missypie

Somisseagle13, I haven't even brought up the topic of dress with my husband! He lives in shorts and t-shirts; when he finds that I expect long pants and shirts with collars he will flip.

Another thing that makes it a bit difficult is the going in to churches aspect. That is my favorite activity, so we won't' have any days where we can be assured that I won't make us pop into a church or two. (In Paris, the kids learned the drill...they just all sat on a chair and whipped out their gameboys untl mommy was done admiring the church.)

PBH

When we were in Italy I found Venice to be the most dressy. Every Italian I saw was dressed in designer clothes from glasses to shoes. I found Florence and Rome to be a mixed bag of everything. Like others have mentioned, all kids and teenagers looked exactly like Americans in their attire.

lfolsom521

We too are from Texas and just returned from Florence and Rome. It sounds like you have 2 girls...I have 2 boys who have worn shorts all year. They did leave their shorts at home and wore long pants. It snowed in Modena and Poured in Rome on our last day. Other than that, we had upper 60 to lower 70 weather. Although warm in the sun in Florence, the wind made it very chilly.

I had to buy long pants. Found great deals at Old Navy. I think they appreciated their pant legs when it snowed and when it rained.

All the kids dressed just like in the States...lots of denim, very causal. In Florence, although in the 70's they bundled up like it was zero degrees, didn't see too many girls in dresses.

I took one pair of "slacks" and never wore them. I wore jeans the entire time.

ps. We had a fantastic time.

L.

SandyB

I would suggest for the boys thin, unlined athletic pants, the wind breaker type. They do not take up much room and can be carried in a back pack and put on over top of their shorts if needed. They are also nice to have in a back pack in case of heavy rain. We found that most churches, with the exception of the Vatican and St. Peter's allowed kids to be in shorts, especially if they are a little longer in length. As for teenage girls, I suggest capris or the shorts with a sarong carried in the back pack, if needed.

Have a wonderful trip.

Zakochaney

The Vatican actually has a sign with pictures telling you that if you have exposed legs or shoulders (either gender) you will not be allowed in and they won't waive on this. Bare stomaches are included. It won't kill anyone to dress appropriately when visiting the Vatican. Most other churches you can get in without a hassle.

oobylicious

An alternative to the zip-off pants-capris is the lightweight pants that roll-up with buttons and tabs on the side to hold them up, making them a fashionable capri. They have some great ones at Old Navy right now. Then they can be worn as pants when it's cooler, and rolled up when warmer..and still a fun look!

oobylicious

A PS..ALL I wore in Rome and Florence last May were capris (both dressy and casual)

oobylicious

Oh..and shirts and shoes, etc.

GSteed

I sat out some tourist sites last week. After reading recent postings I scrutinized at least hundreds of people. Athletic pants were on females and males as well as jeans. The majority wore old/well used dingy sweat shirts. Shoes ranged from 5 inch heels to flip-flops Every other person was on a cell phone! I did not see what might be called 'smart attire'. It was all most practical. I saw much of the same in our hotel and the dining room. Street clothing is different. Most pedestrians are on their way to shop or work. European women dress to shop! Peer pressure dictates youth attire!

victoria_reynolds

We've got the "down to the knee on skirts " rule (or more likely, capris since teenage girls don't have many skirts of that length). But in the interests of not being told: "Mom, you're being ridiculous" : Is the dress code at the Vatican no shoulders exposed or must one be covered down to the elbow (I've heard both). It seems like almost every day there will be at least one church on our agenda, so this is a BIG factor in the packing decision/possibly even requiring a few new purchases. What is the official policy?

victoria_reynolds

Well, I think I found the answer to my own question here:

http://www.stpetersbasilica.org/Pics...essCode-JG.jpg

goodguy7793

Just got back fro Italy (Rome and Positano) this week.(have been many times) And have two children , ages 12 and 10.My advice on what to wear is to dress up at most times.
Seankers and shorts is just not good anyplace. The children were loved by everyone and spoiled by most.Rome will be Hot by June, but you can see most places late in the afternoon , as dinner is not proper before 8:30or 9pm
Florence and Venice are Not less Dressy.Capris are good for the daytime.

siena1

Looks like you're getting lots of information here!
When I was in Italy (Rome and Florence) a few years ago, I wore a black skirt (past the knee, but very comfortable, no pantyhose of course) with a tank top on most days. I carried a black cardigan with me to throw on when we went into churches. We visited churches almost everyday, so this was my "uniform" while we were there. At night I sometimes wore jeans and dressed a little more casually.

P.S. We were in Italy in June, so it was hot. Also, I was a college student, so I probably didn't dress TOO much differently than a teenager.

missypie

I'm actually having a hard time finding short sleeved tops for myself. I don't want to bring t-shirts, and DDs will die if I go to Abercrombie and buy some of the cute polos just like theirs. I get cold easily, so I have mostly long sleeved for work. And being that I'm in Texas, alomst everything in the stores is tank/sleeveless. Another excuse to go shopping this afternoon!

bbyfce1218

I am leaving for Italy on May 20, 2006 and even as an adult in the USA I live in jeans and sneakers. We will be travelling from Rome to Florence to Venice and back down to Positano via train, and will be doing LOTS of walking/touristy things during our 12 day stay. Can I get away with black colored jeans, nice shirts and a sweater or shrug but still wear my sneakers? I have a few capris I will be comfortable with but they don't go well with my walking sneakers. I have heard so much about us looking like "ugly Americans" but I need to be comfortable too. I don't judge people who come to NYC as tourists on their attire. HELP

grsing

I'm 21, so somewhat older, but almost everybody under around 25 or so was wearing jeans when I was in Italy, slacks would be quite strange to see. In May/June weather, jeans will still probably be pretty normal for guys (they still had fairly heavy jackets on in 80 degree weather when I was there in March), girls are lucky and can wear skirts (wouldn't wear miniskirts for churches, but knee-length skirts look pretty comfortable even in hot weather, though I can't say I've ever tried). Shorts would also be fine, and a lot of guys shorts can be bought long/baggy enough to cover the knees, even if they only want to wear those for the church days. As for difference between Rome & Florence & Venice, I really didn't notice any.

LoveItaly

Hi bbfce, just as a point of interest some friends in Florence sent me a photo of them along with about six of their other friends including a toddler over Easter weekend. All these people are professional people. The photo was taken on the weekend. Each and every person had on jeans, a shirt of some type and a couple of them had on windbreakers (cooler time of the year as the photo was taken in March). Each and every person had on atheletic shoes but the type they call trainers, a slimmer version in a darker color than our typical white heavier looking atheletic shoe. A relaxed and comfy and happy looking group of Italians.

The only suggestion I would make is to
perhaps pack a pair or two of lighter weight slacks, as you may find jeans are to hot and heavy for some days.

Just go and have fun..be yourself! And wear shoes that will allow you to do lots and lots of walking..Florence is a very walkable city. Enjoy!