I will be traveling to Venice, Florence, Rome at the end of July to early August. I was wondering if it is okay for men to wear shorts? Some of the sites I will be going to include St. Mark's Basilica, Frari Church, the Duomo, Baptistry, Santa Croce Church. Are there certain sites that allow it and certain ones that don't?
THANK YOU,
Vinay
You're not allowed to wear shorts in a church/cathedral. There are security people at the entrances that will turn you away if you attempt it.
Generally middle age European men do not wear shorts in public other than resorts or beach areas. Long pants would be more appropriate for where you want to go and in some cases required.
For August you should at least pack a pair of shorts. It's going to be hot. Italians DO wear shorts. Plus in August the towns are empty of locals as they are on thier own vacations. Not all churches are strict with the short policy. Just wear some tasteful ones and you'll be fine. If you're worried about the churches turning you away, just go to the churches on a day when you're wearing pants.
The Vatican and San Marco will turn you away. In other churches, you'll likely be able to go in but will appear disrespectful.
High end restaurants (Harry's in Venice) will turn you away. Otherwise, no one cares.
I wear shorts all of the time. However, if I plan to visit a church or some other place with a dress code I wear long pants. I am leaving today for 3 weeks in Italy and I generally do not eat in high end restaurants. This will be trip number 12 and I have never had a bad meal in Italy. We eat in a variety of restaurants and have always been hugely satisfied. Italians set a serious table. I also consume gelato on a daily basis.
Buon viaggio,
RB
My husband wore shorts everyday we were there, except for the Vatican. No one said boo to him at St. Mark's. I went back and checked our pics and he was definitely in shorts - the one pair of shorts he brought b/c I told him (based on this board)that nobody wore shorts in Italy. Wrong! There were lots and lots of folks in shorts. I think there is a lot of discussion on this board re: what kind of clothes you should wear to fit in. I say wear what makes you comfy and happy and you will blend right in with all the other tourists that are doing the same thing. I know I had more fun b/c my husband was comfy!
The argument is that you don't want to look like a tourist because that equals "target". I definitely think the folks looking for a "target" can tell you're a tourist whatever you're wearing. Keep your valuables in a money belt around your neck or under your pants and you're going to be just fine.
Have fun!
My husband wears shorts in Italy. He takes a pair of chinos too, and wears then at night out to eat, but touring during the day, he's in shorts. It's HOT in Italy - even when we've been there in May.
Wear them, just don't do the zip off pant deal - IMO, that's really tacky looking. Wear a nice pair of shorts and a nice collared shirt without decoration/silkscreening and it should be fine.
remember, YOU are on vacation. I'm sure when Europeans travel here, they don't worry so much about what to wear, they wear what they own. I'm betting they don't run to the store to purchase special "travel clothing"!
If you are concerned about going into churches, then wear pants those days. I see a lot of capri pants on European guys (younger ones only) These are shorts that hit below the knee, mid calf.
I saw some awesome shorts on a dude at the grocery store today. Kinda too short, neon colours..... rockin'!
Tamara- Have you seen the pink or orange man capris? Now that is something special.
Take a few pairs of shorts. The first time I went to Italy you really didn't see men wearing shorts but the past few years you see lots of men in shorts. The only problem with shorts is getting access to a church or the Vatican.
Dressing to be respectful, situation appropriate and comfortable is smart for all travelers. But, I always find this topic amusing.
When my daughter was in high school we lived very close to Walt Disney World. One of the things she and her friends got a kick out of doing was to go "tourist spotting". This involved going to one of the locations frequented more by visitors than locals to simply watch tourists and try to figure out where they were from. The girls were pretty accurate and learned how to tell if they were British, German, South American (Brazilian, etc.), midwestern US, among others. They said the secret was the way each group combined clothes to try to look "Floridian". After making their guess among themselves they would start a conversation with the "subject" to determine where their home was. So, perhaps wherever we come from, it is human nature to want to "fit in" wherever we are visiting. But, unless we are truly local, we don't understand the slight nuances of shorts length, skirt style, color combinations, cut of pants, hair styles, etc. that are peculiar to a region. With the rise of international clothing chains selling the same thing everywhere this is becoming less and less evident but many tourists are still easy to "spot".
As a side note: while doing this the girls would sometimes befriend a family or small group and have sort of reverse "Rick Steves" experiences, becoming unofficial tour guides or having them over to our home for dinner and a pool party. Over the years we have kept in touch with a few of these overseas friends and have visited them in their own countries. So, being tagged as a "tourist" can be a positive thing!
Michelle-- not yet, I don't think! At least not that I've noticed to the point of making a mental note of it.
There's so much colour and collar-popping going on among Italian men's fashion that it all kind of just blends together in to one blur of awesome, most of the time.
And then sometimes, there are too short neon shorts :)
We were in Italy (first time) in Sept/Oct 2009 and I too wondered about the shorts question. I took 2 pairs of quality cargo zip off pants and wore the shorts 95% of the time. It was not exceptionally hot but being in shorts was sure comfortable. For days we were going to a landmark church/site, I had the bottoms ready to put on and did so for the Vatican etc. You will look like tourist no matter what, unless of course you have Italian bloodlines, don't carry any tourist paraphenalia (camera, map, backpack) and become fluent in Italian before the trip. As far as clothes....just don't look like it is your first time out of smallville with a loud shirt or pants. Pick solid colored pants and either solid colored shirt of something with simple but classic pattern or alternate colors. Most of all make sure the clothes can be easily washed, particularly when you accidentally get gelato on your lap.
Have a blast.
Gord
Hey Gord, sounds like you can time travel, I would love to learn :-)
July 2009
Gord has it right with the Cargos
While I haven't used the zip on/off variety, I use the just over the knee Cargo shorts. The side pockets on cargos hold RS guides perfectly. Last May, I had no problem getting into the biggies (St. Mark's, St. Peter's.)
Men as well as women can do anything they want in Italy as long as the action is legal or they don't get caught. I've worn shorts throughout Italy and nothing happened as a result anywhere in the universe as far as I know.
Can my husband and I wear shorts to tour Pompeii and Naples (on a day trip from Rome, as suggested by Rick Steves -- taking Trentalia train to Naples and Circumvesuviana to Naples)? (My shorts are to the knee (or may cover the knee) but my husbands are just above the knee.
I noticed that Rick Steves wore long pants to Pompeii on the TV program.
Okay...here is the definitive answer on shorts.....no more questions...
YOU CAN WEAR SHORTS IF AND ONLY IF YOU HAVE THE LEGS FOR IT.
And if you wear those shorts, make sure you sew on a little arrow pointing to the pocket where you keep your wallet.
If you wear those shorts with a Hawaiian shirt, camera around your neck, sandals with socks, and carry a 1 liter water bottle....you'll blend right in with the natives.
Was just in Venice and Florence in July and my 18 year old son wore longer khaki cargo length shorts and got into all of the above-mentioned churches no problem. As far as shorts at St. Peters--on a previous trip while he was still in h.s. they would not let my son in with cargo shorts.
If Bruno can wear hot pants in Austria, then any man can wear hot pants anywhere in Italy…sounds like Tamara has already validated this new trend for hipsters in Pordenone.
Shorts = Tourist. Tourist = Target for thieves. If you wear shorts for the day, you will be excluded from entering churches so why risk missing all that. The churches are beautiful!
This recurring topic should be added to the FAQ specifically as "Wearing shorts in Italy." Is there really any new ground to be covered?
Many people miss the point of dressing appropriately when visiting abroad. If you KNOW you are pushing the limits of the local custom, or good taste, you are being disrespectful, and everyone knows it. Whether they say anything to you or give you "a look" doesn't matter. Please do not assume it's OK.
Of COURSE people will identify you as a tourist. But they will also identify you as a tourist who is either A) informed and respectful of the local customs, or B) who is ignorant, never took the time to find out, or C) who is a disrepectful jerk (knows better, but gives the finger to local people and their local customs.)
And, for those who care, you do represent your country. So if you would like to help eliminate the term "ugly American," respect local customs.
Thanks Jerry, you summed up my thoughts on this subject perfectly. I just got back from Naples, and I dressed a little more dressy than I normally do in America. Along with a little Italian language knowledge, you get MUCH better service from Italians. I don't try to pretend to be Italian, but I try to respect their cultural norms (Locals do mistake as Italian in Italy regularly, despite being German-American).
NO ONE WAS WEARING SHORTS EXCEPT THE TOURISTS!
Well said Jerry. Welcome to this blog. Look forward to reading more from you.
I, too, agree with Jerry. Whatever you wear, be respectful of the culture and country you are in. That about sums up the answer to your question. When we travel, we not only represent ourselves, we represent our country. I, for one, do not want to contribute to any negative stereotypes of Americans, so I will adhere to dressing appropriately for the occasion and not trying to offend anyone or anything by my wardrobe.
