The Infamous "What To Wear" Question

Imagine the sexy people you see in magazines.

Do they go on honeymoon to take photos to keep for the rest of their life in cargo shorts? Nuf said.

Actually you will be visiting some of the best dressed people in the world. So you want to have some nice stuff just to feel comfortable.

Except no one cares what you wear in Sorrento as long as you bring a wallet

"Do they go on honeymoon to take photos to keep for the rest of their life in cargo shorts? Nuf said."

Ha ha! Point taken.

But it's not feasible to be a sightseeing tourist in designer clothing and stiletto heels, which is why I'm trying to strike a balance between being comfortable and still looking nice. I'm also not crazy about spending a lot of money on new clothes or shoes just for this trip (especially if it's stuff I won't wear much afterward), so I'm trying to figure out how to utilize what I already have. DH is another story.

<< he's especially curious about whether he should take the cargo shorts >>

Of course he can bring them but it might be a bit chilly to wear them (not sarcasm). AND he cannot enter churches in Italy unless his knees and shoulders are covered so the shorts won't work for churches.

Other than that no one will care what you wear. If you've been reading threads about this you will know that already. You'll probably find the Roman women wearing full length wool coats.

I would bring 2 pairs of shoes for walking around. If your sneakers get wet they might not dry overnight. Venice and Sorrento might be cold and damp near the water.

If you tend to get cold I would bring something warmer than what is on your list. Who knows what the weather will be but any place by the water in late September can be either hot or cold and if it rains it will be damp and will feel much colder than it is. I would at least have 1 long sleeve shirt. I was in Italy once in April and while Rome was quite warm but it rained one day in Sorrento and I was putting on everything I had with me - shirt, dress, skirt underneath, jacket. I got some weird looks but everything was in black and white and I was cold!

For Pompeii bring a hat or umbrella - virtually no shade and if it's a sunny and warm day you will feel it. Also sunscreen. I would not wear the shorts at Pompeii unless you apply lots of 60SPF. And also wear sturdy shoes (sneakers).

Other than that your list looks good. At least you came here with a plan. From some other threads I wonder who dresses people at home and how they get out the door in the morning without a consultation.

<< riding a gondola by moonlight >>

Make sure your skirt will allow you to get into the gondola gracefully!

Thanks, adrienne. Sounds like the cargo shorts might not be worth the space they'd take up in his luggage, if he only wears them a couple times. Thanks also for the advice about it possibly being cold/wet near the water. People here keep saying layers, layers, layers, so I should definitely take at least one long sleeved shirt, as you mentioned. Also sunscreen!

If you know the question been asked before, you know the responses, then why ask the question. Unless, of course, you want confirmation to dress as teenage slobs. Then please do so. Dress as you feel comfortable. The heck with what other people say or think -- we are Americans.

Congratulations! Your packing list looks great. I would include another skirt instead of shorts, so you would have 2 skirts and 1 dress. Shoes are always the hard part - I wear 1 pair and then pack 2. So I have 2 pair of walking around shoes and then 1 pair (a low wedge or kitten heel) for wearing to dinner at night. I love Cole Haan because they are stylish but still comfy for walking around because most of them have the Nike Air technology in the sole.

DH's cargo shorts will be fine - we have an Italian guide who accompanied us on our last trip and he wore cargo shorts all over Rome. My DH wears jeans on the plane, then packs 1 pair of khaki's and a couple pair of golf shorts. With a mix of nice t-shirts and golf shirts he is set.

One more thing - since you are doing carry-on only, you will likely be doing some handwashing. To get around the liquid restriction, I buy the Purell laundry sheets, cut them into quarters and put them in a zip-lock bag in my luggage. 1 of the small squares works perfect for a sink "load" (actually, I usually use the bidet for my hand washing).

Thanks for the feedback, ekc, especially about the Purell laundry sheets. I was wondering how would be the best way to go about that. I appreciate it!

Your packing list looks almost identical to the one I took for our honeymoon in 2009 to Germany/Italy. For "decent" shoes that are still comfortable I wear black Skeckers like these http://www.skechers.com/style/21571/bikers-step-up/bbk
I then take pair of Merrell's because they are the only shoe I have found that cause me no pain or blisters.

My husband is in his 20's and also wears polos, tshirts, jeans and khaki shorts because that is what he wants to and arguing with that is pointless to me! I did make him buy some darker shoes so he's not wearing white sneakers. I noticed most the 20 something guys that were tourists were wearing the same stuff as him.

And no, I have never looked at our honeymoon pictures and thought why did we wear that.

Thanks, lindy27! I actually recently tried on a pair of black Skecher Mary Janes similar to those and thought it might be a nice choice. Good to know about the 20-something men in polos and shorts, too. Thanks!

If you are not tyish at home (and if you were you would have stylish clothes all lined up in your closet) why worry about being esp stylish on vacation.

If you prefer comfort - then wear comfortble clothing. (BUt do realize that in Italy local adults do not wear shorts in cities - unles they are going to play tennis or bike or something - they keep them for resorts or countryside.)

But there are a few simple facts:

You will not be allowed into some major churches in shorts or with upper arms or bosom showing.

Some days will be too cool for shorts.

Shoes must be comfortble since you will be walking miles each day.

Bring a sturdy flding umbrella and s jacket for cooler night or days on the water.

Sporty mary janes are a nice daytime touring option that work with both trousers and skirts. And if you're going someplace where you'd like to feel dressier just carry those dressy shoes with you in your purse (if it's large enough) or even a small shopping bag. Just switch into them right before you get to your destination. Others will wonder how it is that you spent the entire day walking around in kitten heels and don't look suicidal.

You won't have any trouble finding space in your carry on for a pair of kitten heels, so don't worry about that being an issue.

Cargo shorts for men do often (if not most of the time) cover their knees, so if that's the rule by Italian churches, I would imagine he could wear them. At least all the guys I see wearing them where I live tend to wear long ones that end just below their knees or even a couple inches more.

You're on holiday, I'd double-check the weather but I would have thought it would be warm enough in Italy in September that he's going to want those shorts. Or go Euro and let him buy some male capris, they seem to wear those a lot in southern France, anyway.

I just bought these Clark's "Sixty Cruise" Mary janes for our trip to Italy in Oct. They were comfortable from the first second I put them on and can be worn for daytime touring and are still nice enough to wear to dinner except at the poshest of places (in which I have little interest) http://www.clarksusa.com/eng/product/sixty_cruise/38733. You may also want to look at other Clark or Privo styles on their website.

I generally like to have 2 pairs of comfortable shoes-- I wear one during the day and change to other for dinner or evening strolls. I find my feet do better if I switch up shoes at least once during the day.

It's the stupid responses like the one from fmpden that are the most irritating. The Europeans do NOT as a rule dress well. This is the biggest fiction and for some unknown reason the older travelers on this board (whether Europeans or Americans) like propagating this fiction. The term Eurotrash didn't come from thin air and people of your age are NOT dressed in neat trousers and lovely blouses in general casual wear - one look at the average European not working a white-collar job would tell you that. Just look at kybourbon's street pictures from Paris for a comparison, and a laugh. Some of them look a lot like Appalachia meets the city.

The fact is that your weather may not justify a lot of shorts and shirtsleeves so be ready for cooler climes. And for visiting churches, you need to follow their rules for covering yourself. Other than that, there are no special rules or reasons to dress any different in tourist areas of Italy than you would if you were in New York or Chicago or any major American city.

I was surprised how summer-like the weather was when we were in Italy in September/October (2009). Although as you know, it's hard to predict what it will be like when you are there!

I would suggest packing a pair of cropped pants in place of shorts for day wear.

Even though we mostly went to casual trattorias for dinner, it was nice to wear a dress some evenings, especially if it was warm! Accessories such as earrings, necklaces + scarves perked up a simple dress or top. So, do take that dress!

Co-ordinating pieces that can be layered are the most practical.

Now for the shoes ... in summer, I travel with no fewer than 4 pairs of shoes! (I don't know how women can go through a trip with only 2 pairs!) Here's what I took: lace-up walking shoes; slip-on flats (as an alternative to the walking shoes and to wear with pants in the evening); walking sandals (for your information, my new naots have a good sole & narrower foot straps making them stylish but still practical) + flip flops (to wear as slippers in hotel rooms or with a dress, if I wasn't going too far). This may not be the recipe for 'packing light' but I did manage to get everything into a 22" bag!!!

DH's travel wardrobe was simpler to pull together. He took light-weight pants (Exofficio, Columbia) with zip-off legs for day & cotton chinos for evening. He packed a variety of short/long sleeved shirts, a sweater + a rain jacket and two pairs of shoes: Mazuno runners + Clark slip ons!

Have a wonderful trip! I'm sure you & your husband will be stylish & comfortable!

We traveled to Italy twice in September-October timeframe and it was generally pleasant. We do not do shorts in cities. As far as clothes, think in terms of Banana Republic which is both, basic and elegant, and does not scream anything. Comfortable shoes is the number one priority but, again, something that looks better then white Nikes, although Italians do wear them.

I concur with thoughts especially on two things; there is a big difference in temp between Venice and Rome. We packed for Rome and were freezing in Venice. So, bring layers, or at least one warm sweater. Also, the shorts-church issue is important. It's distressing to end up unexpectedly at a church you really want to visit, and you can't, because you have on shorts. That's a great reason to have always have a sweater also, you can throw it over your shoulders. Have a wonderful trip!

I only wore cargo shorts in Italy, except at the Vatican. I went into a thousand churches. Sometimes they were throwing bare shouldered women but never me.

I even wore plaid shorts with striped shirts on occasion. I am not proud of those pictures.