Positano • Amalfi Coast • Italy
Linomania
On about day 3 in Positano, Italy, our legs were spent. Multiple times each day we were hiking up and down 800 stairs each way. Down sounds like it would be easy, but honestly...no. Pretty close to just as hard! We strategized that we might get some relief by wandering (slowly) up Viale Pasitea as it wound up the hill almost to Chiesa Nuova, where we would land on the couch in our villa. And look what our 'wander' found for us...Linomania!
A walk through the Louvre, an elevator up the Eiffel Tower and a gruelling climb up the stairs to the Arc De Triomphe. Is this the Paris you have planned to…
Ironically, my friend Katie had done some research before we arrived in Positano and Linomania was on her list, unbeknownst to me, so it was great fanfare that happened when we came along and saw it. Our first visit it was after dinner, so the boutique was closed and we made point to come back the next morning. We found beautiful Carmelina (the 'Lina' in the name) faithfully working away at her sewing machine (above) and one of her employees ironing linen (which must be an endless job in a shop such as this!). She keeps this machine on the main shop floor and her workshop upstairs. Lina is a total doll, so completely devoted to her designs and passionate about her work. Grateful for us as customers.
It's funny, in Positano, there are many, many linens shops. It IS Italy after all and linen is the thing to wear in the heat. I'm a HUGE linen aficionado, so I was in my element...however...the biggest linen seller in town is a shop called Brunella. They have 5 shops positioned at various locations around town so you walk in each thinking it's a totally new boutique. The result is that after a while, all the linen starts to look the same! A lot of natural colored weaves and often one size fits all clothing.
Linomania is refreshing in this sea. She sells lots of blue and white, a sharp contract to the more common browns and beiges found around town. The dress in the center above is the one I came home with and I literally wear it in warm California ALL the time!
Katie bought that cute jumpsuit above. Our friend Vishelly was caught wearing a parka while we galavanted around Posi in sleeveless linen which made us wonder if we were all on the same trip....☺️
We made several stops in at Linomania during the week we spent in Positano. Lina was delightful. She was willing to tailor everything so it fit perfectly for no extra charge. She offered to make any modifications to the clothing that we wanted (which we really didn't want any of). There was no proprietary arrogance of the designer her in. Just the desire to have you love her art as much as she does.
The Deets:
Linomania, Viale Pasitea 199, Positano, Italy 84017 +39 338 419 4405 (no website)