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Italian Fashion - Summer 2007 - Summer in Sexy Italy

Judith Ayotte Greenwood

I have been waiting for the year's "big thing", like last year's cowboy boots and minis, but to no avail. Today's girls either don't want to spend the money on the look or there isn't a look. The uneven and unpredictable weather has probably taken its toll on summer fashion too. Instead, we are seeing girls and women being individual and pulling off "me" with varying success.

Out at the Market

Let's go to market and see what local and traveling people are wearing.

The number one accessory is still the telefonino, or cell phone. Last night at midnight I saw a ten-year-old text messaging while the rest of the kids danced. Other times it's TV or games. Once they get a bit older it's finding out where everybody else is and how they can get there, too.

The style of Gina Lollabrigida was "it" many years ago, but it's still an eye-catching look. You have to have that heads up confidence however, and maybe the shoes, too.

Style of Gina Lollabrigida

Young mothers are still getting out of the house looking as put-together as career girls, only more casual. They are all determined not to take the housedress and ciabatte as uniform when they turn sixty, they tell me.

Elegant and casual

Italian women and girls seem confident of their look no matter their age or physique, but they tell me that it's part of the look and they are not really as sure as they seem. I need to learn that. They do seem to allow a wider range of what's beautiful than I recall in America.

I keep reading that the dropped waistline is passé but I see little evidence that it is. There's still a lot of tummy showing around here.

Shop Girls

The young man sitting next to me insisted upon this next photo of two girls. He said they were the best all day. Why? He couldn't explain, nor can I.

Voted tops by young man

A Summer Party

Now it is time to go to a party. It's an art opening with dinner and dancing. Because it's summer, it begins before dark and goes on into the night. Two ways, two women, two beauties. I know the one in black and I know she is over fifty. Amazing.

Gauze and Spandex

Men have asked to see some men published in these columns, so here you go. A particular style choice for our resident intellectual.

Male fashion

Here is the band, because the guitarist on the right is not only one of the artists in the show, but was dragged up to me to have the fashionability of his t-shirt judged. I said "Mayberry RFD, 1950s and the 50s are molto moda now." He was satisfied.

What the band is wearing

There is another young mum dancing with her little girl. She is almost iconic Italian summer.

Mother dancing

Who starred last night? This young woman was voted sexiest and the dress voted hands down by men and women as the sexiest dress. Vedi, non vedi is how it is said in Italian. It means you think you are seeing more than you are. One man said it got his vote because when she walked it looked like the dress was falling off. Nobody wants it to come off, it's not that kind of a party. But sexy counts in Italy, and vedi, non vedi is sexy.

Sexiest dress

Resources

See large versions of these photos of Italian fashion.

Judith offers fashion tours and cooking - www.judithgreenwood.com. Read more from Judith on Think on It: Philosophy from an Umbrian Farmer.

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Italian Fashion - Summer 2007 - Summer in Sexy Italy

Out at the Market

A Summer Party

Resources

Italian Fashion

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Italy Resources

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