Fashion has been part of the Italian culture since Roman times. Craftspeople from all over the empire came to Rome to provide fine objects and clothing to the wealthy Romans. The Roman aristocrats had sophisticated tastes served by fine goods imported from all across their world.

Today you can see that Italians still pay attention to the latest looks and chic styles. They have a tradition of design that is respected around the world. Observing Italians and their products with design and style in mind is a pleasurable pastime in Italy.

Take a table in a café on a popular street and watch the people around you and see how nicely they are turned out and how they naturally and artfully seem to stand and sit to look their best. The importance of image is instilled at an early age. Try to be in a popular piazza on Sunday afternoon when the whole family goes for a stroll after a big lunch. You will see children dressed in very fancy outfits. You may even hear Mamma yelling at them to stay clean.

The next phase of your education in Bella Figura is to visit a children's clothing store and find out how much those little outfits cost!

As a cultural aside, notice how many children most families have. Large families were formerly the tradition in Italy, but now the population is actually declining and there are government programs that reward people who have more children.

Inspiration for your own fashion career might come from this site which provides the address for each house and history of the founder.

While in Italy, load up on gorgeous fashion magazines. When you are in Italy, visit a street side newsstand and buy a few.

The link below to La Dolce Vita Fashion has great information on the history of Italian Fashion. Did you know that Fendi was established in 1918? If you want to shop for high fashion, even just window shop, go to their pages called the Streets of Fashion and print out the little maps to take with you.

If you are shopping for Italian fashion to take home, consider shoes, jewelry, and accessories. I believe that unless you run in very dressy circles, the Italians clothing styles tend not to work elsewhere, it takes several years for them to reach stores in other countries and by then the fashions have been modified. But a great purse, scarf, sweater or pair of shoes can work very well.

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The heart of Italian fashion is in Milan, but you can find a splendid array of stores in Florence and in Rome near the Piazza di Spagna. The window displays are real art. You will also be able to see what is offered in that store. Most stores specialize and offer only a single kind of product. The couture stores, such as Armani, showcase the entire collection, giving the viewer the complete experience of that designer.

Put on a nice outfit so you feel like you belong in the stores. Don't rush yourself, but give yourself time to rest at a bar and order a refreshing beverage (see the Barista Newsletter about beverages) and watch the world go by.

Another way to enjoy an element of Italian fashion is to visit fabric stores and notions shops (Mercerie). You can enjoy the sumptuous fabrics, maybe buy a piece to take home, even an remnant. And in the Merceria, you will find an array of buttons, bindings, cords, and tassels beyond your imagining. Look for something to use to make your own fashions.

This book, Italian Chic: The Italian Approach to Elegance, will prepare you to understand and appreciate the many well-dressed Italian women you will see in Italy. You may find some fashion ideas that you can use, too.

32% of the children are ages 5-8

40% are 9-12

20% are 13-16

7% are over 16

This information and your feedback is very helpful in planning future newsletters.