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Marco ha una cravatta nuova e se la mette.

Marco ha una cravatta nuova e se la mette.
Marco has a new tie and puts it on.
From Lesson 250:Reflexive combined pronouns (se lo, se la...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Marco ha una cravatta nuova e se la mette.

Why is it se la instead of si la?
When the 3rd person reflexive pronoun si (meaning "on himself") is followed by a direct object pronoun like la (meaning "it"), the i in si changes to an e. Therefore, si + la combines to become se la.
Why do we use the reflexive pronoun se here? The English translation just says "puts it on".
In Italian, the action of putting an item of clothing on yourself uses the reflexive verb mettersi. You are literally saying that Marco puts the tie "on himself" (se). If you just said la mette without the reflexive pronoun, it would mean he puts the tie down somewhere else, like on a bed or a table.
What exactly does the la refer to in se la mette?
La is the direct object pronoun meaning "it". It refers back to una cravatta (a tie). Because cravatta is a feminine singular noun, you must use the feminine singular pronoun la.
Why do the pronouns se la go before the verb?
In Italian, combined object pronouns almost always go directly before a conjugated verb. Since mette (puts) is the conjugated verb here, the combined pronoun block se la has to sit right in front of it.

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