My family is interested in seeing an opera this July when we visit Venice. As we follow Rick's advice and always travel lightly, we were not planning to pack formal attire that would only be worn once. Would a tie/dress slacks and a moderately informal dress keep us from being turned away at the door?
Posted by
Miami, FL, US
18 posts
Teresa,
I posted this exact question approximately 2 months ago, and apparently the opera wasn't a big thing since I only got 2 responses. I went to the opera in late May (Teatro' dell'opera di roma) and I wore a simple black dress with heels. Both the men in my family wore suit jackets with ties. The men will be in a minority I feel, if you do not have a jacket - but in no way will you feel uncomfortable. There were definitely tourists who were wearing khakis and polos - though not many!
I would say go with a tie and a dress shirt (no sports coat or jacket). I think the locals will understand you are a tourist...but you also want to show respect for the art.
Enjoy! Seeing the opera in a historic opera house in Italy was one of the highlights of my trip.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
This is the kind of question for which you'll probably get more answers if you go here and, hopefully, get a reply from someone who lives in Venice (yes, one of the DE's lives in Venice--I know, I thought no locals could afford to live in Venice).
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
I have to disagree with Ashley's suggestion to wear a tie and a dress shirt, but no jacket. In Italy, it's exactly the opposite. You'll NEVER see an Italian man wearing a tie without a jacket, but you're always seeing men with jackets but no ties. One of my Italian instructors pointed this out to our class recently. As long as you don't wear shorts and white tennis shoes to the opera, you'll probably be fine.