Not So Billionaire Girls Club

Hello followers!
As some of you may know, I am going to be in Firenze, Italy for a month this summer studying abroad.While in Italy, I will be taking two classes: Fashion Forecasting and Italian Fashion and Language. My schedule will vary from day to day, but my itinerary looks something like this: classes in the morning and early afternoon, followed by an afternoon of exploring the city, spotting trends and attending trade shows. Weekday nights will consist of group dinners, sometimes with professors, other times with friends (and perhaps new Italian friends!?) and then nights out on the town. Almost every weekend is planned out for us- we will be taking trips to Siena, Venice, Chianti, and Rome. To say the least, I am OVERWHELMED with excitement and cannot figure out what to do with myself until I leave. So, I have decided to do a little research to prepare myself for my trip and delve into the Italian street style and culture.

What better way to look at Italian street style than to examine other websites like ours- Italian fashion blogs! I found a number of great sites that gave me tons of inspiration for Not So BGC.

The trends that I saw as far as clothing include:
- lots of button ups, sheer collared shirts (that I thought went out of style a long time ago)
-color and patterns!
-sneaker trend on almost every site (things like slip-on sneakers and New Balance or Nike brand)
-emphasis on accessories (BAGS!!, shoes, sunnies)
-Layers, layers, and more layers!
-Maxi and midi skirts

Photo from TheFashionFruit.com/en/

Something that I thought is even more important than simple items of clothing is the habitual behavior of Italians. If I can figure out the bigger picture- their customs, their lifestyle, then I can better understand what is considered stylish in the world of Italian fashion. Here is what I saw:
-In Firenze- lots of uneven cobble stones (worse than Richmond)- do they wear                              heels?!- known for their leather products
-In Milan- lots of color, painted buildings and                       bright clothing
-In Venice- more simplistic and less color (black and white)

Photo from MyFreeChoice.net

All over:
-women are covered up! Summertime isn't an excuse to show skin (they're more                     accustomed to the heat and lack of AC)
-more lifestyle blogs-not just pictures of an         outfit,but of the beautiful scenery that                 compliments it(they take pride in being Italian)
-Italian women are troopers when it comes to heels!

Photo from ScentofObsession.com

So, after some serious research, I compiled a list of what I plan to buy abroad. The list, of course, is subject to change, and it will be interesting to see what I actually come home with!
-sunnies
-leather sandals
-kimono
-leather products (tote bag or satchel, perhaps?)
-statement designer pieces (Missoni, Ferragamo, Gucci)
-midi skirt



My Favorite Italian Fashion Blogs:
1. The Blonde Salad by Chiara Ferragni
http://www.theblondesalad.com/
2. Irene's Closet by Irene Colzi
http://www.ireneccloset.com/
3. Scent of Obsession by Nicoletta Reggio
http://www.scentofobsession.com/

Just from looking at these blogs I'm starting to feel less stressed about how to fit into the Italian culture and not stand out as that "obvious American." I've realized I don't have to dress up every single day that I am abroad; but it's about the ATTITUDE of my outfits. Italian women love their clothing to be easy but also make a statement. Their clothing says, "I am a powerful woman. I am in charge, and I know how to dress."