Dressing for Hot Weather in Italy

Judy,, I found it easy to dress appropriatly. Sundresses and skirts are nice and cool. As long as they are to or over the knee. Throw a scarf or lightweigh caridgan in your bag for churches. Easy. You can also wear any shirt or blouse that covers your shoulders, basically no tank tops. ( unless you cover with sweater or scarf) I actually brought a lightweigh cotton shirt instead of a sweater to use as a cover up,, sort of the that gauzy material that looks wrinkly normally.
You can wear capris too, just no shorts.

You can wear anything you like but take a large scarf or shirt with sleeves for going inside the churches. The rules are knees and shoulders covered for men, women and children. You can find those convertable pants where the legs zip off and on. those are great for hot days. You can also keep a lightweight T-shirt in your bag to slip on when you go inside churches.

Donna

A skirt and a shirt that just covers my shoulders that was my day-in-day-out uniform for Italy. It works for sightseeing in Rome as well as for hiking in the CT. Tanktops or anything with spagetti straps is not just inappropriate for churches it is also not a very good protection against sunburns. I made that mistake once and ended up with second degree burns - never again! Sunscreen can only do so much, clothing gives much better protection.

Thanks to both of you! Have either of you had experience with Lake Como in mid June? Is it cooler there? Do I need a lightweight rain coat?

Judy

A raincoat might be a bit bulky. Neither Herself nor I go anywhere, anytime without a below-the-butt gortex (or smiliar product) rain jacket.

Thanks Ed...that's what I was thinking, a light weight gore tex jacket.

I was grateful for it in the Swiss Alps last summer in a blizzard.

Judy

Mid June shouldn't be too hot...luckily you're not coming in July or August, that's when you could fry an egg on a bare shoulder :(

Eek! I'm gonna be in Rome for 3 days in mid-August. What was I thinking!!! I'm actually assuming the weather will be much like it is where I live in Southern California...HOT. I did plan to wear tank tops, but am reconsidering...a sunburn would really ruin the rest of our trip.

Judy - I find layers always work. I found a great reversable long broomstick style skirt.

Some churches want a full sleeve (like a tee shirt) not just a cap sleeve. I carry a thin scarf to cover not just shoulders but upper arms as well.

I saw one time a guard make a woman wear one of the lovely blue paper shirts - not because her shoulders were bear - but her cleavage wasn't covered appropriately!!! That was at the Duomo in Fierenzi.

Cindy: Re your "I'm actually assuming the weather [in Rome in August] will be much like it is where I live in Southern California...HOT."

Actually, Rome in August will likely be noticeably more sticky than Southern California.

Take a wrap around skirt to tie over shorts.

KOL

Ron,

if Judy arrives mid June to stay for 18 days she'll be there in July as well. And chances are that there will be at least some very hot days during that time. When we visited Italy in June 08 it was HOT all the time - 30 C and hotter ...