Italian design and style is often the benchmark for quality and fashion throughout the world. Ever since the 1950’s, Italian clothing has had many Americans captivated by the eloquent designs and the quality of the fabrics used. In the 1980’s the Italian fashion industry created ready-to-wear fashion which was the distinguishing point when Italian design separated itself from other countries’ styles. Ever since Italy’s explosion into the fashion scene, many designer brands have been founded in Italy and many other brands across the globe design clothing aligning with the current Italian style. I decided to look into a brand more affordable than the typical designer products, Piazza Italia. This brand offers the same fashionable Italian look for a fraction of the cost, and incorporates some beautiful Italian architecture in the store. Piazza Italia has locations scattered around Northern Italy, Rome being the furthest south the store goes.
Piazza Italia – Store Aesthetics
The store itself had an Italian feel to it that is uncommon to find in the United States. The first thing I noticed was the shadows of the suit jackets in the windows above the sign, which served almost as artwork when approaching the building from the street. Next, I was amazed at how large the glass doors were to enter the building. The glass walls gave the store a sleek and modern feel, which contrasted the intricate spiral staircase I found inside.
The staircase led to all 4 floors of the store and made for an aesthetically pleasing walk from floor to floor. I have been blown away by the size of some stores in Italy, they scale multiple stories and have a wide selection of Italian designed or inspired clothing.
Italian Clothing Design
From my experience so far, I have observed a decent amount of differences in Italian clothing from the typical American clothing. The most prominent difference is the size difference, European styles generally run much smaller (around a full size). Natives to Italy often wear tighter clothing, rarely will you find a person dressed in baggy clothes.
Cuffed Pants 
Capris
As you can see, another design difference is the length of the pants. Italians often cuff their pants, or when it is warmer they wear capris. The cuffed pant look has recently become a stylish movement in the United States, but we have yet to adopt the male capri widely.
The final design difference I have noticed so far is how Italians love to accessorize. In America, we may see a male wearing a watch or a hat, but it does not compare to the extremes that Italians like to accessorize. The photo above is a small section of the accessories in Piazza Italia. It is very common to see more men wearing scarves in the winter than not, and I have seen many people wearing different types of hats to complement their outfits. Men also can be seen carrying leather bags of various shapes and designs, which is an uncommon trend in the United States.
Takeaways
Italy sets trends for many different fashion industries, including the United States. It is interesting to see how we have adopted many of their trends, and predict what trend will make its way to our neighborhoods next. Observing differences in the styles of people out for casual walks, shopping, or dining has opened my eyes to the importance of fashion in the Italian culture. As we have discussed in class, Italy has a high power distance, meaning the people generally value socioeconomic influence and status. This notion of power distance is noticeable when viewing how well everyone dresses for all occasions, it is rare to see someone wearing baggy sweats and hoodies no matter the circumstances. I enjoy the sense of style that most Italians share and look forward to learning more about the Italian Fashion Industry.
Colin's Italy Experience 