Now that sunnier days are just around the corner, French luxury fashion house Berluti’s iconic Forestière has been recast in lighter fabrics with beautifully supple, breathable linen giving the Forestière Ultra Leggeraa fluid drape that moves with your body and looks effortlessly relaxed: a masterclass in Italiansprezzatura.
Some garments possess that rare power of elevating an outfit without hijacking the whole look – they simply, and naturally, form a centre of gravity that everything else is styled around. The Forestière Ultra Leggerabelongs to that class of wardrobe essentials that never seek to overpower. Yet its balanced proportions, precision cut and the softness of its summer fabrics combine to impart instant distinction. This brand of expert tailoring fuses Parisian rigour with Italian ease, giving it that instinctive elegance Italians call sprezzatura, or the art of dressing impeccably, seemingly without giving it a thought.
The Forestièredraws its name from the occupation that inspired it, the gamekeepers. In the early 20th century, these nature-loving men were craving more comfortable work clothes that gave them more freedom of movement, so more than half a century ago, tailor Léon Grimbert designed a new kind of jacket.
Grimbert was the founder of Arnys tailors at 14 Rue de Sèvres, long considered the pinnacle of Paris Left Bank chic, and his design channelled this heritage of under-the-radar elegance. In 2011, Berluti extended its remarkable style from head to toe by bringing out its first ready-to-wear collection under Alessandro Sartori, including a revisited version of the legendary Forestière.
More than just a jacket, the Forestière crystallises Berluti’s entire philosophy of elegance, blending structured tailoring with informal ease. Worn open, with a pair of lightweight pants, or draped casually across the shoulders as the day winds down, it holds its almost architectural shape to give a neat silhouette, without feeling in any way constricting.
This sense of lightness and liberty is all the more welcome as summer approaches. Soft, breathable linen feels wonderfully cool against the skin, falling naturally without ever losing its shape. The jacket’s body is left deliberately unlined to accentuate the Forestière’s fluid, unstructured character, while its silk-lined sleeves can be nonchalantly rolled up when that feels right.
Designed to be a cornerstone of a man’s wardrobe, this jacket is endlessly versatile. Teaming it with Bermuda shorts or loose-fitting trousers and casual loafers gives a look of effortless summer elegance – an unforced form of sprezzatura that speaks of natural poise. Wearing it with bolder colours or sharper city outfits puts a modern, yet equally sophisticated spin on it. This adaptability is mirrored in the palette for this season, whose vibrant, luminous shades (deep Indigo, Twilight Blue, vibrant Lilac, warm Cocoaand bright Turquoise) can be combined with a multitude of colours to express one’s individuality.
As always at Berluti, the difference is visible in all the details that subtly, yet clearly, showcase the Maison’s savoir-faire. The patinated horn buttons are dyed to match the shades of the linen, echoing the patinas on the shoes and evoking that culture of the passage of time that’s so prized in shoemaking. Scritto embroidery brings an added note of sophistication, a hallmark of the Maison’s singular identity. Inside, too, the lining is patterned with a repeated Scritto motif – a signature only the wearer can see. Gradually, over time and with wear, you realize what makes the Forestière Ultra Leggeraso special: its natural, unstudied modernity.
Five key points about the Forestière Ultra Leggera:
- A summer version of the Forestière: A reinterpretation of the iconic jacket for summer wear, the Ultra Leggera version in soft, breathable linen gives a lightweight, fluid nonchalance inspired by Italy.
- A heritage of understated elegance: Inspired by the early 20th-century gatekeepers’ jackets redesigned by Léon Grimbert in the post-WWII years, the Forestièrebalances structure with informal ease in a look of singular chic.
- Fluidity and ease in warmer weather: Tailored in cool linen and with its unlined body, the Forestière Ultra Leggeraoptimises the wearer’s comfort and ease of movement.
- Versatility and unstudied elegance: A central piece in refined gentlemen’s wardrobe, it can be styled in countless ways – from casual summer outfits to smart city looks – thanks to its selection of luminous colours.
- Signature details: Patinated horn buttons, subtle Scritto embroidery and sleeves lined with Scritto-patterned silk all attest to the meticulous attention to detail that Berluti craftsmanship is renowned for.
For more information, please visit www.berluti.com.