The Seffalice has been in Siena for the last couple of days, being generally wowed by the place.
More on the city another time as it's almost time for la nostra cena, but recommendations will be flowing forth. As you'd expect we hobnobbed with the local blue bloods, enjoying aperativi that were very generously-hosted in a grand flat in the right end of town, at which The Seffalice ingratiated itself with extensive/spurious knowledge of British orders of chivalry.
While discussing the merits of a recent Venice ball we learnt some useful tidbits on how to dress molto elegante in Italia, to pass on for you hobos to use:
lo smoking = dinner jacket
i frac = morning coat
I've also got some vocab in case you need visit I Fratelli Moss on the morning of a smart event:
le bretelle rosse = red braces
il cilindro = top hat
la cravatta a farfalla = bowtie
(for added background: farfalla means butterfly)
I' ve not cracked cummerbund or dress shirt yet.
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Did you know that it only appears to be British people who have a specific name for dress shirts? Apparently the Americans call all shirts "dress shirts", so they don't have a separate term for a posh one with studs, stiff collar, etc.
I have asked my colleague Fabio to provide translations for "dress shirt" and "cummerbund" in order to help you with the vital day-to-day vocab you'll be needing out there.
Fabio has "fusciacca" for cummerbund (but notes that they basically don't exist in Italy), and "camicia da abito" for dress shirt, but says that the last one is only a vague translation.
So how do the Americans dress nice then?
Camicia da abito does sound a bit rough and ready. I'm not clear whether "smoking" is for the whole ensemble or just the jacket, but otherwise, equally rough and ready, "camicia dello smoking" should get the required results too, I suppose.
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