Women’s shorts

Wear whatever you want.

Nobody in Europe cares what you wear. Literally nobody. Not. One. Person. Cares. At. All. Really.

(Only exceptions are: churches and other religious places, and some expensive restaurants. Otherwise, use the same common sense that you would use at home when dressing for various places and activities - no thongs when you have to appear in court, steel-toed boots if you are chopping down trees, eye protection when working with power tools, etc.).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzAirFG7zCU

When are you coming? It’s moving into fall, and has been cooler the last week or so, especially in the interior. We’re wrapping up a month here, and it seems like there are more longer length dresses and skirts and ankle length trousers. And, really shorts and skirts on the younger set. But, honestly there’s a little bit of everything, except Bermuda shorts. That said, I have totally given up trying to look like a Sicilian, or any European for that matter. Even if I were to do that, I’d still look like an American tourist. A Lands End wardrobe will do that for you, but I wasn’t about to come with an empty bag and shop my heart out. A pair of navy Bermudas, a couple of knee length skorts and a few polo shirts, and one white cotton blouse, and OMG, a navy cardigan cotton has been my uniform. I am what I am. Do I stick out? Yeah, but I would anyway. As long as you’re neat and clean, I’d say just do it. No one has batted an eyelash at me, at least not that I can see.

Five years ago we did a tour of Sicilian archeological sites in October. We were with a group of French people who wore a lot of cotton and linen. The first day, I was wore my skinny Chico summer ankle-length pants, in a synthetic that didn't breath. They were like a sauna. The sun was beating down. I changed to a cheap, synthetic dress the next day and wore it more than anything else for the next two weeks. So dress light for the Greek temple sites and pay attention to fabric. Now, my Chico's stay in the closet until about late September. The same cheap synthetic dress just did a weekend in Barcelona.

If you noticed in JHK's video, more than anything, it's not a question of shorts being appropriate, but more a question of looking pulled together, looking neat and clean.

In terms of weather, there's a difference between whether it's reasonable to expect weather for which shorts would be comfortable (you may well have some of that) and weather for which you would feel shorts necessary (which is much less likely at this time of year). That's aside from whether shorts really keep you cooler than longer pants in an appropriate fabric--to me they do not.

acceptable in Sicily?

Only if you are young and fit, otherwise the fashion commission at Customs will block you and your pic will be mailed to the old ladies dressed in Black monitoring the smaller villages.

Before our trip to Italy, somebody raved on this site about RipSkirts. They are basically a wrap-around skirt in a light polyester-ish fabric that velcros and has pockets. I bought one in navy in a just below-the-knees length. (Shorter and longer are available.) It was my go-to for the whole trip. It was light, packed small, dried in minutes, cooler than shorts, as stylish as anything I wear and very comfortable. I still wear it to work once a week. I'd bet there are similar brands but this was one purchase I was extremely happy with.