Lately, I’ve been getting a bit tired of hearing other American women talking about what women from certain European countries are doing (or not doing).
It makes me realize how many people are on a content treadmill + need something to put out there. But I don’t want to read that something; I want legitimate facts.
I want to know what the French women are actually doing for their skin care (you can read my findings here) and I want to know what the Italian women are practicing fashion-wise. I don’t want to hear about it from a random American women living in Manhattan Beach, California.
And because I didn’t want questionable, secondhand knowledge, I decided to do the work myself and ask 90 women were actually Italian.
And when I started working on this project, I did three things:
- I asked a fashion consultant based in Rome & Naples.
- I reached out to an Italian fashion writer who has worked with NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER for years.
- And I asked the incredible Italian women on Reddit.
These very kind women gave me some very insightful and helpful answers, while also giving me a bit of a new perspective on fashion in general.
And if you’re also curious about what they’re wearing, then I’ve gathered their tips and advice (and my personal notes) down below. I hope you enjoy this read.
Who you’ll be hearing from in this article:
- Giulia C. from The Inside Pocket
- Gabriela R. Proietti from Local Style
- The women of r/italy, r/askitaly, & r/xxitaly
What I’ll Be Covering:
- Their overall approach to style
- Outfit context
- Quality & workmanship
- Their footwear
- Their specific pieces
One important note before you start reading: These are generalized rules and observations. Not all Italian women adhere to these standards as some of them let me know.
On Italian Style as a Whole
As one woman put it about the Italian approach to fashion, “l’eleganza non è farsi notare ma farsi ricordare.”
Translation: Elegance isn’t about getting noticed, but leaving an impression.
And after reading the responses below, I feel that I can finally understand what she meant.
Giulia, a fashion writer for NET-A-PORTERand MR PORTER, gave me this thoughtful response when asked what Italian women were generally wearing on the street:
“I lived in Milan for many years, but I’m originally from Sardinia. One thing people often misunderstand is that there isn’t one single “Italian style”. It varies enormously depending on the city, much like comparing New York to Los Angeles. Milan dresses very differently from Rome, Naples or Palermo.
“That said, there are a few things many Italian women have in common. One overall rule is to choose your fabrics depending on the season: lighter, breathable materials like linen and cotton in warmer months, and richer, heavier fabrics when it gets colder. Relaxed tailoring is everywhere. More than following trends, there’s an emphasis on looking put together. Running to the supermarket in your pajamas isn’t really part of our culture. Italy can be quite a judgmental place, but I also think there’s something ingrained in us: we simply enjoy making an effort, even for everyday moments.
“Jewelery also plays an important role and is often treated as a personal expression of style. It can be something seasonal, like coral in the summer, but it often becomes the centrepiece of the look.
“One stereotype I’d happily dispel is that Italian women dress like they’re in a Dolce & Gabbana campaign every day. We don’t spend our summers in figure-hugging floral dresses and sky-high heels. If anything, summer style is usually much more understated: crisp shirts, linen trousers, simple sandals, effortless separates and clothes that feel elegant without looking overdone.
“The secret is to look classy without showing to the world that you were trying so hard.”
I also, really appreciated the response that Proietti, a Rome and Naples based fashion consultant, gave me for the same question.
“What most people get wrong about Italian style is that they overcomplicate it. They think it’s about brand recognition or wearing the top five trending “cool” brands and pieces that so many Americans are chasing after. In reality, it’s much more intuitive and simple like choosing *actual* pieces centered around craftsmanship and quality.
“Since we’re in the thick of summer, I’ve seen a lot of women wearing linen or cotton trousers, mostly in creams and whites, paired with a nearly matching cotton tank or button-down and leather sandals. Every-day sunglasses are a given, along with a no-name leather bucket bag from a local shop.
“For an easy transition into fall, swap the sandals for velvet flats called friulane and the linen trousers for a pair of high-quality denim jeans.
“Italian women really aren’t investing their time, money, and energy into the constant cycle of trends from season to season. That’s what makes the way they dress so admirable. you can’t immediately tell who they’re wearing.”
On Wearing Outfits In & Out of Context
I found that when I lived in European cities like Nice or Porto, there was something nice about getting a bit more dressed up before heading out. So for instance, I might put on a well-fitted button-up, dress pants, and flats to go to the supermarket or boulangerie.
Here’s what I realized when I did that: Dressing up smart casual for an outing made the ordinary feel a bit more lovely. Something that should have felt common place felt a little more special. Also, I felt a lot more confidence and self-respect just by choosing an outfit that was thoughtfully put together (but still comfortable). I highly recommend it.
Now onto what the Italian women had to say about contextual dressing.
“To me, it’s not so much a question of ‘what’ you wear, but ‘when.’ I’ve noticed that Italians (and I imagine the French, too) generally have a more nuanced understanding of context and appropriate attire compared to Americans. For instance, most Italians make an effort to look presentable, even just to go to the market. You rarely see people out and about in the kind of oversized sweats or loungewear we usually reserve for the house. Personally, I’m not particularly fashion-conscious and prefer dressing for comfort; yet, earlier today, I was at home in an old tank top and some rather shabby shorts, I had to make a quick grocery run, and I still made sure to change at least the tank top, putting on a T-shirt that was decent, if not exactly fancy. Naturally, if the setting is even slightly more formal, people dress up accordingly; the level of care increases as the occasion demands, to the point where many people dress quite thoughtfully for an evening out, an outfit that might strike an outsider as “elegant,” but which in Italy is generally considered the bare minimum for going out to dinner.” – Few-Cheetah8476
“There are different styles in Italy too, but in my opinion the main difference is that activewear is generally only worn when doing sports (jogging or trekking), not for free time, for example in the city.” – SuperLanna
“SHOES MUST MATCH. If you’re wearing a romantic outfit, you can’t wear sneakers. If you’re wearing a sporty outfit, don’t wear flip-flops. Always ask yourself, “What context was this item of clothing invented for?” and use it accordingly. Flip-flops are for the pool; you’ll look ridiculous anywhere else.” – Debris
“Class and elegance, especially at the office or while out and about. Let’s just say you’ll never see an Italian woman walking around in Havaianas flip-flops, unless she’s heading to the beach.” – Elemis89
On Garment Quality & Workmanship
I loved the bit of advice one Italian women gave, “-refining style involves education. Italians have a trained eye thanks to being around natural and man-made beauty daily. Many don’t have the cultural background and historical perspective of native Italians, but museums and glancing through art books can teach many things. In a fashion sense, such observation acquaints your eye with the classic and classiest color harmonies, proportions, even fashions throughout history, to help you look your chicest right now.”
She suggests going to museums to train your eye, as well as paying attention to the small clothing details like seams, stitching, fit, fabric choice, and buttons. And lastly, she linked to this very helpful guide on how to assess the quality of garments.
And here is what the other incredible Italian women on Reddit had to say:
Peachypeach13610 began by saying, “My Italian mother has drilled in me 3 main things that have completely shaped the way I relate to clothing.” And after reading over the three points, I really wanted to highlight the last one, “Quality over quantity, and well.. quality over anything else (within your budget). Fast fashion is not something I ever saw in good light for many reasons and I want to wear natural fabrics as much as possible.”
Debris also had this to say, “-play with colors: multicolored T-shirt and bottoms that recall one of those colors, solid color, coordinated, … Or play with volumes: crop top and palazzo pants, monk’s robe, blouse and shorts… It is not recommended to play with both if you do not have a great eye. For it to work, however, the fabric must be decent. Linen, cotton, or silk in the summer, wool, suede, or velvet in the winter. No polyester or junk.”
“-there’s the matter of materials: most Italian adults pay attention to fabric quality, so their clothes, whether casual or dressy, don’t have that cheap, plastic-doll look.” – Few-Cheetah8476
“while polyester is popular here too, we Italian women often wear natural fabrics like cotton and denim.” – Maleficent-Waltz-135
“I place great importance on materials: no synthetics, only cotton, silk, linen, wool, and cashmere. To afford this, I don’t have a huge wardrobe, and I buy secondhand. Another thing to consider is getting the right size so that every garment drapes well.” – Any_Syrup3773
On Footwear
One Reddit user with the username, Zecira, said this about shoes, “I’m coming off a year of fully remote work, so I’m living in sweatpants, but this post reminded me of when I was an intern at a place full of Americans a few years ago, every morning on my way to the office I’d take the elevator. And when someone I didn’t know walked in, I’d always look at their shoes. Based on that, I could immediately tell whether I should say ‘Buon giorno’ or ‘Good morning.’”
Ellie_Minato responded with a question, “What differentiated the ‘Buon giorno’ shoes from the ‘Good Morning’ shoes?”
And she answered with, “It’s a very distinctive American style of footwear. Certain types of sandals, certain types of sneakers paired with rather expensive clothing, the occasional flip-flop… I don’t really know how to define it, but as a Roman, I think it’s really easy to identify Americans by their shoes, even when walking around the city when there are tons of foreign tourists.”
I had personally asked Zecira what kind of shoes Italian women wear, but it was 2020Stop who responded with, “Shoes with a bit of style, we often don’t think about it, but we grow up in a country where beauty and quality manufacturing (alas, now maybe just design) are widespread. So for an Italian, in my opinion, it’s quite normal to have a sort of natural good taste. I remember the first time I saw, several years ago, shoe windows in downtown stores in large German cities, and I thought, “Who the h— buys these horrible shoes?” In our country, you go to the market and the most inconspicuous women’s shoe is still ten times more beautiful.”
Quick tip on where to find good quality Italian footwear:
If you want some effortlessly stylish footwear, then a great place to start is Italian Ebay shops. One Italian woman recommended the Ebay shop, L’Artigiano Delle Scarpe. He has some incredible finds, plus will do custom orders for shoes and boots.
On Specific Pieces
And if you’re curious about the specific outfits they wear, then a few women shared their basic uniforms.
“Personally, in the summer I wear full skirts with cute tops or blouses and pointed-toe ballet flats (especially for the office), while in winter I wear tailored trousers with a fine-knit cashmere or pure wool sweater. For winter footwear, I wear leather sneakers (real or faux, just not canvas) or black boots. I live in the UK and always get compliments.
“When going out, I mostly wear midi dresses with heels; if it’s cold, I pair them with a blazer, or else I opt for a midi-length knit dress.
“As for accessories, I have a couple of 2000s-era Prada bags that go with everything. If I don’t feel like carrying an expensive bag, I use other neutral-colored ones that match everything. Or I use a tote bag, or the Uniqlo bag, if I need to go grocery shopping.
“I never wear slides or gym clothes (partly because I don’t own any, lol). If I’m really not in the mood to dress up and just need to pop out for a moment, I wear cotton leggings and an oversized sweatshirt.” – GlitteringPhase6062
“It depends on the situation, as with everything. For work in the summer, my go-to choice is long, loose-fitting dresses paired with ballet flats. In winter, I wear well-cut trousers, often with shirts or lightweight sweaters.” – Any_Syrup3773
PS – If you’d like me to ask these incredibly helpful women any more questions, then please let me know!
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, HuffPost, & Apartment Therapy.