Clothing Question and Hoping for a Suggestion
 

I'm a college student who is going to be traveling to Italy in June and I live in my jeans. Is it appropriate to wear jeans while touring the Vatican if you are a female, especially in places such as the Sistine Chapel?

Also my boyfriend and I are starting in Rome for 4 days and then traveling by train up to Cinque Terre for 3 days and we were hoping to stop somewhere along the way or near either place in a smaller Italian town, a place where you might have to speak Italian. However, we've had a hard time finding anything that seems worthwhile, and we'd have only one night to spare for our "authentic Italian town". Anyone have any good suggestions of a place along the west coast of Italy that is still nice, not quite as touristy, and would be fairly accessible by train?

Thanks for your help!

You can wear jeans in the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. The restrictions on clothing don't go to chicness or style but are concerned with how much bare skin you are showing. You may find jeans rather hot in June. As for a smaller town to stop in, you are limited by having to be near a train stop but I'd suggest either Orvieto or Lucca. Both are small, interesting towns. Certainly not unknown to tourists so it's not like you will have to speak only Italian.

We stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure for three nights, from which you can easily day-trip to the Cinque Terre and to Portofino.

It's a nice, less touristy, more authentic, little harbor city. I can highly recommend the Hotel Nuova Riviera, a pretty mansion-type B&B, with very good rates and service.
:)>-

Jeans are not a problem at all "fashion-wise". But as Grinisa mentions - you may be uncomfortable in jeans in June.

Do you wear jeans all summer at home? remember - there is little air conditioning.

Having been there in early July - It was way too hot for jeans..and it is crowed at Vatacian and I think it would have been unbearable in the Sistine Chapel itself in jeans. It was SO crowded - elbow to elbow.

A long skirt might be more comfortable.

Great question. My hubby and I went to Italy two years ago in November. We visited the Vatican. I was wearing a long white sweater (knee length) and brown skinny jeans and boots. Sound harmless, right?I guess he thought I was wearing a micro-mini dress (which I wasn't). Well, when it was our turn to enter the vatican, the guard looked at me, pointed a finger at me, in front of 200 people, and said, "you, go!". I looked around at everyone, mortified I might add", and said "what did I do". He said something in Italian, which someone else translated to me, which was "Americano, disgraceful". I was turned away, and we had to walk 30 minutes back to the hotel to change clothes and walk another 30 minutes BACK to the vatican. When we did return, the same guard was there and did not even give me a Second glance. I could have been naked at that point. He never even checked to see what I was wearing the second time around. SO, dress accordingly, you can wear jeans, but I guess you have to wear something that looks like pants and not tights!! Good luck!!

Thanks for all your help. I have dresses, but, ashamed as I am, well meeting the past your fingertips requirement of my old high school dress code, they aren't much longer. So based on the last response I'm going to assume that it would be inappropriate to wear such a dress with black leggings?

I'm going to have to go shopping, what a lovely excuse to give myself.

I definitely wouldn't want the "americano, disgraceful" comment to be repeated.

You might want to purchase one lightweight cotton skirt that is at or below knee length. It was 100 degrees in Rome when we were there this past June. Take your jeans because you will be fine style wise - all young people (at least) wear jeans. But for coolness, there is nothing like a very cute summer skirt & tank top with something to cover your shoulders for when you enter the churches - i.e. a scarf, lightweight sweater or shirt.

Yes Atl - that is exactly what I was thinking. My girls are not fans of longer skirts but we got them one each for the trip and they wore them to the Vatacian. I wanted regardless of what others were wearing for them to show what I thought was respectful.

Jeans are fine.

Sarzana is a town found along your train route to the CT that is a great choice for "authentic Italian town" with few tourists. One of my favorites. Here is a map showing the location-

http://tinyurl.com/2op8fd

Sarzana has great food, shopping, energy and sights. You can walk from the train station to the old town center.

Enjoy your trip!

A pair of light-weight cotton or rayon loose-fitting pants in a dark color work great for traveling in warm weather. Maybe not your fashion sense at home, but a good travel piece.

I really don't like skirts myself. Oh and leggings and a short dress will also be too HOT I think, same as jeans for summer in Italy.

Agree that in summer Italy is just too hot for jeans. You're better off with very light weight cotton pants, capris or long flowy skirts.

(Remember that few places have AC and it it's 95 outside it will be inside as well.)

One more vote - too hot for jeans!! I carried a lightweight beach wrap (looks like about two yards of pretty blue fabric with fringed hems) in my backpack and right before we went into a church or other place that required modest clothing, I tied it around my waist like a long skirt over my shorts. Also carried a very light button-up shirt for slipping on over my tanktops. Instant respectable outfit, no long walks back to the hotel, no missing out on something because I wasn't dressed appropriately. I didn't suffer the rest of the day, and my mom thought I was dressed like a 'nice young lady' when she saw my pictures!!

Well..I worn jeans in Rome in August...don't feel them any hotter than my other pants..Rome is too hot in itself to notice, I think.

Lucca, I think for your stop off

Yes, you can wear jeans. Knees must be covered. Rome can be very hot during the summer.

Have a great trip!

In addition to being hot, jeans are heavy to carry and hard to get dry after washing. European dryers are not as efficient as American ones. Assuming you are traveling light, it's better to have pants (actually clothes) that can dry overnight.

The train north from Rome will travel through the center of the country, not along the coast. You could stopover in Siena. It's popular with tourists during the day, but dark and medieval-like at night. And definitely worth a visit. However Siena is a little off the main trainline, and you'd be better off taking the bus to Florence to continue your trip north.