Fashionable travel is tough. Trousers get wrinkled, temperatures are unpredictable, and for overnight international flights, comfort is of the essence. But Italy’s national soccer team still managed to pull off a stylish arrival in Rio de Janeiro last week.
Shortly after 4am, team Italy stepped off the plane sporting their official three-piece navy wool Dolce & Gabbana off-duty suits. The English team, on the other hand, opted for warmup-ready shorts, polo-style shirts, and sneakers, in spite of being similarly provided with charcoal mohair blend suits by the department store Marks & Spencer.
Apparently, England’s cheaper (£264) Marks & Spencer suits—not unlike the slightly frumpy suits (link in Italian) they wore in 2012—were selected to give fans something they could actually buy, should they want to dress like players off-duty.
But despite the perception of Italian sartorial superiority, the British are no slouches when it comes to suiting. Perhaps if England had paired up with a swankier Savile Row tailor or a designer like Paul Smith to make them nicer suits, the team would have been inspired to change before landing.