It changes slightly now with younger people and wealth but still after comming back to Poland after few months in Italy I was amazed how gray it was here. How washed up were colours of peoples clothes and how they matched their facial expressions. Being in public space in Poland seems to be about blending into neutral grayness not broadcasting yourself into the public space in best possible light. Probably we inherited this from years of communism when being noticed could get you in trouble and from years of transition to capitalism when displaing your well being could get you robbed.
50+ years of living under dreary communism can do that to you. I see the same throughout Eastern Europe. Some countries came out of it better than others.
It changes slightly now with younger people and wealth but still after comming back to Poland after few months in Italy I was amazed how gray it was here. How washed up were colours of peoples clothes and how they matched their facial expressions. Being in public space in Poland seems to be about blending into neutral grayness not broadcasting yourself into the public space in best possible light. Probably we inherited this from years of communism when being noticed could get you in trouble and from years of transition to capitalism when displaing your well being could get you robbed.