Italian locals and tourists line the streets of Rome’s Prati district, strolling in and out of storefronts that make up one of Italy’s prime shopping areas. Giorgia, Client Assistant and Social Media Manager of IRONg Boutique on Via Cola di Rienzo, can tell if a customer is American or not from the moment they walk through the door.

“There’s a big difference between locals and tourists, and Americans in particular. We shop a lot of pieces that we think we’re never going to sell. A lot of Americans buy these pieces that Italians do not buy,” Giorgia said, gesturing to a brown and white cow print denim jacket.

Giorgia then reached for a floor-length animal print dress, her expression making it clear that she wasn’t a fan: “This print that… I don't know… it's very jungle and leopard print. I don't know what it is. It's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot.” 

Lucia, who works at a street vendor booth on the corner of Via Cola di Rienzo and Via Paolo Emilio, expressed the same sentiment, saying Americans live in a “fantasia” (fantasy). She explained how her stall is designed around “completti” (coordinated sets of clothing) because customers don’t like to think about what to wear.

“Fashion is a cycle. Americans don’t follow trends, whereas Italians are more aligned with the trends … Americans don’t care. If they like something, even if it doesn’t fit well, they get it for the comfort factor more than anything,” said Lucia.

Lucia estimates half of her clientele comes from locals, while the other half comes from tourists across the world. With locals shopping mainly at boutiques and street vendors, there is a unique sense of style seen in Italy. This distinctive fashion sense creates a clear difference in American and Italian fashion, allowing the shop workers to easily identify where their clients come from.

“Italians want newer things, different than the usual, so we have many things different to [from] other stalls in the area. Meanwhile, foreigners want more everyday things or linens,” said Lucia.

In contrast to Italian fashion primarily coming from boutique clothing stores, chain stores in Prati are driven by tourism. Brandy Melville, an international chain store that’s established in Italy, obtains most of their business from tourists around the globe. 

Misaela, General Manager at Brandy Melville’s Via Cola di Rienzo storefront, estimated that 70 percent of Brandy Melville’s customers are tourists, noting the brand is not for Italians. “Before COVID, it [the percentage] was lower. Now, there are less Italians and more tourists because of e-commerce,” she said. “We have another store in Rome, Via Patina. Every tourist [shops there].”

Due to Brandy Melville's target market being a majority of Russian, Japanese, and American consumers. According to Misela, the store’s clothing options cater to a more relaxed fit. These looser pieces with plain designs and simple colors allow the tourist to shop in a way that is unfamiliar to the Italian consumer.

Misaela explained that fashion trends cycle faster in Italy and especially Rome, and tourists fall behind. While the IRONg boutique fashion follows American and TikTok trends, large chain stores in Italy carry trends before the United States, influencing tourists to shop at these stores when abroad.

“For the tourists it's [the trends are] not very quick. For us, or you, when you live in Rome for a long time, it’s [the trend cycle] very quick, you can live in Rome and you see the stylist, the look for the girl is quick but for the tourists it's not,” Misaela said.

Not only are American tourists behind in the trend cycle, but Italians seem to have a consensus that Americans do not know how to match their articles of clothing. “Take the tourists, they do not think or they come in and are not matching,” Misaela said.

According to local boutiques, street vendors, and international chain stores in Italy, the stereotype that an American is easily identifiable rings true. Even though Italians don’t agree with some Americans’ fashion sense, they’ll still be sure to keep their cow print clothing stocked.