If anyone has recently returned from Venice, would you be kind enough to share what middle aged fashionable couples are wearing to restaurants? Do women wear wide legged linen pants or are they sticking to skinny jeans?
Also what Italian women are using for handbags on the street instead of backpacks?
Do Venetians wear straw hats while strolling?
Grazie mille! We're starting to pack!
Wear what makes you comfortable. I travel with only jeans (straight leg, not skinny) and hiking pants. A blouse over my jeans or a tee and a cardigan with a scarf are my out-to-dinner staples. We go to restaurants many Venetians patronize and nothing too fancy. Linen will wrinkle but many like it in summer.
A cross body bag is great for any time (reasonably secure and leaves your hands free), and if you rock a straw hat at home, it’s a good choice anywhere.
Apparently tourists get targetted by pickpockets, so a lot of us travelers wear crossbody bags with pockets that can be zipped closed and locked. I've seen Italian women walking around with regular purses, some even looking like beach bags. I guess they don't worry about getting robbed.
Lots of people from lots of various countries will be strolling around Venice. You'll see a wide variety of hats. Just wear what suits you.
You'll also see a wide variety of pants, skirts, shorts, etc. even in restaurants. I think that the really fashionable women wear dresses, and I noticed in particular some really cute dresses on the 20 somethings.
I dress almost exactly like Laurel: straight-leg jeans; tidy blouses or tees; good walking shoes; pouchy, lightweight shoulder bag. The only difference is trading out her cardigan for a light jacket or fleece vest. It's been my uniform for virtually ALL of our trips to Europe, and I've never felt out of place. We do not eat at posh restaurants, however. I'm not a fan of linen - don't care for the wrinkles - but know that lots of folks like it. A hat is fine but a gentleman needs to remove his when entering the churches. Speaking of those, both sexes need to have their knees and shoulders covered when visiting.
But you'll be surrounded largely by other tourists from all over the world - daily visitors outnumber Venetians - and no one else gives a hoot what you are wearing. Best advice is not to try to wear things you are unused to wearing; I do not have a special wardrobe for travel. Go with what you know, what is comfortable, in fabrics that don't show dirt (bottoms) and don't have to be babied. Sightseeing can be a grubby pastime!
I can't speak for OP, but the question was what middle-aged fashionable couples are wearing. Replies of "oh, just wear whatever you want" do not answer the question, IMO.
Middle age is the period of a human's life beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. The exact range is subject to academic debate, but commonly the term is used to denote the age range from around 40s to around 60s, although it may begin earlier and end later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_age
Probably best if OP looks at webcams of Venice, or other video media, to see what people are wearing and apply her definition of 'fashionable'.
Given the vagueness of 'middle age', I suspect a 42 year women would have a different idea of what is 'fashionable', than her 63 year old mother
To be honest Anne, you don’t see too many Venetians when you’re there or it is difficult to discern. Even though @epltd objected to ‘wear what you want’, it is about comfort. I felt more comfortable there when I wore a light weight black midi skirt from Athleta-had side slits so felt slightly more fashionable-with some light weight lighter fabric tops. I also had a very simple t-shirt dress in navy that helped me feel more fashionable whether it really was or not. With the hot temperatures I was very happy with it. And yes, I wore a straw wider brimmed hat the entire time as it was hot and sunny and was glad to have it. I took a white linen dress with me that I did not wear, but it certainly would have been comfortable had I. Don’t remember now why I didn’t!!
I also had two pairs of linen blend knee length shorts-Bermuda?-that I wore. One pair black and the other a lovely teal-mix and match with tops that I wore with the skirt.
This is a great site so you can see live what people are wearing besides seeing the main areas too!
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/rialto-canal-grande.html
More webcams than just Rialto-canal.
EDIT: I don’t think you’ll want jeans there at all. It will be too HOT! Go for loose and breezy with good air flow.-cool linen if you like linen for travel (I do!). Comfort above fashion really as the heat there can be a bit oppressive-sounds like you’re traveling soon. Have a wonderful time.
Speaking as someone who grew up in two heavily touristed cities (Washington DC and London), my family gave plenty of hoots in private about what tourists were wearing or saying or doing, but were always helpful and polite to tourists in person. I assume that is what some residents of places I travel to do, too. The only place in the world I have ever gotten a public hoot for something I was wearing was in New York City and I don't even remember what the guy had to say about my sun hat as he passed me on the sidewalk.
My philosophy is not to care about any hooting by anybody. However, I do dress considerably more nicely and quietly in Italy than I do at home, and my husband looks so nice it makes up for my wearing the sneakers I have to wear summer and winter due to foot issues. I do wear linen pants and linen tunics, so I am plenty wrinkly. Jeans take way too long to air-dry in Italy, but nice new black ones are what my husband wears, with a nice shirt or sweater. "Nice" is not helping you very much, is it? I hope somebody who knows more about clothes can give you specifics!
OK, referencing the suggestion to observe the crowds and what they are wearing on some webcams, here are a few to get you started:
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia.html
You can see attire a little more clearly on the Rialto Bridge cam, the one of the walkway beside the canal.
Funny, for staying cooler, it seems to matter more what I'm wearing on top than on the bottom so jeans - and mine are fairly light weight - don't bother me, although I know that's not true for everyone. While we sink wash/drip dry most of our shirts, we hit a laundromat every 1 and 1/2 weeks or so; that's when the jeans get a wash-up/machine dry. As you asked, Anne, I'm sure you know that denim, skinny or otherwise, can be dressed up or down with a scarf, a dressier top, etc. if you already do so at home. Spiffing up with easy-to-pack touches versus, say, entirely different outfits, helps reduce the bulk of stuff in the suitcase.
Like many other factors when it comes to travel, it comes down to what works for YOU. LOL, as you can see, we all have our own approach to clothing, and all of it is "right". :O) When is your trip?
