Sprezzatura ([sprettsaˈtuːra]) is an Italian word that refers to a kind of effortless grace, the art of making something difficult look easy, or maintaining a nonchalant demeanor while performing complex tasks. The term is often used in the context of men’s fashion, where classical outfits are purposefully worn in a way that seem a bit off, as if the pieces of clothing were put on while in a hurry.
The term “sprezzatura” first appeared in Baldassare Castiglione's 1528 The Book of the Courtier, where it is defined by the author as "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it".[1] It is the ability of the courtier to display "an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them".[2] Sprezzatura has also been described "as a form of defensive irony: the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, and means or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence and nonchalance".[3]
The word has entered the English language; the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "studied carelessness",[4] especially as a characteristic quality or style of art or literature, although it is also used in the aesthetic context.