11 Fashion Observations From Italy

I’m traveling in Italy right now.  Internet access to-date hasn’t been quite as good as I had planned for, so I’ve been exploring and observing one of the great fashion and cultural countries of the world.

I don’t know how to explain it precisely, but looking around a group of travelers here, it’s pretty easy to spot Americans.  Generally speaking, we seem to be a little more casually dressed.  More likely to be wearing t-shirts and clothing with sayings written all over it.  And, we tend to wear white athletic shoes – all the time.

So far in my travels, I’ve spent a few days at Lake Maggiore, in a town fairly near to the Swiss border.  The travelers I’ve seen include lots of Europeans, but only a very small number of other Americans.

It’s been a good opportunity to check out what the real people here are wearing.  Here are a few observations and trends that I’ve noticed from my time in this casual lake community:

1. Jeans are always in fashion, and are the uniform of the young.  I saw mostly traditional washes, with no holes, frays, or fringes.
2. While clothing, especially t-shirts, may have labels or name brands on it (Abercrombie & Fitch it very popular), I haven’t seen t-shirts with advertisements for a local bar or covered with risqué sayings.
3. Shorts are great for daytime wear, with the most typical length, for both men and women, at knee length.  The younger crowd opted for a looser (although not baggy) fit, with the 40+ crowd choosing a more tailored look.  Come evening though, despite the weather being quite warm, shorts were not as commonly seen.
4. Capris are a very common choice – and are worn by men as much as women.  At the neighborhood bar, a local but somewhat upscale location, most men were in jeans or capris.  White, khaki and tan were the most common colors, but I also some more vibrant colors as well.
5. Women wear sundresses.  When it came time for dinner or drinks, shorts disappeared and out came the sundresses.  Nothing fancy, mostly simple cotton, and styles tended to be more fitted than flowing.
6. Scarves are still everywhere.  Worn around the neck, as a belt with jeans, tied to a bag (or backpack) or in the hair, this accessory is both fashionable and utilitarian.  It doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
7. High heels were not common at the lake, and the women who wore them usually chose a shorter, kitten heel.  It has much to do with climbing onto and off of boats during the day.  Even at night, though, heels were lower.  The shoe of choice for women seemed to run toward a flat sandal.
8. Flip flops were seen at the pool or in the sand, but were not worn around town.
9. Athletic shoes were worn by runners and people playing tennis.  Or Americans.
10. Hats are popular.  Baseball hats on Americans or older (50+) European men, and visors for older women.  The younger set opted for sun hats, newsboys, and the occasional fedora.  The lake can get a bit windy, and hats were seen shore side, not on the boats.
11. Make up was minimal.  Maybe it’s the casual atmosphere, maybe it was the outdoor lifestyle, but most women wore little makeup – mostly just a bit of lipstick or gloss and mascara.  No brightly colored eyes or cheeks, just a neutral “I’ve been out all day in the sun” look.

Because this is a lake community, fashions are a lot more casual and relaxed than I’d expect in Milan or Rome.  I’ll be in Tuscany next, so I’ll take a look at see how fashions differ a little farther south.  It’s also likely that I’ll run into more Americans in Tuscany, so I can do a little better comparison.

Arrevederci till then.

Photo credit:  personal collection