Dos and Don'ts of Milanese Fashion
Whenever I travel to a new place I do countless amounts of research to find the best places to eat, the most beautiful sights and the basic cultural standards. This includes tipping, table manners, the basic language and appropriate clothing.
I believe that it is so important to respect the places that you visit and to also respect the culture that you are entering into. This includes researching and observing how others dress within the city that I am in.
My first perception of Milanese style was modesty and tradition. Overall, I noticed that the Milanese style can be classy and chic, hipster or the perfect in-between.
Also, I noticed that Italians really do dress for the season. So get ready to sweat because Italians are comfortable in light coats and pants when it is 78 degrees and sunny.
Although the rules below apply to Milan, they certainly do not apply to the rest of Italy. Naples dressed completely different than the Milanese did. However, I did find that most of Northern Italy followed the Milanese rules.
It is also important to remember that I am merely writing this article to inform you of the societal rules that I observed in Milan. If you choose to follow them or not, it is completely up to you. The most important thing is that you are comfortable and confident in whatever you wear, regardless of others’ opinions.
The "dos" focus on the current and acceptable fashion trends, while the "don'ts" highlight the unspoken customs of Milan.
Without further ado, here are the dos and don'ts of Milanese fashion.
THE DOs : SHOES
EXTRA : Thin heels are completely acceptable, but attempting to walk on cobbled streets with thin heels is a challenge that I could never take on.
THE DOs : ACCESORIES
Italians LOVE their sunglasses and wear
them even when it isn’t sunny.
TIP : When you are not using the scarf, tie it onto
your purse for an added pop of color.
THE DOs : CLOTHING
Shorts in general are not accepted in Milan,
but I have realized that long shorts that
could easly be mistaken for skirts are okay.
EXTRA : Almost all jeans and skirts are acceptable in Milan and are a staple in every wardrobe. Just make sure that the skirt is an appropriate length (at least fingertips) and that you wear tights with your skirts during the fall
and spring.
EXTRA : People dress up to go clubbing. Girls are usually in dresses, skirts or nicer pants/jeans with a fun top and heels/wedges. The guys are usually in button downs and dress pants or nice jeans.
THE DONT’S : SHOES
Italians consider flip-flops house shoes. However, I do think that you can get
away with nice flip-flops such as Tory Burch 'Miller' flip-flops.
Don’t ask me why, but the Milanese do not wear rain shoes, EVER.
THE DON'TS : CLOTHING
No jean shorts!! My friends got criticized for wearing jean shorts.
They have stories of the older generation pointing at their shorts
and saying “I don’t like”. My favorite is when this cute, old
lady pointed to my friend's shorts and said “sexy bella”.
Do not wear anything that shows stomach. I think showing a tiny bit of stomach
would be okay in a more hipster area (Navigli) or when going clubbing,
but never any shirts that show your belly button.
I have seen very few women wearing
leggings outside of the gym. In
these few instances, women have
almost always been black leggings
and it was either in Navigli or
on the metro.
For some added inspiration head over to Instagram and follow one of my favorite Mialnese bloggers, Alice Detogni (username : alicedetogni). I hope you learned a little something extra about the Milanese culture and fashion trends.
