17 questions to a well-dressed man – Douglas Mortimer
Photo credit: Douglas Mortimer
Douglas Mortimer is not the real name of this elegant Italian gentleman but his pseudonym. This pseudonym is also a tribute to the gentleman gunslinger played by Lee van Cleef in the movie ‘’For a few dollars more’’ by Sergio Leone. Douglas Mortimer has since quite some years an excellent Youtube channel in Italian where gentlemen can learn everything about dressing and living well. Whether it is about style icons, tailors, or the best address for ties. Douglas Mortimer is telling you his opinion about it and is trying to inspire people to dress better and enjoy life more. Sometimes he visits a factory to give you an insight view and if he’s not on the road he is addressing you from his beautifully decorated office of which I especially enjoy the old maps in the background. On his social media channels, we can see Douglas Mortimer in his sharp outfits where he explains everything he wears up till his watches, which are mainly beautiful vintage pieces. His style is very classic and British but mostly made in Italy by the finest manufacturers and craftsmen. Douglas Mortimer appreciates quality but also is aware that not everybody can afford it, so he tries to show a good balance in the options where he thinks gentlemen should purchase their clothing. I especially love his outfits in wintertime as he shows off tweed and tattersall shirts in a very sharp way. Since we get into the colder days, I thought there wouldn’t be a better candidate for ’17 questions to a well-dressed man’’ now then Douglas Mortimer and therefor I’m happy that he agreed on doing the interview. I’m sure you’ll be enjoying his answers and so the only thing that’s left is to wish you a good and inspiring read.
What are you wearing today?
Today I am wearing a comfortable and informal outfit, which I find perfect for this cold season: a warm Shetland wool jacket (made by Lanieri with a fabric from Lanificio Subalpino) that I have combined with a checked shirt (made to measure by Apposta) and a pair of soft corduroy trousers. The outfit is completed by a tie and a pocket square, both in wool (by Silvio Fiorello).
If you had to choose to spend money either on a suit or on a watch, what would you choose?
I love watches, but not as much as I love clothes. So that’s where I would spend my money on.
What jewellery could a man wear?
In spite of what is believed, I am convinced that men can wear different types of jewels with ease. Among these, the most well-known and socially accepted is obviously a watch, increasing luxury, but of not of less dignity and beauty may be cufflinks, rings and pins for a jacket or tie. And last but not least, various accessories. contours that can rise to the rank of jewelry (I am thinking, for example, of pens or other trinkets such as pocketknives).
Tie or a bowtie?
I love both deeply. Especially when they are made by hand. I find them more flattering.
Do you remember your first jacket?
I have a vague and hazy memory of it. I must have been when I was 14 or 15. And, if I remember correctly, my first jacket was green, in velvet or moleskin, classic but informal.
What is your favourite watch?
Lately I have an inordinate passion for “vintage” watches, rather than for recent models. A recent purchase that I am very satisfied with is a quadrangular shaped Omega De Ville.
Fountain pen or ballpoint?
While ballpoint pens are undoubtedly more practical, nothing can rival the history and charm of fountain pens.
Have you found the perfect garment yet?
No. Not yet and I don't know if I'll ever find it. What may seem perfect to me today may no longer be perfect tomorrow. In any case, I believe that the perfect garment cannot exist ... at the limit, perhaps, the perfect garment for a given occasion can exist.
Explain your biggest passion in one sentence?
My greatest passion is what I define "good living" and which we could summarize in the pursuit of pleasure, in its most noble, beautiful and elevated forms. It is a topic that is very dear to me, on which I wrote a book that will soon come of the press: it will be entitled "I nobili piaceri del gentiluomo".
What is your guilty pleasure?
Surely that what here in Italy we call "slow smoking", that is, the conscious and moderate consumption of the noblest forms of tobacco (both in a pipe and in a cigar).
Who is the best dressed man in the world for you?
With the invention of the Internet and social media, the points of reference in the vast world of men's elegance have become many; therefor it is difficult for me to identify the best. I can give two examples which are contrasting in style, but which I find very elegant in their own way: Massimiliano Mocchia Conte di Coggiola and Fabio Attanasio. The first is characterized by a very refined and amiably retro style; the second characterized by a breezy and casual style.
The best book you ever read?
Although it is very tied to the poetics of Gabriele D'Annunzio, the book that perhaps more than others impressed me was Dino Buzzati's “Il deserto dei Tatari”. Among the foreign authors, two of my great passions were Kafka (everything, but in particular the Metamorphosis) and Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.
Which city should one go shopping?
Given that I buy almost exclusively online (even custom-made products), the city that more than any other I found most interesting for an “elegant scroll of shopping” was Rome.
Tweed or flannel?
I love the rustic and true soul of Tweed.
The most elegant restaurant in the world for you?
In contrast with the luxury restaurants in cities, I prefer the rustic and modest elegance of small country trattorias, especially those that have a history and are deeply rooted in the territory.
Describe your style in three words?
I love to experiment and explore, forever in the fields of classical styles.
Best purchase you did in the last 6 months?
Probably the vintage Omega De Ville I was talking about earlier.