The Eternal City was the scene of an astonishing fashion show during the Jubilee for Young People in Rome. Thousands of young Catholics from all over the world gathered to experience a spiritual banquet ... but as typical young people, they were displaying clothing styles that are as varied as they are inspired.
Between parish group T-shirts, backpacks decorated with flags, and casual or politically engaged outfits, the streets of Rome were buzzing with a very special “Fashion Week,” combining faith, culture, and personal expression. Here's a quick overview of the fashion trends of this extraordinary Jubilee.
Green is the color of the season
In keeping with the Jubilee of Hope, the dominant color is green. Often very flashy, sometimes more subtle, green comes in all forms: T-shirts bought at the official store, bandanas, neckerchiefs, bracelets, dresses ... The advantage of green is that it also allows the adventurers who took part in World Youth Day to easily recycle their old Lisbon 2023 gear — a darker green that highlights their status as veterans.
The “Catholic bohemians”
“How elegant these young ladies are!” exclaims an elderly Roman woman as she leaves a café. Jubilees sometimes mean fashion shows. And the absolute must-have item in the 2025 summer collection is undeniably the pastel floral print, often green or blue, worn by so many of these young women.
Wearing long dresses and bandanas carefully tied around their necks or in their hair, these young women have adopted a deliberately “bohemian” style — at least according to a young French woman who is very knowledgeable about fashion.
As for the men, they wear linen shirts or pastel-colored polo shirts with open collars revealing their Catholic medals. These gentlemen are wearing simple shorts cut above the knee or beige or ochre chinos. On their feet, we find classic vacation footwear: boat shoes, matching espadrilles ... and even, for some dandies, Friulian shoes and tasseled loafers.
The over-equipped
A water bottle to keep your water cool? Check! A hip pack to hold your rosary? Check! A bush hat with a mosquito net? A bit excessive, but check! In the crowd of pilgrims, they’re the best organized of all. Shorts with pockets, light shirts, technical T-shirts, marathon sneakers ... They’ve thought of everything before setting off through the streets of Rome to walk all day on the hot pavement.
But while they openly prefer efficiency, our Indiana Joneses of the Jubilee are not without style. Special mention goes to the many Koreans who compete in ingenuity to tame the urban jungle while staying stylish. We can't wait for World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027!
The patriots
Our pilgrims are proud of their colors! At the Jubilee, many of them adopt a deliberately national look. This starts, of course, with flags, which can be worn around the neck, but also as a national superhero cape, or around the waist, like a dress ... Or a kilt, an accessory not particularly suited to the summer heat, but spotted on a Scottish Catholic in St. Peter's Square.
Inevitably, there are also sports fans wearing the jerseys of their heroes, Messi, Ronaldo and company ...
Special mention must be made of Spain, whose flag — omnipresent in Rome — is much more than a national emblem: young Spaniards have taken to having it signed by everyone they meet. And the Mexicans, who are not afraid of national stereotypes: sombreros and even masks of luchadores, their famous wrestlers.
And all the others
And then there are all the others, wearing religious habits, Roman collars, scout uniforms, T-shirts of their associations ... And those who are dressed as they are every day and couldn't care less about how they look!
