I’m going to try not to gush here. I’m going to fail, but I’m going to try. Because, you guys: I LOVE me a strong-willed woman who goes for her dreams and puts out a book about loving Italy and how to be confident and chic, because baby, the world is ours. And also I need to gush because, fashion. Italy. A fun read.
If fashion obsession is a trait that makes one a good Italian, I need to confess: I’m a bad Italian. I just don’t have the flair. I don’t have the zest (I’m waving my arms around here). I’ll always get more excited over a fountain pen than a multi-hued scarf. Every few years I get frustrated with my sartorial patheticness and get on a plane to meet my best friend, whose nose for fashion is intuitive and who can throw clothes at me I never would have considered and order me to try them on and, miraculously, they look fab (hi, Pev). Other than that, it’s mostly jeans and t-shirts for this girl. That said, I WANT to be good at it. I want to be one of those effortlessly chic women. I want to grab a scarf and just know how to tie it so that I look both feminine and fresh instead of a sack of potatoes wearing a belt. Enter Francesca Belluomini, an Italian living in sunny Miami who wrote her dream book and filled it full of amazing tips (just a few: the importance of fragrance, sales with intention, and no brands or logos visible, thank you) written in a style that makes you feel like you’re sitting with her at lunch, talking about sass and confidence over an espresso. Francesca reinforces the idea that yep, you can be anything you want. It’s in what you cultivate.
And ladies, I can go find me some awesome shoes and get behind that.
You can read Francesca’s guest post on YiR on how to keep it Italian right here, and find info here on where to buy The Cheat Sheet of Italian Style on Amazon (it’s available on US, UK, and IT Amazon, so you can be glam wherever you live!).
As always, YiR-ers, if you end up getting your stylish hands on this little gem, please drop me a line and let me know how you feel about it. I’m always here, in my jammies, and I want to hear your thoughts.
Happy reading!
