t’s no secret that Italians dominate the fashion world. Gucci, Pucci, Giorgio Armani, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce and Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fendi … the list goes on. An Italian woman won’t walk to the grocery store without getting properly dressed. You will not find a single person wearing sweatpants, or even leggings for the matter. Here’s a brief assessment of the general trends found on the streets of Florence, a fashion capital of Italy.
Tattoos
As a form of personal expression, tattoos are extremely present in Italy. Men and women decorate their bodies with images and designs. Typically, these tattoos are black, and commonly cover the majority of people’s arms and legs.
Louis Vuitton
Every single Italian woman sports a Louis Vuitton bag on her arm. It’s Italy’s Canada Goose. Often times they’ll also tie beautiful, colorful scarves to the handles of their purses.
Heels
Platforms, wedges, stilettos, you name it. The uneven stone roads do not phase these petite women. They strut effortlessly down Piazza della Signoria, ignoring adoring glances from the sea of tourists.
Sunglasses
Italians love their sunglasses, and when you come here you’ll understand why. It’s bright and hot, and it may have rained only twice during the whole summer. For the most part, these sunglasses are a major investment. Italians will wear their favorite designer shades every day.
Cigarettes
There really isn’t any stigma in Italy around smoking cigarettes. They leisurely roll them, and smoke them outside of the vintage shops, where they impress tourists with their vast knowledge of every designer bag since the 1920s.
In Italy, women dazzle the streets with their fierce femininity. They laugh with one another while drinking a spritz, their faces melting into utter disgust at any pass made at them. While they probably have no interest in befriending you—as an American woman—there’s no harm in living vicariously through their intimidating personas.
Images courtesy of I-Gency, Le 21ème