Italian Words Used in Fashion and Design

Italian Words Used in Fashion and Design Picture it: You walk into a boutique shoe shop on the main corso in Viterbo, Italy, looking to buy some shoes to match an outfit later that evening. La commessa (the saleswoman) greets you with a salve! and points to the merchandise arranged around her store.   Pairs of shoes sit on illuminated shelves, shoes with heels so tall, you couldn’t imagine wearing them without twisting an ankle on the cobblestone streets that line the center of the city. Each visit to a  un negozio (a store) to find a sweater, a pair of jeans, or a new top becomes an opportunity to acquire new, specific vocabulary for the items themselves and all the various colors, sizes, and materials they come in.   Below, find a list of common vocabulary and phrases that can be used when shopping in Italy or just talking about clothes. Accessories (Gli Accessori) Belt -  la cinturaBowtie - il papillonCap -  il berretto/il cappellinoGloves -  i guantiHat -  il cappelloPurse - la borsaSocks -  i  calziniSunglasses  - gli occhiali da soleTie -  la cravattaWatch - l’orologio Clothing (L’Abbigliamento / Il Vestiario) Blouse -  la camicetta/la blusaBra -  il reggisenoCoat -  il cappottoDress - il vestitoJeans - i jeansLingerie - la biancheria intimaPants -  i pantaloniRaincoat -  limpermeabileScarf -  la sciarpaShirt -  la camiciaSkirt -  la gonnaSweater -  il pullover/il golfSweatshirt - la felpaSweatsuit - la tutaSuit - il completoTuxedo - lo smokingUnderwear -  le mutandeVest -  il panciottoWindbreaker -  la giacca a vento Shoes (Le Scarpe) Flip-flops - le infraditoHigh heels - le scarpe col taccoHiking boots - le scarpe da trekkingRainboots - i stivali di gomma/stivali da pioggia Vocabulary Descriptions Cotton - il cotoneLeather - il cuoioLinen - il linoPolyester - il poliestereSilk - la setaWool - la lanaLoose - largoTight - strettoStriped - a righe/strisce Phrases Cerco una felpa a righe.I’m looking for a striped sweatshirt. Tip: Notice that in Italian there is no preposition used after the verb cercare (to look for). The â€Å"for† is implied within the verb. Sono/Porto/Indosso una taglia†¦(media).I’m a medium.Vuole provarlo?Do you want to try it on?Vorrei provare questi, dove sono i camerini?I’d like to try these on, where are the fitting rooms? Tip: In the phrase above, â€Å"lo† would be used if the item were singular and masculine, like il vestito (the dress). However, if it were singular and feminine, like la sciarpa (the scarf), it would be â€Å"Vuole provarla†? While it’s important to make everything agree, don’t stress if you can’t remember the gender of the object you have. You’ll be safe with using the pronoun â€Å"lo†. È comodo.It’s comfortable.Il vestito à ¨ troppo stretto, avete una taglia pià ¹ grande?The dress is too tight, do you have a larger size?Questi (stivali) sono scomodi.These (boots) are uncomfortable.Preferisco il rosa.I prefer pink. (As a color) Notice the differences in meanings below. Preferisco la rosa.I prefer the rose (flower).La preferisco rosa.I prefer  it (something feminine like: la gonna, la sciarpa, la maglietta...etc)  in pink.Lo preferisco rosa.I prefer  it (something masculine like: il golf, il pantalone, il papillon...etc)  in pink.