Welcome to the 15th instalment of the “Garmsman Dozen” question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous. Did you miss earlier ones? There are links at the end of the page.
This week we welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Mirko from Italy!
Who are you, where do you live and what interests you?
Hi there, my name is Mirko aka “the Dude”, I’m 43 years old and I’m from Rome – Italy. I’m managing two IG feeds, one is @ruggedstyledude and it is a kind of “Rugged Style” manifesto, the other is @the_navyism, focused on vintage USN & USMC garments.
Thinking back to your childhood, what were your most memorable or favourite clothes?
As a child (in the early 80s) every Sunday my granddad “nonno Gino” bring me to his stall in the huge Roman portaportese fleamarket where he sold his paints. Near his stall, there was a used American clothes seller (at that time the term Vintage were not so common). On Sunday morning I found a Vietnam War og107 shirt with a cool patch. That garment was probably the very first vintage item I owned, gifted by my nonno. My granddad passed away some years ago, but I still have the shirt…
How would you describe your style today, and what are your influences?
As my feed name says my style is definitely rugged. I often try to find a definition. Rugged, in my humble opinion, is a mix of styles – military, Workwear, athletic biker with the fil rouge of the great American heritage.
How do you think others would describe your style and garments, do you get any reaction from friends and random strangers?
As a policeman my “rugged style” matched with my 70s hairdo & beard makes my colleagues describe me as “Serpico” and to be true I love it. My mom, that was a 60s girl find my style very close to a clochard, and I love it too. Basically, people think that I’m an anticonformist and a bit eccentric. And this is the thing I love the most.
Most garmsmen will have a few “grail items” in their collection. Not to out you, but if your house is burning, which garments do you grab?
Probably I will burn with my wardrobe…
Having a large collection of clothes can lead to changing outfit on a daily basis, but if you were going to wear a single outfit the next two weeks, what would it be?
This is a hard question… but I got it:
Do you make any of your own clothes?
If your clothes need repairs or alterations, do you do it yourself?
As a vintage collector, many of my garments need tons of repairs. For simple ones my mom is great. For complex ones, I have my a kind of tailors staff. But for boots & leather jacket I love to take care personally. It is a kind of relax for me
When looking for clothes, what factors play into your selections?
Are you budget-conscious or spendthrift?
What would you never wear?
I’m from Italy, and my country is worldwide famous for the fashion industry. But, as a rugged style lover, I’m a stranger in my house. There are so many “very Italian garments” that I really dislike as Hogan shoes or Jeckerson pants. But above all, I really hate the man-purse. It’s my Kryptonite
Do you have a dream garment you’d love to own?
To be true there are many “dream garments” on my wish list. On the top the USN “NAF” crew deck jacket in khaki colour and a 50s Buco Horsehide “Dpocket” motorcycle jacket. But it is only a matter of time
Does your interest in clothes influence other aspects of your life?
Did you miss the first Garmsman Dozens?
- Jon from Great Britain
- Shaun from Scotland
- Klaus from Germany
- Roland from Italy
- Daniel from Sweden
- Enoch from the USA
- Even from Norway
- Kris from Belgium
- Michael from Great Britain
- Liam from Great Britain
- Lee from Great Britain
- Iain from Great Britain
- Michael from Italy
- Christopher from Great Britain
- Mirko from Italy
- Pete from Australia
- Pythagore from New York
- Paul from Minneapolis
- Dachi from Great Britain
PS: If you have suggestions for the next garmsman, let me know. Or have your mother suggest you, if even if you’re a bit keen to suggest yourself. My email is WellDressedDad (@) gmail.com
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