Capris vs long pants

You should be fine. Capris are very popular for women and even men in Italy.

Thanks!

I'll add my approval for just capri pants. That is all I ever travel with when in Italy. Never long pants, and not when you are traveling, it will be warm. I have been bringing a casual skirt and found that a wonderful option for dinner out....I got to change out of my pants and wearing a skirt is pretty darn "cool" - temperature wise!

Wearing capris is one of those American common denominators like baseball caps, tennis shoes, and gum chewing. It's as prevelant to other cultures as the other Americanisms are. It's the equivalant of seeing an Indian woman in a Sari here (which would be awesome if it caught on!). It all comes down to the comfort vs. cultural acceptance scale. I have a high tolerance for uncomfortable garb and enjoy fitting in until I open my mouth. Others prefer to be comfortable in order to enjoy the sights more. Pick your poison. Some say to conquer your sites visited list in what is comfortable, and others will say "blend in" with the locals and get a cultural feel for the place. I'm sure you know which catagory you fit in. Just follow it and have an amazing time. P.S. A knee length skirt will take care of this issue.

The problem with a skirt is that my "walking" shoes would look dreadful with it. But I may bring one skirt for evenings to wear with dressy sandals or ballet flats. I moved to FL from NY three years ago and admit: my fashion sense has deteriorated. Since I am very tall and have trouble finding pants that are long enough, capris make life easier for me--and I actually like how they look. I would definitely prefer to "fit in" as opposed to simply dressing for comfort and looking like a tourist, but I'm trying to be realistic. We will be doing a lot of walking and it will be hot. Plus, with my height, fair skin and blue eyes--no way could I pass for a local, no matter what I wear!

Lynette, to "fit" in , you'd have to wear a skirt and high heels to walk on the cobblestones. The Italian women dress very nicely in the larger towns, at least the young ones do....if you'd like to fit in, you could wear all black, a long skirt and a scarf on your head! LOL. Don't try to fit in, like you said, you will stand out anyway. Just enjoy the time, be comfortable in your clothing, both temperature wise and style wise. I tend to not buy anything special for travel, but grab a ion of my every day clothes that are my favorites and wear them. I take 2 pairs of capri pants, 5-7 t-shirts (mostly from JCrew now) a cotton sweater (for evenings and on the plane ride) one pair of Chaco sandals (they've gone with me for 8 years now) and a pair of Puma "sneakers" that I wear on the plane, and if the weather turns cooler. They are sporty looking and very comfortable for walking (Nordstrom has them) I wear yoga pants on the plane over and back, just for comfort. They take up very little space in my suitcase, and I have them if needed for cooler nights. They are black, so I could wear them out at night for dinner as well, but haven't yet.

Ha! Ellen, you're right! I was in Paris last September and all the women wore high heels. I think your style would work nicely for me. Thanks for your help!

This is the timeframe we traveled last year. It was hot! What you're bringing is perfect. Capris or skorts are perfect. Make sure those sneakers are super comfortable. Consider wearing a hat and a lightweight long sleeve shirt to protect your skin. I suggest not wearing sandals in the Roman Forum as it is dirty there.

Capris are the way to go. When traveling to Italy, I usually bring capri pants. No need to worry when visiting churches as your knees will be covered. I would add a khaki color, too.
I also rent apartments when traveling to Italy. However, I've never had a dryer. They don't seem to have them in Italy. Please double check your apartment lease again and make sure you do have a dryer. I never had a problem without a dryer. You are usually given somewhere to dry your clothes indoor rack or clothesline.

Thanks for all the tips. The apartment has a hair dryer, but I'm guessing that many of the other places we're staying don't...so I'm bringing one (a travel dryer!) I do have kahki capris that I could throw in. And yes, sandals only for light evening strolls. A lightweight long sleeved shirt is a great idea. I must have tried on fifty hats last week and looked terrible in all of them...but we're going to be spending so much time outdoors...I can see that a hat should be added to the "must bring" list.

I just wanted to thank all the people who replied to Lynette's question. I have approximately the same travel plans and the same question.