The world always has stereotypes with regards to countries and especially women living there. Thus, red lips, messy hair, a pencil skirt and a striped black-and-white shirt of an ever elegant and simple Frenchwoman have been on everyone’s lips for a very long time. The time has come to travel southeast from France and encounter a new enchanting beauty: the Italian woman. Out of all the cities, today she decided to stop in Milan – a place that has a unique charm and is an absolute winner in terms of fashion and design, which are the loyal companions of a sophisticated Italian lady. At first Milano feels slightly surreal, a little bit like a toy town. A real city doesn’t have perfectly clean marble galleries; doesn’t have groups of incredibly fashionable old women chatting at the bar while smoking and having their daily cappuccino; doesn’t have a slow motion effect when you are walking though and inhaling the astonishing beauty of the ancient buildings and friendly people.
How does one identify the ephemeral donna? Italian women are loud! They talk emotionally, without having a fear of appearing impolite or not graceful enough. Moreover, they can alternate between numbers of subjects from politics to cooking to the latest fashion show. The ladies in Italy are not preoccupied with the opinions of others and will talk with an equal openness and kindness to a stranger as to their best friend. Culturally, Italy has a strong attachment to the family values, hence all the family-themed collections from Dolce & Gabbana. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that family dinners and traditions play a large part in their relationships. Surprisingly, when talking about settling down, Italians will hesitate for a long time because they require perfect conditions, which oftentimes never occur.
When it comes to love, the Italian women are not afraid to show their feeling and rush into the relationships. Secretly, Italian men call their countrywomen “pesante”, meaning “burdensome”. It would have been strange if the women of Italy were perfect because there are always ways to improve and they often admit it. However, do not misunderstand the following particularity with a thought that in Italy there is no romance. On the contrary, one of the reasons for why the Italian women are as enchanting as they are, is their men. Courteous, gentle, funny, while still remaining masculine and passionate is a really special combination. A duo of Ornella Muti and Adriano Celentano in the old romantic comedies like “Crazy in Love” and “The Taming of the Scoundrel” represent the spirit of a perfect Italian couple: a graceful and at times childish woman with a passionate and madly in love man.
A still from “Crazy in Love”
Beauty for the Italians is everywhere and it is not something that has to be looked for. Neither women nor men spend all their time just anticipating the next holiday in 6 months time while working up to the collar. Instead they find joy in little moments every day: café macchiato on via Montenapoleone, aperitivo with friends, a new pair of shoes, a car ride home, a cone of home-made gelato. One particularity that distinguishes Italian women from the others is that they like to eat! Pasta, pizza, meat, vine, desserts, and very few of them are overweight. Whether this is sorcery or not, it is incredibly attractive to have dinner with someone who does not count calories or restrict themselves in everything. Perhaps the secrets here are quality food and small portions.
The conventional beauty captured by fashion also has its significant role in the women’s lives. It is important to keep in mind that the environment affects our fashion choices a lot and since Italy has quite a warm climate, women feel comfortable walking in black pumps and a beige wool robe-like Max Mara coat in December. Nevertheless, a true Italian will never sacrifice warmth to a fashionable outfit – this option is left to tourists that will only attempt to replicate la moda italiana. Over the years there have been developed some tricks that one needs to observe closely in order to be able to see. For example, under the coat, ladies often put a light down jacket to keep warm. Italy is one of the birthplaces for fashion, hence the famous “Made in Italy”, and so to a certain extent Italian brands like Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo or Emilio Pucci reflect the spirit of the country. However, the brand that is the most vivid and Italian to the core is, without a doubt, Dolce & Gabbana. Traditional and over the top, elegant and eccentric, without the age label attached, the brand chose a famous actress Monica Bellucci as an icon to represent the fashion house for many years.
Max Mara & Max Mara Weekend
The ultimate goal is not to try and duplicate the qualities of a woman who appears to be perfect, as life is not a recipe of a chicken stock. Instead, just enrich and learn from the culture and the beauties that appeal to you and your aesthetics the most. In fact, even in Italy, being different is exotic and being your unique self never fails.
Cappuccio Con Chic 