Women's Clothing Choices for Italy in May

May is supposed to be a dry time in Italy with temp 69-75. You are in luck that classic white tennis shoes (maybe some colorful ones for fun) are trending right now...some have pretty good arch supports. Capris and jeans are worn by the locals but it should be age appropriate with nice tops. I would suggest wash and wear clothing. I would bring a couple of skirts and a coat sweater or light blazer. You might be able to find some nice slip on shoes for dinner out. Bring a sun hat, sunglasses and some scarves. A light rain jacket just in case. If you have long hair; tying it back is easy for traveling. Be sure to go see the new exhibition of Nero's house...I saw it on TV and it looked fascinating with the use of virtual reality to show you what it really looked like, including the gardens.

No matter where I travel, I take a waterproof jacket. My first RS tour was Italy in mid-May and we had some major rain in Florence so that taught me a lesson!

It was also hot and I wore capris some days. i only packed one pr and wished I had packed two. Not sure about early May, I would have 2 pr ready and pack based on last minute weather forecasts. I don't tolerate heat very well so I was wearing capris when some of the locals had on coats, lol!! I also always pack jeans. I bring ones that are not all cotton, try to go for 25% or so poly so they will dry faster as I sink wash. There is a lot of denim worn in Italy but if it is heavy and the weather is hot you might be miserable. I don't wear skirts or dresses at home so I don't wear them on vacation.

I also have fussy feet and I only travel with athletic shoes. I do take 2 pr, one solid black so they sort of blend in. I did/do not feel out of place anywhere with the athletic shoes but I am also not eating in high end places. To me, I've got to keep my feet in good shape so I can enjoy my trip.

It sounds like you are meeting up with others or with a tour? It's hard to give you suggestions on what to see without knowing what you will see on your tour or with your friends. You can get a lot done in 2 days though! Give us more information and maybe we can make suggestions.

Italy is such fun! Basically I wear for travel the same things I wear at home!

Styling brush-- undoubtedly they sell them in Rome, but its probably easier to get one here... most items like that are dual voltage, so the one you buy here will work there---just be sure it says 'dual voltage'

Wear what works for you-- no way to disguise the fact you are a tourist and no one will care--- if you visit a church, shoulders have to be covered and any type pants that go below the knee are fine

What to see in 2 days?-- hard to answer some may find 30 minutes in St Peters plenty-- others may stay for hours-- depends on what your interests are----- if you are joining a tour, look at where it takes you and then choose what interests you that is not included

We just went to Italy. I wore nice jeans everywhere with nice tops. I never felt out of place, but we didn't go to fancy restaurants. I have foot problems and wore Brooks running shoes that have excellent support. It's true that atheletic shoes in white or colors are popular in Italy. But I took my shoes in all black, so they'd look somewhat obscure in nicer places. Have fun! May tends to have good weather, but I always take a rain jacket and light sweater to layer.

Do these suggestions apply from mid-late April? Will ponte knit pants and jeans be too hot? Wondering if I should take a pair of capris. I was planning on taking knit tops, but will they take too long to dry (as I had read). It looks like the daytime temps will be low 70's to evening temps of upper 50's.
If you are gone all day, do you just carry your jacket? Kinda silly question, but want to be prepared and as unencumbered during my day's travel on foot.

Thanks.

I am responsible for the initial post and I want to thank everyone for the helpful information.

Kathyw, I've learned to take a small backpack to hold my jacket and a bottle of water. That's my personal preference for dealing with it when it warms up.

If you plan to do sink wash, I always do trial washes at home and see how long things take to dry. Really. That's what I do for every new item I consider taking on vacation! Sometimes things dry faster, sometimes things I think will dry fast take ~forever~ to dry and they do not make the travel team, lol. You can't always tell by looking at the fabric content.

No one cares what you wear; seriously, there is no fashion police. Always have a rain jacket and especially in spring when showery weather is common. Half of Europeans on any street during appropriate weather will be in jeans. This was not true 20 years ago but it is now. Long pants or capris will be appropriate anywhere casual in Italy including entering St. Peters. There are tons of walking shoes including athletic shoes that are not giant neon or white monstrosities. Get an unobtrusive shoe that works for you. I personally alternate between black leather low cut hiking shoes from REI that look like athletic shoes but are water proof and sturdy for hiking and black merrill mesh clogs and on long trips in warm weather also throw in a pair of merrell sandals with athletic soles. comfortable is the most important thing with shoes. You will see all sorts of dress around you; unless you are truly oddly dressed no one will give you a second look.

There is no reason to change your normal clothing style when you travel. Do you wear Jeans? Do you wear Capris? If you normally wear Jeans, then wear jeans same with Capris, skirts etc. I always like to be comfortable in my own skin which helps me to be more in the moment. I normally wear Jeans with Lycra so they stretch and only dark denim, I love Capri and cotton shirts. I am thick and curvy and I know what styles look best on me and how to dress to be able to move freely and still look great. My color pallet is always neutrals and I can pretty much mix and match the whole wardrobe without looking the same everyday. I think my biggest concern in my hair because if that is not done I can look really frumpy and it just blows the whole outfit, plus during they I can get hot so I always like to have a hair tie or a Barrett I can pull it back in, but even that I practice so I don't look like a hot mess at the end of the day. I saw those style brushes you are talking about in Paris. In fact I was in line at a major department store and there was 2 ladies in line buying them, they look really cool. I would love to start playing around with them, but not while on the trip. They are pretty spendy here in the states, like $60.00 I think, so follow the advice of getting a dual voltage one here instead of spending that money on one you can only use in Europe.

Also don't feel like your stuck with the tennis shoes. I also have foot problems and purchase cuter slip ons (Sketchers, Toms) that I can add my insert into with the actual shoe having a thick bottom and lots of support. There are also great orthotic sandals like Artrex and Orthaheel brand that have saved my feet on long trips.

My advice? Dress for the weather and prepare with layers, with "quick-dry" fabrics.

One thing I've learned... this notion of "blending in", is basically ancient advice. Styles are international, now... sneakers, capris, leggings, ripped jeans, shorts, dresses, skirts, etc.. AND, you are likely to be seeing MORE TOURISTS than "locals", everywhere you go! LOL. The last I read, the tourists out-number the locals in Venice, 4 to 1!!! So, basically EVERYONE looks like tourists.

I've read, recently, that even the tour guides in Italy are wearing Sketchers.

So, "appropriate" clothing is... whatever is comfortable, travel-friendly, and what you feel "good" in. Respect cultural sites (churches, mainly) by covering your knees and shoulders, with either your clothing or with a scarf, etc, that you can wrap over you.

Here's my best piece of advice: do a google search for "live webcam xxxx" (insert location) and watch them now and again. You will gain "real time" insight into 1) what the crowds are like, 2) what people are wearing, 3) the weather. You'll find them in major public areas in all those cities. I used to watch the one outside the Pantheon (Rome), and San Marco Square (Venice) just before my last trip over there. It also gets you into the mood!

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Vivian
Adding to this post:
Here's a link to the Pantheon webcam:
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/pantheon.html
And here's a link to St Marks:
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/piazza-san-marco.html

Vivian's reply made me think of recent posts by Sarah Murdoch on her Adventures with Sarah blog. She' s a RS tour guide and is in Italy now doing guidebook research and leading some tours. Her packing advice is great and she is one of the ones that does the packing light programs for Rick when he has his travel festivals in Edmunds WA. Here is her blog post from a couple of weeks ago as she prepared for her current trip.

http://adventureswithsarah.net/packing-for-spring/

Re. " hair styling brush" do you mean a curling or flat iron? Bring one from the USA with duel current..very easily found. Although I love going to hardware shops, pharmacies and general good shops in Europe, on a short trip it can be annoying when you just want your hair to look great! Check your own at home it may have a duel voltage switch that you never noticed! :) Just make sure that you have 1 or 2 plugs to fit your gadgets so they plug into the outlets!

http://www.sallybeauty.com/inch-curling-iron/SBS-680122,default,pd.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SHO&cm_mmc=google-_-SHO-_-cpc-_-keyword&gclid=CjwKEAjw8ZzHBRCUwrrV59XinXUSJADSTE5keQIgWgZaBynALHQjo7IaaAQ7W9Lro-v_A6sxUVQRehoCQb7w_wcB

In warmer weather ( May - Aug)I don't bring jeans even though I live in them at home. They just don't dry fast enough and it can get very hot! I did find some stylish light weight very thin and loose denim pants that roll up a few inches, and also took cotton pants, and linen pants that would dry overnight and just go over with a light iron, but I don't mind ironing...you could choose Capri style if you like. You can see a ton of sights in Rome in 2 days especially if you are staying in the historical center which requires no public transport, you can walk to most major sights such as Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Spanish steps and Pantheon as they are about 10-15 min walk apart depending on how slowly you walk. Athletic shoes are fine, make sure that you break in whatever you are taking. Have fun!

I haven't read all of the replies, so forgive me if I repeat anything. I spent the first 3 weeks of May 2016 in Italy. I was in Siena and north of there. I was surprised about how much rain and cooler weather we encountered. I brought 2 pair of pants, one pair of jeans and one pair of lighter weight fast drying pants. I wore the pants most of the time. It was only warm/dry enough for a capris maybe 2-3 days. The same goes for shoes vs. sandals. Athletic shoes are fine, but something waterproof is ideal. Definitely bring a rain coat and maybe a fleece to layer with it. I used my umbrella plenty too.