I have previously discussed having to adjust to the weather in Italy, although not in great detail. I come from Las Vegas. Seasons? What are those?

In Las Vegas, you wear shorts in the summer and pants in the winter. There isn’t really ever a need for layering or rain boots or big winter parkas. But in Italy, you need it all (especially if you want to remain on par with all the fashionable Italians sitting next to you at the bars.)

It seemed like I was never comfortable no matter what I did. I did not know how to dress for the changing weather.

When I arrived at the end of August, it was hot and humid, and I only really brought pants.

When fall rolled around towards the end of September, it got chilly, and I only had a thin peacoat that didn’t button.

When winter arrived, my body went into shock. I was SO freezing ALL the time. I would wear tights AND leggings under my jeans. I would wear a shirt under a sweater under a cardigan under a coat. I wasn’t even warm when I was at home because heating is so dang expensive in Italy. I’d sleep in all my clothes shivering in the sleeping bag I used for a comforter.

When spring arrived, it rained seemingly all day and all night, and since I didn’t have a car and it wasn’t absolutely necessary to take the bus, I walked everywhere. I walked to school in the rain, I walked to the grocery store in the rain, I walked to the bars at night in the rain.

Even though I brought three (yes, THREE) suitcases of crap with me to Italy, I had nowhere near the range of clothes I needed to be comfortable in the Italian weather. I brought enough Band-aids and toothpaste for a lifetime, but no rain boots or big puffy jacket and DEFINITELY not enough scarves.

That means I needed to go shopping. The three most important items I bought in Italy were: a big black coat with a removable hood that I used all winter long (that only cost 14 euros…what a steal!), a pair of the most uncomfortable (but driest) rain boots on earth, and some tights from Calzedonia that were insulated against the cold.

But shopping in small town Viterbo was kind of scary, especially since I didn’t learn shopping vocabulary or phrases until I had been there for maybe seven months (and I needed that coat by month 3).

So, without further ado, here are some terms and phrases that can help YOU buy that special 14-euro coat. (Mine lasted all winter and only on my last night did the zipper break.)

 

First, articles of clothing:

— Una sciarpa – scarf
— I pantaloni – pants
   — Un paio di pantaloni – a pair of pants
— Le scarpe – shoes (you can also use un paio for these, i.e. un paio di scarpe – a pair of shoes)
   — Le scarpe da ginnastica – sneakers
— Una camicia – shirt
— Una camicetta – blouse
— Una maglia – sweater
— Una gonna – dress
— Una maglietta – t-shirt (Italians also frequently use the English word ‘t-shirt’
— Una giacca – jacket
   — Una giacca a vento – windbreaker
— Un cappotto – coat
— Gli stivali – boots
   — Un paio di stivali – a pair of boots
— I jeans – jeans
— Un vestito – dress
— Una felpa – sweatshirt
— Un costume da bagno – bathing suit
— I calzini – socks
   — Un paio di calzini – a pair of socks
— I pantaloncini – shorts
   — I pantaloni corti is also used for shorts
— Un pigiama – pijama

Some accessories:

— Una cravatta – tie
— Una cintura – belt
— Un cappello – hat
— Gli orecchini – earrings
— Una collana – necklace
— I guanti – gloves
— Una borsa – handbag
— Un paraorecchie – earmuffs
— Un berretta – (winter) cap

And some verbs you may need:

— Portare – to bring/take/wear
— Indossare – to wear
— Provare – to try
— Scegliere – to choose
— Pagare – to pay
— Vendere – to sell
— Fare delle spese – to shop
— Cercare – to search/look for
— Restituire – to return

And some extra vocabulary:

— Una taglia – size
— La moda – fashion
— Comodo – comfortable
— Scomodo – uncomfortable
— I modelli – models (not like fashion models, but styles)
— Una cassa – cash register

 So, you walk into un negozio with all your new vocabulary and you begin browsing. You’re looking for a comfortable black coat that you can wear with everything and that will last you all winter. Most importantly, you want to stay warm. Here is a simple sample dialogue between you and il commesso, or the salesperson.

IN ITALIAN

Commesso: Buongiorno signora/signore. Ha bisogno di aiuto?
You: Buongiorno. Sì, sto cercando un cappotto.
Commesso: Sì, abbiamo molti modelli di cappotti. Quale colore preferisce?
You: Preferisco il nero, per favore.
Commesso: E che taglia porta?
You: Beh, penso una media.
Commesso: Ecco, questi sono i modelli neri che abbiamo.
You: Ah, mi piace questo cappotto, è bello.
Commesso: Vuole provarlo?
You: Sì, grazie!
You try on the coat and it fits perfectly.
You: Ah, è perfetto. È comodissimo.
Commesso: Perfetto. Ecco, si accomodi alla cassa.
You follow the clerk to the cash register.
You: Posso pagare con il bancomat?
Commesso: Sì, certamente! 

IN ENGLISH

Salesperson: Good morning, ma’am/sir. Do you need help?
You: Good morning. Yes, I’m looking for a coat.
Salesperson: Yes, we have many models of coats. What color do you prefer?
You: I prefer black, please.
Salesperson: And what size do you wear?
You: Beh, I think a medium.
Salesperson: Here, these are the black models of coats we have.
You: Ah, I like this coat, it’s beautiful.
Salesperson: Would you like to try it?
You: Yes, thank you!
You try on the coat and it fits perfectly.
You: Ah, it’s perfect. It’s very comfortable.
Salesperson: Perfect. Here, I’ll help you at the cash register.
You follow the clerk to the cash register.
You: Can I pay with my debit card?
Salesperson: Yes, certainly!

Of course, this dialogue is in a perfect world in which the first coat you try on fits perfectly and it’s the only thing you’re looking for and the store accepts debit cards. The clerk also might say something like “No, purtroppo accettiamo solo contanti,” which means “we only accept cash.”

However, armed with the proper vocabulary, you should be able to successfully navigate an Italian clothing store and hopefully find your special coat.

Have you had an interesting experience at an Italian clothing store? Do you have a favorite article of clothing from Italy? Is there anything else you want to know about shopping in Italy? Let us know in the comments below!