1.Be polite. In shops and restaurants you will almost always be greeted with “Buongiorno” or “Salve”. Respond in kind! And when you leave, grazie, buongiorno, buonasera or ciao go a long way towards showing kindness and respect.
2.Try to learn how to correctly pronounce a few italian words before you travel: grazie, prego, per favore, mi scusi are musts. And maybe even learn how to say a few favorite wines or foods like formaggio, pane, vino rosso, or vino bianco.
3.Stick to wearing neutral colors in the cities, adding a little color for accent. Leave your hot pink tops at home.
4. Men- wear long pants, no matter how hot it is! Shorts are great for the beaches, but not the cities. Baseball caps and fanny packs should be left at home.
5. Women- wear a scarf around your neck, no matter what the season! Wool,pashmina,or cotton; and in the summer throw a cute long linen one around your neck and let it drape.
6. Enjoy your cappuccino in the A.M. Italians don’t drink cappuccini after a meal or in the afternoons. But a caffe’, an espresso, anytime. Have one standing at the local bar with a little panino.
7. Order a salad after your main course, not before. Unlike in the States, a salad is not an appetizer. But try pinzimonio, a raw veggie antipasto, instead!
8. Eat where the locals do. Try to delay dinner until 8:30 or so, that way you'll be able to dine with Italians. And try to get away from restaurants surrounding tourist attractions. There’s a fair chance they are mediocre and overpriced.
9. Buy something Italian to wear in your first few days. A scarf at one of the open markets, a piece of Angela Caputi jewelry,a belt,or a pair of gloves- and wear them right away!
10. Try to “fare la bella figura”, having an air of what appears to be unstudied sophistication and fine aesthetic sensibilities. It's lots of fun!
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| Here's a great Italian look! courtesy of The Sartorialist |
