Give them a reason to look Down

 My foray into the world of the boldly patterned pants and bottoms is nothing new, though the print has made  it's mark in a HUGE way this season. Florals and bright colors are always a fun way to try to usher out winter and welcome Spring, sooner than Mother Nature intends to. Especially here in Pittsburgh, the second grayest city in the country. This year seems to be all about mixing patterns and as a result the patterned pant is more important that ever. In my experience most people I come across are absolutely terrified of drawing any attention to the lower half of their body, let alone put a print down there. In styling my clients I have found that for the timid, getting them into any non-neutral pant or skirt is a challenge. Some clients fully embrace bright beautiful yellows and blues and are open to suggestions for how to wear them. But a PRINT?!!! lol Forget it.

Milan Fall 2006

       I bought my first pair of boldly printed pants over 6 years ago while studying abroad in Italy. For some reason traveling over seas gives us courage to meet people, eat things, and wear things we might not dare back home. I have always been a bit more adventurous and I'd like to think I'm an open minded person, and the opinions of other's is something I try not to give too much thought when making decisions about what I wear, or to what I listen. The phrase "when in Rome" is one that resonates with me, and while living in Tuscany I was determined to bring home a piece of fashion that was quintessentially and recognizably Italian.
        First let me say that while in Europe, I quickly learned how little I actually knew about fashion and style. I had style, and I understood how to dress, but I didn't understand anything about the footprints and trademarks of a great fashion house. Enter my first encounter with the great house of Missoni. I had heard the name Missoni, and I had seen ads in high fashion magazines so I knew it to be an important name in fashion. That's are far as my knowledge went. Missoni as I would learn is all about color, knits and fabrics that flow, and of course patterns. While walking through the streets Florence my first week in Italy, my colleague and I ventured into several high end fashion hallmarks.

me in Florence on the steps of the Duomo after my purchase
Fall 2006

 When we entered into Missoni, where we were overwhelmed with a see of bright beautiful colors demonstrated in lush and soft fabrics and knits. Their terry cloth towels looked so inviting. I wanted to just wrap myself up and perch on the red hued zig-zag ottoman in the corner. Mind you, being that I was a student, there were no delusions about the affordability of the product. After 10 minutes of perusing, we made a line straight for the sale section.
     I went through the rack just hoping to find something I could actually afford. I love color, and I love prints. I love expressing myself through my wardrobe and I don't mind being noticed. Missoni's brand spoke to me. I had to find something. I can't tell you the anxiety I felt while looking at the price tags. I also can't express the almost irrational state of elation I was in when I found not one but three items. A beautiful open stitched knit poncho in a wave of blues, purple, and pink and two pairs of pants. Both pairs of pants were beautiful, and they both fit. The poncho was a no brainer. It was definitely going home with me. I was already imagining the numerous tops and dresses it would adorn. The two pairs of pants were completely different and in my mind I could justify purchasing both, though my wallet and the need to eat the rest of the semester still had to be considered. The decision making process began. One was a pair of charcoal gray knit pants with horizontal steaks of whites and grays.

similar to the pants I didn't buy but
thought really hard about bringing home
Missoni Collection

    The other was a knit trouser leg pant with bold horizontal zig zags in bright blue, yellow, winter white and green. One was the safer purchase as noted by my coleague, but the other was undeniably exciting and as the sales woman pointed out, recognizably Missoni. I bought the bright bold pants. We sat on the steps of the Duomo and took photos with our bags.
I wore the pants in Milan and felt great. I felt like part of the throng of fashionable Milanese walking the streets through the fashion district. One of my proudest fashion moments however, was when I was in a perfume store in Paris and a woman approached me from across the room and in a somewhat hushed voice asked "are those pants Missoni?" I tried not to beam and responded in the affirmative.
         Fast forward 6 years later. I wear the pants to work and the compliments I receive have nothing to do with an understanding of the Missoni brand but the simple beauty of the pants. It's women expressing gratitude in seeing someone wear something so bold and unexpected. One client told me the outfit made her happy and the pants were Awesome! Admittedly it took me a long while to feel completely comfortable wearing the pants here in the States. When I finally got the courage to put them on, the response only confirmed what I learned. Missoni is a powerhouse and prints on the bottom are to be embraced.You don't have to buy "designer" and you don't have to jump into the deep end. Take baby steps if you have to. It's never too late to venture out of your comfort zone and fashion is a risk free way to have fun doing it. ;)

me before meeting friends for happy hour
Fall 2012