Florence sets a higher standard for visitor dress than almost any other European city. The Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia, the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio — the city's architecture and art constitute a visual standard that rewards the visitor who has dressed for it. The Florentines themselves dress with a seriousness that is specific to the city — the standard is visible and sets a tone that rewards the visitor who has made the same effort.

The summer heat in Florence is intense and dry — the city sits in the Arno valley, and July and August temperatures regularly exceed 37 degrees with limited breeze. Belgian linen at a midweight manages this heat more consistently than any other fabric for a full day of cultural visiting.

For the museums and the historic centre: the morning at the Uffizi, the afternoon in the Oltrarno neighbourhood, the evening walk across the Ponte Vecchio — a PP linen shirt in white or a warm natural with linen trousers and leather shoes is the correct combination. Florence rewards the garment that acknowledges the quality of its surroundings. Shorts in the Uffizi are not appropriate; linen trousers are the natural choice for the cultural day.

For the Oltrarno and the artisan neighbourhood: the workshops south of the Arno, the quieter restaurants of the neighbourhood, the evening at a wine bar on Via dei Serragli — a PP linen shirt in a composed earth tone with linen trousers reads correctly in Florence's most craft-conscious neighbourhood.

For the Chianti and Fiesole day trips: the hills above Florence — Fiesole, the Chianti vineyards — are cooler than the city and have their own beauty. Earth tones and warm naturals in linen belong in the Tuscan landscape.

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