Attire
 

My family and I will be traveling to Florence, Barcelona, and Pisa. What attire is appropriate for these destinations?

Ages and time of year would help

All these cities are full of tourists wearing tourist attire. So, whatever you wear, you will not stand out.

If you want to go to a sophisticated restaurant and not cry "I am tourist - rip me off" then dress as the natives do: chinos, polo shirt and, most important, smart shoes (for males). That's all.

But probably, it will become a thread with over hundred posts.

Light the blue touch paper and retreat smartly. Dress questions always stir up turbulent passions.

As someone has said, you'll see all sorts of tourist dress. However, in Italian churches, the basic rule is to cover your shoulders and knees and if male to uncover your head.

You'll see all kinds of dress <B>on everybody</B> and not just tourists.

Italians are well dressed, with nice suits and nice shoes.
Dress as you like, my opinion is to wear jeans in cities and with a shirt or a nice polo / T-shirt (T shirt in the day, shirt for a restaurant in the evening).
My wife is always more nicely dressed, whatever I wear.
But yes, a lot of deabte can be expected.

And if the women in your group want to really fit in, they should wear at least 4in heels. (just kidding, sort of)

The dressiest you may need to get is to have a nice collared shirt for going out to dinner and Sunday lunch. (Think business-casual).

Some churches still require covered shoulders and knees. Not many, but some.

The above relates to adult size people. Children (small children, not teens) wear normal kids clothes.

And in all Italian churches men should wear pants and women should have knees, shoulders and bosoms covered. Even if there is no official guard at the door (Vatican and some other major cathedrals) people dressed very casually - and showing too much skin - can get comments from locals who feel the tourists are being disrespectful.

What's appropriate is what makes you comfortable. You're a tourist, not a local going to a wedding or to the office. Shoes will be your most important thing to consider - they must be supportive and comfortable as you're navigating cobblestone streets and uneven surfaces.

Don't wear a hat in church (as if needs saying)
Don't drink in the street

Do take into account the weather.

Nytraveler spot on

Look after your ankles, you are more likely to do a lot of walking than not, so flats are sensible, no trailing shoe laces etc.

Showing your underwear/pyjamas in the street is confined to Z list celebs

bilboburgler- Achille Lauro (cruise ships) would walk around his part of town in his dressing-gown. He did this to show that he "owned" that part of Naples.

Z list.

>>And in all Italian churches men should wear pants and women should have knees, shoulders and bosoms covered.<<

The bosom-covering is optional. Things have changed a lot because of Pope Francis.

bilboburgler - I would not consider Achille Lauro as Z list. In that period, as Enzo Ferrari was to supercars and Salvatore Ferragamo was to shoes, he was to cruise ships.

vincenzo32951 - read this - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ot-bra-on.html - and she's from Argentina!

I've lived in Italy for nearly seventeen years now, and attend mass every Sunday. Since long before Pope Frances most churches, especially parish churches, haven't cared whether your shoulders and knees were covered. You'll see men in shorts reading the scripture lessons, and women in spaghetti straps leading the prayers. Obviously if anyone objected, the parish priest or the parish council could set out some firmer rules.

I doubt that nytraveler has attended mass in Italy in the last 30 years.

St. Peter's Basilica and a few other large basilicas are much stricter.

Tourists, including Italian tourists, dress much more casually than people going to work in an office. However, even many offices are very casual.

noch: My guess is she got exactly what she wanted -- to be photographed. Besides, her bosoms were totally covered. No bra? What's good enough for the BVM should be good enough for all women.

The Pope has granted apparel dispensation to anyone who's name begins with X.

bvlenci -

I don;t live in Italy and am not a practicing Catholic so have NEVER been to mass in italy - nor anyplace else in about 40 years except for weddings or funerals.

I was speaking from experience as a tourist - including at least 3 instances of having local elderly women approach and berate tourists for being in churches in short shorts, tube tops and flip flops (or some variation thereof).

Perhaps the local priest doesn't care - but apparently these women did. And the last time was only 2 years ago - so not ancient history.

Ny

These women were what we call in French 'grenouilles de bénitier'.
The only thing that might make them happy would be some adventure with you... but it might not be funny for you. :-)

I've seen such one church 'harpie' being chastised by the vicar/priest himself. Lot of fun...
He had to be soft, after all, these people are regulars...

I've seen those old ladies too. I saw one scolding an American tourist for taking a photo inside a church. I'm not sure that he fully understood her, but he got the message.
Many churches have a notice board with pictures of proper or improper dress. Some have a picture of a camera and mobile phone scored through.
Why risk embarrassment?