he main realization I made about clothing at Penn now that I am studying abroad in Milan is that black predominates most girls’ wardrobes. I first noticed this when an Italian told me my outfit looked sad, which at first offended me, since I had been told this was a nice outfit, but I then realized that the most colorful thing I was wearing was navy. He then explained that Italians find Milan such an ugly city (only citizens from a country that includes Florence, Venice and Rome could say such a thing) that they brighten their lives through colorful and eccentric clothing.
Having been a partisan of all-black outfits for most of my life, I was at first reluctant to the idea of wearing more that two bright colors at once, but I now have much more fun dressing in the morning. Italian women aren’t afraid to overstate themselves through clinched waists paired with poufy skirts, bright red lipstick, sky-high heels and sunglasses that are to be worn no matter the weather. The biggest accomplishment is that they manage to look classy and not like high-class escorts, which would be easy according to the description I just gave. Even though it isn’t Italian but French, the eyewear brand Jimmy Fairly has provided me with elegant and a bit over-the-top sunglasses, and for each pair you buy they give optical glasses to a person in need.
As for Italian brands, it is hard to find affordable ones but Calzedonia and Intimissimi provide, respectively, fun tights and good quality lingerie and you can order online. Calzedonia innovates by offering, for example, tights called “Sneakers50” that are made specifically for sneakers. As for what is trendy tights-wise, Altuzarra’s models sported black opaque tights with a discreet destroyed effect this Milan Fashion Week.
