I’m an Italian, now living in the US. I can spot Italians from miles, and it all comes down to one thing: fashion. Everyone in Italy is highly fashionable. Your clothes are a status symbol. Wear nice clothes, brands, quality leather, fine sweaters. Comfortability is a second thought. You are what you wear. Here a couple of stories from my past:

• Once I was doing a On the Road vacation with my wife in the US southwest. One of our stops was at Bryce Canyon National Park. We were there to hike all day. At the rim of the canyon are plenty wonderful viewpoints. It is still a desert climate, very hot, dusty, rough. Before we headed down I look to my left and see a couple I instantly know must be Italian. She was wearing high heels and a disco outfit, he was wearing a polo shirt (LaCoste) and a light sweater over his shoulders. Who in the world would go hike in the desert dressed like that? Italians.

• A week later we got to the Grand Canyon. Again, ready to hit the trail. One of the park’s shuttles stops at our trailhead. A woman gets down first. Looks around and screams to (who I suppose was) her boyfriend still in the bus “My white shoes are going to get dirty here, let’s get back on the bus, there isn’t much to see here anyway”. It’s THE Grand canyon. And you travelled thousands of miles to be here. Yet the fear to ruin her shoes was so overwhelming to negate all the beauty around her.

Clothes are to Italian what pets are to American. It’s their family, their love, their everything. Never mess with an Italian’s clothes!

BTW- when I visit Italy I feel so embarrassed by how Italian overdress that I pretend to be American at all times and never speak Italian publicly.