In late 2015, around the launch of the fourth-generation MX-5, Mazda in the UK ran a style campaign called Sprezza, celebrating individual style through the Italian idea of sprezzatura and inviting menswear personalities to shoot with the car.
What sprezzatura means
The word comes from Baldassare Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier, published in 1528. Castiglione used it to describe the ideal courtier's knack of making difficult things look effortless: a studied nonchalance that hides the effort behind it. In menswear, sprezzatura has become shorthand for the slightly undone elegance associated with Italian dressers: a tie worn a little askew, a watch over a shirt cuff, a jacket with patch pockets and no shoulder padding.
How to dress with sprezzatura
- Start with excellent basics. Nonchalance only works if the clothes underneath fit perfectly.
- Break one rule, not five. Unbuttoned cuffs, a loosely tied scarf or a casual pocket square are enough.
- Choose soft tailoring. Unstructured jackets in linen, cotton or wool hopsack look relaxed by design.
- Wear it often. Clothes look effortless when they are worn in.
The car
The MX-5 first appeared in 1989 and became the best-selling two-seat roadster in history, a title recognised by Guinness World Records. The fourth generation, known by its internal code ND, arrived in 2015. It was lighter and more compact than its predecessor, with sharper styling, and it kept the formula that made the original a classic: front engine, rear-wheel drive, a manual folding roof and a focus on fun rather than raw power.
The open road to Monaco
There is a reason so many style shoots end up on the Riviera. The coast road from Nice to Monaco is one of the great drives in Europe, and it ends at the most glamorous casino of them all. If you make the trip, park the roadster, swap the driving loafers for polished shoes and a jacket, and read our guide to Monte Carlo's dress code before you walk up the steps.
