How to blend in with the locals!
By Jessica Lalone
Introduction
“~Charming~” Everytime one of my peers would break an unspoken rule of Italian culture, we could hear Dr. Julia sarcastically stating this word. From shopping to tours to even grocery store trips, the locals would start speaking to us in English before we even opened our mouths. With the help of Dr. Julia, and a bit of research on my own, I have determined that our presentation and social behavior has made us as Americans quite easy to spot. While we came to Italy unable to blend in, we have learned various cultural norms over our time in Italy that have helped us to stick out a little bit less as we navigated through our study abroad. We haven’t quite mastered the art of being an Italian, but I can tell that our efforts are appreciated by the locals.
Fashion
Throughout our experience in Italy, we have learned that physical appearance is a big deal. Even if they are just going outside to take out the trash, Italians would never look “trashy.” One of the biggest expectations of Italian culture is that everyone is expected to look their best when they go out. Italians live their life as though they are the main character in a movie, and they would never mess up a scene due to a wardrobe malfunction. Italians stick to color theory when they construct their outfits, which means that they put a significant amount of thought and coordination into their appearance. Italian outfits can be monochromatic, complimentary colors, or bright patterns with coordinated accessories. Italians carefully select their jewelry, and they tend to keep it simple in that aspect. It is seen as tacky to wear too much jewelry, in Italy, elegance and discretion exist synonymously. I learned that quality is a part of Italian culture. The sense of style in Italian culture stems from the core values of attempting to exemplify their status. Dressing up is a way to convey wealth, maturity, and style. For example, in ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins demonstrated their status through their attire. They wore all white dresses, and this signaled their high position in society. Because the Vestal Virgins held such a powerful and important role in ancient Rome, it connects the appearance of the Vestal Virgins to their status. This can be seen translated to Italian culture today because Italians dress to impress with the goal of being more respected out in public.
In so many ways, Italians differ from Americans because they value quality over quantity and beauty over comfort. In America, leisure wear is a commonly accepted form of attire for nearly every situation. However, wearing athletic shorts out in public is far from an Italian norm, and you can be easily spotted as a tourist if you are caught with gym wear outside of your home. Another big flag is if you wear white socks and/or shoes. This is a huge fad in America, but Italians typically assure that their socks are the same shade or a shade darker than their bottoms. A reason for this cultural normality is the desire to preserve appearance. Whenever I step out into the streets of Rome, I manage to get dirty, and white is not very forgiving. Therefore, in order to maintain the polished impression Italians strive for, white has been abandoned as a common shoe color. During the course of our trip, I became very mindful of the art of dressing up. I was soon able to spot other American travelers on our excursions easily. I also enjoyed observing Italian people, so I could learn all about Italian fashion. I used some of the styles I saw in my own outfits, as I was not only inspired to romanticize my life, but I also found necessity in the practicality of making personal adjustments. Both my classmates and I have enjoyed dressing up and embracing the style associated with Italian culture. Look at how gorgeous my friends are!
Mannerisms
Italians value appearance over almost every other custom. Therefore, in Italian culture, it is not rude to be late; however, it is uncivil to leave one's house with wet hair. Therefore, taking the extra time to blow dry your hair and get ready is acceptable even if it means you’ll be late. This is a concept lovingly called “Italian time,” which affirms that even if you are 20 minutes late, you’re still on time. This concept has come in handy because whenever any of us were late, even Dr. Julia, we would simply proclaim that we were running on Italian time and all would be forgiven! I think that this element of Italian culture is admirable because it allows you to live life slower. While in the United States a lack of punctuality is looked down upon, I appreciate pliability of timing. Here, simple enjoyment is highly valued. I believe that this is a result of the balanced lifestyle of Italians. I have recognized that while Americans typically live to work, here in Italy, people work to live and nothing more. Their purpose does not end in a paycheck, however it ends in the pleasure and satisfaction of having truly revelled in life’s moments.
Italy values social courtesies in their everyday life. The people of Italy value their sense of community and live in a way that is respectful of one another. For example, it is common to open doors for people, pour water for everyone at the table, and cover your mouth when yawning. These simple habits evince one’s education and present a rich personality to the public. Italians are very thoughtful and considerate. Therefore, it is respectable to give up your seat for elderly people on the bus, even if you just finished a 4 hour tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. I have found that Italians do not live their life selfishly. They are incredibly gracious towards the people around them, which differs from the more individualistic ideals of Americans. I feel that as Americans, we get caught up in ourselves and forget to value each stranger as a person with a unique story. In Italy, chivalry isn’t dead, which is probably one of the reasons it has been fondly referred to as the City of Love.
Tying Them Together
The act of preserving the mannerisms associated with Italian culture have historical roots. Presenting yourself as a courteous person gestures to the people around you that you are a well cultured and educated individual. This ties back to the desire to be respected in a way by everyone who lays their eyes on you. In American culture, aside from the workplace, attire expectations are essentially nonexistent. Americans do not possess the core value of appearance connecting to a person’s respectability. We do not dress up to go to lunch or hang out with friends. While I love the flexibility and acceptance in American culture, I have gained more of an appreciation for the art of presentation, and I have fallen in love with the burst of confidence I have when I dress up to go out. Using these guidelines, we were able to adapt to the Italian way of life. I enjoyed these simple adaptations to Italian norms, and I am planning on bringing back the knowledge I acquired and implementing it into my own life. I have gained a love for the confidence that Italians exude. I have admired that Italians are proud of who they are, how they look, and how they act. They generate a beautiful community in both image and heart. I am so happy that I was lucky enough to witness and participate in the wonderful aspects of Italian culture. While it is important to embrace your appearance in a way that makes you happy, it was definitely fun to dress up and to fully immerse ourselves in Italian culture.
About the Author
Jessica Lalone is an honors student and an incoming senior at CSU majoring in Biomedical Science and minoring in Spanish. She has enjoyed her time in Italy learning about Italian culture, becoming more independent, and meeting the most amazing people! She values traveling and plans to continue to travel more based on this experience. She believed that this was such a unique experience in which she was fully able to emerge into the culture.
Jessica would like to thank both Dr. Carl and Dr. Julia for all their support while on this program. She also would love to thank her family and friends for being so encouraging of embracing herself and growing as a person while abroad.
Cites
How to be Italian - 20 rules Italians never break. (2022). Retrieved 19 July 2022, from
Italian Culture. (2022). Retrieved 19 July 2022, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/italian-culture/italian-culture-etiquette
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