When one says the words “Italian Fashion” many people have an image in their head of what that means to them. One may think of Gucci, Prada, and Cavalli just to name a few. Sure there are many big name Italian designers that have influenced style in Italy and around the world. Before coming to Italy this is also what I thought Italian style meant, but now when I think of “Italian Fashion” I think more of a style then a designer. I think of someone who is setting trends before they become popular but yet at the same time pays no attention to the trends. Before coming to Italy I had the same idea of “Italian fashion” as many American’s do, the large names that help shaped the upper level price rage.
Italy has been a major player in the fashion industry for hundreds of years with Milan being one of the fashion capitals of the world. When our class had the opportunity to be in Milan I noticed how the city had a sense of style. Everywhere I have been in Europe I have not seen anyone in sweatpants and sweatshirts, those items that seem to be the American uniform. Everywhere in Europe people take a sense of pride in the way the dress and take into account the way they dress represents a small part of who they are. In Milan especially I noticed, maybe because it was fashion week, that everywhere I looked everyone was dressed to impress. Their style and their approach to dressing seemed effortless. “La bella figura”, which we learned in class during lecture, is translated to good impression.
This “la bella figura” is something that many Italian’s live by and is evident in every city, especially in Italy, I have visited this semester.
Before coming to study abroad I had always seen celebrities and other public figures dressed in a style I admired. I never thought things and styles I had seen on celebrities would be able to be translated into my life nor would I be able to pull off the look. Coming to Europe and being surrounded by beautiful with unique style has given me more of an opportunity to try things I always wanted to. I feel as though being here has allowed me to take more of a style risk and try things I never thought I would like. Going to school in one of the fashion capitals of Italy and being able to travel to two of the fashion capitals of the world I have observed more what is in style around the world. I like to observe what people are wearing and what it projects to the public about themselves. Also, being in Europe I feel as though it is more acceptable to take outrageous fashion risks. Having world class shopping at my doorstep has also helped me explore my own personal style more. Over this semester my style has evolved into something I never thought I would be wearing let alone being comfortable in it. Because this experience has been such a growth on the inside of myself I am able to project that more to the world in my clothing choices.
For me a “turning point” as you could say in the change of my style came while we were in Milan. Because we just so happened to be there during fashion week the beautiful people of the fashion industry where everywhere we turned. The picture above is of 3 models from fashion week, when I saw their style I thought to myself they look trendy and wondered if I could look the same. I really enjoyed seeing all the models and important people in the industry looking so effortlessly beautiful I thought that I would try it for myself. After coming back from Milan I slow began buying new pieces of my wardrobe that I thought looked more like an Italian fashion piece and began slowly building my wardrobe. I will hopefully continue building my new wardrobe slowly back in the United States into something that I now define as Italian style.
Before coming to Italy I had a perception of what I thought Italian style was, a business dominated by big name designers and items out of my budget. Since being in Italy I learned that Italian style is not about what brand you are wearing it is more about your confidence when wearing the clothing. Being confident in how you appear to the public is what builds the la bella figura. The Italians, and Europeans in every country I have visited, have taught me that when you are confident in what you are wearing you will project your own sense of la bella figura to the world.
The experiences I had in Milan and many other cities in Europe have changed my perception of Italian style. Having classic and timeless pieces of wardrobe is essential in Italy, which contributes mainly to the idea of Italian style, but they also allow for a bit of experimentation in their wardrobes. The ability to mix both classic and trendier items is something that is prevalent in Italian society. The picture above is one I took while in Lucca Italy. I think that both of these women show what I now see as Italian style. The woman in the black takes the classic black v-neck shirt but modernizes it a bit with more a plunge in the neckline. Also, she is wearing the classic jean, which is in everyone’s wardrobe, but the cut is skinnier and closer fitting to the body, she also pairs it with chunky black heels. Both of these women have their haircut in short bob styles, something that is a sweeping trend everywhere. The woman in the white takes a plain white dress, something that is very timeless, and pairs it with a metallic bag and black heels. For me both of these women exemplify a key point in Italian style, taking something that everyone seems to have and making it your own and trendy.
I think that this picture is another example of the Italian style. This woman takes classic items such as a lace vest, floral print knee length skirt, and a leather bag and turns it into her own unique style. In just about every store lace is the focal point. This woman is able to take something as trendy as lace and make it work within her wardrobe. In these last four months I have seen many people will different and unique styles all exude the same quality, Italian style. Before coming to Italy I thought that everyone would essentially dress the same but since coming to Italy I learned that there is more to Italian style then the big name designers. Now for me thinking about Italian style I think that it is more about the confidence to wear something and the ability to take a trendy item and pair it with a class wardrobe staple item. In regards to style, the things I have seen while living in Italy have inspired me to live my live with the Italian mantra of “La bella figura.”
