Hi, I'm 21 live in the USA, but I was born in Guatemala. I'm going to visit Europe for the winter and spend the holydays there. I don't know what to wear and I'm really intimidated by France and Italy. Specially Italy...I am come on, is all about fashion there. Please give me some tips on what to pack and what's going to be in for the winter. What do women wear in Italy and France around that time of the year?

Thank so very much!!!

Analy

Hi Analy --

I totally understand the fear about clothes. That is always what I change the most when I'm in Italy - the way I dress. And I do it as soon as I can get to a store after I get off the plane. I don't know what women wear in Italy in the winter, though in summers the thing I notice is that they're much more 'together' than many women in the U.S., and they dress with more care. If you're used to wearing jeans and t-shirts, you'll feel a little out of place in Italy but no one will look at you funny. In fact, I've noticed the last few years that things seem to be more relaxed, so you should be fine if you dress maybe a little bit more fancy than you might here at home.

My suggestion would be to take a few things with you and then shop there once you get settled. Not all clothes or shops are expensive - there are discount stores and thrift stores like anywhere else.

I'd also suggest looking at Paolo's Italy website (two great articles, here http://www.lifeinitaly.com/fashion/ and here http://www.lifeinitaly.com/fashion/accessories.asp) for suggestions about fashion. Also on the borders of those pages are all kinds of links to other essays and suggestions.

I hope this helps!
Maybe somebody who lives there will answer you... then I can learn, too, what's all the rage in winter!

Teresa

I can tell you Analy that there are all types of different dressers. From casual to crazy, but for the most part women--even older woman dress well. Do not feel intiminated there is no beauty contest going on here. I dont usually see too many in sneakers, even less t-shirts. If you'd like to tell me what you had in mind to wear-- It would be easier to guide you!

Hi Analy,

Sounds like you are really worrying about this. If what Teresa and Jacqueline have to say is not reassuring enough, here is what is in for this winter. It is true what Teresa says, all Italian women I have met do dress with care, and definitely no sweatshirts:)!

This fall, the layered look is trendy: layer different textures and sombre color palettes. Thicker leg wear like leggings and textured tights should be a good thing to pack, and definitely a pair of good boots. Italy is definitely the place to buy good boots, so get yours there. I have worked for an Italian company, and they do make really fancy boots, even the not-so-high-fashion brands:D .

The idea this season is to get as much volume on to our clothing as possible, and the best way to do this is ease into some trapeze and swing jackets. I have seen some at Zara, but am sure there are other brands doing them as well. Also a good idea this season is a slightly larger-than-life collar, which brings attention to the face. Wear it with a lot of attitude, and remember to walk tall....big collars are almost a fashion accessory this season in Europe. If big collars are too much for you, try adding similar volume with a frothy scarf. Great against the winter, and possibly a good way to add a dash of color to your fall pallette. Fur trims are in too, so go ahead and get yourself a jacket with a detachable fur trimmed collar....you can wear the jacket with or without the fur for versatility:cool: .

Try A-line or rather big-flared dresses in darker colors, they are totally in too! If you are really bold, go for a red dress, red is hot this fall. Accessorize with matte gold jewelry, they are all the rage this season. Big hoops are a good idea too. As far as skirts go, you can go body hugging to flares, all the runways have been pretty much confused about this. If wearing textured tights, slim-fitted shorter skirts may be the right thing for you. Skirts with a lot of hemline trims are okay as well. Belts are a fashion must-have too, choose a few that go with the rest of your wardrobe, but wider ones are trendier right now.

But the one thing that you must have is definitely a great bag, by which I mean a bag from a great brand, AND a really super-size bag. Metal accessories on bags are on their way out, but simple buckles and buttons are fine. Get at least two, one that matches with most of your clothes, and another that offers contrast.

Basically the idea is volume, layers, trims and big sizes. Remember those and you cant go wrong. Buy a few staple blacks, and mix and match with other stuff. A perfect little classic black dress would be a great advantage. Make sure your jacket/s and skirts go well together, and make sure you can change around a lot of looks with a scarf here and an accessory there.

If possible, get the book “ As the Romans do” by Alan Epstein, and scour it for shopping ideas. The book is about Rome, but the basic principles on Italy are sound.

As usual the best way to get the fashion pulse of a place is to look around, and then, to trawl through the magazines:

http://www.made-in-italy.com/fashion/publications/index.htm


You could also check out the following link to help you shop:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome-144659/Shopping-Rome-Womens_Clothing-BR-1.html


Hope this helps, and have a wonderful holiday:)!!

Bubbles

Okay, Bubbles, my boyfriend now officially hates you. Because of your post, I now I have to go to Italy this winter so I can dress in all those great clothes -- so not only will I be gone, but I'll be spending all kinds of money. What fun! :D

I could conceivably just buy the clothes and wear them here at home, but... in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I might get run in for having too much fashion sense.

Great post, great advice, and Analy should be totally set when she visits. Maybe I'll see her there. :)

(Next post will be an essay I wrote while there this summer, about shoes.)

Teresa

Today’s game plan: buy a pair of shoes.

I made a mistake this time when I came to Italy with only sandals. While that was smarter than the year I came to Italy with NO sandals, it still didn’t cover all eventualities… like rain (which there hasn’t been any of) or a walk through a field near an abandoned house in Siena, or just because my feet hurt and could use some support.

I left my house early enough to enjoy the Forum emptier than I’ve ever seen it. Sometimes in summer the area is as packed as a rock concert, which at some level maybe makes sense… there’s something primal about music just as there is about the massive tumbled stone pillars, the still-standing temples and arches dedicated to various gods and heroes, and the fountains that spill water from aqueducts as old as the Senate building. It’s a different kind of power but maybe it calls to the same thing inside us, and we answer to it by flocking to both Sting concerts and cities like the one I find myself in.

Whatever the reason, generally the Via Sacra and the Forum itself are jam-packed. This morning, I walked the 2000-year-old paving stones to and under Titan’s arch (in my sandals) by myself, and saw only three people the entire length of the Forum. It was an auspicious start. (I have begun looking for signs in everything I do, a possibly inevitable result of being here where the Romans once led their entire lives dependent on the gods’ wishes, and sought their help and advice at every turn.)

I walked (… sandals) along Via del Corso, one of the most famous shopping areas in Rome. It is also one of the most expensive. I stopped looking there after the first pair I liked turned out to cost more than 200 €. Cutting west, I ran into the Piazza Rotunda and wandered into the Pantheon for a few minutes, then stopped in the piazza for a cappuccino and a quick look through the headlines of the day. It was still early enough that the only people out were also seeking a semblance of quiet, and everything was rather eerily silent. We smiled at each other from under umbrellas at the café, and didn’t speak. Except, of course, for my ubiquitous conversation with the waiter in Italian. “Which is more large, the cappuccino or the café latte? Then I will have a café latte, please. Thank you.” I’m getting very good at ordering coffee.

Once again heading west, I crossed the bridge of angels and walked along Via della Conciliazione, skirted St. Peter’s square where the crowds had begun to gather, and found myself on Via Ottaviano. Slightly lower priced than Via del Corso but still expensive, this is a street I should have learned to avoid. Last year I spent more than 500 € in the space of three blocks.

I made the mistake of walking into a very nice shoe store where a very nice salesman made me feel that he enjoyed listening to my attempts to talk about shoes in Italian (my first shoe conversation!) and even more that he enjoyed speaking to me as though I were five years old when he answered. He told me how lovely the first pair of 100 € shoes I tried on looked… and the second pair… and the third… and the fourth… by now I was feeling guilty that he was being so nice that I just knew I was going to end up spending more money on shoes than I’ve spent on anything so far this trip… and so… since I was going to spend so much money, I wanted to make sure I got a pair of shoes that would last a long time (this store sold quality, luckily) and, most importantly, remind me of Rome every time I wore them.

The shoes I tried on on a whim because they were so odd, I think maybe the third or fourth pair, were orange. Not bright orange, a little muted, and they were kind of a cross between a hiking shoe, with laces but a bit of a heel, and stripes kind of like a running shoe, and… well, you’ll just have to wait for the pictures.

Because, you guessed it, I bought them. Orange shoes. And while this year orange isn’t as big as it was last year, there are still enough people here wearing some version of that color that I won’t get funny looks. And by the time I get home, I’ll like them so much I won’t care when people laugh at me.

I walked back to my apartment in my new shoes – they didn’t clash too much with what I was wearing – and my biggest problem was figuring out how to keep them clean in a Rome that had while I was shopping filled up with people. I stayed away from the dusty Forum, I walked around the splashed water at the fountains, and I was careful about getting into a crowded spot where somebody might accidentally step on my feet.

After all, if you’re going to splurge on a brand new pair of orange shoes, you ought to at least take care of them.

© Teresa Cutler, summer 2006. This essay and others will be in my upcoming book All that Glitters, Reflections on Italy and Other Things Golden

Well, Teresa, as long as you love your clothes and are going all the way to Italy to shop for them and wear them, I say more power to you and I dont mind if your boyfriend hates me!

But when I looked back on my post I realized that I did not cover bags and shoes as well as I could have. Since you have already said a thing or two about shoes, here are my 2 cents on handbags to Analy and any others who like handbags:)...Teresa, more shopping:p !

If there is one fashion item you buy in Italy, it has to be a handbag, and the best thing is you don't have to go to Italy to buy them!

My personal favorite this season is the Gucci Hobo, I am not the delicate-pretty-girly type, and the Hobo suits my style very well. It also suits most body types. (Oh yes, bags ought to be matched to body types. If you dont already know this,the tall and thin can go for oversized purses, but be careful about buying the small ones, which should neatly fit under the shoulder. Shorter, more voluptuous goddesses must go for small purses, try never to buy a big handbag, if you are curvy with a nipped waist, make sure the purse ends where your waist begins. Plus size divas will do well to keep away from small bags or short straps, medium sizes are the best bet.) But hobo bags are for everyone: only thing to remember is if you are more rounded, get a structured, slim hobo, not a slouchy one.

You absolutely must check out some of the hobos here:
http://www.gucci.com/us/us-english/us/fall-winter-06/handbags/shoulderbags.asp#fw06_hb_153029_CAEGV_7709


For an evening out, I love the clutch bag with the wristlet, Roberto Cavalli has a jeweled version (http://www.robertocavalli.net/eng/home.htm), and Gucci a monogrammed version (http://www.gucci.com/us/us-english/us/fall-winter-06/handbags/eveningbags.asp), both are very suggestive;). Plus, gold hardware on the clutch means that you can get away with less jewelry and a more streamlined look.

Some of the best ornamented bags I have seen though come from Bottega Veneta, owned by Gucci since 2001. You can have a look at some of their masterpeices of balance between flashy and functional here (http://www.bottegaveneta.com).

Personally I am not the monogrammed-print bag lover, but if you want some seriously cool monogrammed Italian bags you can check out, who else, the progenitor of all ostentation, Versace:
http://www.versace.com/flash.html
(http://www.versace.com/flash.html)

But the best bet I think is definitely a classic calfskin from Fendi (http://www.eluxury.com/browse/product_detail.jhtml?styleid=11155032&SectionID=6000) or Prada (http://www.amazon.com/Prada-olive-calfskin-Vitello-small/dp/B000BB8ZSM), because calfskin continues to improve with age. It feels softened and buttery the more you bump it around and compliments almost everything from jeans to formal wear. If you don't like leather there is always the Prada Signature Nylon Bag, sleek, black and gorgeous, it has become somewhat of a status symbol with fashion mavens.

Most of these purses of course cost an arm and a leg, but it is definitely worth the investment. Italians know certainly know their bags, these are usually made to look beautiful for a lifetime.

What to wear in Italy: if you ride a motorcycle wear a heavy jacket (we are getting in winter season). Get a jacket, light woolen socks and a coupple of sweaters. It depends how long you'll be here and where if in northen Italy or in the southern part.
Let me know
Ciao
Mike

I saw mccain's reply and realized how much easier it is for men to be relaxed about their appearance:), and then I glanced over all the responses Analy received from us women, and realized how important dressing up is for women, in Italy, or anywhere else in the world.

So this one is for all the ladies on this forum to think about when they try on their next dress or jeans and trousers, and to honestly evaluate how it makes them look !

I have an acquaintance where I live: tall, very dark, extremely overweight, but very pretty features.

On social occasions, I meet her, and we exchange pleasantries. She wears the tightest of tops, which clearly outline all her excess weight for all of us to see, she wears skirts that show us her knotty legs. She wears make up on her cheek, but can you imagine what paint does to a dark face with rough skin, and in daylight where one can see how she has tried to get rid of facial hair?

She is an intelligent girl with a good job, she has the most incredibly beautiful eyes, and very shapely nose and lips, and a really enchanting smile, and to my total chagrin, loses it all to her outrageous sense of dressing up!

I would give a lot to tell her that she should wear less clingy clothes, and clothes that fit her. Not baggy, but nicely contoured, which admittedly wont magically eliminate all her bulk, but would make her less grotesque, even appealing in a nice way. That she should take better care of her skin and not rub quite so much pink onto her cheeks. Play up her eyes, wear a medium-shaded lipper. Of course, try to lose some weight.

But of course, I haven't told her, and probably never will. I watch her trying to flirt with men, and I watch them laugh at her, straight at her face and behind her back, she always tells me about this hot guy she met on the internet, and always asks the gang about where to find a nice guy for her. They laugh, but I sob a little inside me every time. I don't quite know what to do, as I don't know her that well, and don't meet her that often.

I see other big women, and how nicely they manage their girth, and look elegant in their well-tailored clothes, I realize that these women look at themselves before they dress up, they conceal or downplay the comparatively unsightly parts, and play up whatever advantages they have.;)


I see well shaped girls, but with that small bulge of an un-exercised tummy wearing low-slung jeans and small, tight tops, who could have easily looked miles better with a longer and looser top, and know that these girls didn't honestly look at themselves while dressing up:eek: .

They did not listen to the mirror, they sucked in their tummies while studying their profile, and thought no one would notice the bulges that would appear when they sit down:o .

For me, I try to be honest about what makes me look good, and what simply looks good on the hanger or on someone else. Before I walk out wearing something I try and figure out if it really looks nice. And when a friend says something is not quite right, I re-examine my choice of clothes for the evening. I can't say I get it right every time, but at least I try.

La Bella Figura is not that difficult, of course it needs a healthy diet and exercise, but what it absolutely requires is for the "belle ragazze" to know what looks good on them and what does not.

So dear ladies, do you really, really look at yourself while dressing up?