CAPA Blog Observing Italian Norms: La Bella Figura

Allyson Barnes was an official CEA CAPA blogger for summer 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on our blog. An Anthropology, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, and Studio Arts major at University of Colorado - Boulder, she studied abroad in Florence.  In this week's post, Allyson draws from her classes and observations of Italian dressing and explains the philosophy of La Bella Figura. --- An interesting thing about being abroad is you notice not just the big differences between your home and the new country you are in, but also the slight cultural differences such as clothing styles, eating preferences, and other social norms. As an anthropology student, I have always loved analyzing the people around me, as strange as that may sound. I enjoy finding the little things that really make a person who they are. No matter what it may be, there are certain factors that define someone and I love getting to figure out what they are.