I have received a few e-mails (including one from one of my favorite readers Erin) about “what Italians wear”?
Technically, the first person to ask me this was Erin almost 10 months ago and since then I’ve had five other readers e-mail me the same question and it really got me thinking….
Italians, in general do, actually have a very defined style that is different from what the major trends are. It took me a while to really start observing and making note of what I consistently saw in the area where I live and on my trips throughout the country, so slowly I will cover a few of the basics!
One fashion tendency that I have consistently noticed throughout Italy is the:
Military Inspired Ankle Boot
No matter what season, time of day or even temperature, you will find the under 50 crowd wearing military inspired ankle boots that have a very distinct style.
One of the biggest brands to launch a whole range of collections that Italians just seem to love is the Portuguese brand Felmini. Their logo is written in “European” cursive writing which is totally different than North American cursive and it looks like this.
You can find most of their collection online here, and these are a few of the key Italian staple designs that you will most likely spot ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE in Italy.
After six and a half years of living in Italy I have finally bought my very first pair of “Italian-style” military ankle boots and I am able to smoothly transition from summer to fall like a pro. You can find my exact pair on sale here (50% off) in Europe, however, I’m not sure if this site ships outside of Europe.
They are comfortable, versatile, breathable, rugged…and when paired with shorts and a sweater they are super cute!
Transitioning is work!
My closet is too small to hold both my winter and summer wardrobes so when the weather changes (definitively) I take down all the winter boxes, fill my “armadio” (wardrobe) with sweaters, turtle necks and ponchos and put away my tanks, tube tops and rompers. I’ve done a whole post dedicated to this procedure called “Cambio d’Armadio” Wardrobe Change Out, here.
The problem is, there are always a few weeks of transitional weather, where one day it is chilly and the next it is down right HOT. So before I go through all of the work of changing my closet I try to use transition outfits to get me through the weeks of unpredictable weather.
Shorts with a Long Sleeve Top + Boots
My fashion survival strategy during this time has been pairing shorts with sweaters, sweatshirts or long sleeve tops and boots. This week I’ll share a few different looks around this theme. I’m also getting back to my regular Tuesday series “The Street Tuesday” dedicated to real mom (and sometimes dad) street style. And tomorrow I’ll feature a real Italian mom totally sporting the military ankle boot trend!
What I Wore
I bought these shorts at Asos.com a year ago and really only wore them a handful of times. Then I noticed almost the exact same pair in some fancy boutique in Modena for around 180 euro, styled in a few different ways, so I decided to put more effort into wearing them.
I paired them with a light weight cropped Zara sweater and my very own Felmini Military Ankle books.
The Reason I Dressed
This was an afternoon walk in the centre of Modena on a Sunday. I’ve written before here about the importance of Saturday and Sunday in Italy and why everything is closed on Sunday!
I was feeling super relaxed and wanted to have a nice and lazy weekend. Hence the fact that my hair isn’t combed, my shorts aren’t ironed and I’m not wearing makeup! But hey, when I started this blog I wanted to share what I actually wore and where I actually went. Sometimes, let’s face it, between preparing my little guy for going out, and all of the duties that come with living like a real person, I don’t always have the time/energy to get prepared and so I improvise.
We strolled through the deserted Sunday streets and played ‘Ring Around the Rosie’ every 5 minutes, ‘hide and go seek’ at every empty terrace and eventually wandered into a random church I had never noticed before.
There was a lot of Filipino people coming out of the church…did you know that Italy has a HUGE population of Filipino people, and they are seen as really respected domestic and medical assistants? Well they are!
Have a great Monday, I’m going to go put Zeno (who is almost 2 and a half….craziness) on the potty since we are officially sans diaper, which is like the biggest deal ever since I’ve survived 30 MONTHS of cloth diapering.