Travel fashion report - Rome - YouLookFab Forum

We are back from an amazing, wonderful time in Italy. Everything went even better than expected and I have to thank my DH for planning this trip so well. We were in three cities: Rome, Florence and Venice and took over 600 pictures. I would say well over half are our kids hamming it up in front of various sites, a good chunk are markets, food and gelato, lots of scenery and still I managed to get some fashion related shots.

I will split this into three posts, and then later or tomorrow post on my shopping (not much but fun).

First of all Rome. The two biggest revelations can be summed up as follows: Birkenstocks and Linen. Everyone wore linen - including the men - even our taxi driver from the airport wore a linen suit (no tie). Throughout the places we visited, the most common summer shoe is some form of cork flats. Mephistos (French version of Birkenstocks) are very popular and sold everywhere. I saw some low wedges, and they were almost all espadrilles. The only time heels appeared were in front of a gallery opening (picture 2, with my son making a face in the foreground). I saw a lot of cross-body bags, nothing especially flashy and a lot of neutral colors and black. I was struck by the lack of pattern or bright color in women's clothing in Rome. Camel and black were a common combination and also white. Watches tended to be large and either white or metallic. Lots of mixed metals too. I saw leggings and a few neon accessories but the overall vibe was not at all trendy or fashion forward but rather knowing what is correct and doing it.

I hope the attached pictures are not too big to be seen but I love the little details. I am pretty sure all of these women are Italian, but it is never certain since Italy is full of people from all over the world. Hope you enjoy!

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13 years ago

Jonesy

Veteran

So wonderful that you had a fun trip!! It sounds fabulous.

I can't help but wonder if some of these comfort shoe wearers are tourists :). Maybe it's radically different now, but when we were in Rome 15 years ago many women were quite dressed up in high heels and slim-fitting dresses during the day, especially on the major shopping promenades. I remember I looked and felt quite out of place in my comfortable walking shoes and shorts. But maybe everything has gotten super-casual, even in Rome?

Diana

Thanks for sharing these photos, Shevia! I'm seeing lots of variations on Angie's summer casual black dress formula.
As a car-less city dweller, like many of these women, I'm sure, I can totally attest to the fact that on hot, humid days, the only shoes I can stand to walk around in are the cork footbed ones. Although, funnily enough, I wear Israeli ones - Naots!

sarah

My impression is that lower more comfortable walking shoes are much easier to come by in Europe than in the US, since everyone walks everywhere! But Jonesy does have a point about the tourists. I do remember feeling like everyone was very dressed up in Verona, especially, but that was over two decades ago.

Jaime

(website)

Jonesy I was surprised also - but I did careful spying and truly the Italian women were wearing these shoes. The women in 1 and 4 were early morning commuters at a bus stop and the women walking by in Piazza Nuova were most likely Italian or possibly French - note the cigarette! We were there during the heat of the summer, so that may be part of it.
Diana : -), I resisted buying Mephistos knowing there are plentiful Naots waiting for me at home.

ETA Also in the shoe store I visited in non-touristy Scandicci, the other shopper was Italian trying on Mephistos.

Anonymous

Now these ladies know how to dress! I love the cork sandals. How nice that you can get Naots right at home! Their bags are gorgeous too. I'm curious, was there a lot of A/C? These gals are pretty much stripped down for the heat, but I don't see any jackets in hand.

Great spy work! Yes, I was expecting more dressed up locals.

lyn67

I also loved all the blacks(white, camels and navys) in Italy(despite big heat, black is everywhere!!) but this is not so ouitstanding in the EU.
When I first come to this site, I was so stunned about Angie and other overseas ladies wearring so much colour with such a sass so started to crave colour to myself, too.
But, I am a neutral girl to my heart as well.:-)

ButterflyLady

I love Rome - I'm glad you had a good trip.

I last went a long time ago, in winter, and I remember a lot of flat leather boots! The pavement (sidewalk) surfaces are quite uneven, I seem to remember, so flat footwear is easier!

Butterfly Lady has nailed it. Walking on cobblestones in heels is quite the challenge. DH is Italian, and we still occasionally visit relatives there, although we haven't gone in the summer yet.

Claire, no not as much A/C. Their buildings have always been built to stay cool in summer. In the winter you absolutely freeze on the marble floors with the stone walls radiating cold... Brrr.

To second JR's comment, there is a lot less a/c in Italy than in other places. Everyone is dressed for the weather and the uneven pavement, but there are very few hats except for tourists. I don't know if everyone dresses more casually in the heat, but it would make sense!

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