearling.

These are heavily used throughout the brand's outerwear range, they are made of polyester fibers. It is an alternative to down.

• Disadvantage : stays less warm, for the same weight.

• Main advantage : cheaper (and the geese and ducks thank us for it).

My only regret is that this liner is not removable here (which is the case on some models).

We also find the other historical characteristics of the M65 (not to be confused with the safari jacket, also of military origin).

The epaulette is used as a military rank holder in its most recent form (during the 20th century). She also played other roles, I'll let you see on Wikipedia here if you're interested.

It is also called “passerby”.

How does it size?

It depends on the models, but overall the brand sizes rather large for its field jackets . The Minifield model being in my opinion one of their most fitted models (along with the Dakar).

In summary, the M65 from Aspesi is:

• Good materials (technical but also natural – cotton / wool / cashmere);

• Well-thought-out one-liners ;

• Manufactured in Romania (mostly);

• Finally, it is rather expensive (prices increase year after year). I advise you to buy on sale (even if the most common sizes - S/M - are often sold out quickly).

Which other brands should you turn to for an M65?

You can always take a look at thrift stores : on the other hand, there will be little chance that you will find your size. Unless you weigh 95kg for 1m85.

Consider making alterations, such as shortening the sleeves for example.

Otherwise, you can also take a look at:

• Alpha Industries : historic manufacturer for over 50 years, with a notable point of difference being their much less fitted M65;

• Beams : very good alternative, very well priced but not distributed in France;

• Zambaldo : very good products;

• Mida : a Benoît opinion? 🙂

• The Real McCoy's : you will find all the information in my previous article on the brand ;

• Buzz Ricksons : I don’t know – so give it a try.

And from time to time, APC , Herno , even H&M and Zara.

Aspesi stores

Let's start with the bad news. There was a point of sale in Paris Place du Marché-Saint-Honoré, a few steps from the Colette concept store, but it closed (not profitable enough?).

They are therefore mainly present in Italy, rue Montepoleone for example. This is THE fashion street in Milan . It is located in the Quadrilatero della moda , literally the fashion quadrilateral.

It's a bit like the addition of avenue Montaigne, rue Vieille-du-Temple and rue Saint-Honoré. It's not uncommon to come across guys in full Brioni riding around on Harleys.

Please note, there are often two entrances to Aspesi stores (which I was able to verify in Milan and Florence). One entrance may be locked and not the other, remember to look around 😉

Their boutiques are very neat, the one in Milan in particular. It was voted The Best Store In The World in 2007 by an international jury of designers and Wallpaper magazine.

Have you ever noticed that in stores where you find beautiful clothes, the lighting has (generally) been very well thought out? We could write an entire article on the subject. No big neon lights that directly burn your face.

I don't know about you, but at home, I put the neon lights in the cellar. Not in living spaces, nor in my workplace (unless I am a surgeon, of course).

The lighting is always subtly diverted. Always indirect or subdued light. This is actually what makes the difference between a cozy brasserie and the local pizzeria/kebab shop. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea.

Not to spoil anything, the sellers are well dressed: quite a combo of beige pants + sky blue chambray shirt and patinated brown belt.

Finally, if you can't travel, you can always take a look on the web. Even if only on their own website .