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PhrasesTrying on ClothesMi dà fastidio il colletto.
B1

Mi dà fastidio il colletto.

The collar bothers me.

Pronunciation

'Fastidio' — 'fa-STI-dyo'. Four syllables. The 'io' glides quickly. Stress on second syllable.

When to use it

When a collar is stiff, scratchy or high in an uncomfortable way. Important to flag before buying — collar comfort affects whether you'll actually wear something.

What it means

'Dare fastidio' = to bother/to annoy. 'Mi dà fastidio' = it bothers me. 'Il colletto' = the collar. This structure (dare fastidio) is very Italian — indirect way to express discomfort.

Variations

Il colletto mi stringe.

The collar is tight on me.

Describing the specific physical problem

È troppo rigido sul collo.

It's too stiff at the neck.

'Rigido' = stiff — describing collar texture

Preferisco senza colletto.

I prefer without a collar.

Expressing style preference to avoid the issue

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: La camicia è bella, ma mi dà fastidio il colletto. È troppo rigido. Commessa: Questo è un colletto con rinforzo per cravatta. Senza cravatta si può lasciare aperto. Cliente: Ah, se lo apro starà meglio? Commessa: Assolutamente — e cambia completamente stile.

Customer: The shirt is nice, but the collar bothers me. It's too stiff. Assistant: This is a collar reinforced for a tie. Without a tie you can leave it open. Customer: Ah, if I open it will it be more comfortable? Assistant: Absolutely — and it completely changes the style.

Cultural Note

Italian shirt collars are engineered pieces of design. 'Colletto italiano' (Italian collar), 'colletto francese' (French collar), 'button-down' — each has its place in the Italian wardrobe and specific rules about when and how to wear it.