Since I am going to Italy in July, I will be wearing a hat whenever I'm outdoors to prevent getting a burn. Must I always remove the hat every time I go indoors, or only in churches? Would it be rude to leave a hat on inside a restaurant or a museum?
If it makes a difference, I will be visiting Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Barcelona, Spain. Thank you for your input.
Are you male or female? If male, it's considered polite to remove your hat when inside. If you're worried about hat hair, don't. No one else will care if your hair looks a bit funny.
What's going to happen if the advice you get here doesn't match what you see when you get there?
I am female. I should have mentioned that. I'm just trying to get an idea of what to expect. Thank you.
As a female you should be fine with leaving your hat on.
Donna
Most Italian women don't wear hats. So whatever you do they'll know you are a foreigner and will figure that whatever you do must be the correct way.
@Donna Thank you. I wouldn't want to offend anyone by doing the wrong thing.
Be sure to take your hat off before stepping into the shower.
My mother, who was a fashionista back in the 1950's, always said, "A lady would no more remove her hat than she would her blouse." As you can tell by the word 'blouse' it is an antique statement!
Females - hats OK.
Males - remove them in the churches. My son was asked to do so in St. Peter's where, as we know, dress codes are very strict. He had forgotten he even had it on. (I think he probably sleeps in the darn thing!) He asked a friend of mine who has lived in Rome for over 40 years her opinion on removing his hat. She said it is appreciated, especially in restaurants and churches.
A few weeks ago at a local museum, I had to wait a very long time until a woman with a huge sun hat cleared the way so I could actually see one of the paintings. From that perspective, I think it would've been common courtesy for her to remove that hat. I think the same would apply in Europe if you're wearing a hat with a large brim.
@Sherry Good point. I would never be so inconsiderate. I don't plan to keep my hat on indoors, I just wanted to know the custom. So thank you, everybody.
@kannd86,
Just make sure you keep your 'blouse' on! 8-)
Why ??? It is Europe. It is the shoulders they want covered.
Great advice. I'm a male who wears lots of hats. I was thinking about buying one while in Europe to help from getting burnt by the sun. I hadn't even thought about where I would need to take my hat off. Good question, for both men and women.
In July, you are likely to want to remove that hat when you aren't protecting your head from the sun, because it'll be cooler without out. So the best hat would be one that folds or otherwise fits into your handbag (or whatever) or one with a strap that you can hold onto. Women used to be expected (encouraged, required) to wear hats in church, so no one's going to object to that.
