These are the people in my neighborhood (For Margaux)

We have two awesome people coming to visit at the end of the month, and longer ago than I'd like to admit one of them sent me an email with a fairly simple question...

"What are the cool kids wearing right now?"

Now, I could have (and probably should have) just written a list of what I see people wearing out on the streets of Florence, but then I thought - why not a photo essay?  So last weekend we took the camera on an outing to the Piazza del Duomo, where we captured tourists and Italians alike.

Of course, the coolest of the cool kids are looking like this.

But I guess we can't all be me-clones.

The cool little kids, at least on Sundays, seem to often be wearing princess costumes.  Why not?

Then there's the really cool older kids, who are wearing outfits I'd still kill for.

And if you want to be recognizable as American from across a crowded piazza, by all means bring your Uggs, sweatpants, sweatshirts, and Northface fleeces.  We also see a lot of American students out wearing their pajamas.  A lot of older Americans tend towards wearing dress pants with bright white gymshoes - I promise it is possible to find nice walking shoes that aren't manufactured by Nike!

Being in Piazza del Duomo meant that we captured a lot of Asian tourists with our lens.  They were doing some of the strangest things with their purses!

Not only was there the wearing-your-BACKpack-on-your-front look, which I've been known to sport when getting things out of my bag or on really crowded transportation (but never just when going for a stroll), there was also this purse-under-the-coat style. 

To be fair, several of our friends here have been pickpocketed - one Japanese girl in my Italian class even had her wallet taken out of her purse while she was wearing it (it was a bucket-style purse, though, not a zip-top).  Still, though, it seems like there are other safety measures you could take without looking like you have a weird saddlebag.  You know, a small under-arm purse, or carrying your purse in front of you?

Europeans have long been known as being on the forefront of fashion, and it's definitely fun to take a look at some of the crazier styles.  (Margaux, I don't know if these pictures will be helpful or not!)

Before you ask, yes, this is her hair.  And those are not the shoes I'm talking about when I say comfortable stylish shoes do exist.

This one's for Robert, because I know how he likes to pimp things out.  I hope you can see the silver studs on his shirt clearly.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of the silver heelplates on his alligator boots.  He was with his wife and young child.  Isn't that the Diddyest coat you've seen in a while?

Unfortunately, the 80s appear to be coming back.  We saw a couple of women with tall, teased bangs actually wearing leather miniskirts.  More common seems to be the pointy ankleboot with leggings or a sweater dress.  I really hate these tights - I think they make her look like she has some sort of skin problem.

Speaking of shoes I can't wrap my head around, check out these muppet numbers!  They swish so satisfyingly when she walks, though.

And then there are the people who really stand out amongst the usually staid and sedate Florentines.  Husbear's getting this outfit for his birthday.

And this poor kid.  I didn't want to break his heart by reminding him that The Crow came out in 1994.  (Though it looks like the kid he's talking to might be this/close to telling him himself.)

Small ceremonial swords are also the hotness.  Jump on this trend before your friends!

One thing that I've noticed here is that the women seem to wear a lot more fur than they do in the States.  Of course, there isn't much call for fur in Texas and South Carolina, where I'd lived for 9 years before moving to Florence, so perhaps my sample is skewed?

I loved this woman's phone cord, though.

More fur for y'all.

All right.  In all seriousness, what seems to be really popular this season are really really long skinny pants, sometimes with ballet flats or high heels and sometimes tucked into boots,

or with gold or silver shiny shoes, whether you're female or male (there's a kind with springs in the back that a lot of people are wearing)

The teenagers are all wearing these skinnyskinny pants really low, too, which makes for a strange silhouette - like their butt is at mid-thigh and they have little stump legs.  Plus, the guys seem to enjoy buckling their teenyskinny pants below their actual ass, which means that we see a fair amount of underwear.

Some people just take the skinnypants thing too far.  We saw several people who had pinned their pants tightly around their ankles.

Here are some pretty typical dudes, just conversatin' on a chilly Sunday afternoon.

Almost as popular as skinnypants are formal shorts, and this time of year they're being worn with cute tights and boots.

I have serious coat and scarf envy here in Florence.  It would be pretty easy to build up a giant scarf collection, too, what with all of the street markets.

Most people here just look so... put together!  At home, I might go out with sweatpants on and my hair looking all stupid, but here it just feels wrong, somehow.  It's that Italian, and especially Florentine, preoccupation - some might say obsession - with the bella figura, cutting a suave figure with your clothing, face, and body.  A Florentine would never dream of going outside, even for a run down to the alimentari at the end of the block, in their pajama pants.  Always look put together, because it makes you more powerful.

Hope that helps...

girlie

Comments

[Margaux]

Thank-you, girlie! Very informative!

[Glenna]

Totally dug the fashion report! That was great. They do look all put together, and I noticed there weren't a lot of obese people like here.... That was fun! Thanks!

[girlie]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Margaux, I hope it is actually useful... we'll see you guys in a couple of weeks (squee!)

Glenna, I can't figure it out myself... even the people who are in pretty ridiculous outfits look like they spent some time putting themselves together, and the ridiculousness always seems to match itself, if that makes sense? And you're definitely right about the overweight - there aren't nearly the number of obese people here!

Thanks for the compliments!

[Danielle]

Loved this essay!

The shorts look is totally in in Japan as well. And I agree, looking put together is not only way less hard than it looks, but really does make life a little more of an...event.

IMPORTANT: If you have the 911 on stylish and comfortable travel clothes...hunny, you could start a company. At the very least, let me in on your secrets.

How many times did I feel like slob amongst the perfectly groomed little french/eastern european beauties that are pandemic? Answer: Every time.

Fix it Girlie! American broads abroad need you!

[girlie]

danielle, I guess I just don't understand why "travel clothes" need to be such a different category from "stylish, everyday clothes." I mean, you want to match and look good when you travel, right? So why do people wear fanny packs and fugly baloonpants?

[Maryam]

I really loved the fashion report.. being a teenager, that was very inspiring :D Thank you

Oh and please if you will, e-mail me with the latest up to date fashion ;D

[Girlie]

Maryam, I'm glad you liked the post! I really meant to get out and do another one before we left Florence, but the time just got away from me. Poot. Maybe I'll have to do one in Louisiana, where we're living for the time being. Should be a little different, nu?