Leon Kammer asked:


Tourists flock to Italy from all over the world; in love with the history, the food, the culture and the fashion, not necessarily in that order, depending on individual taste.

We know that when it comes to fashion and style or “bella figura” as the Italians like to call it, translated it means a good image and Italy can certainly boast designers like Armani, Versace,Dolce Gabbana,Gucci, Prada,just to name a few,not forgetting the famous shoe brands,like Ferragamo,Tods,Magli,where the Italians excel,both in style and craftsmanship,you can’t beat Italian shoe wear; that’s why you’ll find Italian clothing and shoes a major export to every corner of the globe: brand names that have become a household word,wherever you go.

For the Italian, particularly in Rome, on an everyday basis, style comes naturally and not something that’s talked about too much, it’s just the way it is; well dressed to the Italian  means dressing correctly for the occasion,which means a big no to the jogging suit being worn in the street, something that has become totally acceptable to the rest of the world.

For the Roman,however,whether a secretary,a regular working person or a professional it’s all about style and presence; as the day begins,decked out from head to foot.

The only place you’ll see a jogging suit is in the gym and even there,the code is to arrive in style and leave in style, never missing a beat. They know how to wear and strutt their stuff with a minimum of fuss; it seems to come naturally,the jacket, the scarf, the hair, the boots, the handbag, accessorized perfectly stating, “I have arrived”

Even the female cop directing the traffic in Rome’s Piazza Venezia looks like a ex supermodel,in full makeup and long blond hair flowing out from under her cap.

Where did all this style originate from: perhaps it’s the almost three thousand  years of history, influenced by the Emperors who entered the Senates with such pride receiving overwhelming crowd recognition or the Roman soldiers in their splendid gold suited armor and head wear, proud to be part of the Roman Empire.

So is the rest of the world too casual? Have countries like America, Australia or England taken “casual Friday” or the “track suit” too far?

What created that kind acceptability in these countries and why would people NOT want to look their best, when to the Italians it’s not even a question.”It’s not important”, you might say, but let’s face it,they look better.

But how can they afford to dress that way, you may ask? It’s not about money, it’s about taste and having a good eye. Firstly however you need to care how you present

The truth is that brands like Armani, Prada, Gucci, Cavalli are not what the Italians buy; these are for the tourists in the landmark fashion strip of Rome’s  Via Condotti, which runs from the Spanish Steps right to the main street of Via Del Corso and it’s there where you’ll find every flagship designer store and opulant jewelery from Bulgari to Cartier, tourists lining up from Japan to Russia, walking out with huge bags of the latest fashion goodies,excited to wear the latest look from the house of Vercasi back home.”do I look Italian”

The Romans are not the clients that visit Via Condotti.They are not concerned with name brands and they don’t own an abundance of clothes.

What they own is a few good pieces, not necessarily expensive; affordable and elegant, and they know how to put it all together, with the right accessories being the foremost important items, usually purchased outside the historic center in shopping strips where style and quality can be purchased at a fraction of the prices paid in the center.

Also there are many outlet shops that sell end of season high quality merchandise for far less than you would expect to pay in town and the truth is that these shopping malls and shopping strips are usually just thirty to forty five minutes away like Colle Di Rienzo in Rome, a street full of stores, running from Piazza Del Popolo to the Vatican in Rome, just minutes on foot from the center, or the Castel Romano Outlet where you’ll find most labels at half price; thirty minutes by car, from the center of Rome.

So before you embark on a fashion shopping spree, find out about the Malls,the Outlets and where the people go.

You may just find the item that will may you look good for less and join the “bella figura” set.

While your in Italy, maybe in Rome or Florence being thrifty with your fashion purchases, you might also consider the type of Italian accommodation you’ll choose.

Italian apartment accommodation seems to be the new way in Europe where the hotels can become very costly; after all what you save on accommodation in Italy may just leave you some extra for that new jacket.

Bradley Ben asked:


The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition targets individuals who sport handsets that accentuate style and glamour and are designer artifacts in their own right. The design aesthetics of the phone draws its inspiration from modern watchmaking and jewelery techniques and is sure to entice connoisseurs of quality and taste.

The design highlights of the Nokia 8800 are its stainless steel cover and the unique pop up slider mechanism. The slider uses a spring mechanism with stainless steel ball bearings that makes the phone glide gracefully. The abrasion resistant protective glass is tempered with sapphire, similar to the one used in clock industry. Finesse and artistry is also seen in the signature thumb rest and the undulating keypad.

Besides its fashionable profile, the Nokia 8800 also boasts of an equally impressive feature set that include Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE and GSM for voice and data connectivity. The multimedia features of the phone are also of a very high quality. The 2 megapixel camera can capture images of a very high quality and the same applies for the audio quality produced by the music player. The graphics and visual performance are enhanced by the integration of a 3D image engine which makes playing games a pleasurable experience.

The Nokia 8800 is positioned to cater to a niche clientèle who crave for a phone that is more of a fashion accessory but also heavy on technology. Speaking on the branding strategy, the director of the design team at Nokia, Alistair Curtis says “ The Nokia 8800 is as much an object of art and desire, as it is an advanced piece of technology … crafted of modern materials like stainless steel and mineral glass, the Nokia 8800 brings a new elegance to the art of personal communication”. (mea.nokia.com/A4211184?newsid=-953)

This designer handset indeed complements a fashionable lifestlye.