Amen to Milan

These pictures from Milan have been sitting in my WD drive for months, waiting and screaming to see daylight. I didn’t really know how to write about my flying visit to this Lombardy darling (it was only a weekend) until one Sunday afternoon… At the Tate Britain’s members bar, overseeing the spectacular skyline of London,  a man lamented the demise of white-collar/ Canary Wharf-City gal fashion here in this capital. “Have you seen women in their work clothes and sports shoes. They bring heels in their bags and change in the office – that’s like cheating!”

Such discerning remarks and punchy analogy… Say grazie, signore and hello to the born-and-bred Milanese in London. 

Tasteful designs and impeccable craftsmanship on honey-coloured luscious leather (along with fabulous coffee, art galleries, good wine, wonderful pizza, pasta… Shopping!) – all in a city festooned with suave, stylish and, somehow, fashionably cold and aloof people. As if I needed more reasons to justify my decamping to Milan during that bloody depressing post-new year winter.

Amen to Milan!

My brother did most of the planning for this trip and we were thrilled to have gotten tickets to see Da Vinci’s Last Supper. Knowing that the weather might be a bit of a gloom that weekend, I decided to throw together some of my winter-pastel (yes pastel is not only reserved for spring), in hope of bringing a little burst of colours into my travel pictures.

But that clearly, wasn’t necessary…

Don’t expect the grand, glorious romance of Rome. Milan is all about fuss-free, forward identities and newfangled ideas. Milanese zips in and out of business meetings like they are strapped with time bombs, their lean body powered by bullets of espressos. Do not mind having their aperitivo standing, make no small talk to strangers and pride themselves on productivity, productivity and productivity.

They dress to impress and I kid you not, in the city guidebook tips page, one actually wrote “dress well and you are likely to be treated better”. 

After all, what do you expect from the world’s fashion capital? One claimed to have surpassed the messy-mysterious Parisians, eccentric Londoners and all-hail-Lululemon New Yorkers…

Given my two short days there, I didn’t get to dive deep into their culture. But from what I saw, attitude and arrogance were in spades and their fashion satellites were hardly out of kilter. (So I suggest you don’t ruffle their furs…hahaa #needstobedone) 

I might need to do a little more research, scout some more Milanese in London…or make a trip back. Ah, make a trip back. This sounds like a pleasantly tempting idea. I will come back with a food post that I know you’ll be hungry to read, but till then, let me go check my calendar…

With love x