WTI Magazine #58    2015 April, 17
Author : Elda Buonanno Foley      Translation by:

While talking about style, everybody makes an easy assumption: Italian brands, big fashion logos, fancy clothes and so forth. Actually, style is more than wearing a Prada bag or a DG pair of glasses, not to mention the stiletto-high heels by Gucci.

As indicated in Part 1, style for Italians is something embedded in their genes: it is a way of perceiving the outside world and the perception of being judged by the way we move and how we clothe ourselves.

As said before, it is not about social pressure but rather our philosophy of living and feeling comfortable in the social, private and public world. We, the Italians, wish to feel acceptable in any circumstances and occasions, be it social or just in our everyday routine. Let me point out a few examples.

Shoes - Italians love their shoes and they take good care in selecting them. We have recently imported big international brands so do not be surprised if, while strolling around big and small Italian towns, you see hordes of teenagers wearing Dr. Marten's floral boots, Hunter rainy boots, and the comfy, cozy but ugly looking UGGs and so forth. However, we still appreciate balance and appearance and the choice will generally go to a nice pair of "Made in Italy" shoes possibly with heels. Do not forget that for centuries, Italians would have their shoes handmade and customized by greatest craftsmen. One quick historical example is Via Dei Calzaiuli in Florence, one of the most exquisite streets in the capital of the Renaissance that was named "dei Calzaiuli" because of all the shoe shops that would be crowded with people requesting personally customized shoes.

Formal versus Informal - If we need to work, connect, or interact within any official environment (going to school, church, ceremonies or any governmental office) formal attire is a must (i.e., suit and tie for men, blouse and jacket or nice dresses for women). Nothing new here: however, to be more specific, you will never see a teacher or a professor in college going to class in his/her jeans or in casual clothes. That would be disrespectful to the students and, in a way, would diminish the official role of the instructors. On the other hand, you will never see an Italian student (of any grade) going to class in his/her PJ's. Holy war. Nothing against our colorful and frilly PJs: we simply leave them in our homes. In sum, we tend to wear very formal clothes in most of the daily circumstances: however, we do not disdain informal attire as long as it is within the boundaries of decency and good appeal. Going out with friends or any informal social gatherings will be seen as an occasion to dress up in our best attire while keeping the profile low but still elegant and classy.

Accessories – According to the Italian dictionary Treccani, an accessory is "something that completes [...] or is added for a decorative or functional purpose". I do not think there is a better description for the reason why Italians adore their accessories in terms of bags, jewels, belts, scarves, foulards, ties and so forth. We feel that they are part of the final "package" and they need to incorporate or better emphasize who we are and what we need to asses with our attire.

In brief, we could synthesize the meaning of style for Italians by using the three Ds in Giorgio Armani's philosophy: discretion, discipline and duty towards the social community and ourselves.