The importance of being (fashionably) earnest

Audrey, ESI Cultural Affairs Officer, is nothing if not a trendspotter. And what better place to detect the latest fashionista wave than Italia?

It appears Sarah Palin may be on to something. Audrey has noticed the look di giorno among the women of Firenze is "austere serious." Simple. Understated. Muted. Dark colours. Perhaps with hair pulled back.

In short, nothing too flashy. Kind of like the Alaskan governess. As the Washington Post's Robin Givhan recently noted about Palin, "Her clothes are unpretentious, but they are also unremarkable. ... Everyone knows someone who dresses like her, which is partly why so many folks seem to think that they know her."

Image: Near the Mercato Centrale, Firenze, 01/10/08