What kind of pants in Italy?

Nobody except you (and perhaps a travel companion) will care what you wear, so be comfortable and please yourself.
And you're right: no matter what you wear, the locals will know you're a tourist.
Some travelers swear by their fashion jeans; other travelers avoid jeans because they can be hot in humid weather and are bulky to pack (esp. men's larger jeans)--but these are considerations only for the traveler who has to pack light.
The locals (depending on age) will wear jeans, although the locals will dress differently in Milan than in Cinque Terre.

My husband wears jeans and only jeans at home...generally dark blue (but even some regular denim blue) or black on vacation. I can't say I ever saw anyone giving him funny looks...as long as the jeans are clean and free of holes, what's the big deal? If you wear khaki pants at home, take them. Hubby never does and he bought a pair of khakis to wear in Italy and they never even left the suitcase because he wanted to wear what was comfy.

I don't know if I'd assume that May would be cooler....we've been in CT and Florence in late Sept and it felt like August thru the day (cooler in the evenings).

And can I mention how many good looking younger guys I saw in Rome walking around in jeans and button down shirts and maybe a blazer (the more 'Euro' slim fitting jeans)...my oh my...I generally don't look too much...but they know how to dress!

I run around in gym shoes and T-shirt, but not jeans, way too hot for me even in Winter. I pack one pair of jeans, and the only time I wore them in Italy was the Winter of our Polar Vortex, 2013/2014.

May can be hot, still, I think maybe too warm for dark jeans and dark socks. Khaki pants seem cooler, and maybe casual Polo-type shirts with short sleeves for daytime wear.

But you can always pack a pair of jeans just in case weather permits, and button-down shirt is nice to have for dress. I pack a small variety of clothes.

i think nice fitting khakis and banlon shirts would be the most wrinkle proof and comfortable outfit possible for men..

Depending on where you are going in Italy, where you are from and your heat tolerance I would make sure you have some short sleeve shirts as well. We all have different experiences with weather, but I found Rome excessively hot in Mid May year before last (live in N. Idaho and have no tolerance for hot weather), then a rain storm moved in and it cooled off as we got to one of the hill towns. Based on being in Italy for all or parts of 3 different Rick Steves tours, I would say that jeans are fine if you can tolerate heat. About half the men on my tours wore jeans the whole time with the other half wearing quick dry hiking pants with an occasional khaki or shorts (yes, shorts!) thrown in.

Jeans are not a good idea because they're hot.

I have some athletic-quality pants that I plan to bring on my trip in June. They are basically like golf pants, a blend of material including synthetics, which wicks sweat and breaths easily. I would try to find something like that unless you prefer shorts. I think shorts would be fine, though I can understand you may want to cover your legs. (I do too)

UnderArmour, Polo, and even Target make decent "golf" pants or athletic pants that can keep you feeling light and airy and pack easily.

It can get to 80 or more in May in Italy so carry along some things for warmer weather as well. Plenty of Italian men (younger ones) wear jeans. No one will care what you wear as long as you are clean and neat except for fine restaurants which have dress codes or formal events (theater, symphony). Be as casual as you like.

We traveled Italy in May and didn't really mind the heat. The humidity however was a struggle. Jeans would be ok but I'd recommend bringing along a cooler outfit as well just so you'll have an easy alternative if is a particularly muggy day.

Wear what YOU feel comfortable in. You are on vacation, on another continent, and will most likely never see anyone you meet again. Don't stress over your clothes!

Cinque Terre gets warm/hot in May, my husband and I wear shorts and flip flops except for hiking, then you need appropriate shoes.

As far as the rest of Italy, the only thing we wear are jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. We blend right in with everyone else! Enjoy your vacation, you will see people dressed in all kinds of ensembles, lol.

I've been to Italy several times in all seasons and the locals wear jeans all the time.
Granted many of them are designer brand jeans - also saw lots of Levis too.
But, if it is hot, perhaps lighter weight pants would be better.

I second the comment that the locals could not care less what the tourists are wearing.
Hope you have a great trip.

Jon,

I doubt that anyone will care what type of pants you're wearing, or whether you "look like a tourist". However in a practical sense, jeans may not be the best choice as it could be quite hot in May (although impossible to predict the weather). There's no way I'd want to be hiking the C.T. trails in jeans! Also, jeans will need to be washed in a laundry as they won't dry quickly if washed in a hotel room sink. Wearing khakis would likely be a more comfortable choice.

Smart pants.

the idea that 'jeans are only for American tourists' is at least 20 years out of date. On any given day weather appropriate, at least 50% of the Italians you see will be in jeans. Italians tend to wear dark blue as compared to the sloppier look common in the US -- unless they are teens. But it is also common to see middle aged professional men in jeans and sports jacket.

So jeans are fine but too hot for warmer weather when a lighter weight cotton or linen pair of pants is more comfortable.

From the point of view of packing lightly, and considering the time of year for your trip, I'd forego the jeans; they are too heavy and bulky. Last time I was in Europe, I spent two months there, and took two pair of lightweight "travel" pants, one with lower legs that zipped off for hiking excursions. They washed very easily in a sink, and dried quickly (1-2 hours), especially if you use a microfiber towel to wick out most of the water after rinsing. They are sold under many brand names, but expect to pay $50 or more for a good pair. I absolutely loved them, and will take only the two pair again on another trip. The color is a personal choice, but I had a khaki pair, and the other was dark forest green. Both coordinated with the neutral colored shirts I had. My shoes were black Rockport leather walking shoes, and high quality merlino wool socks. I wore the shoes every day for 60 days, taking only that one pair. My wife thought I was crazy, but I didn't want the extra weight of a second pair, or use the space needed. (I had only one carry-on size luggage.) Make sure that any shoes you take are broken in before you travel, and take an extra pair of laces. Have fun!

Jeans are widely worn. Most Italians tend to wear slim leg style jeans hat taper at the ankle. and not more baggy styles.

You will see lots of Italians in good-looking jeans, but as stated, they are a pain to dry and can be heavy for some activities. Wish I'd had them when I visited Vesuvius, though, but I would never pack something for such limited use unless for a special event.

We're fans of jeans as well (they're pretty much ALL we pack) and didn't have any trouble with them being too warm in Italy in May/early June. Lots and lots of Italians were wearing jeans and T's as well so no worries about being underdressed.

Returning to Italy for the 14x time. My husband always wears jeans on the plane and has them in Italy for his everyday pants. He also takes a pair of to- the- knee length shorts (these are a cotton, heavyweight khaki fabric) and wears these when it's too hot for jeans.

After years of packing for our trips, we wear clothing that we wear at home, what we feel comfortable in here. I wear jeans year round, and just roll up the bottoms when it's hot. My husband being 61, isn't going to wear skinny jeans, or roll the cuffs, but will switch to his shorts when it's hot and humid.

May, depending on the region can be very warm. Florence can be very humid.

Nice thing about jeans is, they don't show the dirt as much as khaki pants would. Cotton khaki would be a bit cooler.

Take shorts for hiking the CT, if you have some lightweight nylon ones (true hiking from Kuhl or Marmot, or Ex-Officio, etc) those would pack nicely for hiking, but don't look that great in bigger cities.

I pack polo style shirts for the hubby, and this time I also packed just some t-shirts that we took on our hiking trip last May to Italy. These are from Columbia and REI, but heavier weight, and no designs on them, so perfect for going out to dinner or touring during the day.

There is nothing wrong with wearing jeans in Italy. In my opinion, Rick Steves is the one who introduced wearing Dockers around Italy as Italian men really don't wear Dockers as Rick wears them.

Wearing fashionable, dark denim, stylish jeans that fit probably with nice (not white gym shoes) shoes and shirts that are not dumpy t-shirts with screen prints are what many Italians wear. Again, it is how the item is worn, not really what is worn.

I don't know - we pack carry on only and hubby still manages to take two pair of jeans (plus the pair he's wearing) and we still come in under the weight restrictions...and I guess heat is what you are used to. Last year our trip to Italy in early Sept I was almost dying (and I took capri pants) but hubby just keeps on wearing jeans. It does get hot in Nova Scotia in the summer and you will only catch hubby in shorts at the beach (don't ask - I think his legs look nice...lol)...if you are used to wearing jeans when it is hot, then you should be OK.

We don't worry as much about washing them as they hide dirt really well. I always try to book somewhere with laundry facilities halfway thru and wash them up then...