Working from home can take its toll on the way you look and feel. I’m sitting on the couch typing this on my laptop. No one can see me, no one knows whether or not I bathed today and combed my hair. So why worry about the concept of la bella figura? I could sit here picking sleep out of my eyes, drinking my third cup of coffee, or I can wash my face, put fresh clothes on, and face the day as if I am a part of it.
It’s easy to fall into a pattern of sloppiness and laziness. But then how does that make me feel all day? Would I be as productive as if I had dressed to go to an office?
When I leave the house, even if I’m just running to the post office or going through the Starbuck’s drive-thru, I’ve decided to dress for success. I don’t put on a suit and carry a briefcase, but I put on real pants, a cute top, twist my hair up off of my face, add a little lip balm, and I feel so much better.
I present who I am to the world.
I’m an elegant, successful woman. And I decided that every time I leave the house I will look like an elegant, successful woman. l look and feel in control.
I strive for la bella figura.
I talk often about cultivating la dolce vita, the sweet life. Would you hire me if you saw me in sweatpants and a dirty tee shirt sitting in a cafe? You’d think that I can’t even make my own life work, so how could I possibly help others.
The Italians have the concept of la bella figura. It literally means the beautiful figure. It’s about putting your best foot forward. Not just your body, clothes, and hair, but also behaving like an amiable person. It’s about treating people with respect, smiling at your local shopkeeper, setting a nice table, being nice to waiters, knowing proper manners, having social skills, being gracious.
You cast a beautiful figure.
When I go to my local coffee shop, I see people sitting at tables in pajama pants. In fine restaurants I see people wearing shorts and flip-flops. What does that say about them? What kind of figure are they presenting to the world? And what does it say about how they feel about the establishment? They don’t have enough respect for the restaurant to put on a pair of long pants, a decent shirt and a clean pair of shoes. Do they feel like they had a fine dining experience? They are missing out, because dressing up to go out is half of the fun.
La Bella Figura is about respect.
Respect for yourself. Respect for others. Respect for your community.
We could all use a little more la bella figura in our lives.
What kind of figure do you want to present to the world?
Hi there, sorry I’m commenting so much but I really enjoy your stories. This one in particular struck me. In my country, New Zealand, women usually upward of 35-40 are far too casual. Scarily so. The usual everyday attire for women is sweatpants with a messy bun, Sportswear and flip flops. Many (and I mean many) walk around in their pyjamas, slippers and onesies to go pick up groceries or even shopping. There is such a lack of fashion sense. We follow makeup and style trends yet we don’t even wear the makeup unless it’s a night out on the town! We don’t dress to impress even ourselves anymore
Unless a woman works in retail where she is expected to dress nicely, outside of that they are downright shabby. Personally, I have really taken stock of my appearance over my thirties and even though I don’t have a wardrobe to die for and minimal makeup colkection, I invest in cute clothes of better quality, the best makeup I can afford at the time
I cover myself head to toe in Olive Oil, maintain my hair, manicures at home, no chipped varnish and always wear cute makeup. All this I’ve learnt from following Italian and also Middle Eastern beauty tips n tricks. I didn’t learn anything from my own culture that’s for sure.
I love comments! Comment all you like. I love having a conversation. The U.S. has gotten very casual too. It’s a shame really. I feel so good when I make an effort. When I am just hanging around in sweats I feel down in the dumps. I’m always amazed when I see someone in a store in pajama bottoms. If you wear pajama bottoms all day, then your whole day blends together. Work, sleep, shopping, hanging out is all the same. Thanks for sharing your story.
This was an excellent post! I remember my grandfather, who was from Italy, using the term on one special occasion.
A woman probably in her late 30s/ early 40s was sitting next to us in waiting room. She had kicked off her flip flops and had her barefeet stretched out on the coffee table in front of us , which was rude to begin with… All of the sudden we hear buurrrrpppp!!!! The woman had belched very loudly, in public. This was not a small burp, it was extremely loud and rude. No excuse me, no I’m sorry. All she did was giggle hyserically. My grandfather confronted her and spoke to her on the “Bella Figura” – let’s just say he didn’t get too far and the woman looked at him as if he was Mars or something.
Oh my. She sounds very rude. I like your grandfather!
Donna thank you so much for the reply. Yes, she was very rude and a slob! Feel free to email me bagsanthony@yahoo.com