What The Italians Are Wearing This Summer

Why does this matter? Because there's a very strong chance it's what we'll be wearing next.

Last year I was in the south of Spain and Paris and observed the trends there only to have them follow me home. For example: the long peasant skirt. This item was literally being sold on the street outside of department stores like Le Printemps in a variety of colours. I noticed the fitted jackets that tied with a bow at Mango in Spain and a few months later, voila! It was everywhere. I also predicted that wedges and flats would be huge for a long time and that white would be THE colour (if you can call it that) this season. I stocked up in advance.

Now I've had a chance to scope out what our Italian sisters are wearing this summer and I'm anticipating we'll see those trends in our stores very soon. Here are the must-haves according to the Italians:

Flirty Fitted Summer Dresses:

The Italian women like their dresses colourful and tight with an emphasis on the bust.


Push-em Up Bras:
You won't find any flannel from Grandma here. The Italians are all about the pushup bra and nice undies. Every third store is a lingerie shop with gorgeous colourful bras with matching panties, ruffles, lace and barely-there bottoms to get your man's pulse racing.


Cute Strappy Tops: Available in every colour, pattern and fabric, these tops are everywhere. Of course we have them here too, but theirs are decidedly cuter.


Wedges:This has been a hot item for a while now. These make walking on cobblestone streets much easier than last year's strappy sandals. The Italians like the ones with ribbon that wraps around the ankles.


Aviator Shades: The fashion-conscious have already been wearing these for a while but in Italy EVERYONE is wearing them. In fact, it's hard to find someone who isn't.


Soft, Slouchy Cowboy Boots:

Ok. Here's where I dropped the ball. I saw these puppies everywhere, in cream, white, black and dark brown and never got around to taking a picture or trying on a pair. I realize this was a huge blunder on my part, but the temperature was 35-40 degrees Celsius the entire time we were there and Italians aren't too fond of air conditioning - even in their beloved shoe stores. I couldn't have put on a pair of boots if someone had paid me. It was just that hot. But watch for cowboy boots with a more rounded toe, made of soft leather that is either slightly slouchy or has cutout patterns at the top of the boot. The Italians wear these with mini skirts - another must have item.


Sparkly Tops:Any kind of sparkle will do. They like t-shirts with sparkly lettering, jackets with shiny detail and tops with sequins.


And finally, the biggest winner of all... Eyelet in White:White eyelet skirts, jackets, tops, blouses... this stuff was everywhere. It looks best as a trim and is a very feminine look.

Happy Shopping!