Saldi! Venta! Soldes!

Saldi! Soldes! Venta! Sale! The sale signs have replaced the holiday decorations in Rome. All Italians, men and women alike, look forward to sale season. It’s time to save some hard-earned euro, add something luxurious to the wardrobe and be fawned over by complete strangers.

Now I know most American’s could care less when they see a sign that says Sale, as you see them all the time anyways. However, in Italy, sales are rare. They only occur TWICE a year!

Winter 2010, the 6-weeks Rome has scheduled for sale season are, January 2 to February 13. The 6-week Summer 2010 sale season will be July 3 to August 14. Each region has its own calendar, so sale dates vary a bit from city to city.

Typically, discounts range anywhere from 10% to 30% in the beginning, then percentages climb up to 70%, and even 80% by the end. There are discount stores in Rome that buy designer sale merchandise and sell those items at even steeper discounts.

The difficulty of waiting for the two sale seasons, is your size or favorite color may be gone. The majority of stores don’t have a companion store to send another size. Luckily for me, Italians have small feet, so the small shoes are usually gone, but the larger are usually available.

Thankfully, Romans are a pretty tame bunch, so you won’t see the pushing or grabbing that you may read about, in say, London. You will see added security guards, who are carrying guns(!), who will form orderly lines for entrance into a store (because God knows, a tame Italian will shamelessly cut the line as soon as they think they can get away with it!)

When in Chanel the other day, I waited 20 minutes to enter the store. A gorgeous, beautifully dressed Italian woman entered the store, said a few words to the guard and was allowed immediate access. The two women in front of me, casually dressed (like me) were pissed! They started arguing with the guard. Finally, after a few minutes of back and forth, appropriate hand gestures, and heavenwardly glances, he yelled, “Basta!” at them (enough). The gal who assisted me said Chanel will maintain security guards until things return to calma. Smart decision. (Nope, didn’t buy a thing, nor brave enough to take a photo.)

And Italians are VERY exact in what they buy. They don’t have the same commercialized excess mentality that Americans have and they prefer not to buy anything on credit. The item(s) they buy are the best they can afford, and because of the excellent craftsmanship of Italian made goods, they’ll have that item for years.

Oh, and watching Italians buy clothing is pure entertainment! Italians try items on, glide out of the dressing room and will twirl about, waiting for everyone in the vicinity to gasp in admiration and offer an opinion (which will only be positive!) Rounds of, “Bella Figura!” “Carina!” “Molto chic!” will all be made. Then the person trying on the item will reply, “Non so…” (I don’t know…) When it’s an item they’ve clearly had their eye on for the last six months, because no Italian enters a store to try something on, unless they are there to buy. It’s comical!

You certainly know an American shopper in Italy. We’re the ones who walk through a store, inspecting and touching everything, trying to avoid sales staff because we don’t speak the language confidently, take our chosen merchandise into the dressing room and stay in there until decisions are quietly made. I’ve had many an attendant waiting outside the room, calling over other attendants (hustled over only to coo at me at the nod of my attendant), who end up disappointed when I come out of the room in the same clothes I entered in, handing them the items that I want.

If you’re ever in Italy for sale season, enjoy the prices and the spectacle!