Ricercato, Osservato, Acquisto ! - Fashion and shopping tips learnt from my trip to Italy

My recent trip to Italy was fabulous in every way. However, before the trip, I was stressed about what to wear and pack given how well Italian women carry themselves. Hence ‘ricercato, osservato, acquisto ’ i.e. I researched, I observed, I shopped.  Here are some of the things I learnt the easy or the hard way -

• Take clothes that will not risk you being stopped at duomos or cathedrals; as a thumb rule maybe wear clothes that at least touch your knees and cover your shoulders. I had a near escape at Milan Duomo thanks to the girl in front of me wearing a shorter skirt!
• Carry a nice leather handbag; you are in the land of leather and iconic Italian fashion so you have no excuse
• Pearls go with almost everything that you can or should plan to wear
  
• Almost everyone in Italy wears cool glasses so feel free to wear your funkiest pair. No one even blinked at my otherwise in your face red D&G frames
• Don't tie your scarf on your head in Italy as it’s very French; unless you are French. Throw it stylishly across your shoulders or wrap it around your neck 
• Forget contacts, prescription sunglasses are the way to go especially if you plan to go into water
• Italian youngsters wear leather everywhere i.e. leather jackets paired with jeans, leggings and short skirts. Something to keep in mind if and when you plan to go out
• Don't try to compete with Italian women when it comes to walking on the cobbled streets in high heels; you've not been trained by birth 
• In fact, do not carry any shoe that you cannot walk in as there is no getting around walking in Italy. My RL loafers, Jimmy Choo wedges and low heeled ferragamo sandals worked out just fine for me and I never once used any other heels I carried. I had also researched how Hogan sneakers (owned by Tod’s group) are all the rage in Italy and saw it firsthand.
• Shopping in Italy is great. Period! It’s the land of iconic brands like Armani, Bvlgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Valentino....; so many that they can have their own alphabet.. so plan to splurge on a few of these brands if they catch your fancy! If you like outlet shopping, you may be able to find a few good deals but be ready to slum it out with other Asians !  
  
• Try and find some local designers as the delight of self-discovery elevates any shopping experience. I was not sold on more popular Italian brands like Liu Jo or Pinko which are as expensive as the Italian brands you may have heard of. Instead I discovered and adored the beautiful tops and dresses from Massimo Rebecchi, shoes from Vicini (same house that owns Zanotti) and silk scarves from Massimo Ravinale.
• While shopping for leather in Italy, no amount of research substitutes what you can deduce by look and feel. We looked into quite a few stores and distinctly found the difference in quality of leather and stitching in the shop that we eventually purchased from. Rest, time will tell!
  

• Italy is probably the only place where your grocery shopping can likely exceed any clothes, accessories or shoes purchase. The pastas, sauces, mushrooms, truffles, spices, wines, mushrooms…..I could go on.
• VAT refunds can make shopping worthwhile but expect to stand in long lines for VAT refund and preferably take cash as the return on credit card comes late and at an unfavorable exchange rate
• Bottomline, don't pack everything you want to as you will find something even more beautiful in Italy if you are willing to look for it! 

p.s.  Let me know if there's a better Italian translation available !

Bloglets: Of Semi Ski Trips

In addition to having to wade through several feet of snow or slush (if you live in New York); winter in this part of the world also earmarks the period of supposedly fun and adrenaline filled ski season. I recently went to my annual ritual of a trip to upstate New York (Hunter/ Wyndham) for a semi ski trip. I call it semi because only half the crew (5 out of 10 people) did partake in any form of skiing and the rest preferred slipping into the warmth of blankets over slipping on the slopes. To be fair, it was probably the smartest thing to do, given these were the choices (refer image below). 

The choices were pretty self explanatory 

My ambivalence towards snow or ski is not very difficult to explain. While exciting and new, it’s also something most people born and brought up in Indian peninsula have not been equipped or trained to deal with. The romance of first snow is so enticing that I myself have made innocuous prayers for it to snow like crazy. However, reality hits when you end up spending most of your day shoveling or avoiding a hip fracture while performing basic life tasks like walking or standing. The romance wears off pretty quickly after that, like in case of a beautiful but belligerent bride. 

My first ski lesson 

One can come across many wide eyed Indians including yours truly, who are thrilled about their first ski trip, primarily due to the novelty factor and the fact that they have no idea what it entails. Very soon they realize that 'these (ski) boots are not made for walking'. Also, that first trip pretty much seals one’s ski destiny. The first category takes to it naturally and finds itself engulfed by the passion for skiing and heads for glory on the Black diamond slopes and maybe even a few broken ribs in their attempts to tame the shrew (continuing with my analogy). At the opposite end is the category of the ones who cannot ski for their life and make peace with the fact that they are physiologically not made for this sport. A realization which comes easily when a toddler swooshes by while they are still taking ski lessons or figuring out how not to dislocate their ankles while trying to stand up with some ounce of dignity or when skiing translates into falling and rolling on the slopes for most part. Then there is the third category who will continue to have a love-hate relationship with skiing as they are decent enough to not absolutely hate it but can never be good enough to really enjoy it. 

I believe that I fall closer to the third category. I have made peace with the fact that I do not want to put myself through the pains to become mediocre at something I barely enjoy. At the same time, I cannot let go of an idea of a ski trip which usually also involves a road trip, a cabin filled with friends, laughter with something or the other always brewing or cooking (usually gossip, romance, Irish coffee, hot cocoa and brownies in that order) and where snow fights are the game du jour. 

Ski Trip to Hunter

Hence, I have found the “Golden mean” in snow tubing. The slopes are not too high, the lines are shorter and, it requires no unusual gear and little or no maneuvering to come down the slopes. Also, your behind is happily and safely perched on a tube and you look more like a funny pretzel than a pair of crooked chopsticks about to break. What’s even better is that you can find company in your misery or fun as you can do it in tandem with other friends.

Snow tubing on Hunter (courtesy google images as I was too busy having fun to take pictures) 

Another reason why I personally am not a big fan is how shabby the ski clothes make me look. With my jumpsuit and down jacket and the ski boots, I look like a stuffed teddy bear that is ready to go splat on her face. This fashion fiasco is just not limited to me but applies to anyone who does not want to drop a few thousand dollars for this seasonal activity. On that note, I recently discovered that brand snobbery is very much a part of anyone who takes up skiing seriously. Hiding behind those giant ski goggles, there is as much of scrutiny of the brand names and tags on the slopes of Vermont or Vail (popular ski destinations) as there is on 5^th avenue (famous for shopping in NYC). To put things in perspective, a discussion around a rocker or a camber (types of ski) is akin to having a discussion around cross-body or a minaudière (types of evening bags) and justification for anything expensive as an investment piece is no different, whether it's on the slopes or in the fashion echelons of NYC.

Another group ski trip pic with our 'fashionable' ski gear :)

I have always wondered why people choose skiing when there are options like snow tubing, dog sledging, snowmobiling etc. Ok fine, dog sledging is probably cruel but snow mobile or tubing? But then again, I have never understood why people do soul cycling either: P. Now, all this ski talk is making me want to fix up a hot chocolate with Baileys and reminisce about the time not spent on the slopes during our last trip to Catskills where we had rented out a fantastic cabin in the woods. While I am at it, I may order some chicken wings to go with the barbecue sauce I bought at the Catskill Mountain country store (highly recommended for brunch and it's condiments). 

The Choo Conundrum !

Conundrum: kəˈnəndrəm – noun - a confusing and difficult problem or question.

1.  a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun
2.  a question or problem having only a conjectural answer                                                        

(Source: my friend Google and my very old friend, Merriam Webster)

Choo Conundrum: The sexist conundrum where an entire half of human population is grappling with why the other half loses its moorings when it comes to shoes; named after a high end shoe brand ‘Jimmy Choo’ that has triggered this in many households across the globe.