Is it acceptable to wear jeans in either Venice or Florence? I am going there next week and am leary of looking like a tacky American tourist. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

There are a lot of posts that answer this question. If you scroll through the top 200 posts, you'll see several questions like this. In a nutshell - wear what is comfortable for you. Jeans are worn all over the world not just in the USA. The styles might vary but they are still jeans.

Hi,
Anyone can and does wear jeans in Venice and Florence. Men, women, young and middle aged. You can go just about anywhere wearing them - but to"fit in" if you are an older adult, accesorise with a stylish pair of boots/shoes and a shirt/blouse and jacket.

I have been to Venice and Florence many times . .

There are 'jeans' and there are 'jeans' if ya know what I mean.

The people in Venice and Florence are very modern and the women wear very fashionable clothes. They don't have a 'K-Mart' equivalent (thank God)! Jeans really are acceptable for young people. Your accessories should not be cheap or tacky. Wear nice shoes and carry a good purse (or buy them in Florence)!

I remember my first trip to Venice. To my astonishment, I was able to pinpoint the American tourists (of which I am one) because of their tacky STRETCH slacks, oversized teeshirts and sneakers. Get a good 'walking shoe' as opposed to sneakers. Italian women are not big sneaker wearers!

They are a bit 'snooty' . . . but hey, wear what you want. You're paying and it's important to be comfortable!

Whether or not you end up looking "tacky" has a great deal more with HOW you wear your clothes IMO than whether they are jeans or not.

And in terms of origin, spend it where you wish and pay as much overhead and mark-up as you like.

Denim is worn all over Europe.

Denim ORIGINATED in Europe. It was originally "de Nîmes," meaning it was fabricated in Nîmes, France.

Sure you can wear jeans. But if you don't want to look "tacky," pair the jeans with a fashionable shirt and shoes and accessorize nicely.

I like StCirq's answer and advice. A few months ago on the Slow Travel site, an American expat in Rome commented that she could easily spot the Americans - they were dressed as though they were going to the office while she and her Roman friends were dressed casually.

Yes, I have noticed some tourists (American and European) in jeans and other outfits that did not suit their body type, but I would not obsess about being a tacky tourist.

Rome and Florence (do not know about Venice) are full of young people in jeans and in the cooler months they also wear stylish jackets and long scarves. Be comfortable, have fun.

Thanks for all the responses. I'm trying to pack clothes that are comfortable, but stylish. I know that jeans are a very popular purchase for Europeans over here, whenever my husband entertains customers from there one of the first stops is ALWAYS someplace that sells jeans! I'm finding it difficult to select the proper attire, the weather is supposed to fluctuate so much while we are there. Thanks again!

There's no dress code for entire cities. Seriously wear whatever you like. Besides not only Americans wear jeans. Do try to look pulled together and neat to be a respectful, polite, non-tacky tourist.

The worst thing about jeans IMO is they are very heavy so take up loads more room in a suitcase then other types of pants, and take longer to dry should you wash them mid-trip.

No, sweetie, you aren't allowed to wear jeans in either Venice or Florence. The police have been instructed to arrest any tourist wearing jeans.

Actually, you can wear whatever you like. Wear a clown suit for all anybody cares. Why anyone would come to Fodor's for fashion advice is beyond me, and I worked in the NYC fashion world for years. How can we possibly give you advice when we don't even know that you look like--or what your jeans look like??????? Come here for travel advice only. If you want fashion advice, go to Barneys or Saks.

Sadly, some people in jeans look likes Saks.......

Hello heymo, I agree that one cannot give advice to some unknown person. Some people look great in jeans and others do not.

The jeans in Italy are cut differently then what you normally see in the US. It might be fun to go shopping for a pair of jeans in Italy.

I always pack just one pair, and they are always black. Jeans are heavier to pack but if nothing else I use them for walking in the country or just casual wear for morning coffee etc. If you feel good in jeans then do wear them. Venice and all of Veneto right now is very cold and rainy. So do pack a a jacket that will keep you warm. A great scarf (another fun thing to buy in Italy) would be a good addition to your wardrobe. Have a wonderful trip!!

Sorry Thingorjus, if my question about fashion advice astounds you. I realize that not knowing what a person's taste and style is makes giving that kind of advice difficult. I have very good taste in clothing but did not want to appear either too casual in jeans or too dressy in nicer attire. However, I also had been told by numerous Europeans in my husband's office that jeans are an absolute no-no. I consider this question less a fashion question and more a question of what is acceptable in a different country. If this offends you then I apologize.

The things some people say. I supposed that because you cared enough to ask this group of travelers (not fashion experts), you were confident enough about your appearance in jeans to actually wear jeans.

Thinking back over recent trips to Italy, I don't recall seeing women over a certain age in jeans in a public setting. Although I have noticed a few chubby Italians, most younger women are quite thin and favor jeans and other clothes that are close to the body.

However, if I could get my now 50 year old and a little too broad behind into a pair of jeans and be as comfortable and confident as I was at 40, I would definitely wear them in Europe in the appropriate casual setting like an outdoor market or cafe.

I agree with a previous post that jeans are heavy. They also will not be warm if the weather turns cool. Slacks might be more versatile if you are trying to pack light.

<I also had been told by numerous Europeans in my husband's office that jeans are an absolute no-no.>

That is interesting and I wonder exactly what they mean. That no one in all of Europe wears jeans? Which is certainly not true. That American tourists shouldn't wear jeans, which is possibly true but not universally relevant.

Are you sure there wasn't more to the conversation... like not to wear jeans in a nice restaurant or something?

Suze, I'm sure I did not misunderstand what the people in my husband's office were telling me. One of my best friends is from Germany and she said all Europeans say the same thing, though for the life of her she doesn't know why. Maybe it's their way to mess with our heads a little, who knows?

Thank you Alajan, for your response. I was not under the mistaken impression I was writing to Vogue or some other fashion magazine, but since I have only been to Italy once before I thought it would be perfectly acceptable to write to people who were more versed than I in Italian culture.Frankly speaking if someone did not like my question they were perfectly free to ignore it!

And while like you, I have long passed my size 4 days, I have several pair of jeans which are very stylish and when worn with the proper shoes and accessories rival any other casual-dress outfit.

Point taken also with jeans being heavy as far as packing. And I know there's supposed to be quite a fluctuation in temps between the day and evening, so I may re-visit the idea and see if I have other options without taking my whole closet!

Hello heymo, are your husbands coworkers thinking that you will wear jeans to a very elegant restaurant? Or will you two be in Italy for business functions and consequently they made the comment about not wearing jeans?

I do not wear jeans a lot in Italy as I am with various friends and they do not wear jeans to restaurants, visiting other friends, shopping etc. But they do wear jeans or some kind of casual pants for walks in the country (even if just outside of small towns), morning coffee etc.

Italian women do dress more formally then most women in the US do (or at least where I live). And I consequently keep that in mind when I pack my suitcase knowing that I will be with them.

But if you and your husband are going to be travelling throughout Italy and will not have business functions to attend and if you feel proper in jeans then by all means wear them. I do wonder why your husband asked his European co-workers however. Does your husband not want you to wear jeans? I don't mean to be rude or intrusive but that caused me to take a pause. But maybe you asked your husband to ask his Eurupeon co-workers for you.

In any case, have a wonderful trip!

I'm sorry but has anyone been to Italy! Jeans are a fashion statement and not just for the teens. We were just in Italy last month and the two major cities were Rome and Florence. Many people were wearing jeans incuding my wife and I. The more expensive, the more fashionable. Now I will not say that I saw 50 something females wearing them ;but I did see older men wearing them fashionably with a crisp shirt, jacket and loafers. My question to the remark regarding to the "no jeans" Maybe they were stating no jeans at work? I guess, I kind of get a chuckle when many mention about how well Europeans dress and we as tourists get all insecure if we will look like tourists. I personally think most Europeans don't dress any different than Americans, though they choose to purchase quality instead of quanity. They take much pride in the way they put outfits together.I live in scottsdale

I pushed the wrong key. As I mentioned I live in Scottsdale and we get a lot of European tourists and also people from everywhere. It's always obvious to spot a tourist. So if your dressed that's what's important !!!!
So wear your jeans proud and be fashionable. Enjoy Italy