Falling in love with Italian Fashion - My time in Rome

Rome in late September smells like espresso, warm stone and expensive perfume!

I arrived with one suitcase and a sensible career in financial services behind me. I told everyone it was a “sabbatical.” A year out. A reset.

What I didn’t know was that I was about to fall in love - not just with a city, but with a way of dressing, living and being that would quietly reshape everything I thought I knew about style!

From Financial Services Boardrooms and Pinstripe, to Italian Sunlight, soft linens and exquisite tailoring.

Before Rome, my world was structured. Corporate. Efficient. Predictable. Excel...

Rome was none of those things and I instantly felt a soul connection.

I took a break from financial services and moved to Italy with no real plan beyond learning the language and living differently. One year turned into Italian residency, countless espressos, questionable dating decisions and an education in beauty that no business school could have offered.

The architecture alone felt theatrical. I was completely mesmerised by the baroque churches, marble staircases, ochre walls glowing at sunset. Everything was layered with history. Everything had so much presence.

And so did the people...

Italian Men, Grand Gestures & Designer Gifts.

Italian men do NOT do subtle.

They notice details. They comment on your shoes. They insist on walking you home. They bring flowers without irony.

And they buy exceptional gifts.

One of the first designer bags I ever received wasn’t chosen for status. It was chosen because, as he explained, “A woman should carry something as beautiful as she is.”

Was it slightly cringeworthy? Completely.
Was it effective? Also completely.

Luxury in Italy isn’t transactional. It’s expressive. It’s romantic. It says something.

That year, I began to understand that designer fashion in Rome wasn’t about labels - it was about emotion and personal expression. 

Why Italian Fashion Feels Different.

There is a reason houses like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Versace feel distinct from other luxury brands.

Italian fashion doesn’t whisper. It declares.

It celebrates: Sensual tailoring, Confident colour, Dramatic silhouettes, Craftsmanship you can feel in the lining.

Walking past the boutiques near the Spanish Steps, watching impeccably dressed women move through the city, I realised something profound: In Italy, style is explicit identity.

No one dresses apologetically. No one tones themselves down.

A Dolce & Gabbana dress expects to be seen.
A Gucci bag assumes it will be admired.
A Valentino heel knows it changes the way you walk.

Italian elegance isn’t minimal for the sake of it. It’s expressive. It’s alive.

Dating Disasters & Fashion Epiphanies

Of course, not every Roman romance was cinematic...

There were dramatic chefs. Overconfident lawyers. One man who quoted Dante on a first date and then disappeared for three weeks..One who complimented me on being thinner than my photos..

But even the disasters were stylish and flamboyant.

I learned to dress for myself, not for approval. I learned that a beautifully tailored blazer could feel like armour. I learned that confidence often begins with how you carry yourself - and  of course what you carry on your arm.

What Rome Taught Me About Style

Living in Rome changed how I see fashion forever. I no longer see clothing as trend or transaction. I see it as narrative.

A designer piece carries heritage. Craft. Mood. Attitude.

That year taught me that luxury Italian fashion isn’t about excess - it’s about presence.

It’s about stepping into a room and not shrinking.

It’s about choosing pieces that feel bold, romantic and unapologetically expressive.

Many of the pieces I curate today are influenced by that time - strong tailoring, dramatic femininity, craftsmanship that feels almost architectural.

Rome taught me that fashion should make you feel something.

And I’ve never dressed the same since. And sadly I am no longer thinner than my photos...