The moment I found out I was officially going to
study abroad in Florence, I began doing all this research online on how people in Italy dress. I was so afraid that I would not fit in and read that Italians are very fashion forward. You know, there is Milan here which is the fashion capital of Italy. I was afraid that if I did not dress up to date and trendy that I would be called out as an American right off the bat. The things I found online were describing Italians as these high fashion and trendy snobs who dislike Americans for their bad fashion senses. I want to know who wrote that article because it is not true. Three months in, I have yet to have an Italian scoff at my clothing or call me out--at least not to my face. Regardless of what country I am in, I will dress my way.
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| Piazzale Michelangelo is the spot to get the best view in Florence |
Italian teens wear a lot of combat boots and sneakers. Sneakers are very popular here with the adults, too. The most popular brands that I have noticed are Converse and Nike. The boys walk around with jeans and jackets, while the women wear heels, sneakers, jeans, and jackets. I have been here in the winter and poofy jackets with fur hoodies are very popular. I was honestly surprised with how casual and “street” like the fashion was over all here in Florence.
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| I was trying to capture these boys as they were walking but you can see the sweats and sneakers they're wearing |
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When I was packing for this trip I must have revised my luggage three or four times. I made sure I had layering pieces, lots of black, and my boots. I am a retail employee back home, so I had tons of clothing to choose from. The only problem for me was trying to keep within the weight restrictions so that I would not have pay the extra fees at the airports. Luckily, even though I almost had a panic attack, my luggage was under. I actually wish I brought less clothing, to be honest, because I did a lot of shopping here in Florence.
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| There are tons of small clothing shops in the streets of Florence |
I have been shopping at H&M, Brandy Melville, and Zara quite often. The three stores carry pieces for casual wear to going out clothing. I highly recommend being very careful on the amount of clothing you bring because you might want the extra room for the way back home. Unless you do not mind paying extra baggage fees then go for it! I am a shop-o-holic and I even catch myself shopping at LUSH cosmetics pretty often.
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| My roommate Lauren struts her stuff in her cute sandals and Olive Jeans |
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| This is me after a typical morning class. I am very comfortable with my cardigan and Converse sneakers. |
On a normal school day, I am very casual. I usually wear my boots, with my jacket and, jeans. The weather has been improving which brings out the sneakers, long cardigans, and leggings. I am always walking around here and I tend to wear my most comfortable shoes more often. My roommate dresses casually as well and, even though they advise not to, the other students wear their workout clothing. Italians are not huge on working out so when they see people walking around in yoga pants and running shoes they know you’re not a local. As I said before, it is not a big deal. No one will make you feel out of place for how you choose to dress over all.
A Presto!
Diana Pietrzyk is the Spring 2014 CEA MOJO in Florence, Italy. She is currently a junior at Columbia College Chicago.
