Vatican Appropriate Attire

I actually saw a young girl in very short hot pants inside St. Peters last May. I don't know how she got inside dressed like that. A skirt as you described should be OK as long as it is not too short.

You should cover your knees and shoulders.

A skirt to your knees will be fine. Make sure to have your shoulders covered. Some of the guards are VERY picky so make sure to cover up. Don't risk being turned away with too short a skirt or sleeves. It is a church, after all, so just be on the safe side. You can wear a shawl over a strappy tank if you like or wrap wrap it around your waste if your skirt is short. The guards are usually fine with something like that especially in the summer.

I have seen them deny entrance to people in shorts and tanks. No matter the age they will stop you if you aren't dressed appropriately. I've seen them stop teens and adults alike.

Donna

A lot can just depend on who is watching for dress issues that day. If you are wearing a skirt that just goes to your knees, make it one you can pull down a little to cover your knees. Signs in most churches indicate shoulders, knees and midriffs should be covered. As an example, some men wearing long shorts have been turned away and others have had no problems. If you are in the borderline range, then it just depends on your luck that day.

I have seen women stand in long lines just to be turned away once they reach the entry if they wore skimpy tops and their shoulders weren't covered. I didn't see very many women wearing shorter skirts as many of the mid aged Italian women seemed to wear just below the knee or longer. Many women wear sun dresses with shoulders covered and I never saw problems with that. I'd take one just a little longer for those instances and wear your other ones out and about.

Roxanne,

Especially for the Vatican and St. Peter's, it would be a good idea to follow the guidelines carefully. While it's certainly possible that some may gain admission even with inappropriate attire, it's not something to take a chance on.

On my last visit to St. Peter's, which happened to be on a warm September afternoon, I observed an incident which quite surprised me. A young lady wearing a sleeveless dress entered the Church wearing a Shawl to cover her shoulders. A few minutes after she got inside (where it was also very warm) she took the Shawl off for a few minutes. Within a few seconds one of the Guards reprimanded her severely and loudly, and with an extremely angry and "mean" demeanor. There wasn't the least bit of sympathy for her discomfort or embarrassment!

Perhaps he was "setting an example"? I had thought that perhaps a more gentle "first warning" would have been appropriate. However, I'm sure everyone in the vicinity was reminded very quickly of the dress code rules after watching that spectacle.

Happy travels!

In February there was a sign outside St. Peters. It was a red circle with a line through it over tank tops and shorts. So no bare shoulders or shorts and probably no short skirts.
First time we visited in 1997, my husband was turned away for wearing shorts. I was wearing long pants. So we hid behind a column (in St. Peter's Square) and he put on my long pants (elastic waist) and I put on his shorts, pulled way down low. We looked pretty, silly but we got in. We could not stop laughing. This is one of our favorite memories!
ps in the summer, vendors sell shawls and pants at the entrance

Roxanne,

It's one day. Just wear slacks or a long skirt and get on with it.

Two couples went to Rome in early Sept. 2009 when it was quite warm. We wanted to pack light and we also wanted to be respectful of the places we were visiting, so we brought NO shorts or sleeveless shirts. We wore lightweight travel apparel that was drip-dry so we could wash it out in the hotel. We always felt we looked "good but not good" -- we definitely didn't look sloppy. We felt cool and comfortable -- so glad we dressed appropriately. We saw some people getting scolded or handed really ugly ponchos to put on over their shorts/sleeveless tops. Have a great time!

Capris work too. As was said, the rule is shoulders and knees covered (assume that includes covered midriffs).

My wife doesn't like long skirts but packed a lightweight skirt that went just below the knees for our visit.

Sandals, by the way, are fine.