I am hoping you all can help me! I'm a woman in my early/mid-20s. I am planning on being in Rome for three months, starting the end of February/beginning of March. I've seen posts about what clothes p
I am hoping you all can help me! I'm a woman in my early/mid-20s. I am planning on being in Rome for three months, starting the end of February/beginning of March. I've seen posts about what clothes people should wear during summer and for weeklong trips, etc. but I need help with what things I should bring for an extended stay.
Also, if you have any other advice about Rome or Italy in general that would be great! Thank you!
For women your age, fashion is really very globalized, so anything you like to wear at home or for work will be just fine in Rome. Contrary to what you may have heard, athletic shoes (even white ones) are very popular with women your age in Rome. So are moccasins and flats. It is not only popular but very practical to dress in layers. Leggings remain hugely popular for casual wear. You often see them with skirts and cowboy boots or Uggs.
For work wear, a lot of Italian women with professional jobs wear tailored suits. Sweaters and pencil skirts or slim belted trousers are equally popular. To be taken seriously as a professional woman in Italy, you can look sexy, but something more resembling a suit than a dress seems to be the uniform. One almost never sees peter pan collars, though, or the standard American one-button blazer. Cropped or fitted jacket with razor lapels is more like it.
For weekend wear, "gear" clothes are popular even if you aren't working out.
Cross-body messenger bags worn in front or huge sack-y purses worn crossbody, in front, are everywhere.
A few things Italian women don't tend to do as much as women elsewhere: They don't favor wearing boy-shirts, big shirts, or anything that doesn't tuck in or cinch at the waist. Even when overweight, young Italian women don't wear loose clothing. Likewise, jeans are usually absolutely form fitting, although harem pants still have a following and flowing palazzo pants, often in swirling paisley patters, are something of a fashion hit -- but wait 'til you get here before you invest in that! .Spangles/sequins on sweaters and pastel t-shirts with oversized photos/graphics/words are popular with young people. Older women tend to wear animal prints and rich dark colors. Younger women like lace, leather and pastels. Almost nobody wears "easter egg" brights (even at easter!) unless they are really trying loudly to call attention to a skirt or shoes, etc. Grey and grey-toned colors remain popular, although there are some watercolor-y colors in diffuse patterns showing up ahead of spring.
A lot of Italian women shop at outdoor markets and bargain stores where all kinds of trendy stuff is sold for 10e or 20e. Clothes and shoes here are EXPENSIVE. So if you think you won't have time to track down the bargains over here, then it is good to spend some time looking at a few Italian fashion mags and newspapers online, plus an Italian store like OVS, which is sort of like an Italian
Fashion sense is often more about a bit of extra ruffles, or pleating, or something showy that screams "fashion-minded" than anything actually chic. It's a bit about being bold while at the same time being practical. You see a lot of sweaters tied around waists, a lot of removable overshirts when it gets hot.
There are a few things Italian women do that I almost think you need to be born Italian to pull off: They adore parading around in starched, ironed blindingly white taliored shirts, they wear impossible high heels on difficult streets, and they wear absurd plastic sunglasses, often as headbands more than actual sunglasses.
Nobody actually dresses like these pictures, but they have some basic items, and then a big purse, a favorite jacket, the right huge scarf, the shoes they like. Piling on layers that flap in the breeze remains popular.
I'm sure you'll have a great time and get along just fine. If you've never been to Italy, people even a big city like Rome can be incredibly welcoming and want to take extra care of you in the kindest ways. You shouldn't resist it too much. It is very much a part of their social culture. If you are invited to dinner at people's homes, you shouldn't hesitate to say yes, because Italy's greatest cooks are all working in home kitchens.
If you have personal passions, I'm sure you can find in Rome people who share them -- more easily than anywhere else in Italy. And if you aren't particularly passionate about anything, being around Italians will awaken your passions. You'll probably find your months are fly by and be fully absorbed in getting to know the city without ever a moment's boredom.
Take every opportunity you can to speak Italian and improve your skills. Italians are extremely tolerant about foreigners not acquiring Italian, and many will want to practice their English with you. But for your own sake, the more language you can master, the sooner the better, because it just gets harder and harder as you get older and this is a great opportunity.
I think the website I gave you for twister moda has the basic look, although many of those oranges are more fall colors than what I think is coming up for spring, which seems to be headed toward pale pastels.
These posts are great advise on things to take if you already have them. I suggest you don't buy anything new though as it will be a lot more fun to buy any new clothes once you get there.
It's fun to buy new clothes in Rome but Roman women tend to be much shorter than American, British and other European women, so you might have difficulty finding clothes that fit if you are over an American size 6 or 8.
And it is very hard to find any shoes if you are over a size 8. I am a 10-10.5 US (generally size 41+ in Italy), and it's almost impossible. Most shoes stop at 40, with few that large.
I find that clothes are lots easier to buy than shoes. I'm about a size 8 US in clothing, but the Italians size much smaller. An American size 8, max 10, is the general rule for most clothing stores. Plan on size 40-44, with fairly rare size 44. If you are particularly busty or hippy, you'll probably only find layering pieces rather than tailored clothes. Guessing at age 20'ish, that's probably fine for you anyway. Plenty of layering, looser pieces these days, if you're into that look, so sizing is easier with those clothes.
Scarves are a huge thing in Italy--you can pack very few clothes and find a few cute scarves to bring. Marshalls and TJ Maxx usually have a great selection at a good price. Scarves are wonderful outdoor Italian market purchases.
I hope that you have a fantastic 3 months! I suggest bringing a nice journal to look back on this speical time later. Go look for a lovely one that feels good in your hand. Large enough to comfortably write and draw in, but small enough to put in your purse. 6x9 is a good size for me, but you may prefer 5x7. Find one that really calls out to you--color, leather, binding, etc. It will be your good friend for 3 months of your life, and I'm betting that you'll look at it for decades ahead. I always travel with a little roll of good Scotch tape (Scotch is hard to find there and much tape sold tends to crumble and yellow with age) and a small pair of round-tipped scissors, which I keep in a ziploc with pens and some watercolor pencils to draw in my journal. The TSA permits the small round-tipped scissors in your carry-on. Look in the cosmetics section of a drugstore for a pair of the scissors. Write in it; tape in pics, train pass, hotel card, a pretty petal outside your apartment window; write train schedules, contact info of new friends; sketch a scene of the piazza; funny customs you see or hear; postcards of your location; whatever will bring you back to your lovely and/or funny memories.
All of the advice on attire so far is great! I'll just repeat a few things... I'm 22 and just got back from a 20 day trip in Rome. It was AMAZING!
I was travelling alone much of the time, so I liked to blend in with the Italians. Americans tend to get a lot of attention in Italy. I found that Italians wore shades of black, grey, brown, cream, and white. They even wore black and brown together frequently?! Scarves and boots were worn with almost every outfit there. (Perhaps it was because it was winter...) Berets and hats were common. Wide framed glasses were in style. Those were my observations. When I tried to dress like this, I would sometimes have people come up to me and speak Italian... So I think I blended in, until I was expected to respond in Italian..
More advice.... Brush up on your Italian. In particular, pay attention to words for direction such as dov'e, sinistra, isolato, etc. Knowing these words will help you get around in small towns where English speakers are rare.
Night life... In Rome, many people like the Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona area. I didn't mind it, but to me, the bars here were like any other American club/ bar. I preferred Trastevere. Testaccios, a disco, is near there and is fun. Oh and Maison is a good disco near Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona. I liked the discos since there were fewer Americans there. What area of town are you living in? I lived in Prati. A nice lady who was in her upper 20's and was from the US gave me a lot of advice. She has lived in Rome for 5ish years and said that girls are safe walking home after the bars as long as they don't live near Termini. She said to stay away from that area at night, but other than that, if you are smart, then you will be safe. She worked at a bar for a few years, and would walk home alone when she got off.
Sights in Rome... Obviously you will see the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican, etc... Something that many don't hear about is Janiculum Hill. Go here at night and during the day. The view is fantastic!! It was my favorite place in Rome.
I didn't make it to any other countries besides Italy, but I heard that there are cheap flights via Ryanair. Many people suggested I go to Barcelona. They said that the night life there was great.
Travels in Italy... Venice was a let down... but you almost have to see it before it sinks into the water! The gondola ride was legit though! Make sure you decide on a price, time, and route before you take off on the ride though. Apparently, gondoliers are known to rip people off. Florence was FANTASTIC! It had a small town feel in a big town. If you visit here, walk towards Piazza del Signoria via a main road off of Ponte Vecchio (I think the road is called Via Por Santa Maria). It should take you past many restaurants. Working at a fancy restaurant on the left side of the road is nice guy named Gledy. He speaks very good English. A couple of girls and I went out with he and his friends one night. It was a lot of fun. I suggest meeting up with him. He'll even take you on a scooter ride if you ask!
Other trips in Italy... Monterosso al Mare... Although stricken by floods and mudslides when I visited, Cinque Terre was beautiful and great for hiking!! The Amalfi Coast is also breathtaking!! Pompeii was another fun place to visit and take in the sights. The ruins were cool! One place I wish I had visited is Sienna. I just didn't make it there, but I heard great things about it.
Day trips from Rome... Tivoli for the gardens. I visited Villa D'Este and Villa Adriana. Both of these are worth seeing. There is one villa that I wasn't able to see, but it looked beautiful!! It doesn't open until March? Or something like that. Lake Nemi was another nice day trip. The people in this town were extremely nice and helpful, despite their lack of English. I really enjoyed Nemi and Tivoli. Other than that, I heard a lot of good things about the hill towns around Rome.
If you have any questions about Rome, just ask :) runner.4.life@hotmail.com
Lanago2- I love the idea of a journal!! I was already considering starting a blog so friends and family can keep track of my trip, but I like the thought of having a journal just for me, except for my lack of artistic ability.
runner4life- your trip sounds absolutely fantastic! I can't wait to go!! I'll be staying in an apartment in the Colosseo area with two girls (who I don't know but are both students)
One important tip to know is that in MOST Italian stores, including department stores, you should not touch the merchandise. The sales help will assist you. Most Roman shops go to a good deal of trouble putting what's for sale in their windows, or on nicely arranged display tables where you enter. If there is something you want to try on or buy, you ask for it. You don't pick it up yourself and bring it to the cash register.
Don't take it amiss if a sales assistant follows you around, or asks several times if they can help you. There are not pressuring you, they just are doing their job.
Increasingly in Italy, there are discount stores where things ae more informal and they sometimes have signs that say "self-service" because Italians borrowed the English term to describe a kind of shopping they associate with America. But unless you see other people picking up merchandise to examine it, don't do it. And this goes triple in food stores other than supermercati.
