Ahh Italy … the historic sights, the beautiful coastline, the amazing food, and so many stylish people!! It was so exciting to see the Italian fashion trends and so many women and men so well dressed! As someone who loves fashion, I couldn’t help but be distracted away from my tour group to take street style photos of the exciting outfits all around me. It wasn’t just the particular Italian fashion trends I witnessed, it was also the fashion mindset/attitude of the Italians that impacted me.
In order to understand the way I was influenced by the Italian fashion scene, it’s important to have some background on the fashion culture I’m in on a day to day basis. I grew up in Portland, Oregon and now live in Federal Way, which is south of Seattle, Washington. Out here in the Pacific Northwest, people are very casual. Jeans, atheisure, and flannel/fleece reign supreme! If you appear more dressed up than others, you might get comments like, “Where are you off to?” or, “Why are you so dressed up?” Dresses, for the most part, are reserved for special occasions. So, you can understand why it was exciting for a PNW girl like me (who often feels like she has to tone down her outfits to fit in) to be surrounded by such a bevy of fashionistas! (See what I wore in Italy here!)
trends i observed:
Dresses are the rule, not the exception: Dresses and skirts were everywhere! Most of the dresses and skirts were midi length. Such a perfect way to beat the heat and look effortlessly stylish!
Stylish flat sandals: With so much walking involved in the Italian cities, and with the uneven cobblestone streets, it’s no wonder there are so many women wearing flats. I came away from Italy more excited about flats, for sure!
Such a cute maxi dress paired with the perfect flat sandal! 
I absolutely love this look! Such a pretty dress and bag with dressy slides.
Polka dots: I normally don’t care for polka dots, but after seeing so many chic women wearing this print, I came home on a mission to find a polka dot dress!
She looks so chic in this polka dot crop top! 
More polka dots! 
This green polka dot dress is so fun and I love her metallic wrap sandals!
Slouchy shoulder bag: Many Italian women were carrying a large, soft leather shoulder bag during the daytime. So functional and cool!
Well dressed couples: It wasn’t just the Italian women who pay attention to style, I’ve never seen so many stylish Italian men! It was so fun to see so many stylish pairs!
These stylish couples set a great example! We need to keep our hubbies stylish, too! 
Italian fashion mindset: my takeaways
Of course I don’t live in Italy, and I’m not going to wear a dress every day, but I definitely left Italy with a renewed sense of, “it’s ok to love fashion and dress up without worrying about what other people will think of me.” I also loved how the women dressed in such a feminine way. It’s fun to dress in skirts and dresses and look like a lady! Another attitude that I loved was that the older women were not “phoning it in” with regard to fashion. Just because their bodies might be changing and they might be grandmas, they aren’t giving up on fashion. Love it!!
Here are some examples of stylish women in mid life! No one is giving up on fashion here!! 
Visiting Italy was amazing! I hope I get to go back someday. I learned so much about what to wear and will definitely pack differently next time! (Check out my packing tips here.) Julie is going to Italy in September, so it will be fun to hear how she is impacted by the fashion all around her in the places she visits! Stay tuned!!
xoxo Krista
