Ciao! I am writing from Florence this semester for the fashion blog. I will be talking about Italian fashion, places to shop around Florence and more. I hope you enjoy!

Welcome to one well-known market in Florence Italy. It is called the San Lorenzo market and filled with a plethora of merchants selling leather coats, wallets, scarves, hats and more.

I was introduced to this market my first week here. These markets are very similar to Chinese markets, like in New York City, except they don’t take you into a random van to show you their products.

However, sometimes the people who have a tent will ask you to come back to their stores to show you more.

You simply walk up to a tent and peruse through what they have. The biggest downside to markets like these is that the Italians jump down your throat trying to sell you what they have. What I’ve noticed is that the Italian men are much more persistent and will not leave you alone. The women are much more laid back and let you take your time looking.

The best deals here I’ve found so far are the scarves. Everyone in my group of friends is investing in scarves because you can get three for 12 euro, which is equivalent to $15.78. Prices vary from tent to tent, so it’s best not to buy the first one you see because it may be cheaper at another one.

You also have to be very careful with leather at these markets because they could be scamming you. Next week I will be talking about what the best leathers are here and how to tell if leather is fake or real.

It’s fun to just walk through the tents and peruse on a sunny afternoon, too. The Italians are generally nice, but the also automatically know you’re American, which can be annoying.

Can’t wait to tell you guys more about my times here! Until next time, ciao!

—Caitlin

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @FASHION_BLITZ

Follow @fashion_blitz

The holidays are on the way, and along with the season comes dressing up for seasonparties, church or family gatherings.

So it’s time for you to start that holiday shopping for the perfect holiday dress. I highly recommend Kent’s local store Fig Leaf. They have fancy, beautiful dresses that can be worn for just about anything. Their prices are a little more expensive than say Forever 21, but it’s worth every penny. I would compare the pricing to some dresses at H&M. Overall, it’s in the college budget.

Going to a friend’s holiday party and feel like being a little scandalous? Try this dress with black pumps.

To re-wear this dress to a more formal occasion such as church or a family gathering, throw on some tights underneath with the same black pumps. Since it will most likely be cold out, simply throw on your blazer and voila! You have a formal attire that was just a more-scandalous one.

The goal is to get your money’s worth. By adding different jewelry or blazers to a dress, you can make it look like you just bought more than one outfit. But shh! It’s a secret.

Xoxo,

-Caitlin 

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @FASHION_BLITZ

Follow @fashion_blitz

Let me introduce you to my latest fashion obsession: Baggy sweaters. They are unbelievably comfortable, and you can wear them with jeans, leggings or skirts.

A solid-color sweater can be embellished with a simple belt worn around the waist or higher, depending on what looks best with your body type. If you want the sweater to just hang, a different colored scarf will accompany it well.

I recommend pairing your baggy sweater with straight-leg jeans or leggings so that you can wear boots with the outfit. Baggy sweaters don’t have a shape to them, they just hang — as they are supposed to — therefore tight jeans are more flattering than flared jeans. It helps to show your body shape again. Whereas if you were to wear looser jeans, your body shape would be lost completely.

If you want to wear a short, flowy shirt and leggings make sure the sweater doesn’t go beyond the skirt. Sometimes and can be tricky to complete this outfit, but if you do it right, it looks cute.

While you’re making a quick trip to Starbucks to start your day or running around campus all day, a baggy sweater is comfy and stylish — it’s the best of both worlds.

Xoxo,

— Caitlin 

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @FASHION_BLITZ

Follow @fashion_blitz