appropriate attire

You don't say where you are going, but most of Europe is filled with churches that have great art, and if you plan to view any of it, you must dress respectfully. From what Rick's books say this means no bare shoulders or midrifs on anyone, and no shorts (and I assume minishirts) either. I think jeans or capries would be OK. I have not been to Europe in hot summer months so I don't really know the actual scene for going into churches -- perhaps others can advise. As for other places, well you won't look out of place in the cities wearing jeans, not sure about the shorts though - I would think only the very young can get away with this.

In 6 trips to Europe in the last few years, it's pretty casual. as a women, I've worn capri pants, and even some longer shorts with a neat t-shirt. My husband wears chino pants or longer (to the knee) shorts with polo (collared) shirt.

We do not subscribe to the notion that Americans should wear their worst clothing over there, and discard along the way. (you'll see this suggested over and over on the "packing light" board- how embarassing)

I've taken a black linen skirt to wear at dinner with a shawl. My husband doesn't take "t-shirts" with logos on them, just the polo shirts.

I've never felt too out of place. Granted in larger cities, you will find the locals dressed up, as they are coming from work, etc, but in the country side, you are fine.

As mentioned, in a church, covered shoulders and knees is appropriate and respectful.

Ellen's advice is on target. You can never make an error by being slightly over dressed. But you can look pretty stupid being under dressed. And, PERSONALLY, I think undressed tourist, mostly Americans, standout. But I like seeing them arouond because they draw the pickpockets. Europeans in the cities do dress slightly better -- match 'em. Nothing wrong with that.

You will all feel more comfortable (and sometimes get better treatment) if you blend in more with the locals. I never wear jeans or shorts (although sometimes kids can get away with jeans. Encourage your kids to wear shirts without logos at least (polos are great) and chinos (even capris) instead of jeans. That shouldn't be too much of a hardship.

Marjorie, I appreciate that reassurance. I was mostly planning to take nicer-looking short-sleeve shirts and polos and older "nice" pants with me in darker colors. I've lived in hot humid climates enough to not be bothered by wearing capris or long pants all year round (in fact I actually find it more comfortable, but a discussion for another day!). My best friend is an immigrant from Romania, we went to lunch the other day and she was wearing a niceish polo and black skirt. She made the comment about "I wouldn't wear this if I were in Europe" - and I was a little bit concerned because probably nothing in my closet is what people in Europe wear on a daily basis! So, thanks!

Most European homes are small and have small closets so the average European wardrobe is much smaller than what we have in the US. That said, you see most city dwellers wearing clean-lined, classic, dark colored clothing with accessories that increase the number of looks their wardrobes have. This is actually a great attitude to emulate when packing for your trip. We have succeded comfortably and stylishly with a carry-on bag for 3 week trips planning 1 or 2 stops at laundrymats. Jeans are ok but heavy and take long to dry (European dryers are not as powerful as ours)Unless you are staying in the same place for a long time, no one except your travel companions will know how often you wear the same outfit. As for your teen: let them pack 2-3 outfits they choose and 2-3 you choose, leaving room in the suitcase for them to buy things as they go along - there are plenty of trendy, inexpensive stores appealing to teens. Our kids found these to be the best souveniers they brought home.

Nice jeans are perfectly fine (no holes, not faded, etc). Especially in November. You'll appreciate the extra warmth. We've found that black jeans look even nicer than blue jeans. I've brought both on every vacation and have never had a problem. If you combine a decent pair of shoes, like Ecco or Mephisto, nice jeans, and a nice shirt, it's amazing the restaurants you can get into with no problem. I'm not talking fine dining of course, but you won't raise an eyebrow at a nice mid-price restaurant.

Unfaded jeans are perfectly OK for just walking around during the day. Europeans seems to prefer darker color jeans like black. If your going to a better restaurant at night or to the opera, you might feel under dressed in jeans.

Hmmm...now I'm unsure of my plans...I keep hearing jeans are okay...we're traveling in November and will not have an issue with the short pants thing...but were planing on jeans...We're in the packing light club as we'll be on a ETBD tour.....but will I be totally offensive with nice jeans and a nice top? Chino's wrinkle so badly..

Yes! Jeans are good for the city -- nice, dark ones like others have said -- with nice tops and dark shoes (not white athletic shoes -- unless you are a young, hip male). Wear the jeans on the flight, if they are comfortable for you. I usually try to wear most of my heavy clothes on the plane and pack the lightweight stuff. You can't go wrong with black. Keep it simple.

Becky, Betty is on target. If you are going in Nov. nice jeans are fine, and warm. I am also from central FL, and you will notice the temperature difference. When I was in Europe at that time of year my 2 most treasured pieces of clothing were my black turtleneck and my black Cache pants. They are Cache's (Fl or Millenia Mall) heavyweight knit pants that stay looking great even after sleeping on the plane, stylish, are extremely comfortable, wash and dry quickly. They are usually in stock or can be ordered and come in other colors. Also, my husband would never travel without his black atheletic shoes - they look good with almost everything and great for all that walking.

Agree with everything above. The Italians do generally dress quite well. I have just come back from Rome and as it was quite cool I was wearing woolen pants and my knee length coat. I didn't think I was dressed that well, neat but not dressy, comfy tourist stuff, but the number of people who stopped me and asked directions in Italian was incredible. I think teenagers get away with a lot more then the parents will. Don't get too hung up on what to wear, you're on vacation, enjoy.

My Dad only wears shirts that are cool and roomy (and dressier than T-shirts). We found some North Face shirts at Dick's Sports (a bit pricy, but they have become his favorite shirts to wear at home, too!) They hold up well with wear, are easy to wash out by hand, and dry fast because of the special fabric that breathes. He prefers the fabric above cotton polos, etc. Check out this link-
http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear-shop-subcategory.jsp?category=12&site=NA&subcategory=122
He also takes a pair of leather sandals that double as dressy or casual.

Catherine, I think skorts are pretty unfashionable, and Italy is fashionable. Perhaps all the tourists you will see there in the summer will be wearing all kinds of casual clothes, but the natives will not. Why not a stylish light cotton skirt instead, or some lightweight slacks? In Tuscany you can probably get away with shorts (or skorts) -- I haven't been there but am going in September -- but they will look out of place in Venice. Remember too, if you plan to go into any churches you should have appropriate attire. You can buy it over there, so wait and buy a few things like other women are wearing.

The other day in Walmart of all places, I looked around the athletic clothing department just for kicks. For $11.84, they had cotton blend capris (60% cotton, 40% nylon) in all sizes (I saw XS through 2X while I was looking for my own sizes), and they also had many colors - white, tan/khaki, gray, black, and navy blue. They're a little bit 'athletic' looking up at the top (easily covered by a longer polo), but they have a partially-elastic waist (nice for eating lots of gelato and fitting the money belt!) and are really comfortable. I bought a pair of khaki color as I already have a bunch of dark nice-looking lightweight pants to take with me, but I'm sure these capris are almost as, if not just as, comfortable as wearing shorts, in hot weather, because they are so lightweight, thin, and loose-fitting... but they just look that little bit nicer. And they are really cheap!!

Catherine-I completely agree with the previous post. I was in Venice last September and I don’t think I saw a single person wearing a skort (I think I would stay away from skorts just as a general rule, unless you are under 10). A nice, light-weight, just above the knee cotton skirt would work really well for the summer heat, maybe even stick with a dark color (as Italians wear a lot of dark colors and it would be harder to stain). This would be light-weight to pack and could be worn casually in the day and paired with something else to look nicer for dinner at night (Target has lots of skirts that fit this description for cheap). As for spiderman/power rangers, I think when you are a cute 7 year old you can get away with a lot more! I’d let him wear what makes him happy, and maybe bring a few polos etc. for select occasions.

Italian men do wear jeans, and women (usually younger than middle age) do as well, in the winter months. You will be OK with jeans unless you want to get into nice restaurants. The church dress code is basically no shorts, no short skirts, and shoulders and knees must be covered...somehow.

The reality is that Italians are really fashion-conscious. Women wear trendy clothes (capris definitely OK), but only wear shorts if exercising. Skirts are more typical. Their clothes are more form-fitting than ours. Men wear shorts but not out to dinner. It's the only place I've been where I've heard men say things like, "Are you sure this shirt is really me?" and get serious replies from male friends.

Teens can wear jeans. I'd leave the ball caps and T-shirts with slogans at home unless they feature Italian soccer team names. Polo shirts or casual long-sleeved shirts are better.

And...NO plaid!!!