Shorts on the Amalfi Coast?

I wasn't there in May, but in June/July I certainly was NOT the only one wearing shorts, actually pants with zip off legs. Legs went on when going into a church. I visited all the places you mention.

I find the zip off leg pants a great way to hedge my bets, relative to the weather.

IMHO you're going to be a tourist and seen as one so don't worry about it. There are so many places I've been where the "locals don't wear shorts" but there are a whole lot of locals wearing shorts.

That said if you get sunburnt easily you might want pants if stuck in awkward position on the boat. Lived, learned experience :)

It’s a tourist destination so everyone will be wearing shorts. I think you’ll find the same in Venice etc if the weather is good enough.

Dunno what you are worrying about, I am an adult Italian and like all my friends I've been wearing shorts every summer for years. Why not? Out of workplaces and churches it's a free choice.

Nobody's going to notice what you wear. Locals have their daily lives to worry about

Robby, Robby. Everyone wears shorts in Europe now. It isn't the 1980s. Please wear your shorts.

In general I would agree with Emily except in Naples. I was there in July. I saw no one in shorts. I wore skirts and my husband pants. We both wore shorts on the Amalfi coast.

At seaside locations Italian men wear shorts. In cities not so much, except for younger generations. However in early May you are even less likely to see men in shorts outside of seaside locations, and even there it will depend on the weather. It’s like Americans who say not to wear white before Memorial Day. Well Italians don’t wear shorts much before June and after September, even on hot days. Actually my female friends, even when they were young, would not go downtown Florence in shorts and sometimes not even with short sleeves, even in summer. All peoples have their own myths, but attitudes are changing with the new generations.

Seriously, if it is your norm to wear shorts, then why are you letting strangers dictate what you are most comfortable in? Your body, your choices, your clothes.

Larry, I couldn't agree more.

I wore shorts every single day of the ≈50 days I was traveling around Italy and Sicily recently (including Venice) because I was comfortable in shorts, they pack small, and the weather was warm for my body’s thermostat. People treated me wonderfully despite having to look at my knees.

But if you want to try to “blend in” and that makes you more comfortable, do that. Just don’t be surprised if locals know you’re a tourist anyway.

2 weeks in Sorrento a couple of years ago and I wore nothing but shorts. In fact I've also worn them in Time, Florence and Venice and nobody cared. Did I blend in? I definitely did with the thousands of other tourists in Italy.

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I’m grateful for this community and appreciate the practical advice and suggestions. I should have been a little more clear about the reason for my question. It’s not about fitting in, but simply about respecting the culture. Your responses will certainly help in that regard.

I gave you the attitude of Italians, which are also very dependent on the age group they belong (young Italians are just as informal as Americans in the same age group, older Italians less so). However you are a tourist, you are not supposed to abide by local norms. Every Italian knows that tourists wear whatever they pulled out of the hamper the day they pack their suitcase to travel to Italy (at least that is what my late mother used to say, but she had worked in the fashion industry).