January 12, 2011
Here’s what the Sicilians are wearing this winter.
1. The puffy.
The temps here in Sicily are not really low enough to warrant these. But fashion is dictated by freezing-cold Milan, and shops in Italy all sell the exact same clothes, so that’s why down here in sunny Sicily, where trees are dripping with lemons and oranges and almond blossoms are popping out, people walk around looking like they’re ready to schuss down the Matterhorn. Note that the jackets must be either black or white–absolutely no colors. Capisci?
2. The hat.
Men wear hats in Sicily, and they’re ADORABLE, don’t you think? The coppola (on the left) is a symbol of the island, and now adventurous women in Sicily are wearing them, too.
3. The scarf.
My friends Roberta Corradin and Antonio exude Italian chic with a boho twist. Look at the ease, the nonchalance of these scarves. How do they do that? I got my husband one similar to Antonio’s for Christmas, but he can’t for the life of him figure out how to tie it. The scarf either strangles him or unfurls like a long flag in the wind.
4. The red plaid suit.
Men are the real peacocks in Italy. As they say here, Wowa! Would you or your guy wear that?
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December 25, 2010
Male bonding while waiting for mama or nonna to ready the Christmas spread:
En route to Christmas lunch:
Bella figura: Everyone dresses up in their best Christmas finery.
Postscript: This woman offered coffee and sweets to four strangers wandering the streets of her tiny village. Sicilians have truly mastered the arts of generosity and hospitality.
Auguri! This was the word that echoed around the streets today.
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September 8, 2010
Throw away your black glasses, guys, and get with the program. White is the new black, at least when it comes to eyewear.
Italians always have the last best word on design, so you can bet these will soon be popular in Peoria.
How Italians love their glasses. Don a pair and voilà: you’re an aviator, Grand Prix driver, star.
Women here are wearing them, too. And you, dear Reader? Maybe you’re already wearing white?
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Here’s Lucy, a reader from Canada, who’s been wearing white for quite some time–she got them at the Dollar Store!!! Way to go, Lucy!
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August 25, 2010
Who’s that man with the sweet-smelling basil bouquet?
It’s Ciccio Sultano, local hero, 2-Michelin-star chef at Ibla’s Duomo restaurant! But wait, what’s that strappy thing hanging around his person? Could it be … a purse?
In Sicily, they call them manbags. La borsa, gender feminine, is Italian for “purse.” Men shied away from carrying anything girly-sounding, so they quick coined a new word, il borsello, he-bag.
They’re all the rage. Yesterday I was last in a “line” of five at the post office, and everyone had a purse. (I was the lone woman, pity I had no camera.) It’s curious how what was once taboo has become legitimate, thanks to Italy’s virile soccer players who started the trendy trend.
You can carry a manbag for a stroll in town…
… or for a romp on the beach as fashion accessory to your Speedo.
 
Pretty figo (cool), eh? What do you think they keep in there?
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August 6, 2010
I got a little pile of emails and comments about proper beach attire for men a few blogs ago, so I decided to pursue the topic.
“It seems weird,” said my Italian friend Roberta as we sipped iced tea with a scoop of lemon granita floating on top, “to see a guy on the beach not wearing a Speedo. What’s he trying to hide?”
Sicilian men of all shapes and ages seem perfectly at home in skimpy little Speedos, as opposed to their American counterparts, who turn up at the beach swathed in baggy shorts down to the kneecap, complete with inner lining. Why is this? If you have any insights into this cross-cultural diff, fammi sapere, lemme know!
 
 
A recent article in the Huffington Post called “Speedos are Back” shows lots of great styles on the Milan runways!
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My Tourist Tips for Southeast Sicily
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