As Italy takes the sartorial center stage for Milan Fashion Week, the internet is awash in Italian street style showcasing the attention-grabbing bold choices of fashion plates like Anna Dello Russo and The Blonde Salad blogger Chiara Ferragni. But before the days of Instagram and street style photographers, Italian style equated to the effortless bombshell chic of Sophia Loren and Isabella Rosselini. For those of us who want to channel a little "Roman Holiday" in our wardrobe, we turned to Laura Conti, the Buenos Aires-born designer behind resort wear label Laura Manara, who's called Milan home since she was a teen. Here are her rules for mastering la moda Italiana. 1. Go for understated elegance. "In Milan, you learn very quickly that 'less is more'. Women are very understated, wear muted colors like greys and beiges, a colour that I call 'greyge'. Not too much makeup, usually good hair, some jewelry, never too obvious." 2. Load up on the classic staples. "For the winter: fur, fur, fur. Italian women are obsessed with fur. They have a 'sporty elegant' way of dressing. Smart casual pants, boots and thick heavy cashmere sweaters with cozy wraps for the winter. A crisp white minimal shirt and a pair of khaki/olive green pants and lots of tan accessories for the summer."
3. Master the art of the high-low mix. "They have an expert eye for mixing good quality accessories like a magnificent hand-made handbag with an unknown cashmere sweater picked up at the local street market for a silly little price." 4. Flatter your figure rather than following trends. "Italian women are more classic than the French or the English, more 'severe', they are less playful. They are also less daring as they always worry about the 'bella figura'.
Sophia Loren (credit: Getty)
5. Steal inspiration from Italy's style icons. "For me, Marella Agnelli [Italian socialite and style icon] has been one of the most iconic women of the last 50 years, never out of place, never overdressed with a very strong fashion sense without ever becoming 'fashionista'. Always wearing the right clothes for her age... impeccable."
