Confession of an Italian Shopaholic

Made in Italy!

So finally we are arrived at the point I can tell you about my impressions on America fashion and style, and about my habits, my musts and how a common Italian loves shopping.

When I arrived here it was still really warm, so no surprise if people were still wearing their flip-flops. Then, the weather started to change and we started having warm day followed by really cold ones, at least for me, but the flip-flops were still there! Brave you! Funny for me was, and quite still is, seeing people wearing flip-flops with jeans and a wool pullover or a jacket! Don’t your feet get freeze? Mine really do!

Usually, in Italy, we wear flip-flops to go to the beach and instead, during summer, we wear sandals or Birkenstock slippers, a German brand really famous in my country, and really comfortable too.

Still about shoes, I brought with me my Nike Blazer, blue and pink, believing that this kind of Nikes were a must have also in the US. Wrong! Americans do wear Nikes, but the running type. Oh my gosh, what I believed were trends all over the world actually are not! That’s interesting!

Indeed, when I started going around to do some shopping here I started realizing it: I didn’t know where to go and what to except any more! I asked my housemate, Toby, which were the shops where American girls go for their shopping! She saved my life!

Guess where she first brought me? Forever 21! I love it! You can find tons of different looks and at a really good price! I can lose hours in there and I can lose my mind too! My wallet wasn’t so happy after my first time there!

What I noticed, in general, is that H&M, and TJ Maxx, which I was already familiar with have different kind of clothes rather than in Italy or Europe. It wasn’t that easy to find what I was looking for! I’m still looking for a pair of Jeans, I was told to look at American Eagle, but until now I didn’t have any luck! Any suggestion? And by the way, where are all the Levis’ store people in Italy told me I would have found???

When I’m shopping in Italy, the shops I like to go are H&M, Zara (which I understood is not quite famous here), Terranova, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Tally Weijl, Stradivarius and Scout (which is also a brand).

During sales time I like to go to United Colors of Benetton and Sisley. This last is owned by Benetton, but is more fancy and expensive.

For underwear we don’t have the sexy Victoria Secrets, and her angels, we have Intimissimi and its sub brand Tezenis.

What about bags: Micheal Korks rocks here! As I have already said I know about him from Project Runway, and I can definitely not go home without one of his purse! Maybe I will find a great deal in TJ Maxx or Marshall. Oh, yes I forgot Marshall, didn’t know what it was until I came to Boston, as for Target, where I’ve been once, and I don’t know to which Italian shop I can compare it. I still have to go to the “famous” Wallmart! (Famous because, as for Target, is not comparable to Italian stores and because of the movie “Where the heart is” staring Natalie Portman.

Let’s go back to bags. Italians love Louis Vuitton, CK, Guess, Desigual, as here, but other brands that are really strong ate the moment are: Pandorina (I have one) which characteristic is having a stamp with a quote, mine says “Nothing can make a woman feel safer rather than a pair of sun glasses and a cashmere coat”; and an upcoming brand of the last months has been Y not? Printed with different cities pictures from all around the world, I brought mine with me; it features Milan and a woman on an Alfa Romeo. Liu Jo and Pinko have been creating really nice purses, and more affordable one come from the brand I have already citied: Benetton and Sisley.

What about how I like to dress and what I like to wear..I always try to be creative. I like being casual when I go to school or out in the afternoon as I like to be really elegant, wearing high hills and fancy dresses in the evening and for special occasion.

I love boots: with hills and high, or low with studs! I like them black or brown and light brown in leather; I use them in summer too! They look really nice with short dresses or hot pants. I love jeans, and I find so difficult to find a pair that fits as I want. I can spend hours telling you what I like or not, so let’s say that when I dress I always want to find a pattern in clothes I’m wearing and to add something different and unusual that can stand out!

A thing I love here are people skating around, what does it have to do with what I’m telling about fashion? Skater is a style, a lifestyle! And I love their style! I have a skate back home, I don’t know how to use it without killing my self but I want to learn! And here I bought a pair of Vans, love them, as I love my three pairs of Converse (All Star) back home.

Just a couple of more things then I will conclude my long and tormented story about my relationship with fashion. People in the US are always wearing hat or cap (mostly guys). New Era hats, or Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins and so on and on..I got you! You love sports! I also love people wearing a wool hat in summer, early fall (this is more a girly thing), because it’s so stylish! I’m starting doing that right now! Thanks for the inspiration!

In Italy, it’s only a small part of guys that wear that kind of hat, they’re more expensive, and you have to like that style: the free rider, hip hop, rap tendency.

The same thing for Jordan, a brand that is really strong here: shoes, t-shirts, hoodies, hats..everything with his name on it. Jordan for me was just a great basketball player, and for a niche a really cool brand, but here almost everybody wears some Jordan stuff.

So, that’s my story! I will try to dig deeper in my fashion tendency and the differences I’m noticing in the next posts. I haven’t still talked about accessories, make-up and the Italian happy hour tradition! So stay tuned!

Xo Xo Camilla