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La divisa è nuova, se la mette subito.

La divisa è nuova, se la mette subito.
The uniform is new, he puts it on right away.
From Lesson 250:Reflexive combined pronouns (se lo, se la...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about La divisa è nuova, se la mette subito.

Why does the sentence use se la instead of si la?
When the reflexive pronoun si (meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'themselves') is placed right before a direct object pronoun like la (meaning 'it'), the i in si changes to an e. This makes the combination flow better, giving us se la.
Why do we need the reflexive pronoun se here? Couldn't we just say la mette?
In Italian, when you talk about putting an item of clothing on your own body, you use the reflexive verb mettersi (literally 'to put on oneself'). If you just said la mette, it would mean 'he puts it' (for example, placing the uniform on a chair). Adding the reflexive se makes it clear he is wearing it.
What exactly does the la replace in this sentence?
The la is a direct object pronoun replacing la divisa (the uniform). Because divisa is a feminine singular noun, we must use the feminine singular pronoun la to say 'it'.
How do we know the translation is 'he puts it on' and not 'she puts it on'?
Without a wider context, we actually do not know for sure! The verb form mette is used for both 'he' and 'she', and the combined pronoun se la works for both 'himself' and 'herself'. This sentence could just as easily mean 'she puts it on right away'.

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