One of the most successful products from the stereotype factory has been that Italians are obscenely stylish and exude cool with the ease that plants exude oxygen. Their men are allegedly all Dzaddies (deliciously good looking older men) and their womenfolk make knees weaker than a wet tea bag.
Perhaps things are different in other parts of the country, but in Rome the stereotype factory has been selling us porky pies. What they need to start manufacturing is the idea that South Africa's street-style GDP has eclipsed Italy's.
The average young stylish Roman man essentially dresses like a Bryanstonite, that is, someone who frequents Rockets Lolita. Tight-fitting long-sleeve shirts that accentuate the pecs, G-Star Raw type jeans that do a bad job of looking "distressed" and squeaky clean sneakers.
Older men keep it simple with slim fit white shirt, blue fitted pants and nice shoes from whatever passes for Woolworths. Young fashionable women are rarely without a black leather jacket and seem to have been told that their dress code is "Cape Town blogger", that is, black Doc Martin-type shoes, loose-fitting black blouses and black pants or acid-washed jeans.