What should teenagers wear in Italy?

My kids wore shorts and t-shirts. No one cared.

Emily, even in the churches?

I think jeans look great with a linen or cotton shirt.

Teenage fashion is fairly universal now.

You will be in Italy during the month of sales, you should be able to add an item or two to whatever you bring.

I wouldn't do shorts for churches (that subject has been flogged to death).

But there are t-shirts and there are t-shirts, if you catch my drift? My husband has several shirts of t-shirt style (no collar; no pocket) of nicer fabrics that look a little more tailored with either jeans or Dockers.

Something like these, maybe?

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2487369/mens-marc-anthony-slim-fit-luxury-tee.jsp?ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=MARC%20ANTHONY&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=73686938&CID=shopping15&utm_campaignid=196833212&gclid=CID_9PedpNQCFYGGaQodvLsEog&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CI6FkPidpNQCFVN9AQod94wEMQ

Short-sleeved Henleys could work too:

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2721221/mens-croft-barrow-true-comfort-henley.jsp?pfm=rrrecs-pdp-gtab1

But as far as needing to be "dressed" for dinner, I wouldn't worry too much unless you're going to a more upscale restaurant. If most of your meals will be at more casual places, his T's will be fine. I would recommend that he leave any with, er, lurid graphics on them at home, though. :O)

The most important element is modesty and no slogan T shirts. I can tell from your thoughtful questions that you already had that down.

The rule in churches is about modesty, not fashion and it is quite clear: knees and shoulders must be covered, but nobody cares how you do it. Of course a t-shirt saying "crucifixion, why not?" or "Barabbas: the right man, in the right place" in Italian should be avoided. At least at the Vatican and inside the Sixtine Chapel (that's a church inside a Museum).

Once you are out of churches nobody cares how grown up tourists dress, go figure if they are interested in teens that wear strange clothes all over the world.
There is no italian translation for "dress code" and no italian restaurant, 3 stars included, has ever given a jacket to its sloppy customers.

If you want your kids to behave, tell them to say "buongiorno" and not "ciao" to older chaps they don't know, when starting a conversation in English. That's enough to be seen like a young prince these days.

O tempora, o mores!

Yup, even in churches.

"Europe" is the perfect reason to get a 16 year old to make some wardrobe adjustments. ;)
Good luck!

16 hmmm old enough to stay home alone! Chuckle chuckle.

Button down shirts are cooler than t-shirts and keep the scorching sun off the skin. If he is willing, have him pick two out, a solid and patterned.

Jeans are way too hot, he shouldn't bring more than one light pair. How about lightweight chinos, very popular these days? Longer shorts and whatever else he wants to wear should be fine.

Macy's has lot's of ankle and calf length juniors so does Old Navy.

Have a fun trip!

For capris to fit a teen, you might have your stepdaughter look at Title Nine, an online catalog which features cute athletic wear for women. The photos show young women participating in swimming, surfing, climbing, etc. in lightweight activewear, like these capris:

https://www.titlenine.com/product/boulder-knicker-womens-hiking-capri-532004.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=fn

Sizes down to size 2. (For size comparison, these are a bit loose but not baggy on my 102# frame --- just right for hot weather.)

Other styles are available, but I would stick with the solid colors and looser fit, not the brightly-colored leggings/yoga pants style (too hot for Italy and not appropriate for churches or street wear).

Or maybe these Jag Jeans twill capris from Amazon, which are available as small as size 0 Petite and in several pastel colors:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6DL594/ref=twister_B01N40Y8NV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They also come in denim if she prefers, but I would find those too hot for Italy.

Check out Old Navy for your 14 year old. They have lots of cropped pants and come in a huge range of sizes and fabrics. I like the drapey cropped pants, they are very light and comfortable but also look nice.

Linen is cool but needs ironing often. Light cotton is best. Blue jeans are too heavy for the scorching Florida like heat you will experience in July. Cargo shorts and sandals is what I will wear (I'll be in Italy when you are, like every year).

Nobody will care about what your kids wear at dinner, not even many upscale restaurants. If a restaurant tells me I can't enter in shorts, I know I won't go, because it will be one of those rip offs where you pay a lot and they serve you only one fancily presented spaghetto or raviolo. I like spaghetti and ravioli in the plural form, lots of them.

Some churches, like the San Pietro in Vaticano, will prevent people entering with shorts and tan tops, so they will need to cover their flesh somehow for those occasions.

When traveling with kids it is my philosophy to pick your battles. What are you willing to insist on vs what can be ignored for the sake of a peaceful time? To me clothes for kids, within reason, are in the let them do as they please category.

Are you going to very fancy places? Michelin type? If so, he will need a button up shirt of some sort. Heat won't matter because it will be late, likely indoors, and you will all be dressing up so will be returning to dress before dinner.

Otherwise, at normal places a t-shirt and pants on a teen will be fine. Steer him towards well fitted simple tees, not baggy ones with logos and words. Banana Republic has nice ones that my 20 and 30 something male friends like. But teen taste is different. Jeans are fine too. Again, fitted not baggy looks nicer.
But if a family walks in with well dressed parents and younger kids and a messy teen...well, people understand. Teens exist in Italy too!

Old Navy has decent short sleeve button up shirts that work with jeans and are a touch nicer than a t.

take a look at this webcam, when its daylight in Rome of course, and it will show the current "fashion" ...https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/piazza-navona.html

A teenager wearing shorts will be stopped at the door at some of the better known cathedrals in Italy.

Your children can dress like Italian children. i.e. Jeans, tee shirt, sneakers and Iphone. Too easy.

Slogans on tee shirts are OK if they are clever. Seen on an Italian guy in Venice last week:

Hike faster
I hear banjos

I guess you had a bunch of replies here! LOL As long as the kids are within the dress code for churches you will be fine. If mom and dad are dressing up the kids can do it once or twice too...maybe without pulling too many teeth??

Have fun!

Tell them what to wear, that's the easiest solution.

For crops you may want to look at Boden, Banana Republic, J Crew etc. Their target market is older than teenagers, but they have some cute things that your daughter might like!

We're here now, it's hot. I see young people mostly in shorts and tanks. And crop tops. Yes-Even in churches. I'll get chastised for saying it's ok to wear shorts in churches so I'm won't, but I'm telling you, it's extremely common to see it. Not at St Peters (VC) but at the smaller ones in Rome and Tuscany. I saw a woman yesterday walk into the cathedral in Pisa wearing a teeny tank and short shorts. The guy at the door asked her to cover her shoulders. That was it. Nobody was turned away for shorts. And most people under 40 were in shorts. At the Duomo in Florence this week, I saw teens dressed in sleeveless rompers walking up and nobody seemed to care. I'm just giving the facts as I see them. Not advising you to disregard dress codes. You'll get flogged on here for that ;)
I carry a sweater or scarf to cover up if needed. That's been working for me this week. Oh-For the Vatican etc, your daughter could wear a knee length skirt or loose flowy pants. I've been a lot of those here, too. And I'll echo that the dress code for restaurants is very loose. It's basically anything goes. (But we didn't go to any really fancy ones) Mostly you should be comfortable. It's very hot and A/C is not used generously. Have fun! We love it here!

In Rome today and it is hot and with walking around, climbing steps etc it can really make you sweat, with that in mind shiorts, tanks, tees and lots of sunscreen. Your kids are going to be so upset if you make them dress up and they look around and see others their age in shorts. July will be sooo hot i could not imagine long sleve anything. I cant stress enough the sunscreen, i have seen so many sunburn people here like bordering on heat stroke. I saw tanks and skorts at Notre Dame, no problem.

I just keep thinking about how HOT the jeans will be in July . . . he really needs some other options, at least one, for long pants that won't be so hot.

@Dario OMG that made me laugh!

It will be very hot there in July so short sleeves wld be the best choice. Re church attire--On our first visit to Rome our upper elem age son was allowed into St Peter's wearing longer length cargo shorts that hit the knee & our Jr high age son wearing the same shorts was not. Next visit they both wore khakis.

thanks for all the input! I think I'll go with nice, non-logo t-shirts for the teenager and his choice of jeans or shorts. He insists he won't be hot. ha. :)

Well, you won't be doing churches EVERY day so a pair of each would work just fine. :O)