We are taking a globus tour in August to Venice, Rome and Florence. I heard you cannot wear shorts or sleeveless tops into churches . Is this true? It will be very hot when we visit and don't want to wear pants--any suggestions?? Thank you

Yes. This is enforced in the major cathedrals and "sites" and only polite in smaller local churches you might visit. For women linen capri slacks, sandals, top with sleeves. Or mid-calf skirt, sleeveless top, w/ shawl over. For men maybe those pants that zip off to shorts w/ knit shirt.

Yes this is true. I just got back from Rome, Venice and Tuscany a few days ago. They will not let you into many churches if shoulders or knees are showing, most especially at the Vatican. T shirt and long pants was accepted when we went.

When you are in Rome, just accept the fact that no matter what you wear you will be very hot. We wore shorts and sleeveless tops and everyone was still DYING from the heat! But once the sun goes down it gets much cooler. In Venice, it was not so bad, the temps are much more bearable, breezes and some cooling rains as well. You'll be fine.

But it's definitely true about wearing conservative clothes.

'Tis true. If you don't want to wear slacks, think skirts. Just be sure your knees are covered. You could wear shorts and pack a wrap skirt to pop on when you visit a church.

Enjoy your trip.

Aside from the attire required in churches, you should be aware that the Italians do not wear shorts in the cities. Unfortunately many establishments (shops and restuarants) tend to treat the short-wearing / brand new sneaker clad tourist with, how shall I say it... less appreciation than finer dressed tourists. Go for knee-length anything and even a sleeveless top (with a light scarf to wrap around the shoulders when entering a church). Obviously sensible footwear is essential for covering the hours of cobblestone trodding - whatever it might be.

You've got to be kidding, amelia_101, about store owners treating shorts- and sneakers-wearing customers with "less appreciation." If they're spending money, believe me, they're appreciated just as much as the "finer dressed tourist."

Re: Shorts... Although not for cathedrals, I wore shorts all over (puchased them in Switzerland when we hit a heatwave), but then I didn't visit churches much. These were rayon print fabrics, long and loose, that I usually wore with a tank top and light vest over that, with nice looking comfortable sandals. This was fine. Really. I wouldn't go around in my gym shorts or shortie cutoff jeans, but "no shorts" in 90F+ degreee heat is a but much of a statement, and I disagree.

I definitely think that skirts feel cooler than shorts. They're more versatile, too; you can dress them up in the evening. I think that in most cities around the globe, you won't find many locals wearing shorts downtown. I know that's true in Chicago.

note to Howard: perhaps only the owners of the shops / restuarants are well versed in the art of customer service, but the shop/wait staff usually isn't and since they usually do not get any commission (or tips) they tend not to make that extra effort which defines good customer service -- of course there are exceptions. The concept of customer service has not yet hit Italy. It is the same if one were to wear shorts in an upscale store on Michigan Ave or wear a smart/comfy/airy light skirt, the shop staff would probably tend to the better dressed customer first.

The supposition, of course, is that the better-dressed customers have more to spend.

I spent three weeks of May in Italy and surrounding countries. No women were wearing shorts. Wear light weight cotton pants and tops and you will fit in nicely everywhere.

I was going to write that too, in most major cities in the world shorts are out of place.

You will be treated better as others have written if you are in a skirt, I would think the sales people think if you can't respect yourself, why should we?

People who wear shorts not being respected as much by salespeople as those people in skirts or pants?
And, how silly of me....Everyone knows that women in cotton pants are much more affluent than those wearing shorts!
Give me a break!
And, I never knew that wearing shorts while shopping means I don't respect myself.
Oh, c'mon people!

I may have asked them before, but is "Itlay" a new EU country?

It is really only enforced, it seemed to me, at St. Peters (Vatican City) and St. Mark's (Venice). Most of the other places seemed pretty lax about it, including the cathedrals at Siena, Orvieto, and all of the small churches we went into. Some of them had signs that indicated that sleeveless shirts were fine, but spaghetti straps and tank tops were not, but I never saw anyone enforcing those.

I wore a sleeveless dress with a lace over-top when we went to St. Mark's, and I wore a short sleeved cotton shirt and tan capris when we were at the Vatican.

In my experience what amelia101 and nocinonut say is true. If you are dressed in tidy, smarter clothing you will be treated better in many shops than if you are wearing shorts and white runners.
Maybe that hasn't been the case in the stores you have gone into Howard, but that doesn't mean it isn't true in many places.... or maybe you are oblivious to it, I don't know. It might depend on your gender. Women may be more sensitive to that kind of thing, or maybe women are going into different shops than you are. Right or wrong, assumptions are sometimes made about what a person will spend based on appearance. I'm not saying one has to dress up all the time or be uncomfortable, but look appropriate and have some decorum. Huge t-shirts with slogans on them tucked into shorts, with white lumpy legs ending in blinding-white runners... eeewwww. Maybe for the gym (maybe....), but not for shopping.

I don't think that it is so much "what you can get away with" and what as enforced. It is more about respect.

Respect for the places you are visting and culture of the people.

I think that if a bunch of people entered my church wearing summer/beach clothes, talking loudly, ignoring the rituals of Catholicism and taking photos I would find it offensive.

I would always keep that in mind when trying to decide what to "get away with".

Even if others wear shorts, be a bit bigger and show a bit more respect that those around you.

My 2c ;-)

Having just returned (today) from these parts, I'll give you the scoop on the Vatican. For St. Peters, women can get in wearing a summer dress. Stuff a poncho or shall in your purse and throw it on where they check you.

Women can also get in in pants with knees covered. This is NOT true for men. Men (and my husband was unceremoniously ousted) wearing shorts that stop below the knees will NOT get in.

2 options here: get the zip on kind that changes shorts to pants or, alternatively, most of the kiosks around St. Peters sell these really ugly cheap black pants designed with an elastic waist for the sole purpose of entering this church. About 10 euro. Get them big and have the man throw them on right before the security check.

Following up on surfgirl --

-- Or have a little class and show some respect for the fact that you are entering the Vatican and dress appropriately. You can always go back to your hotel and change into shorts when you're finished.

Would you wear flip flops, bathing suit, and tank top to a restaurant in the states? If not, then don't wear shorts, sneakers and baseball cap in Rome. They dress up more and you will feel more properly dressed in nicer clothing.