I packed the right clothes for Italy!!
 

I was agonizing about what to pack for my trip, considering the heat, the huge amount of walking we were planning to do, and the fact that Europeans don't usually wear shorts and you can't get into churches if you aren't dressed right.

I ended up bringing 3 long skirts (shin length) made of light, gauzey material and several lightweight tops -- mostly sleevless. I carried a lacey shawl in my bag for churches. I brought a straw hat, lots of sunscreen, and some Clark's sandals that were fabulously comfortable for all the walking and looked pretty decent with the skirts, even though they had a nice sole for hiking.

This turned out better than I thought because with each step I got a little breeze from the skirt swishing around. I looked decent and I was cooler than I'd be in shorts. (It was true -- I probably only saw two people wearing shorts and tennis shoes the whole two weeks we were there.) And even after 10 hours of sightseeing, I was ready to walk right into a nice restaurant.

I brought some dish soap and washed out my tops and underwear at night, and it was hot and dry enough that they'd be dry the next day. (I had lightweight, quick-drying fabrics -- not cotton T-shirt type things.)

Hope this helps someone!

Thanks for the update! I'll be in Italy in Sept. and I think I've got the right clothes to go....

I agree the gauzy skirts are ideal for travel. I think what deters a lot of women from packing them is (a) fear that they are see-through and (b) unless you are slim, fear of chafed thighs.

Hi Sandy,
I thank you also for the packing tips. I have been agonizing as well over what to pack and we don't leave for five weeks! I've been convinced by the advice on this board to pack light and plan on taking a 22 inch rolling suitcase only, so I didn't want to get there with very few clothes and find out they were all the wrong ones! Sounds like skirts are the way to go. Thanks!

Love good packing advice. Skirts don't work for me (hate the thigh thing especially when it's hot) but you've definitely got the right idea (I would substitute lightweight capri pants for the skirts). Congrats & thanks for posting! It does help!!

I got a great tip from a Fodors posting about skirts and thighs rubbing together. Buy a pair of underwear that looks like the men's boxer-briefs (I think the poster said she got hers at Target). I got some and they are fantastic.

I definitely took skirts this time. Our Italian friends told us they can always tell the tourists by the fact that they were shorts and tennis shoes. We did wear shorts on our cruise excursions, but when we went back to Italy to stay with our friends, the skirts came in handy so I felt like I blended in with them.

I wear a coulotte slip to avoid chafing. I haven't used this one--it's the first link I hit when I searched, just so you can see what it's like.

http://ladygrace.com/product.asp?pn=...cd2=1186594149

I hate the chafing also (I chafed even when I was skinny). I use pettipants under my skirts. I get them at jcpenney, and you can trim them down to fit the length of your skirt.

http://tinyurl.com/2fdr85

I bought long underpantsy things, also at Penny's, and I wear them with skirts. They solve the thigh problem.

Thanks for the tip on the peti-pants. We are planning to go to SE Asia next June, so I am thinking about skirts. I think that given the heat and humidity, plus the conservative culture in many places, longish skirts will probably be just the thing. Also, it seems with the petipants, laundry would be easier because those could be washed out in the sink and air dried, meanwhile the skirts themselves could be worn more often between being laundered.

J_Correa - That's how I learned about them. My Grandmother wore them under her pants so she didn't have to wash the pants as often.

When we were looking for a house a few years back, we looked at a few older houses that had small windows in the closets - designed for airing out clothing since in the past, people didn't wash their clothes as often.

Without automatic clothes washers and dryers, I can definitely see why people would want to be able to wear their clothing multiple times between washings.

We too are leaving for Italy in a few weeks and I was not sure what to pack. Is it still fairly hot there then? does the long skirt idea still hold or should I be thinking pants?

And your clothes will last longer with less washing.

what's "a few weeks" and where are you going in Italy?

Long gauzy skirts are so lightweight and take up so little room, I'd go ahead an pack them anytime before Oct unless you are going far north.

In NYC, I sometimes wear gauzy skirts through the fall over tights and pencil thin trousers.

I love the new gaucho pants that many women are now wearing. They almost look like a skirt but work like pants. My favorites are from the Chico Travelers line. I love that slinky material, no wrinkles and easy to pack. But they are everywhere now, and some made from cooler cotton or linen fabric.

Are you able to wear open toe sandals in churches?

Yes to open-toed sandals in church. Never had a problem.

Hanging clothes out between wearings, especially in for ex. the bathroom doorways, is remarkably helpful in keeping clothing fresh and reducing need for as much full-scale washing. This has been my best travel find.

Ditto on the gauzy skirts as a great travel option.

syd, Yes.

Where did you find your gauzy skirts? Any pictures?? Just curious...I always wear capris because I have not seen skirts that were flattering on me.

I wear them a lot also, most recently on trip to Caribbean and New Orleans. I got mine at Anne Taylor, but they are truly everywhere right now, so popular! Even in some of the catalogues like TravelSmith. The ones with a flat dropped yoke are very flattering.

Gauzy skirts can be bought off the street in New York, or ordered over the internet at prices less than $15.

Do searches for "broomstick" skirts or crinkle cotton or pull-on skirts. Really, they are everywhere. If you have a little import store in your town, with clothes from India, you'll get a good selection.

crinkle skirts

http://www.nextag.com/crinkle-skirt/search-html

brroomstick


http://www.nextag.com/broomstick-skirt/search-html

Coldwater Creek usually carries lots of long / mid broomstick / gauzy skirts.
Chico's stretchy travelwear is great, but NOT for Italy in the summer - it's large part rubber. NOT cool in the heat and humidity.

What kind of Clark sandals and where did you get them? Thanks for the helpful info.

we'll be in the north of italy in september and I'll take one longer skirt but will have slacks and some longer length walking shorts as well for the mountains, some hikes, wineries, etc. The skirt will be fine for venice and milan however. I also like taking a skort - can do some walking in it but it can also work well in town. I found two pair of privo shoes that are great and transitional as well.

I survived July with three pairs of light weight capri's, one pair of dress slacks and one linen light weight pants suit, several shirts to mix and match. That worked for Rome. I wish I had some shorts for CT. Even in July I needed a long sleeve shirt and sweater for the nights in Lake Como.

22" suitcase with favorites. And only fill it 2/3 of the way.

And I meant to say Hooray for you! That must have been a great feeling. I want to go back because I want a packing do over. I was close, but want to try it again.---

A perfectionist.

Ohmygosh, ladies... I guess word never got to you! I have the thigh problem, for obvious reasons, but my daughter does too...and she is thin. (I love to wear those skirts.)

We got this tip years ago and it has never failed us. You put antiperspirant on your inner thighs. (Kinda makes sense when you think about it!) The sodium hydrochloride or whatever it is in antiperspirant keeps your thighs from "sweating", therefore preventing chafing. We've used it for years and it works great! (remember, not deodorant alone, make sure it says "anti-perspirant"). :) I like the gel kind. I let it dry before putting on my skirt. Try it!!

Great anti-persperant tip--I vaguely remember hearing about it but have long since forgotten.

Re: gauzy skirts, I have a couple of reversable double layer skirts--one side black and white, the other, a color. Has worked great for me, especially in the cities.

I am going to have to try the anti-perspirant thing... I read the same tip but for shoes. I was complaining that my feet get all sweaty with ballerina flats and someone suggested the anti-perspirant. It seems to be a 'well-known-fact' for hikers too.

One more thing I learned in Fodor's :D

bookmark

Great idea on the anti-perspirant! I don't think the thigh-chafing has all that much to do with size per se... more to do with how much you sweat and the build of your frame. I'm anywhere from a size 1 to a size 4 and I can still get an awfully painful rash on my thighs if I'm out walking in hot, humid weather and wearing a skirt in a non-breathable fabric.
Target and Forever 21 carry a lot of knee-length "swingy", A-line skirts. I wear a lot of these on trips, as long skirts look funny on me since I have a really tiny upper body and larger lower body. Long skirts tend to look fabulous on women with longer legs, but for gals with more of the pear shape like me - the knee-length A-line skirt is very flattering.

I, too, would love to know what Clark sandles you got! Thanks for all the great tips.

The "bike pants" style underpants mentioned upthread from Target are called Assets. They're made by the same company that makes Spanks.

It was great to read all the replies about chaffing and relised that I'm not the only person in the world with that problem! I've solved the thigh problem over the years by making lycra shorts to go under skirts and dresses. The lycra is easy to wash and dries quickly. You could also buy the bike shorts if you can't sew.

Monistat makes this product: Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. I haven't tried it to prevent chafing when wearing skirts, but I have used it for other areas that chafe.

I've tried Monistat's powder-gel product for chafing and find that it does not help.

Baby powder, particularly formulations that include zinc oxide, works quite well for me, but I have to re-apply it during the day, which means I have to carry a small bottle with me, and also have to deal with excess powder in random places that I've not checked to brush off.

You can see Clark sandals online at www.zappos.com

If you have to wear lycra shorts or nylon petipants under your skirt, doesn't that defeat the idea that skirts are cooler to wear than capris?