Pack Light & Look Good? (aka Italian eye for the American guy)

Bob, It is truly refreshing to have a man ask what to wear and be so concerned about his wardrobe. One thing that hit me in several trips to Europe -- Italian men are very stylish. Please do not bring cargo shorts. My suggestions, assuming you will be in cities at least part of the time: Depending on the weather forecast, bring the most stylish lightweight pants you can get. A pair of nice jeans will also be worth bringing, in my opinion, unless it is very, very hot. Avoid t-shirts with writing or graphics on them. Solid, dark colors are OK, as are Polo or short sleeved shirts -- leave Hawaiian prints and tank tops at home. Black athletic shoes would be good, but even white ones, if you must, will be OK. It's very important to have good shoes. Be casual, but look a bit more put together than you might in the states.

My husband travels with polo shirts. A nice looking collared shirt in dark colors. For pants, he does wear longer shorts - to the knee (not cargo pants, but a flat front short- a "walking short" for hot temps and day touring, but always has a nice pair of chino pants for evening. He has a favorite pair of Timberland shoes and wears those on the plane and out in the evening. For day touring, it's usually his Chaco sandals. Normally we to bike tours in Italy, so we are only in street clothes for 4-6 hours in the afternoon into evening so get a lot of use of the same clothing. I think he looks just fine. he is neat and tailored. The Italian men are either in business suits, or "manpris", i.e. capri pants for men. The younger guys are in jeans and t-shirts, with American style logos on them, or their favorite football team (soccer team) Just stay away from zip off hiking pants, socks with sandals and baseball caps - you will be fine!

Lot's of great tips - thank you! I think the shoes will be the biggest challenge. But at least it sounds like a few t-shirts won't be terribly out of order. I just wish they weren't so bulky to pack. BG: thanks for the compliment! Since most American men seem terribly afraid of fashion (or at least afraid of looking "different" from other men) & seem to take a strange pride in looking like a slob, I do feel like a fish-out-of-water sometimes. Especially here in the Pacific NW!

European men wear capris which are more like a straight legged short but worn about calf length. You will also see shorts - mostly on tourists - but you'll be surrounded by tourists. You might as well blend in with them and be comfortable. There are also some outdoor clothing sites that have super lightweight long pants, which is what my husband wore. We're going back and he would like capris but they haven't caught on in the USA yet.

Thanks Kay - do know the names of those sites that sell super-lightweight long pants? I've got a pair of 100% linen pants, but, wow, the wrinkles. I can't imagine having to pack those.

My preference for shoes that are stylish but good for day-long walking is Ecco. Something like this one, for example. They don't make my favorite one anymore, which looked like a cross between an oxford and a hiking shoe. There's a pretty wide selection of Ecco and other brands at Nordstrom. (As a fellow Seattleite I thought you'd appreciate that I didn't say "Nordstroms".) :-) I traveled to Italy in September a few years ago and it wasn't all that scorching (but definitely warm by our NW standards). I suggest looking at flat front chinos and khakis for lighterweight pants.

I love the tone of your email! And I love your asking what we women would like our men to wear. I would like mine to wear a snug t-shirt (maybe they're not called t-shirts); you know, a collarless shirt that looks good. And well-fitting pants in a thin fabric. Unfortunately, what my husband wears in September in Italy is shorts, and not cargo pants, but just regular shorts. Sometimes, I've pointed out, he's the only male in whatever city we're in who is wearing shorts. But he doesn't care. And I guess I'm thankful that he doesn't wear white gym shoes - he wears some non-name-brand covered-toe sandels. Keep in mind that while Italian men are stylish, and don't tend so much to wear cargo shorts, they do also wear pants in the oddest colors - lime green, pumpkin orange, tomato red. For an example, see the website for a local American pizzeria (the picture is from Rome): http://pizzerialocale.com/.

Have you seen the other thread titled something about wearing blue jeans? A woman just got back from Italy and posted what she saw there in fashion for woman AND men.

Try pulling the insoles out of the allstars and putting in super feet. I swear by Keens. http://www.6pm.com/keen-coronado-trooper-india-ink I wore them in Ireland and France for 5 weeks. They look almost like Chuck Taylor's with much better support. I have had that pair since 2005. I am going to buy a pair of North Face Haydens. I wore North Face Rowans last time but they have been discontinued. They look good with shorts and pants. Super light. http://www.zappos.com/the-north-face-hayden-ii-demitasse-brown-elixir-brown

Love your post! As the wife of a relatively young, relatively hipster husband, I understand your pain. :)
For our trip ot Italy (just 2 weeks away now!) he packs light and well by packing less and shopping at REI sale racks. He's bringing 3-4 pants (including a really nice pair of gray patagonia jeans but seem somewhat lightweight) button down tops only (no polos!); 3-4 short and 1 long sleeve and a nice jacket. For shoes he has a pair of dress shoes from Ecco (Helsinkis I think) and a pair of gray skater type shoes that are pretty mellow looking with inserts in them. Most of what he's bringing he wears to his IT job daily, but is bringing the good more wrinkle-resistant options. We'll see how it goes but it does all fit in his bag-which is the first step! :) good luck!

Bring light-colored, loose pants like Dockers. Leave the jeans home (they are not cool and really not common IF you are trying to look nicer). A pair of shorts for hiking or lounging around the hotel room, but leave them in the room for your day travels and evenings. Simple, light-colored shirts like polo or even plain-colored t-shirts (not of your favorite sports team). There are plenty of comfy walking shoes out there that are leather or darker-colored and don't look like gym shoes. And Bob - no reason to appologize. I'm amazed at both the fashion sense of European men (for the most part) and the utter disregard for appearance American men seem to have (for the most part).

Ps-for a fun look at fashion from all over, check out this blog which has frequent postings from Florence. (scroll down for an awesome pic of a nice suit and gelato!) http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Bob, What a great topic for discussion! It's not too often there are questions here about travel clothing for men. I tend to wear a lot of TILLEY clothing when travelling (their walking socks are very comfortable, and the Hats are fantastic). I'll never look like an Italian (or European) wearing it, but that's not a concern. It's comfortable, stylish (IMO) and above all easy to look after (ie: washing in a Hotel room sink if necessary). If you decide to try the clothing, it would be a good idea to find a local stocking dealer, as I've found that some of their sizing can be "inconsistent". They have two dealers listed in Seattle, but they may not carry the entire line (look in the "Alex & Co." tab for retail partners). There's a retail store in Vancouver (BC) should you ever be in that area. My preferred travel shoes are a well broken-in pair of ECCO Track II Low Shoes (in black). When my current pair wears out, I'll be buying another of the same type. After my experiences on a photo workshop last year, I pack along a small polish kit as well. They took quite a beating in the muddy fields of Tuscany! For good travel clothing, you could also have a look at Magellans or Ex Officio. I've ordered a few items from Magellans in the past, and the quality has been good. I've never ordered from Ex Officio as they apparently don't like doing business in Canada (they never replied to my request for a catalogue). Good luck and happy travels!

Have you thought, Bob, that the best most stylish shoes are made in Italy? Take comfy shoes for the trip but for looking the bees knees and taking home be sure to do a little shoe based retail therapy whilst there...

My husband goes through the fashion/function thing each time we travel. As for jeans - you will kick yourself if you do not bring jeans. Europeans wear jeans. You will see them on most people, all ages. The idea that Europeans do not wear jeans is a bit dated. There are light weight versions out there. You can wear them for two or three days and they will hide the dirt. light weight khaki's or chinos (as previously recommended) are good, especially those with zip pockets, but NOT zip off legs. As for shoes - find a good comfy pair that suits YOU, but not white. My husband is considering Chacos for our upcoming summer trip. Maybe a bit on the clunky side for Italians but comfort is most important as uncomfortable shoes will ruin your vacation. Save up and go shopping for some clothing there. You will be glad you did! I second the suggestion to look at The Sartorialist website from someone above. It is one of my favorites.
Have a great trip!

I'm another woman that is happy you are asking! And my fiance was happy about this thread because we will be leaving in August for four months in Italy and he's trying to figure out some things to wear. (And we are both young like you) As far as Chucks, they definitely wear them there. They are not the most supportive so if that is a concern to you then don't wear them, go for some of the other options people mentioned here. However, last summer I wore flat sandals with no support at all..at the end of the day my feet would hurt, but I chose fashion over comfort haha. One thing I wanted to mention, is please don't feel like you may be dressing too "homosexually" or such when thinking of fashion. In Italy, men can walk holding hands and that is not an indicator that they're gay. They also will wear jeans, a white button up shirt and a pink sweater tied around they're shoulders, and be definitely straight. Italians DO wear jeans (especially young ones), and guys wear tighter fitting jeans for the most part. It may be too hot, but at night it will cool off some and you may want some for going out to the bars, etc.

Bob, For shoes, I love Cole Haan Air shoes. They have the Nike Air sole so are super comforable, and they're stylish. There are many different styles that offer the Air sole from upscale sneakers to loafers. I live in San Francisco and have had reasonably young, reasonably hipster people (!) stop me in the street and ask where I got them. Not boasting after all, all I did was buy some shoes I liked but gives you an idea!

I would consider buying some dark brown or black shoes (like these http://www.shoes.com/en-US/Product/72973-1017568/Tommy+Hilfiger/Black/Men%27s+T-Scratch.aspx ... my fiance likes those, they are comfortable) because you can easily dress them up or down and will be fine with long days of walking.

I see that other girls have posted, so I will chime in. Lightweight T-shirts are available in quick drying materials; they weigh MUCH less than cotton T's. And they dry overnight after washing in the sink. I have a few in solid colors and they often make the cut for my packing light. Black T's are great as they can look dressy for both men and women. Ex-Officio brand has great travel clothing; I have a pair of their pants which do travel very well. Bamboo clothing is very comfy and also dries overnight. I have a white cool/dry material shirt which travels very well, it is long sleeved, but has button tabs to convert it to above the elbow sleeves. I purchased it at a travel store. I was at Mountain Equipment Coop today, a chain similar to REI in the USA. They had several types of quick-dry type of clothing that work well for travelling. Have a great trip.

Bob - do you have any non-tee shirt material shirts? I just bought some very lightweight cotton button shirts (in other words, NOT polos, not knit fabric) for my husband. They are cooler than a knit shirt that sticks to you - like suggesting to women to wear a skirt that gets the breeze rather than pants. They are lighter to pack as well. They also look great with jeans and sandals. And yes, I'd recommend sandals as long as they are closed toe (no Birkenstocks). There are great walking sandals that look very nice, will help you stay cool and are supportive as well.You just need to go out and buy them and start wearing them now to make sure they are okay.

Karen - I did pick up some very thin, light weight button-up shirts (from Urban Outfitters, I think). Problem is they're so lightweight they're virtually see-through. So at home I use them layered over t-shirts. I'm thinking that might work in Italy, even if it means packing two shirts for one use (i.e. the button up & tee). I usually pack pretty light, but this will be the longest trip I've ever taken (3+ weeks) and I'm finding the needs of such a long trip in such a hotter climate is bumping into my need to pack ultra-light! Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions! Especially the shoes. Even though we do a lot of walking around our 'hood, I have to admit that, when it comes to shoes, I will always chose fashion over practicable.

Bob- That's exactly what my husband has; lightweight button-downs layered over t-shirts. His t-shirts are from more breathable/wicking fabrics than cotton from REI so he won't be as hot! Then he can just wash the t-shirts more often than the button-downs anyway. (I think they're just REI brand t-shirts, they feel and look just like cotton so it doesn't look 'sporty'.)

I choose fashionable over practical too, Bob. If you are used to walking a lot in those shoes, then you should be fine. Like I said, I wore sandals with no support and made it a month in Europe!