Old Money Style at the Italian Open

There are louder sporting events in Europe.

More extravagant ones, too.

But few capture the atmosphere of old-world elegance quite like the Italian Open in Rome.

Held each spring at the historic Foro Italico, the tournament feels less like a modern sporting spectacle and more like a continuation of the European Grand Tour — where tennis, tailoring, architecture, and inherited style quietly intersect.

The Italian Open has always attracted a certain kind of crowd.

Roman aristocrats in cream linen.

Milanese families escaping north Italian business culture for a week in the capital.

European socialites wearing cashmere over their shoulders despite the May heat.

Men who understand the value of a navy blazer that’s twenty years old.

Nobody appears overdressed.

Nobody appears to be trying.

And that is precisely the point.

The Setting: Foro Italico

Part of the magic lies in the setting itself.

The Foro Italico is unlike any other venue in tennis — monumental marble statues, cypress trees, sun-faded stone, clay courts glowing terracotta beneath the Roman light. The atmosphere feels unmistakably Italian: grand but restrained, historic without becoming theatrical.

Unlike newer tournaments built around luxury branding and VIP spectacle, Rome still feels rooted in tradition.

People linger between matches.

Lunch matters as much as tennis.

Espresso is taken standing.

Afternoons stretch slowly into aperitivo.

Even the best seats carry an air of quiet discretion rather than performance.

The Unofficial Dress Code

The true spectacle of the Italian Open is often in the stands.

Old money Italian style operates by its own rules:

• Tailoring without stiffness

• Luxury without logos

• Neutral palettes softened by sun and age

• Sunglasses that have been owned for years, not weeks

For women:

Oversized linen shirts, gold jewelry worn daily rather than displayed, silk scarves, structured white trousers, woven leather bags.

For men:

Unstructured blazers, suede loafers, lightweight knit polos, vintage watches, perfectly broken-in sunglasses.

No one is chasing trends.

The aesthetic is permanence.

Why Tennis Fits the Old Money World

Tennis has long belonged to the language of old money culture.

Not because it is flashy - but because it rewards discipline, restraint, etiquette, and continuity.

The Italian Open reflects this especially well. The crowd applauds elegance as much as victory. Matches unfold beneath statues and umbrella pines. Conversations drift effortlessly between tennis, art, politics, and where to have dinner afterward.

Even the tournament’s pace feels civilized compared to the intensity of modern sports culture.

Rome reminds you that luxury is not speed.

It is time.

Rome After the Matches

The real old money experience begins after sunset.

Long dinners in hidden courtyards.

Late walks through Prati.

Negronis beneath candlelight.

Tiny family restaurants where nobody rushes you from the table.

The best moments are never scheduled.

And perhaps that is the true essence of the Italian Open: it combines world-class sport with the distinctly Italian art of living beautifully.

Not performatively.

Not digitally.

Just naturally.

If you want to capture that same timeless aesthetic beyond the tennis courts, I created a free Old Money Style Guide filled with the wardrobe essentials, styling principles, and understated details that define classic European elegance.

Download the guide here: https://stan.store/OldMoneyItalian and learn how to dress with the same effortless sophistication found courtside in Rome.