What’s the Italian fashion style?

The Italian style descends from a very rich fashion history, both classic and recent. Italian women are very similar to the French ones fashion-wise, as both share that innate sense of style and attention to details that always calls our attention. However, the Italian style diversifies from the French in favour of personal expression and experimentation: Italian women are able to mix tailored pieces with sneakers, mini dresses with bikers, a blazer with a jumper. But over all, what makes this style so iconic is the use of accessories as a fundamental part of the whole outfit, giving it a privileged place in the look.

If you want to learn how to incorporate these key elements of Italian fashion, keep reading. We give you all the information you need.

Characteristics of Italian style in fashion

It’s not a coincidence that many of the most famous fashion brands were born in Italy, like Gucci, Versace, Prada, Fendi, Valentino, and many more.

The main characteristics that differentiate Italian style from the rest of the world are its attention to details, the manufacture and good quality of the fabrics and items used in each piece. And, of course, we have to mention the use of accessories like designer bags, the perfect proportions in the entire outfit and the ability to mix and match different styles.

Icons of Italian style to follow

Here’s our Personal Shoppers’ selection of some of the Italian women who best know how to export and explore this style:

Chiara Ferragni

At 26 million followers on Instagram at the moment of writing this post, she’s the most famous influencer in the world. She was one of the first women to realise that she could become famous by posting her looks on social media, which gave her a valuable head-start. Now she’s an entrepreneur and her outfits inspire millions of people who wish to be as fashionable as she is.

Giovanna Battaglia

Her class and elegance is undeniable, she started very young as a model but soon became a stylist for Vogue. Now, she is the creative director of Swarovski. She wears elegantly tailored clothes in bold colours and dares to mix different styles, expressing her personality through her looks.

Diletta Bonaiuti

The queen of street style, she’s always at the centre of attention at fashion shows. She is currently a highly valued fashion stylist and consultant and also owns a kids wear brand. She is able to mix classic and contemporary style using key pieces of the wardrobe like denim and blazers.

5 must-haves for an Italian-style wardrobe

There are five items you must have in your wardrobe if you would like to emulate the Italian style. Take note:

• Black dress: It’s a staple in itself, but in this style, a black dress is the centre of many outfits. Keep one around and you will not regret it.
• Animal print: This print has been everywhere for a while, and Italian style is no different.
  Tailored pants: One of our mantras is to mix and match styles. A pair of tailored pants are a piece that you can use in many different ways, and it’s also a quite recognizable part of many Italian style outfits.
• Blazer: In the same vein as the tailored pants, a blazer can enhance your outfits in style while creating some interesting contrasts. Remember what we said about Diletta Bonaiuti and mixing denim and blazers? That’s the idea.
• Thin-knitted jumper: Versatile and ideal for the changing weather, thin-knitted jumpers are also rather recognizable in Italian style. You may choose the exact shape according to your body type.

Get inspired by these Italian style outfits

Elegance and rock

For the first look, we suggest you combine your black dress with a red biker to pump up that colour and fabric contrast. Then, a mini bag and a pair of big diva sunglasses will be the finishing touch for a very Italian outfit. Extra points if you add a pair of peep toe shoes.

Fashionably wild

An easily adaptable look for your days and nights out. You will need an animal print shirt and a leather skirt. For the day look, complete with a trench coat and loafers. And for your night dates, choose a blazer and high heel pumps. Regardless of which one you choose, you will feel fantastic.

Relaxed in style

This is an ideal outfit for every day, stylish enough to go anywhere without feeling underdressed or overdressed. Get a pair of tailored trousers in a bold colour according to your colourimetry, a top in a neutral tone and a blazer in colour coordination with your trousers. Then, throw in a pair of sandals and add a silk scarf to give an elegant touch to your outfit.

This is what you need to know to get started on your Italian style wardrobe. These ideas and suggestions are just the beginning to hopefully spark your inspiration and help you create many beautiful looks. If this is a style you would like to try out, don’t hesitate to tell your Personal Shopper about it. She will make sure to pick the clothes you need and that will suit you the best.