Worn while walking
summer uniform basics + some Italia memories
I was scrolling through my early summer camera roll, and I fell in love with my trip to Italy all over again. I had so many photos that I hadn’t taken the time to look back on, hundreds of images of what was catching my eye while I was there. The shape of a building, the way the light was hitting a wall, the vibrance of a flower…all of these things that had my attention were so inspiring to see again. It reminded me that all we need to do to see beauty in the world is go out and be in it!
My original post was to share some shots of my summer uniform. For almost every outfit the past several months I’ve gravitated toward wide leg / loose fit black pants. These were a carry-on staple for Italy because they are so comfortable and easily paired with a variety of sweaters / button downs / tanks etc. And the shoes - it’s 9/10 a comfortable walking shoe for me this summer. It’s the era of comfort: sneakers, tevas, birkenstocks. No more are these shoes just for the tourists! The comfortable-to-walk-in-shoe is now stylistically acceptable to wear [I think we can thank the pandemic for this one - along with repopularizing of crocs to the tune of Alexa Chung wearing them on holiday], and I’m fully embracing it.
Here are a few street shots of my uniform at work.
vola tutto!
These are the birks that I got this spring, black leather straps with black buckles. I was torn between these and the Milano Big Buckle style, but as much as I loved the look of the back strap, I couldn’t hang with how much more time it took to take these on and off. For the purpose of traveling and also for general daywear, the easy-on-easy-off backless slides were better for me.
Not that having a second pair would be the worst thing in the world. If that were the case, the Cannes style is a top contender. Differentiated by one extra layer of threaded leather in the strapping and an elevated footbed [love the cork, but the blacked-out look is giving more sophistication]. The straps-with-ankle-enclosure sandal is showing up in high fashion like Prada and the Row so there’s something in the air for this style.
Back in Italy, I had a lot of sneaker days while we were there. They were the most comfortable for city walking all day but luckily I didn’t feel like an outcast tourist because the “ugly New Balance” were everywhere in Florence!
I was wearing the Fresh Foam running sneakers in the shot above, which I truly bought for running but which unintentionally became one of my top footwear choices of the summer for everyday walking.
The black pants are the ones I mentioned as my #1 summer uniform. They are a pull-on pant; that is, they have a button at the waist but they are fully elastic so there’s a lot of ways to wear these. They can sit high or low, and because of the elastic and the loose fit they are perfect for tucking. They also look great untucked [as seen in photo 1 which is a loose fitted linen shirt with the same pants]
These were one of the best thrift finds of my 20s and they will probably stay with me forever because they simply go with everything. They are vintage - the tag fell off recently so I don’t even know the brand - but I found that Alo makes something really similar. The waist band is more pronounced but I actually think that’s a nice feature. This brand is a little more upscale but the waist and loose fit pretty much nail the same effect.
The “ugly New Balance” I was referring to looked more like a running shoe from my high school era, complete with the gel effect and chunky sole. A la these:
They were literally everywhere in Florence, but styled oh-so-charmingly a la this:
I don’t think I could go so far as the sneakers above, but I did find a couple styles that give a similar no-nonsense energy but that are more my speed. The 9060 and the Fresh Foam Arishi -
Last but not least, the shoe that has been shoeing for decades and still shows no sign of stopping, the ever powerful Converse sneaker. Which, in black, goes with basically everything I have in my closet. I got this platform variant a couple of years ago after seeing a bartended wearing them. She told me how comfortable they were, and if she can wear them standing all day shaking drinks, I figured they had to be worth it. They have a slightly curved heel which makes them really easy to walk in, and I love the added boost from the platform.
Not everyone in Italy was wearing sneakers though:
These are the cowboy boots that would make me get cowboy boots. Hemmed black shorts with these boots whilst preparing to jet off on her motorbike?! An Italian queen.
Plus a few non-fashion related shots taken while walking in Italy. Never not inspired by gorgeous ancient architecture or the simplicity of a stucco wall.
Closing with a quick sketch from this week. A woman riding a bike, in a shearling coat, pleated skirt, and leather boots. The original image is a street shot so it feels apt for today’s post. Keep striding out there!
xo, Georgia
