Italian Fashion: First look

So I am currently in Italy. First off, Italian Fashion is insane. Yet I kind of expected it from the women. Which, when people say Italian women wear a lot of black, they weren’t kidding.  Italian women wear almost all black, which, may be because it’s slimming or it looks classic. Either way, Italian women are very image conscious. Which works for me because so am I.  My attempts to look like Florentine women seem to be working based upon the multiple people speaking to me in Italian.  I may have went a little overboard today with the outfit.  Black boots (which I just purchased from H&M, and my host mother disapproved of, apparently H&M is for poor people and she would have preferred me to spend the remainder of my income on boots that must be beautiful but would probably make me cry, 300 or 400 euro ain’t in Corinne’s “I’m in college and in Europe” Budget.), Black skinny jeans, and a black sweater.  I did add a few pops of color (my pink scarf and leopard belt), which made me feel a little less like a poser.  Hopefully I will blend in perfectly by the end of the semester.  Perfetto. 

         Now the women aren’t the forerunners of Italian Fashion.  I do believe they’re well dressed, however men’s fashion represents beyond well dressed.  I know European men tend to dress nicer but I have never experienced fashion that is so beautiful on men.  The men are beautiful.  As in beautifully groomed, beautifully put together, beautifully dressed, truly perfetto.  Men aren’t afraid to wear a silk scarf with a tweed overcoat and green dress pants with light brown leather shoes.  Fabulous doesn’t even begin to describe it.  And they still look extremely masculine, not a trace of femininity which adds to their attraction and perfections.   I sound like a psychopath obsessed with Italian men, but it truly is a shame I’m too timid to stalk these men and take their picture. 

         These men and women, Florentines, are every age, young and old.  However, as in every country, not every person dressed well.  Some may just not care about fashion, some may not know what fashionable truly is, not that I do but I hope I’m close.  These Italians tend to be the stereotypical Italian that is brand obsessed.  For some reason Italians are very brand obsessed, and I’m sure would not understand the simple concept that expensive doesn’t mean fashionable, cheap fashion can be the best and most put together.  Italians would shoot me if I accused them of wearing something cheap, they like caro this caro that.  Expensive, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Tifffany, Louis Vuitton, and why not when you live less than 5 minutes from each, walking distance (via della vigna nuova).  This unfortunate obsession affects both men and women.  However, all together from what I have noticed, Italians fashion sense rivals the best in the world, much, much better than Americans. No offense.

         That’s it for me here, my neck is currently cramping up since there is no real place to sit and write expect the comfort of my twin bed, I hope to write about the food soon, as long as my fingers don’t get so fat that I can’t type.  Food is dangerous.

xoxo

Corinne