Clothing - For Men

Shorts are the norm when hiking or at the beach. Even the Italians wear them there.

You can probably wear shorts around Tuscany without appearing too out of place, but not many locals will be wearing them.

In the cities only tourists wear shorts, and they look very out of place. Wear pants in Rome.

As you noted, you can't enter churches for sightseeing if you are in shorts (applies to both men and women).

Regarding blue jeans, I never take them to Europe because they are heavy and take forever to dry if I wash them in my bathroom lavatory and hang them up. But wearing jeans is acceptable in Italy if you must (probably not in a really nice restaurant, though).

It's a good question and has been exhaustively dissected here. Every man on this board has already shared his personal and sometimes fervently felt opinions on the subject (it's pretty much a guy issue). According to the search box, upper right, if you search on "shorts" you get 1,960 hits just on the Helpline. This puts shorts ahead of even the endlessly fascinating subject of the perfect woman's shoe for Europe.This is an issue of personal preference, the only rule is that no one of whatever gender or age will be allowed into the big Italian churches/duomos wearing shorts. For what it's worth (it is his website), Rick is pretty much not in favor of shorts in Italy except for beaches, lake-side resorts, hiking and really hot days (see below for temp cutoff)--here's his opinion (you don't have to do what he says but he won't sell you another book if you violate his orders):"If you're trying to blend in, realize that shorts are uncommon in Europe. They're considered exclusively beachwear, for use in coastal or lakeside resort towns. While most Europeans won't be offended if you wear shorts, you might be on the receiving end of some stares. Shorts are especially uncommon on older women and in big cities, and the cutoff temperature for "hot enough for shorts" is much higher than in the US. Especially in southern Europe, no matter how hot it is, grown adults look goofy in shorts."The space below is reserved for every man who believes Rick's opinion infringes upon his personal freedom to be himself, to re-state for us his infinite wisdom on this subject of personal preference.

I have been to Italy many time and I too never wanted to wear shorts because I would stick out like a sore thumb. This past year I was in Italy in August and threw in a pair of shorts in my luggage to walk around our apartment and for sitting on the rooftop patio. I did end up wearing the shorts on a few occassions when I knew I would not be entering a church. There were so many people wearing shorts (americans and europeans alike) that I think it's absolutely fine. This is 2008 and I think that most of the world in ok with shorts outside of a beach environment!!!!

Thanks for your input! I'm tempted to find a few "Italy webcams" and kind of get a bird's eye view if you will of how the locals are dressed! Anyway, the general vibe I'm getting is to pack a couple of shorts, especially for Cinque Terre. I'll probably bring a pair of blue jeans (after all, wasn't the denim pant invented in Italy?), some dockers and a nice pair of slacks. If this seems too far afield, let me know!

Yeah, I saw the same Samantha Brown episode. Her explanation made sense, and I'm sure she got the story in Nimes. I also have no idea if it's true, but someone who looks as good as Samantha in a bikini would never mislead me, so I'm going with her story.

Everyone is right. The fabric "denim" was first produced in Nimes. The first pair of pants using denim was made in Genoa, Italy. The French word for Genoa is "Genes" pronounced...."jeans."

Wow, what a fascinating digression! I think I read the "jeans invented in Italy" thing in one of Rick's books.

What we've learned Kent is that if we men made the same clothing selection as Samantha, we'd all stand out in a crowd--shorts or not.

Kevin: I find jeans very comfortable and always take a pair of jeans along with me, too. You can dress them up with a blazer at night for dinner, Since they are bulky I just wear them on the flight over.

i was in italy the second week of may and i wore basketball style athletic shorts the whole time i was there except for one day when it was chilly in venice. i got into every church with these shorts on. they jsut have to be knee length or below. it was comfy and way better then sweating it out in pants. i did carry a pair of rain pants around in my knapsack in case a church required pants and then i could throw them on over my shorts just for the church. i had no problems in shorts and they will cut the amount your bag will weigh.

Kevin
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to see a post about the same topic.

Kent: Is Samantha Brown taboo'd?? I love her!! I want to be Samantha when I grow up...

Well, for the best in entertainment, I say Rick, Samantha, and Rudy Maxa should get together at the baths in Rome for a three tenors-type show, then let Anthony Bourdain give his cutting review of their performance.

Off topic? Not if we let Samantha give her own review of what the others are wearing. Anthony would definitely have the coolest look, Rick the most practical and comfortable attire, and Rudy the most bland. (I like Rudy, but he will never be a snappy dresser!)

Yes, I often have to bite my tongue here when people mention wearing jeans on summer trips to Italy "because they're so comfortable". (For example, Thomas above.)

Forget the "cotton is cool" slogan of the cotton industry. As has been mentioned over and over above, in warm, humid weather jeans are thick, heavy, and hot (plus they take days to dry if you wash them and don't have a clothes dryer available).

I NEVER take jeans on overseas trips. I lean toward lightweight pants made for hikers. There are a lot of them out there that are cool, breathable and fast-drying but also look almost like dress pants if you put on a nice shirt or jacket.

Kevin,

Here's a visual packing list I put together. Since Italy is further South, you might go lighter - short sleeves, only one light sweater, an extra pair of shorts. Still bring a light shell though, it can rain anytime.

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=1440268

Shorts are fine for hiking CT or days at the beach, but still out of place (even when really hot) in any inland town or city. Jeans are really bulky, heavy and hot for summer travel. As much as I like them at home, I would never recommend packing them for a trip.

Have fun.

Kevin....

We just arrived in Rome yesterday. You can tell the non-Italians by what they wear. Forgo the jeans - by the end of the day, you'll be miserable. If you can get to an REI, they make a phenomenal synthetic pant (100% nylon) and look great even after a full day's walk in Rome. I sweat at the mere mention of the word heat, but these, coupled with some button-up silk shirts from Travel Smith (Sedona) make the perfect outfit. I saw several people turned away from entering some churches because of shorts.

Derik

You guys are a real hoot. I haven't laughed so hard in ages. I never (female) wear jeans in Europe. My husband has, but rarely.

Debby

As someone who goes to Europe for a month each summer and takes a RS tour during that month, I have never taken jeans to Europe for all the reasons previously mentioned. I do take shorts and ware them if the temperature is warm (hot?) to ME, and this includes my trips to Italy. Do I stand out? Probably, but after spending most of the year in Hawaii, I am use to seeing folks stand out and have gotten use to it. Do the folks in Europe think you are a tourist even if you dress exactly like them? Definitely. Be yourself and be comfortable just don't try to make the locals unhappy with your behavior.

The previous poster Charles speaks the truth. No one likes the idea of being instantly pegged as a tourist, but it's an inordinate fear and a fool's errand in any case. Big tourist destination cities have lots of tourists...who knew? There's no shame in it. I think what people are really asking is, "What do I wear to more or less blend in, not violate garb rules as they apply in churches and so forth, and stay comfortable all day?"

I'm willing to consider that Rick's anti-shorts position needs an update. There are plenty of men's shorts available now of a longer length, at or just below the knee, that look pretty good. I'm assuming that Rick is talking about shorter shorts. Especially when you consider the goofy capris and puzzlingly tacky clothes that many European men wear, good-looking shorts are perfectly acceptable and won't make one stand out if that is the concern.

The best travel pants are lightweight nylon or similar synthetic, and you only need one pair.

Churches in Rome (and everywhere else): they're much more concerned with bare shoulders. Shorts that reach the knee will work.

One last note regarding the whole "how not to look like a tourist": How you act is a whole lot more important than what you wear. If you are polite, and attempt to use the local language (even poorly), your trip will go much smoother. Believe me, what you wear is hardly noticed.

I thought that you folks might find this interesting.

Next time I'm in Italy, I'm wearing a toga the whole time.

Patrick, that's a great idea.

Don't forget a flag pin.