22nd
Basta!
We’ve been in Italy for just over a week now, and we’ve certainly got a feel for the street fashion popular right now. What we like, which is true throughout continental Europe really, is that it’s perfectly acceptable to remain an attractive and well-dressed woman at any age. Plastic surgery is frowned upon, but non-invasive procedures are A-OK. In Italy, at least, the most popular non-invasive procedure is sucking on a cigarette every waking hour. To be fair, in most cities there is a fair amount of walking or cycling involved during the day too. And food is made in human-sized portions rather than the elephantine-sized meals on offer back in the US, which certainly also helps keep one trim. All of which is to say, most women - and men - here make an effort with their appearance.
Now, that said, not everyone is successful. For the ladies, Italian fashion tends to the tarty, blingy side, which isn’t quite our thing. Still, kudos for most being able to pull it off and not look totally ridiculous.
On the other hand…
This specimen was found at the Termini train station. We are unsure if she a member of the oldest profession (she has no luggage, after all), or if she’s just trying a little too hard. The over-the-knee boots are definitely of-the-moment, but she had trouble maintaining vertical in them (which may not be an issue if we’re correct about her job…). The pastel yellow, high-waisted pants and polka-dot shirt definitely reflect an Italian sensibility that it would be hard to pull off in any other country.
Just to prove that women aren’t the only offenders, this fellow was found on the Campo Dei Fiori the other night. At first we debated whether he was really from Italy, but his male and female friends clearly were so we figured something must have gone terribly awry with this guy’s day. A horrific pasta accident at lunch take the dress pants out? Perhaps, but that doesn’t explain the flip-flops. OK, maybe his dog exploded leaving a horrible mess on both pants and shoes. Possibly, but seems far-fetched. Whatever the reason, between work day and evening, this guy somehow ended up like this and thought it would pass in public. In Rome. In Italy. Oh my.
Then there are those for which we are totally mystified and do not bother to seek an explanation.
Sometimes the best thing to do, is to do as the Romans do, and let it all hang out…
