Bella Figura, Spring 2015

May 12, 2015

In the half light of evening, a white Range Rover stuffed with white flowers stands ready at the bottom of the church steps. The bride smiles relentlessly for the videographer while her hip friends hang out.

Look ma, no socks! The look is huge with formal wear. (You have to be a tall bony boy to pull it off, though.)Young Sicilian Couple, Copyright Jann HuizengaBlack is chic at weddings down South, worn with earrings shiny as chandeliers. And bow ties reign, much as they did in 2014. Delizioso.

Young Sicilian Couple, copyright Jann HuizengaBut 2015’s new twist are bow tie colors that will knock your socks off!  (And did you notice his buttons? Leave it to gli italiani to get all whimsical with a classic Oxford shirt.)

Chic Sicilian Dad, copyright Jann Huizenga Then there’s paisley. And pant legs wide as HVAC pipes. Seventies all over again.

Chic Young Sicilian Couple, copyright Jann HuizengaMaxi skirts are back too. Hurrah! I’d like to wear one all day everyday in summer. Then I could worry about things more important than my cheese-white legs, veined here and there in blue, like a good Gorgonzola.Woman in Maxi SKirt, copyright Jann Huizenga

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The Man in the Pink Coppola, Part 1

August 25, 2011

I was stalking photos in Palazzolo Acreide, a sweet town in the hinterlands of Southeast Sicily, when I spotted a pink coppola in the distance.

I needed a picture of that cap.

I ran after it.

“Scusi, Signore!” I caught up to it as the owner was putting a key in his car door. “Can I take your photo? Put it on my blog?”

He smiled and nodded good-naturedly. Odd that he seemed to know what a blog was–many Sicilians don’t.

I shepherded him away from his car and posed him in front of a blank wall.  Snap, snap, snap.

Bella figura! A fine specimen, indeed.

Bella Figura in Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Note the jewel-studded lizard crawling out of the pocket. The bling around his neck?  Greek masks, he said. (Just above Palazzolo lies the ancient Greek city of Akrai.)

Greek Mask Necklaces in Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

The man in the pink cap sped away, and I continued stalking photos.

Thirty minutes later, something a little odd happened, and I discovered what this man does for a living. Can you guess his job?

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Sicily, and a Story of Spines

June 20, 2011

Direct from Italia! Coming soon to Peoria.

Dresses that showcase the back and plunge to the booty.

My husband commented that this blue number made him want to pour a cold drink down the valley of her spine and watch it trickle inside the wide rim of the dress.

I guess you never know what weird male fantasies a pretty dress will trigger.

Bella Figura in Sicily, Italy, copyright Jann Huizenga

Is this a Missoni?

Bella Figura in Sicily, Italy, copyright Jann Huizenga

Which of the dresses do you like best?

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Seeing White in Sicily

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.

Sicilian Man in White Sunglasses, copyright Jann Huizenga

Sicilian Man in White Sunglasses at Beach, copyright Jann Huizenga

Sicilian Man in White Glasses, copyright Jann Huizenga

Sicilian Man in White Sunglasses, copyright Jann Huizenga

SIcilian in White Sunglasses, copyright Jann Huizenga

Sicilian Musician in White Sunglasses, copyright Jann Huizenga

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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In Sicily, Real Men Carry Purses

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?

Chef Ciccio Sultano with Basil Bouquet, copyright Jann Huizenga

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…

Wearing a Manbag in Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

… or for a romp on the beach as fashion accessory to your Speedo.

Man Carrying Purse in Sicily, copyright Jann HuizengaMan Carrying Purse in Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Pretty figo (cool), eh? What do you think they keep in there?

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