Just a story, but it may help some of you young ladies make a decision about how you want to dress. When I was in Venice about seven years ago, we were with a tour group and a couple of the gals in our group were in their early and mid 30's..they were sisters, very attractive, cute little figures etc. We were crossing one of the bridges and my brother and I were walking behind the two young women who were both in shorts and tank tops. The shorts were short but NOT so short the bottom part of their rear end was showing or anything like that. There were about four young Italian guys lounging against the rail of the bridge. Now these guys were pretty cute I must add, however, by the time they got through looking these young ladies up and down, those girls "had no clothes on" when these guys finished looking them over. And, the guys were nudging each other,, making comments, which I of course could not understand, laughing etc. Now, I had MY day, like a lot of other "dogs" on this board, and there was a time that I could get that kind of response from young men. So here's the deal, there were times when I WANTED that kind of response, invited it, and dressed accordingly etc. and I knew exactly what I was doing when I was doing it..no pretense of innocence here. There were times when that sort of attention was NOT wanted and I dressed and acted accordingly. European men are frequently quite open and forward with their "admiration" of women, perhaps more than you are used to. So, just know that the culture is different. No one is going to throw you in jail for wearing shorts and/or a halter top etc., and if you have the look, body, etc, to carry it off and feel comfortable with the attention that you may get, then go for it. Just make sure that your don't dress like that if you have a lot of churches to visit, especially in Italy. In the other countries, even if allowed, I personally feel that it's not really respectful to dress in shorts and tank or halter top if going into a church. What ever you do or don't do,, you are visiting some wonderful places so enjoy your time and have a wonderful trip.

Presumably we are all adults on this board, and yet we discuss our choices and ask opinions of total strangers to help plan our wardrobes and make our travel plans. So, I don’t think Sweetpea should be criticized for discussing the same subjects with her own mother.

poor Constant, I'll bite the line, who is Marcello and why are you bored??? No halter top issues for you? Deborah

I say no to the halter top. There are so many other more appropriate and stylish tops you can wear. I agree 100% with M_Kingdom. It is not a flattering look for anyone with the exception of Marilyn Monroe :)

Definitely no halter tops. We were riding vespas all over Rome and the police stopped my niece and said she needed to cover up. We had to buy a t-shirt from one of the street vendors...No restaurant or church will allow them. Have fun!

Madison, I will never be called voluptuous so I think my back is one of my many fine features ;;) Come to think of it I just bought two new sundresses and they are halters. They'll be perfect for the beach but also for a warm summer city day. Deborah

What is a halter top? Is it something that looks like a bib for adults who never grow up, or like an apron for "matronas" who may need to dust and cook even on vacations?

Crefloors - I like your comment.
:)

... but I think we lost Sweetpea15 a long time ago

I have not been to Munich or Amsterdam. I did not have a problem in London, Rome or Paris but I did in VENICE!! I was there several years ago in July and had to miss the cathedral. Granted you probably could buy something (a scarf) from a nearby store or vendor for a quick coverup! I agree that it is very very hot and I like halter tops, too!

Very nice comments from Crefloor. Sweetpea15, your mom is probably just concerned about you. You're the best judge of what looks good on you related to how it makes you feel. Wear what you want, and wear it well! But like most people are saying, consider what you're doing the day you're wearing your halters. And definitely be a bit more aware of your attire in Italy. You're sure to get attention no matter what you're wearing.