you are welcome locals only. In this series, we’re tapping notable locals in the style space to share a short list of their top recommendations of what to see, what to eat, and what to buy in their home city. They’ll share off-the-radar information you won’t find in your average guidebook, resulting in a digestible mini guide to where the city’s most fashionable residents are actually hanging out.
You may have started following jenny walton For her impeccable taste in vintage fashion, her illustrations and paintings, or her coded wardrobe of the 1950s and ’60s, but somewhere along the way, the Italian transplant became the blueprint for a life many of us dream of: moving to Italy, living a slower pace, and eventually buying a fixer-upper in a small town and living in the plot points of Diane Lane. under the Tuscan Sun. Now, with the arrival of his new book, Genie Sass Quoi: Adventures in Vintage and Personal StyleThe history of Walton’s cinematic life and unique personal style continues offline and on the page.
For the artist and writer, that dream began in Milan, where she lived for the last few years before calling Tuscany her new home. Naturally, then, we were after her list of favorite spots that have become her favorite spots in the region. Whether it’s the restaurant that makes her favorite traditional Tuscan pasta, the hidden gem beach town that all the locals abandon nearby Cinque Terre for, or the off-the-beaten-path small towns that she insists everyone needs to experience in Tuscany, discover the Italian region through her eyes.
Article continues below
jenny walton
Genie Sass Quoi: Adventures in Vintage and Personal Style
Tell me a little about the inspiration behind your book. What are some of your favorite stories that you’re excited to introduce our readers to?
I’m extremely excited for people to explore all the different artistic ways they can have fun with dressing. There’s an entire section called “Clothes as Canvas,” and it’s all about learning to have fun with dressing again. The way we did when we were just playing “dress-up” as kids. So much dressing up, and whether you enjoy it or not, is really determined by the mentality behind it.
I know you (excitingly) bought a house in Tuscany. Having lived in Milan for many years, what attracted you to this region of Italy?
I love Milan and I will always make sure to spend time there. It is a very inspiring city for me. However, after living in cities for more than 15 years (New York and Milan), I wanted something in nature. I wanted a real yard for the dogs to play in and a house that I could decorate myself.
What packing advice would you give to someone visiting northern Tuscany?
In summer, it’s all about the beach, and that’s quite nice because the cool stone houses in the mountains keep everything cool during the day and night. It may rain a little in winter, so bring a rain jacket. There are lots of old little cobblestone streets so definitely practical walking shoes (they can still be very attractive, of course). I’m that annoying breed of person who has started wearing jellies gardening shoes out and about.
what to wear
Michael Kors
Khloe Lace-Up Sandals
Men’s Day Vapor
jackie pillbox
Jacquemus
berlingote dress
By Malene Bigger
lumas balloon pants
“Agriturismo Casa Turchetti makes great traditional Tuscan food (meaning everything is chestnuts and perfection in the fall),” she says. “There are some great pastas like Testaroli al Pesto, and the Nessie con Ricotta is fantastic. These are chestnut flour pancakes rolled up and filled with fresh sheep ricotta like a crepe.”
“My favorite place is by the sea and Porto Venere is my absolute favourite. Some Milanese friends told me about it and it’s perfect,” she explains. “Skip the Cinque Terre and go here instead. Same sea, less crowds.”
“Villa Petriolo Walton mentions, “It was a beautiful place to live on a hilltop and an easy drive to Lucca or Pisa.”
Walton loves a wine bar located in San Miniato, a small Tuscan town famous for its truffles. Opened by cookbook author Emiko Davis and Tuscan sommelier Marco Lami, Enoteca Marilu There is a wine bar in the evening and hosts cooking classes and culinary workshops during the day.
If your idea of an ideal vacation in Italy includes long, drawn-out lunches with picturesque views of the Mediterranean Sea, Walton insists this Torre di VenereA charming spot in Porto Venere that specializes in freshly caught seafood dishes.
When Walton has time off, she usually spends the morning reading or writing in the garden with her dogs. Then she is heading towards the beach. “I love Baia Blu and to get there you have to walk through olive groves and pine forests,” she muses. “I might end the night with dinner in a small town like Lerici or Sarzana.”
“Caffè e Pasticceria degli Svizzeri knows my order by heart and it’s always a caffè macchiato,” she claims.
As far as small towns in Tuscany go, Walton has plenty of off-the-beaten-path recommendations. “Pontremoli is a great town,” she mentions, adding that it is “known for an amazing museum of stelae sculptures – ancient, mysterious sandstone sculptures made by prehistoric populations between the fourth and first millennium BC in the Lunigiana region. They are absolutely mesmerizing.”
The colorful seaside towns of Cinque Terre may get all the fame, but Lerici is the under-the-radar gem that Walton loves for evening walks and dinner.
explore more:
