Made in Italy

Surprisingly, it has taken me 75 newsletters to talk about shopping . . . and I love shopping in Italy! The December 10 Newsletter, titled ‘Fashion is in the blood of Italians’ covered the history of fashion, but it’s important to know shopping etiquette in Italy to ensure you have the best experience.

Good shopping manners

• First impressions are really important, which means you say hello as soon as you enter - buongiorno in the morning until mid afternoon and then buonasera. When you leave, always say thank you and goodbye - grazie, arrivederci. Remember, ciao is only for friends and people you know well.

• If asked if you would like assistance, a handy phrase is “Sto solo guardando, grazie” - I’m just looking thank you.

• Resist from excessive touching and feeling - a bit like don’t touch the fruit! And never touch anything in a window display. I once touched a scarfe on a model in a window display and was quickly reprimanded.

• Common courtesy means not being on your phone and definitely not drinking or eating gelato!

• It is acceptable to exchange a returned item with a receipt, but refunding cash or crediting a credit card is not allowed. Taxes are paid according to the amount and once the sale is completed on the cash register, it cannot be undone.

• Bartering is not a thing in Italy and it is impolite to ask for a discount.

Made in Italy

Made in Italy has become a world renowned icon of quality, style and craftmanship. The beginning of the brand dates back to the era of the Italian Renaissance in the 14th century. During this period of cultural and artistic fervor, Italy developed a reputation for producing high quality manufactured goods. Florence, Venice and Milan became centres for the production of textiles, ceramics, jewellery and other exceptional products. The craftmanship and creative flair of Italians began to be known on the world stage.

Made in Italy continues to this day to be synonymous with excellence, creativity and passion. From ancient artisan workshops to international fame, Made in Italy represents a timeless symbol of quality.

Family run businesses

In Italy, more than 85% of businesses are owned and run by families. Not only that, of the 100 oldest businesses anywhere in the world, fifteen are Italian and five of them are in the top ten oldest businesses still active today.

I love buying directly from the artisan, knowing that I am buying a quality product handmade with love and passion. There are boutiques that I visit year after year, including Tina Sondergaard in Via del Boschetto in the neighbourhood of Monti in Rome. Her small boutique is a treasure trove of beautiful, unique clothes all hand-made in Rome from fabrics that Tina buys in Florence. If the size isn’t perfect, she’ll alter it for you. In fact, one of my first experiences was falling in love with a yellow silk, fully lined, figure hugging dress that fitted, but I couldn’t breathe in it! Tina sent me away for an hour and when I returned to try on the altered dress, it fitted like a dream!

One of my favourite places to buy shoes is in Montepulciano in ‘Unusual Shoes’. All of the shoes are entirely handmade in Italy and proudly unusual.

There are so many interesting stories of family businesses in the fashion industry that have continued to survive and prosper from one generation to the next. Here are just two.

Who knew that Naples is the capital of making leather gloves

The story started in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of the city, known as ‘Sanita’. In 1923 Gennaro Squillace founded Omega which is now fifth generation. The entire production process, including the tanning, the colouring and the treatment dates back to Roman times and is carried out at the foothills of Vesuvius. The cutting, sewing and quality check are all completed in the Atelier in the family’s neighbourhood. There are 25 production stages to make a pair of gloves, each carried out strictly by hand by masters with lifelong experience in this area of expertise. The gloves are sold in fashion boutiques around the world, including Milan, Paris and New York.

The most beautiful shoes in the world

Often overlooked by many visitors to Italy is the unspoiled region of Le Marche, located between the Adriatic coast and the Apennine Mountains. Here you will find the headquarters of Loriblu Shoes, a family business that manufactures some of the best shoes in the world that are sold in boutiques from Dubai to London.

Since the seventies, it has been a vibrant industry that now employs 250 people that produce 1,500 handmade pairs of shoes every day!

When in Italy, I encourage you to seek out artisan owned shops, of which there are many, to find something that is unique and meaningful that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb