Shorts acceptable?

We were just to all of the above except Siena and I saw lots of people in shorts (other than local people who were going to work.) It appeared both American tourists as well as European tourists wore shorts and tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops etc. I would dress the coolest way possible especially while in Rome and visiting the Forum, and other outdoor sites. It was really very warm. Enjoy your trip :)

In my opinion, yes, shorts on an adult will look out of place in Rome, etc. Is it "acceptable" is a different question. Shorts will be "accepted" (in other words, you won't be denied entrance) to museums, historic sites, casual restaurants, etc. Having visited those cities multiple times, I think local adults tend to wear shorts for trips to the country, camping, the beach, etc., but tolerate shorts on children and tourists.

This is one of the most constant topics on this bulletin board. All arguments for and against have been hashed, re-hashed and re-re-hashed (but you couldn't have known that, Sue). The arguments come down to personal comfort versus fashion. Everyone weights those things differently. You'll see lots of people wearing shorts in Italy. With the occasional exception, they're called tourists. If you're fine with that, go for it. But if you're going to do it, do try to wear flattering shorts. Happy travels.

Thanks for the input. I know I may look like a tourist, but I guess that might be better than passing out from heat stroke. I think I may bring a pair or two and wear them if the heat it too much for capris or pants.

Would you actually pass out from heat stroke if you wore a nice light-weight cotton skirt instead of shorts? Just askin'.

I agree with Norma, a skirt would be much better. Shorts on a female are definitely out of place.

Would you actually pass out from heat stroke if you wore a nice light-weight cotton skirt instead of shorts? Just askin'. Yes. In fact I have. And I am a middle aged man. Those pumps killed my toes.

The importance of well-fitted, short capris is key. When they're hot,... in that "bella chica dona" kind of way. I'm thinking the locals will give an approving nod (or leer.) Apparently, making extra efforts to look as appealing (hot) as possible is what they do in Rome. I know I plan to do a little extra gym time before I go.

Shorts during the day doing touristy things are certainly acceptable. However you will be denied entry into some churches and almost definitely the Vatican. And they are not looked upon as favorably when having dinner - I highly recommend a nice skirt or loose pants.

I was in Paris for a few days and then Switzerland for 2 weeks and a lot of people were wearing shorts especially in the lake cities like Lugano,Luzern,and Montreux. I wore shorts in Paris as the temps were in the low 80's. I now wear an equal amount of polo type shirts and t-shirts. No jeans for me in the summer months.

We went to Rome and Florence last summer. We brought lightweight skirts and dresses, as well as shorts ( knee length)and capris. It really depends on what you are doing. Remember to bring a scarf if your shoulders are showing. I had my husband and son wear pants to the Vatican--and then we saw lots of people walking around in shorts. --but honestly, it seemed a little disrespectful to me.

We were just in Rome, Florence, Venice, and other locations on our Rick Steve's tour(June & July, 2011). It was very warm and humid in Rome, and we certainly saw citizens of Rome in shorts, summer clothes, and stylish flip flops and sandals. The shorts seem very popular with the teen agers in Rome. I would certainly dress for comfort, but bring a knee-covering skirt and shoulder cover for entering museums and churches (most don't allow shorts or uncovered shoulders). For men, a lot in our group wore the travel pants that had zippers to convert them to shorts.

Not just cathedrals, but also in many smaller churches you'll find bare knees and shoulders are not acceptable.

I kind of felt like an idiot because I wasn't wearing shorts. I felt more out of place wearing pants.

The op's question is if it is out of place for her, a female, to wear shorts in Rome, Venice, Siena & Florence. She's not asking about men or teenagers. It's very acceptable for men and teenagers to wear shorts, but for women, it is out of place in a city or town.

I disagree that it is not acceptable for women to wear shorts when sightseeing. We wore shorts everywhere in Italy and never felt out of place. We wore the ones with the zip off legs so we could throw the legs back on for church exploring. You'll look like a tourist no matter what you wear, you might as well be comfortable. When we were in line at the Palatine Hill for our tickets, a large family from Germany was behind us in line and they were all wearing shorts as well. Gave me a good chance to practice my very rusty German and they were a lot of fun.

I am planning to pack some dresses and skirts, but then the question is what to do for comfortable shoes? I have not found sandals/maryjanes that will last all day. I'm definitely not wearing sneakers with a skirt!

and that was my dilemma while there. I liked wearing dresses because it was so hot but with all of the walking it is hard to wear sandals or flip flops all the time. I wore shorts while traveling on the trains nd airports because I will not wear sandals while dragging luggage and having to move quickly. In churches etc. I wore dresses and carried a very lightweight short sleeve cardigan. When I wore shorts I never felt "out of place" in the least and as I mentioned earlier I saw many people both Americans and Europeans wearing shorts. Do what is most comfortable and cool. It is going to be hot when you are there, good luck and bring your water bottle to fill up as much as you can.

As Mr. Steves says, "Just don't show up looking like you're there to mow the lawn." :-)

Italian women wear shorts. They also wear white sneakers. It's not really a question of acceptable or not....it's more that nobody really cares what you wear. Dress for comfort and just carry a shawl to cover the shoulders/wrap around the waist if needed.

Yeah, this subject gets beaten to death on a weekly basis it seems (so what's one more beating?). Yet very few (if any) seem to understand there are two sets of questions/critiera going on here (aside from the requirements of getting into churches, etc.). Number one is whether anyone (i.e. locals) "will care what you wear". Several posters here and on other boards love to tell you that no one will care. Sorry, but that simply can't be true. It's far too broad of a statement to be true. Millions of Italians and NOT ONE cares what you wear? Really? (I, for one, do notice what other people wear. So the statement "no one in Seattle notices what you wear" is simply not true, even though you hear it all the time here.) Just like here in the States, some people will notice what you wear. Some will not, of course. Perhaps most will not. But SOME will. I've said it before, I'll say it again: Italy is the fashion capital of the world (Milan, anyone?). So it only makes sense that at least SOME people there will notice what you're wearing. They probably won't say anything to you or glare at you unapprovingly, but they most surely will notice you. That's the first question. The second, and most important, question is whether or not YOU should care if THEY care. And that's something each of us simply have to answer for ourselves, on our own. Each of us have our own preferences and priorities. And that's the way it should be. So if you're the type of person who wants to look good for others, then pack the nicer clothes and leave the shorts at home. If you don't give rat's behind what other people think of you, pack whatever the heck you want to wear and don't give it a second thought. In a nutshell: Be who you are. Forget the rest.

These are the shorts you want: http://images2.orvis.com/orvis_assets/prodimg/63K6L6FB_lg.jpg Approved by all relevant authorities, including the Helpline Fashion Police Committee. And our UK Cousins will be wearing this trendy model: http://images2.orvis.com/orvis_assets/prodimg/0Y06FB_lg.jpg We'll be waiting for the pic of Nigel in the UK model, now that he's lost all that weight.

waiting for the pic of Nigel in the UK model, now that he's lost all that weight. 62 pounds more to go before the photos - then watch out for me in the nobbly knees contests!!

Nigel: We're looking forward to seeing those photos, when your work is done. Keep it up!

We are also traveling to those cities, actually leaving next week. I bought the pants that zip off to shorts for my sons and I plan to wear capris or a skirt.

I hear a lot about the zip-off pants/short convertable thing for guys but I've never tried them (I hate wearing shorts myself). So I have to ask, are they really that much more comfortable than a nice pair of ultra-light pair of linen pants? Is the hassle of zipping them on and off really worth it? I ask because I am curious. I'll be in Italy this September and I'm expecting it to be warm and humid. Whenever I've been in a hotter climate I've just worn my linen pants. Very light, very breezy. Granted, it's hard to find a pair of linen pants for guys that don't look like pajama bottoms, but there are some out there. :-)

Max, we love the zip off legs, we tend to travel in May October when the weather can be more varied though. Some days we don't unzip the legs at all, warmer days we may. But we both like wearing shorts, for us they are comfortable. They are handy if you are like us and just HAVE to pop into the different churches you happen across when wandering and want to be prepared for anything. One of the things I like about them is that they are a nice thin, very fast drying material so they pack and wash out nicely. They also tend to have lots of hidden pockets that are useful for day trips. Some khaki style pants are also cooler than shorts, hubby will take some of those along as well. Zipping and unzipping them has never been an issue for us, well, maybe the first time we pull them out after awhile and have to remember the easiest way to re-zip the legs on a specific pair. They aren't for everyone, they work well for us.