Italy is home to many fashion brands that we know and love. It is also recognized to have the best leather and craftsmanship quality. Brands from all over the world, including luxury brands from neighboring countries, have their leather products crafted in Italy. 

Milan is one of the Big Four capitals that hosts the semi annual fashion shows and naturally, Italy’s fashion capital. Quality speaks volumes. As mentioned earlier, quality and craftsmanship is part of the Italian heritage and their style does not fail to reflect that. Well-cut and tailored garments that flatter the body are a staple and black and dark colors have prominent roles in one’s style. We also notice that the silhouettes are getting curvier and sexier. 

Waistlines are defined and the bustiers are definitely more highlighted. Contouring the feminine figure and embracing a slightly different body shape is a signature from the Italian style that we know and admire since Sophia Loren proudly embraced and introduced it to the world in the fifties. Alongside Marilyn Monroe, the two managed to make hourglass the silhouette of the fifties and even though it went away for a while a couple of decades ago, it is definitely back and embraced. 

Other than the fantastic food that we associate with Italy, their lively and vibrant attitude is also admired. You can always spot an Italian brand when you open a fashion magazine. Florals, animals, and other nature inspired prints alongside a daring use of colors can immediately communicate the culture and aesthetic that we recognize Italy with. Beautiful and high quality fabrics with iconic prints and patterns that are tailored perfectly to emphasize and highlight femininity and beauty.

Now it’s time to find the subtle but effective factor that plays an important role in ones style. Family is very important in Italian culture. We can observe this by looking at Italian food, cinema, and even fashion. Most of the advertisements from Italian brands try to portray a family. They usually capture a feast that shows family members of every age in fabulous outfits as they are wining and dining. This emphasizes on the importance of traditions in Italy’s culture. 

When traditions serve a value, people naturally try to preserve it. This can be in the form of a family recipe, house, and of course, fashion. Demand always creates the supply and when a culture demands for traditions to be passed down, quality needs to be good enough to last generations. Clothes are not a short trendy phase but an almost permanent addition to one’s wardrobe. Designer brands also become an important part of heritage and are chosen based on the connection that we have to them and not just because they’re expensive and luxurious. One memorable interaction that I had with an Italian woman was when she came in for bridal shoes and before we could finish saying Jimmy Choo, because their sparkly designs is usually very popular with brides, she stopped us and said “I’m Italian! Only show me Gucci, Prada,…” and after an hour, she left with Prada.