I know this questions pops up regularly but this is a new Spring and as vapid as it is I depend upon those actually living in italy (that are of the like mind) to help steer me with my packing dilemas. I have a lot of clothes and shoes here to choose from and I don't "shop" while I am in Italy as I prefer to spend my time in museums and the like. Also Spring is tough to pack for because it's not actually the winter/cold nor hot/summer which are easier to handle. Knowing the colors for the season could help me. I remember last Spring it was PINKS. In LA it seems that metallics are really big this year. And do they wear WHITE in the Spring or is that a June onward kinda thing? Flats or heels? Still pointed or ? Can one wear a sandal in April? Just know that I realize this is girly silly stuff but I am sure there are others out there that will appreciate the feedback, too. I will be there two months; April and May!!! Thanks so much, Elizabeth
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Posts: 178 | Location: Los Angeles/Rome | Registered: 13 October 2003
Hi- I just got back from Italy and had the opportunity to do a lot of window shopping- the colors seems to be apple green and pale orange, often with white. Not so much pink. Shoes still pointy but perhaps not as dramatically so as the past few years. I saw a lot more capri/crop pants in the store windows, but my Italian friends still turn their noses up at them. April seems a little early for sandals....
Posts: 605 | Location: Rehoboth, MA USA | Registered: 30 August 2003
OK, so I am seeing that I needn't bring sandals to Italy in April/May; though even in March I am wearing them here in Los Angeles. So I guess I just need help on whether one still wears the darker black/brown sweaters and leather coats kinda thing in April or are the spring colors worn but just layered. Alice you are right in the heart of things. Are you seeing metallics out there? More feedback??? Thanks, Elizabeth
Posts: 178 | Location: Los Angeles/Rome | Registered: 13 October 2003
I do not know about cosmopolitan Milan, but here in the province I see lots of pink, light blues, light green, I haven't seen so many colors for ages. Today a Blunauta window had a screeming fucsia pink blouse. Remember though, Italians tend to wear neutral colors shoes (brown, blue, black) even with very colorful clothes
Also, in Italy colors are not as strictly season-coded as in the US. If it's white, it can be any season! Also, consider that faschion-followers are NOT THE MAJORITY (I wasn't screaming, I just wrote it big). Most people just don't care or can't afford it. When you are in the very enter of the big cities, you will see lots of people dressed up, but that's because they are working or visiting businesses for personal purposes, all things for which people tend to dress up here as well as in the rest of the world. Yet, you will not stand out if you are dressed any different. My fashion today? Old Levi's jeans witha hle somewhere in the lower leg (not purpuseful), an old blue striped sweather from Luca that got too tight for him, and a pair of comfortable black boots.
Where I live people go out dressed alla moda, even if the cleverest have their own moda. What Alice is wearing today would only be seen on an electrician during his workday, or perhaps rarely at home. If I run to the grocery store in the middle of doing something at home, I AM THE ONLY ONE NOT WELL-GROOMED! My darling neighbor looked at my feet one day when we were driving to the agricola(!!!) and said, sweetly, "I would never wear gym shoes into the city." I was wearing designer platform sneakers... So those got relegated to gardening. The only acky thing around here is the housedress coverall that so many middleaged and older ladies wear, but not in town. Oh, and some of the most modish clothes are pretty awful, too.
Much also dipends on the area. A few weeks ago I found myself in the middle of a HUGE number of high school kids in Pistoia. They were all well-groomed and dressed up in a way that here would be fit only for marriages and such occasions. Nice shoes (heels! The girls had heels!!!), nice trousers, nice shirts, nice sweathers, nice hairdoes... I couldn't believe my eyes. No punks. No punks? No punks! «Hey, Luca: no punks!» «Wha...?» «I said, we are in the middle of a teenage schoolkids crowd and there isn't a sinle punk in sight!» «Sure, they are in school.» Well, in my days, in my school, here in Milano, students were 1/4 punks, 1/4 dressed in heavy metal gear (mainly boys), 1/4 dressed in Indian/Gypsy-like 1970's feminist stuff (girls, me included), and 1/4 a$$holes. Later on, the hip-hop crowd added its presence. Seeing a whole class withough at least a couple punkish hairdoes, a long shirt and handmade scarf, a couple oversized jeans, and black leather jacket is still impossible in Milano. Not in Pistoia.
Here is what I observe in Italy. (which isn't so different from the states in terms of disparities). In general, people dress up more. However, for the "older" Italian ladies you see in town buying the chicken, this only means wearing a skirt, hose and a non-sneaker shoe. This isn't an ELEGANT dressing, it just isn't jeans. Much like the "older" crowd in USA isn't wearing jeans.
A cousin who is my age (33 tomorrow!!), not married but working, wears suits to work (no real casual days in Italy) but on weekends or when going to the clubs he wears jeans, some type of sneaker (usually a puma or something) and a t-shirt (like those popular vintage ones). He has shorts, but I haven't seen him wear them much.
2 female cousins who are 7-10 years older than I wear, in the summer, casual skirts, sandals and casual summer tops.
My uncles, who both obviously work, wear button down shirts always. Even when it is hot and even when hanging around/not at work. I have seen one uncle in jeans, but they were nice Armani ones--not the younger "hip" jeans with all the fading, etc. And they always have loafers on. Their respective wives/girlfriends wear a summer dress or summer slacks and tops. No jeans, no shorts, no sneakers. Lots of sandals.
This is in Bologna and 9 km outside of Bologna.
I have never seen any hard and fast rules about Non-this and NO-that for dress. We are just used to VERY VERY casual here in the states. Younger crowd dresses like that in Italy.
Do people wear shorts or capris in the middle of summer? We always spend the spring in the Tuscan countryside and I feel comfortable with my choice of dress during that season but next summer we will spending July in Tuscany and I have no clue as to dress.
Originally posted by Alice Twain: Well, in my days, in my school, here in Milano, students were 1/4 punks, 1/4 dressed in heavy metal gear (mainly boys), 1/4 dressed in Indian/Gypsy-like 1970's feminist stuff (girls, me included), and 1/4 a$$holes.
Alice, your school sounds just like mine, lol. Except I was in the punk crowd I do think a lot has to do with age and social status and what your norm is where you live. Yes, here in NYC there are ladies who wouldn't dream of walking down Fifth Avenue without their furs and finery and fashionable clothes. But there are also the punks and the Goths,and there's also every imaginable look in-between.
Personally I will dress in Rome the same way I'd dress going into "the city" when I want to look presentable and a bit trendy. For me this means essentially black--I'm planning to bring black jeans (nice clean designer ones!) and black low boots (which are the most comfortable walking shoes I have), and for nicer dinners, a black skirt and tights and some funky black shoes. And my leather jacket if its cool (or some lighter black cloth jacket if its warm; I'll have to watch the weather just before I go--which will be late April.) And a variety of tops in just a couple of colors--black of course, and probably red and/or purple (I don't wear pastels, ever.)
This is just me and of course it won't work for everyone, but I wear what makes me feel comfortable. My concession to "dressing up" in Rome will be no sneakers or hiking-type shoes (even if the ones I have, Asolo, are Italian!)
Originally posted by jfraz: Do people wear shorts or capris in the middle of summer? We always spend the spring in the Tuscan countryside and I feel comfortable with my choice of dress during that season but next summer we will spending July in Tuscany and I have no clue as to dress.
I wore capris the whole time we were in Italy this past summer (Tuscany and Piedmont), and felt perfectly comfortable. I saw lots of women wearing capris all over--although they may have all been tourists! Its great that they are back in style.
No shorts, though, in the towns or countryside. The only place I wore shorts was hiking the Cinque Terre and hiking in the Alps.
Skirts are commonly used in summer. In winter most younger women tend to avoid them because of the cold, but in summer we use them a lot to allow air circulation ^_^
Just a few inconsequential fashion onbservations from someone who spent a little time in Italy last year...
Guys do the capri pants-- pinocchietto in Italy-- as well in the summer. Bought a pair and some sandals at Porta Portese last June. When the crusty old romano, whose furniture restoration workshop was next to our apartment, saw me sporting the pinochietto and sandals he said, "Bravo Antonio!" Naturally, he was wearing a pair too. At Ostuni last August even saw a particuarly foppish lad in pink pinocchietto to go along with his flowing white linen shirt, sandals, choker and man-bag. Pulled it off quite well. Certainly, I was less fashionable in my 6 euro pinocchietto and Celio man-bag ( let's call it a borsina), but I was without a doubt in the italian mode.
Perhaps a mullet is in order. They were very popular amongst the young last year. Usually accommpanied by giant bug-eyed sunglasses. Also, t-shirts with poorly written english, drug references, or both. For instance, Pablo Escobar on the back and University of Cocaine on the front.
English curse words popular too. Recall the young lady in the Siena Duomo for Easter Mass with her F***in' Criminal belt. Nice. Wear that on your winery tour in the Chianti.
Finally, if you are a middle-aged man at the sea make sure to bring your wooden Dr. Scholl's sandals. The ones with the little brass buckle. Saw them oftem both at Amalfi and Ostuni. Definitely the way to go. L'alta moda italiana!
Anthony and Jennifer
Posts: 284 | Location: New Orleans | Registered: 01 July 2003
Ciao Alice, Agreed! They are hideous. It was, however, molto divertente to see weathered old fishermen wearing sandals that are strictly a (highly unfashionable) ladies thing here in the States.
Viva la differenza!
Anthony and Jennifer
Posts: 284 | Location: New Orleans | Registered: 01 July 2003
Well well-groomed and dressed up in a way that should be fit only for marriages and such occasions. Nice shoes, nice trousers, nice shirts, nice sweathers, nice hairdoes... Than there was the catholic bunch. These could be recognized because their mothers kept choosing clothes for them until they were 18 or 19, and these mothers dressed their "children" as though they still had 9 years and were in the late 1970's. These guys (and girls) usually were very toubled by the fact that they didn't have any relation. Not that they would have sex anyhow...
Originally posted by jfraz: next summer we will spending July in Tuscany and I have no clue as to dress.
A friend was visiting last week. She brought tons of clothes for a 5 day visit but she said clothes made her happy. My sister is the same way, has a closet the size of my bedroom just for her clothes. Me, I don't have a lot of clothes because they are not important to me. I love my jeans, in the summer I like capri or haram pants or long skirts, I love tee shirts of all kinds and sweatshirts for when it gets cold. I love athletic shoes and birkenstocks. Where am I going with all this you may wonder. My feeling about clothes is that it is a very personal thing. If you like to dress up then great, if you like to wear jeans or shorts then go for it. I know plenty of people here in Siena (I am not speaking for all of Italy but my little corner of it) that are like me. I see men in their 60s and 70s in shorts and athletic shoes all summer long here. I also see the older women who dress up every day. Oh and there are the fashionistas who have to have all of the latest items. Everyone is different so dress how you feel comfortable!
P.S: we had an expat GTG in Siena on Sunday. Alice and her boyfriend Luca came too (she is an honorary expat!). In walked a family of 4 and she and I both said at the same time, tourists. How were they dressed? Perfect clothes from the how a tourist should dress articles that circulate all the time. How were Alice, Luca and I dressed? Jeans, comfy shoes, comfy tops!
You can never wear shorts in Venice. I wear gym clothes to the gym, but I am the only one I know who would dare such a thing (because I am American and a writer -- allowances are made for this -- plus, my route to the gym is not a route for "professionals", and then, only in the morning before 10:00AM. Do you see how tricky the rules are? The rules at the gym are even more convoluted, so I draw the line.).
I was just in LA, and the fashion is utterly different than New York, which is closer to Venice. In LA in February, I was surprised to see my friend wearing sandals at lunch in Beverly Hills.
In New York, every section of town has its own fashion. Classic Ughs were everywhere in the Village; not possible on Fifth Avenue, though more stylish variations were acceptable.
When it comes to Venice, the "uniform" is always well-dressed. I am lazy, however, and will wear casual clothes close to my local area. But I would never appear in Santo Stefano at any time or the Zattare on Sunday or the Rialto market on Saturday morning unless I was properly dressed. A great jacket is a good distraction.
Topic Closed
anxious to hear how your stay was in the trulli. 
I'll take any sign of Spring at this point.
These guys (and girls) usually were very toubled by the fact that they didn't have any relation. Not that they would have sex anyhow... 
