Can I get away with a short skirt in Italy?

Wear what you want. There are plenty of Italian women with skirts shorter than that (some before my eyes as I type on my iPhone), this is not the Islamic State. However if you are a 90 year old 300 pound woman you might get some stares with that outfit.

Length is fine other than churches.

White denim sounds like a bad choice for travel (although the skirt is very cute). White is going to get dirty and denim is going to take forever to dry if you try and wash it in your hotel room.

Not a problem at all for day to day. Some churches would allow it, too - but don't count on it. I've noticed that they are more lenient on skirts (as long as the skirt isn't super short, micro mini) than similar length shorts.

I wear denim a lot, but I don't wash in sinks - laundromat or service for everything but underwear and socks. Also denim doesn't need to be washed every time you wear it. But I would be concerned about white. Harder to wear multiple times before washing and you're never sure about washer quality on the road. Bring plenty of shout wipes!

Cute skirt! Length should be just fine. But I would think twice before taking something of the weight and bulk of denim and that you can probably only wear once or twice without washing...but that's just me and my light-packing/carryon-only method of travel. :)
Have a great trip!

If you have the body type to wear a short skirt, yes, go for it. As others have stated, I, too, would have concern re: taking a white item. Seats in Metros/buses/ferries/cafes, etc. are not always pristine.....just too much risk for my comfort level. But you could also make it thru your entire vacation without a smudge. I never pack one-time wear items (and white could become one by accident), unless we are doing a rare activity that would require black-tie apparel while traveling.

I take two black pencil skirts (JJill wearever knit) on most trips....I wear a short one on the plane, and I pack the longer one. I wear the short one most of the time, but will change to the long one for nicer dinners and/or Vatican-type visits. For winter/shoulder season, I wear black tights a lot. For summer, I'd likely wear skinny jeans when touring most days, just to avoid going bare legged (since I have long chicken legs :) Those 2-3 pieces are usually the only 'bottoms' I take....add variety with tops/scarves/shawls/fake pearl choker.

Before everyone starts dissing jeans, saying they are too heavy, etc., I'll include the link for the Metro jeans I love from SoftSurroundings. Very light weight and they don't make one feel hot in the summer. The elastic waist is also comfortable. Wore these non-stop throughout Spain in the spring. Look great w/ leather ballet flats. Comfy in Nashville summers for running errands or semi-casual dining out, and our summers get hot.

https://www.softsurroundings.com/P/Metro_Leggings/

I've seen a lot of white clothing on European travelers that had marks on it. At home you can deal with it but on the road smudges on white clothing are harder to deal with.

Thanks all. The Jean material is fairly light weight, so I wouldn't be concerned about that. Sound like the style and length get the thumbs up. The white is what gives me pause, so I will highly consider that.

Skirt will not be going inside St. Peters in Rome based on what I saw. If you are trying to travel light having a skirt that can only be worn on days you don't plan to go in churches is problem (and by the way there are churches on the Amalfi coast too. ) I made that mistake once in Greece and couldn't go in a church my mother said was beautiful.

I just returned from the 17 Day Best of Italy Tour with very hot weather--95º and above each day, but not as bad as the current heat wave of 100º and above! I saw women of all ages and sizes in shorts everywhere, even in churches. I was surprised! At a couple of the churches, disposable fabric wraps were loaned out to the tourists. The big concern seemed to be with tops or dresses with spaghetti straps or lots of neckline and shoulders showing, rather than the length of the skirt/shorts.
I also took white clothing--white knee length shorts, white capris and a very light beige denim style skirt and did just fine. I washed them with whatever was available-soaking for a few hours in shampoo water worked wonders--and the marks from sitting on steps or other stains came out fine. (Now I know what bidets are for! LOL) Under the intense sun and in the heat I was glad to be in such light colors. I had a few wicking tops but even the darker one I only wore once. REI has some great selections. Some of the wicking fabrics are heavier than others and I immediately learned what to wear most often--and it was not what I expected before I left home! So I now have a revised list of clothing for my next trip. The 3 light weight sweaters I took, for variety and style, I never used even once!

Thanks Sharon. If there is a heatwave still in September, I will be revising my wardrobe somewhat. Please tell us what you wore the most!

I took white capris on a recent trip and was able to wear them multiple times between washing (by machine). The biggest problem was finding a place to sit. I stood quite a bit because I was leery of getting the pants seat dirty on various benches and other perches. The worst was on a tour when everyone but me was lolling on the grass.

in my twenties I traveled with white slacks. in my older, wiser 50s I have embraced two pair of capris, one is khaki, one pair is gray....a nice lightweight fabric. they served me well all over Italy and Slovenia, & they are on their way to Florida Monday.

The OP must be back home by now. Her plans were for last September. Wonder how the short skirt dilemma was resolved.

I didn't end up taking it. Not because it was short or white, but I simply had no more room in my carryon. Something had to be sacrificed, and that was it.

I met the most amazing 72 year old womwn in a hostel. Traveling for two years, carrying only a day pack!

She had:
black:
tshirt
long sleeved shirt
short skirt
bermuda shorts
long pants
jacket

and swapped out colorful scarves when she got bored - that she found in charity shops!
My hero!

Short - VERY short - goes well in Italy -- and god knows how they wear those high heels and walk on cobblestones.... but only if you have the figure. Most places I went (with Italian hosts as i Couchsurfed) made fun of Americans for 1) dressing alike and 2) being heavy. So - just wear what you think is appropriate and are comfortable in!

Enjoy!

I think the "amazing 72 year old woman" cited above must have spent a lot of time sink washing her one T shirt, her one pair of socks, her one pair of underpants, her bra and everything else of which she only had one. And she travelled like that for two years? Very eccentric, in my opinion.

"Made fun of American... 2) for being heavy."

I don't like anyone that "makes fun of" other people. And a huge percentage of Italians are heavy themselves.

Sadly, Susan - we American's the world over are made fun of for exactly that reason. Whether it's true or not!

Susan in Ireland

Can you "get away with a wearing a short shirt"?? ---Why would you even want to.

I like wearing short skirts also but I always pair it with sleeved top. Carry a jacket just in case.