Blog #2: Fitting in

When choosing to study abroad in Milan, Italy, I knew I would have to pretend to know about fashion a bit but was not prepared for the reality of fashion in Italy, Milan especially.  Everyone is so well put together at all times!  Coming from Hawaii this was a harder transition than most other students since we are much more laid back here.  I remember throwing on some workout clothes to run to the grocery store really quickly for some dinner.  The supermarket was about 2 blocks from my apartment and the trip would take me about 15-20 minutes total.  No need to waste decent clothes on a quick trip to the store… so I thought.  I have never had some many people look at me like I was crazy.  You would have thought I was walking around with a costume on.  

Eventually I learned that my safest bet when trying to decide what to wear was to just go with dark colors.  Most days I wore black jeans or leggings, a sweater, and my gray dress coat, with some boots.  As it started to get warmer I noticed Italians started wearing brighter colors but no where close to what we wear in Hawaii.  

As much as I wanted to be comfortable and just wear simple clothes everyday, I learned that it was easier to try to fit in then to deal with all the consequences of looking different.  By not fitting in you are opening yourself up to pick pocket-ers that target tourists.  I’ve had multiple friends get their phones and wallets stolen.  Another annoying fact of not fitting in is the looks you get.  I rather just wear dark colors and blend in than have 20 people staring at me on the subway for wearing workout clothes to class!