Icons: Mariano Di Vaio

At the tender age of 7, I realised something; if nobody's perfect, yet practice makes perfect, is perfection feasible? 

I've ruminated on that for a while, that is, until my eyes gazed upon the absolute perfection that is, Mariano Di Vaio. The actor, model and world renowned fashion blogger has cemented an influential reign over the blogosphere.  He's Italian, and when we think of Italy, our minds trickle into the land of fresh pasta and raunchy theater, and the generation upon generation of style mavericks that the country encompasses. I guess, what else can we expect from a country quite literally shaped like a knee-high boot? 

Mr. Di Vaio ushers all that Italy embraces, his suave, sophisticated looks are of a standard that every guy hopes to achieve. 

Born in Milan, one of the world's fashion capitals, Mariano carries himself off as a man with fashion running through his veins. With his whimsical smile and heartfelt eyes that make me weak, he has an intrinsically layered style. Having worked under the tutelage of John Galliano, Roberto Cavalli and Diesel, he has been immersed by a diverse range of aesthetics, which you can see in how he embraces a variety of edges and corners in his day to day outfits: ceramic bow ties, jacquard blazers, urban sweatshirts, lumberjack plaid, fresh white denim and brazen geometrics. If you can stitch it, Mariano has probably worn it. 

Classic and unbridled in his elegance, Mariano has that panache that means he can tame even the most weirdest and wonderful pieces. There is always a masculine slant to his looks, he embraces his bulky, refined body by wearing tailored pieces that accentuate his frame. It is this casual, unafraid approach to style that has made Di Vaio the leader of a 2 million Instagram following (I think his endless shirtless selfies are a big reason me and many girls follow him). 

Many of his outfits are structured and formal, but retain a sense of daring playfulness. Fitted silhouettes, bold pops of colour and eclectic pattern choices form the triumvirate of his looks. In all honesty, with those cheekbones, he could wear a rubbish bin bag and still look hot. Mariano often looks towards movies and music for fashion inspiration, explaining his melodic style. He believes that by dressing your best, it will make even the day itself more beautiful, though, I would say his face alone does that...

Mariano Di Vaio is one of my personal style icons; his ability to combine basic pieces with the avant garde, yet still look like he just casually threw everything on instead of thinking it all through is a rare gift. He is the ultimate gentleman, what else can we expect form someone born in Milan of all places? 

Perfection.