Jeans, or no jeans...?

Do you normally wear jeans? If you do, I say bring a pair. I love my jeans, and I will be bringing some on my trip. I plan to wear them on the plane. We are traveling early Sept. to early Oct. in Italy and Germany. Contrary to what is commonly said on the helpline, they do not take days to dry. A couple of weeks ago, as an experiment, I washed 3 pair of different weights in my washer and hung them to dry. They dried overnight. If you hand wash them it may take a little longer as you can't get as much water out of them. Try to get excess water out with a microfiber towel. Wear what you feel comfortable in, because you will be wearing the same clothes over and over until you are sick of them! Have a great trip!!! EDIT to reply to Frank's response - when I hung my jeans to dry it was in the bathroom, not outdoors.

The real issue around jeans is not the fashion aspect but the maintenance needs. Jeans can be hot, heavy, and hard to hand wash and dry. Marcia wears a black pants that has jean cut and look but is a synthetic blend that is comfortable and easy to maintain. Someone report using a washing machine and hanging out to dry and being dry in the morning. That is true no doubt. Hand wash in a sink or bathtub, and hang in a bathroom with poor air circulation and they will still be very damp in the AM. As a matter of routine we avoid anything that is 100% cotton just because of the uncertainty of drying conditions.

I'm bringing 2 pairs of jeans but don't plan to handwash them at all. I plan to wear them at least 2 to 3 times then plan to drop them off at the laundry when I get to Rome. I will also have 1 pair of black pants that I can handwash.

I always bring black slacks and skirts, but also a pair of jeans - everyone wears them in Paris, London, Italy in my experience. In late Sept in Italy you can dry a pair of jeans outside your window in the sun in a couple of hours! Unless the weather forecast is for very hot weather, I'd bring them. PS, Susan's post above is the way to go.

I say bring them, if you get cooler weather you will be happy to have them, i usually wear them on the plane but there are not the tight jeans type.

I travel in NOv/Dec and jeans have been fine for me and my travels. Jeans can be worn multiple times. I would never hand wash jeans as I never hand wash my over clothes (only my under clothes). But I have never traveled in the warmer months. But I live in Florida, hot humid 90 degree days do not stop me from wearing jeans.

I never travel without jeans. They are just so versatile-can be dressed up with boots and dressy jacket + turtleneck + jewelry/scarf. Jeans no longer have to be made from heavy, thick denim. The two pair that I will take to England in just a few weeks are a lighter weight denim with stretch ability-one pair dark blue and one pair black. Other items that are must-takes for me: a black skirt, longish, and a jean jacket-the latter two I wear on the plane.

Jeans are just heavy and bulky compared to other materials so the biggest reasons beside getting them dry if you hand wash them are luggage weight restrictions. We usually wear a pair of jeans over on the plane but take lighter weight pants with us that are easier to wash. The warmer the weather may be, the more likely you may need to wash them while there.

Never. It took a few trips, but I think I have my wife convinced. As a few noted above, they are BULKY and not fun to hand wash. For cooler months nothing beats corduroys, comfortable and can be worn for at least 2x what jeans can. In summer months, cotton-poly blend ... 100% cotton wrinkle too much and don't wear as well.

Although this was intended for the ladies, I think this is an interesting topic for both men and women. Kelly is absolutely right. Never hand wash your jeans in any continent(unless you really don't like them. Unless you plan on doing construction work while on your vacation, you shouldn't have to wash them. Keep them in rotation with other pants and they should be fine. Weather would be your only concern.

My wife was insistent on bringing jeans until she did a test packing and realized one pair of jeans equaled two pairs of pants and one skirt in weight and volume. We got rained on quite a bit in Rome (September) so that was another thankful moment where she was glad that we didn't have jeans on. They take foreeeeever to dry

hmari, I routinely wear Blue Jeans at home, but WON'T travel with them, primarily for two reasons: they're NOT the most comfortable in hot weather (which is quite common even in the shoulder seasons) and they're also a bit of a problem for washing. Unless one has ready access to a Laundry facility (which can be expensive, especially when using "service wash" places) it's difficult to wash and especially to dry Blue Jeans. I've found that air drying is a bit "inconsistent", even using travel-friendly clothing. If the humidity is high, it takes longer than overnight (although I found this year that having a warm ocean breeze sure helps!). Trying to air dry Blue Jeans would take a lot longer! If you absolutely want to travel with Blue Jeans, you'll have to be prepared to deal with the issues they present. Cheers!

I'm working on my packing list as well as I'm heading over in October. I've thought about the jeans issue and decided against bringing them for the following reasons: 1) Not easily washable. 2) Dead UNCOMFORTABLE if you get rained on - I've opted instead to bring thermal leggings to wear under either hiking-type pants or even a skirt if we end up going somewhere a bit nicer. 3) I don't think Italians themselves wear jeans very much and I'd like to look touristy as little as possible! Those are my thoughts but interested to see what others think too.

Thanks for all the great replies! I think I will bring them; mine are very thin, crop jeans, and very fitted, so they're not heavy, or bulky, and do dry fairly quickly when I hang them up at home. And, can be very versatile. I think if I take them out I'll regret it, even though I'm still a little unsure now:) Everything still fits in a carry on, so I'm good..so off I go with the jeans...I think... :)

I'm definitely bringing jeans on our trip to Spain/Italy in two weeks - wearing them on the plane seems the best way to "pack" them. I'll be packing a couple of pairs of light travel pants, but I figure a nice pair of darker wash jeans won't get dirty quickly (or at least hopefully won't look dirty!) and can be dressed up or down, and I'm comfortable in them provided it's not 100 degrees out. Since we'll be there through mid-October, I'm sure we'll have a few cooler evenings where I'll be glad to have them. And as I won't be wearing them with bright white tennis shoes, a fanny pack, and a USA t-shirt and hat, I don't think they'll make me stand out as a tourist!

While I've NEVER traveled with my jeans in the past. I'm thinking about bringing one pair with me on our trip to England in September. I won't wear them on the plane, too uncomfortable to sit in something that snaps at the waist for that long (I travel in a pair of Lululemon yoga pants) I've been wearing my jeans rolled up to capri length all summer here in Colorado, so I figure the 65 degree temps that are predicted for our travel will make those jeans a bit more wearable. I'm bringing just one pair of capri pants, these jeans that I roll or unroll and one pair of shorts (just in case it's warmer) As far as washing them, we'll be in country 2 weeks, I see no need to wash them if I alternate with other pants. I can wash when I get home. I bring a Tide pen to clean stains. I wear each of my tops 2x, then retire them to the bottom of the suitcase. The only thing I've washed while on our travels were under garments and our bike clothes...and that was in the sink at the hotel.

The comment of jeans making a person stand out as a tourist is silly. Everyone in Europe wears jeans-well, perhaps not the elderly. We see them worn everywhere-France, Italy, UK, Spain, Switzerland and so on. If your jeans are thick and bulky, shop for new ones-thin & stretchy is available and so comfortable. The bottom line is: they are stylish and look great if they fit properly. It is more fun to look stylish when traveling than looking frumpy.

Amending my previous comment about not bringing jeans, I realized that my decision was based on the fact that our trip is based around a lot of outdoor activities. Generally, hiking in jeans is just not a good idea, hence, my decision to opt for hiking pants and thermals. However, if you're going for a more urban-based trip, then jeans should be fine. Also, my comment about sticking out if you wear jeans was based on this: my husband and I both used to live in the States and when we moved to NZ we had people point out how we "stuck out" due simply to our dress. We also had visitors come over from the US and noticed the same thing about them, and their wardrobe usually consisted of a pristine Old Navy T-shirt, white tennis shoes and of course, jeans. But definitely, jeans are more versatile nowadays and you're not limited to the old blue cardboard variety. And of course, NZ isn't Italy. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time! :)

Do you wear jeans when you travel in the States? Do you wear jeans at home? If you do, bring them. If not, leave them at home. I always wear jeans at home and I always bring 2 pair when I travel. I find them more practical than any other type of slacks ... they don't show dirt and they are to me extremely comfortable. I usually travel in spring and fall; I agree that they would not be my first choice in hot weather.

I'm a regular jeans wearer so almost always bring a pair on my travels. They're versatile, can be dressed up or down, and dirt doesn't show on them if they're in a dark color. Was in eastern Europe last fall and saw that the women were wearing jeans with short cropped dark jackets in various styles - boy, did they look stylish!

Hi Hmari! I spent 2 weeks traveling to London, Paris and Amsterdam last October and I brought and worn jeans the entire time. I wore them multiple times and really helped keeping me warm especially in Paris. I say bring a pair or 2 (stylish, perfect fit and preferably in darker rinse). I saw tons of ladies in London and Paris wear dark rinse jeans with cropped bomber jackets and flat boots. Enjoy!