Call it divine timing, but the release of Conclave (the movie) to streaming - it’s free on Prime Video for subscribers - colliding with the real-life conclave that took place in Rome for the last few days has had the world hooked.
Now the wait is over.
White smoke was seen billowing out of the conclave chimney this afternoon (May 8), BBC’s news camera shaking from the force of the assembled crowd’s cheers.
The world has a new Pope: Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
With so much attention focused on the conclave, who couldn’t help admiring the cardinals’ looks during the vote?
From their scarlet red zucchettos (the skull caps; Pope Leo will wear his in white) down to their pure silk socks, the subject of much discussion at fashionable lunches around the city, the Church officials were often seen decked in their signature finery.
If you, like us, have been wondering where to find such fabulous socks, we’ve got the best news since the new Pope was announced.
You can buy a pair of these socks from the same Roman tailor who has been dressing clergymen, including the head of the Catholic church, for centuries.
Gammarelli, which sits one block away from the Pantheon in the heart of Rome, has been serving the ecclesiastical and fashion world for six generations. Its socks, available in scarlet red, purple and black, come up to the mid-calf and are crafted in Italy.
The pure silk socks are £41 a pair, making them pricey, but not entirely beyond the realms of affordability.
But for regular Joes, online retailer Mes Chaussettes Rouges offers them in 100 per cent cotton lisle, a light premium Egyptian cotton, which sounds heavenly when faced with summer heatwaves.
Price? A much more earthly £21.
Praise be.
