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Every year I put it off. After all, it’s still t-shirt weather well into October (and beyond) here in southern Italy, if you ask me. But then, every year, one morning I find it is actually cold out - and all of my jackets are still in the loft.
I’m talking of course about the cambio dell’armadio, or seasonal wardrobe switch, a major event in Italian homes at the start of every new season. By far the biggest is the changeover from summer beachwear and sandals to autumn jackets and boots.
Most international residents I know don’t see this as much of an event. We’re probably more likely to pull items out of storage (or the back of the closet) as we think of it. Sometimes this has to be done in a hurry, when the weather turns from mild and sunny to definitely chilly almost overnight.
But over the years, this one Italian habit I've adopted - somewhat reluctantly, as it takes up the best part of a weekend, plus it means facing the fact that summer is over for another year. It has become a ritual now, and it goes along with dressing a bit better, taking more care of my clothes, and generally attempting to maintain some semblance of la bella figura as a consequence of being surrounded by super-stylish Italians.
As the weather is forecast to change from Monday, this is the weekend for it. If you’re still wondering what the fuss is about, here’s our writer Silvia Marchetti’s explanation of why Italians take the big autumn wardrobe switch so seriously:
Why the great autumn wardrobe switch is serious business in Italy
I’m also planning to make some time this weekend to finally check out a couple of the Italian TV shows my colleagues at The Local have recommended recently.
If you’ve already watched the big hits like Mare Fuori. Gomorrah, and the HBO/Rai adaptation of the Elena Ferrante series My Brilliant Friend (and if you haven’t seen these yet, we think you should give them a chance) here are a few slightly lesser-known Italian shows to stream.
Let us know what you think of these picks in the comments section below the article, and please feel free to give us your own recommendations, too.
Five Italian TV shows worth watching right now
If you’d rather go to the cinema, you might have found that in Italy it can be hard to find screenings of an English or foreign-language film that hasn't been dubbed into Italian.
While dubbing is helpful for some, I personally find it frustrating as so much nuance is lost in translation - plus it’s just unsettling to watch dubbed films where the actor’s mouth is moving out of sync with their speech.
It’s not totally impossible to find non-dubbed foreign films in Italy though. There’s plenty of choice in Rome or Milan, and there are options outside of the big cities if you know where to look. We’ve put together a quick guide to finding them.
How to find English and original language film screenings in Italy
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Is there an aspect of the Italian way of life you'd like to see us write more about? Please email me at news@thelocal.it.
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