Untold Italy · Friday, August 7, 2026
Italians place a high value on 'la bella figura,' which means making a good impression through appearance and behavior. Nizim explains that this extends to dressing well, even for casual outings, and that making an effort is appreciated and noticed, contributing to a more positive social interaction.
“There's actually a term called fati bel la figura, which sounds like it's like to make a good figure, but it means like to come across in a very nice. Way, like you look very nice. Like esthetically it can be applied to like the way you like act and maybe communicate to But Italians are very conscious of the way they look, and they like to look nice when they leave the house for virtually anything.”
“And so I agree with you, it is appreciated here to make a little bit of effort, As you say, I think in many Western cultures it's like more and more common to just value comfort over anything else.”
“But it is nice and Italians do appreciate if, you know, make a little bit of effort, especially if you're eating. In a restaurant, or you're. You know, going to museum, or you know you're going down like the main shopping areas. It is something that Italians notice and appreciate when you put a little more effort into it.”