Jeans vs. pants
 

HELP, HELP, HELP!!!!! Going on a river cruise on the Danube in early October. Are jeans acceptable or are slacks a better choice? Will long pants be too warm to walk on tours? Should I pack a few pairs of capris?
Thank you, just am not sure how to pack!!!

Black slacks all the way. Too cold for capris. A few pairs of anything is one pair too many. How big is your cabin? Dress in layers.

Jeans are miserable when wet, take ages to dry and weigh as much as two pairs of trousers.

Womens jeans are not as heavy as mens, and frankly, they don't make those super weighty jeans much anymore. All this "jeans are twice as heavy and take ages to dry" nonsense is nonsense. /rant

Sorry, jeans do take a long time to dry ( at least longer than pants do) even the lighter weight versions. Dark colored pants will be your best bet. I love jeans but generally leave them at home when traveling.

I took a pair of the new "city jeans"(darker in color and lighter in weight) to France recently and lived in them. They were appropriate everywhere. Usually I don't take jeans to travel, but this time I was very glad I did.

Your black slacks will take you anywhere in Europe. I'd leave the jeans at home.

I think a pair of nice jeans is OK, if that's something you typically wear at home. Just don't get them wet or plan to wash them. Wear them on the plane ride over so they don't bulk up your suitcase. I would also have a couple pair of dark slacks in addition.

I just got back from a week in Spain and was thankful that I'd brought along a pair of thin, wide-legged (comfy) jeans! Both my husband and I wore our jeans multiple times in Madrid and felt like we fit in pretty well. My thin jeans took very little room in my suitcase. I'd say as long at the jeans are in a contemporary style and comfortable to wear, bring them. ;-)

I have jeans that weigh next to nothing, and depending on what kind of trip it's going to be, often take them. They can be dressed up or down, and are incredibly comfortable. Also, who gets their jeans wet? If you're properly clothed on the rest of you, why would your pants get wet? And unless you're on a long trip, why would you need to wash them unless you had a major spill? Maybe I'm really odd, but I wear jeans at home 4-5 times before washing them. I don't get involved in particularly dirty activities.

That said, I usually bring jeans along because I'm going to be in the countryside in small villages, going to markets, exploring, hiking, etc. I'm not likely to wear them in Paris or Rome.

I take my jeans, both a heavier pair and a very lightweight quick-drying pair (which I bought in Zurich) every time I go to Europe. I also take a pair of nice black pants, for times when I want to feel a bit more dressed up. I also have a pair of very lightweight quick-drying brown pants. I can go for a couple of weeks or more, re-wearing jeans/pants several times each.

I find tights much more comfortable than jeans on a long flight , also easy to dress up for stay in Paris, Rome.. ( not in the summer though) - look good with bale flats, sandals, boots..a long shirt or top ( as long as it covers the behind)

I'd take 1 pair of dark wash jeans and 1 pair of medium weight black slacks.

You'll be on a river - in October - you'll more likely need scarves and gloves than capris. Leave the summer clothing home . . . .

I have always taken a pair of good looking black jeans when going to Italy. They can be used for casual such as walk in the country or for a casual dinner with a black top and perhaps a jacket if the weather is coolish. Regarding rain, jeans can dry quicker and easier than wool pants although if it is autumn I have packed those also. I so agree with StCirq's comments.

Remember it's always colder on the water, and the sun may not shine and/or it may rain. There are bound to be other people on board wearing jeans, I wouldn't worry if jeans are what work with your layers.

The river cruises are not as dressy as ocean cruises, if that's what you are worrying about. You'll see loads of jeans being worn.

Wear whatever you find most comfortable. I live in jeans so do the same on holiday; I also find the heavy/hard to dry comments comical. Unless you are planning on falling in...

oh and on the black slacks go anywhere...depends on your age.

10 years ago EVERYONE wore black trousers on a night out. Now...I never see them and they are relegated back to work wear unless the person is over,say, 50, or else very 'un-hip'. I know as I'm in my 40s and hang out with a bunch of ladies in their 30s, and we all used to dress in those black trousers plus top 10 years ago. About 3 years ago I suddenly had a Eureka moment when we were out that I was the only person still dressing like that in the entire club. Everyone else was in dark jeans. Felt very old not to have noticed the change in fashion, and stopped wearing them evenings. I much prefer jeans anyway.

Just returned from Italy which I know is not on the Danube, but jeans everywhere on every age it seemed to me. I would take a darker fashionable looking pair
with the slimmer legs and with some stretch for comfort. I
took black ones. I had to buy a coat year before last in Sept
in Germany (on the Danube) to be warm enough. Have a good trip.

Wear what you're more comfortable in. As many have said, it's early October and you're on the water so definitely not capris. I've always found it much easier to wear long pants and then just layer on top (T-shirt, sweater, jacket) for temperature changes.

Take a pair of slacks so you can dress up if you need to for evenings.

<B>Most important</B>... have fun :D

I like cords for daytime. And I like black slacks and a pair of dark dress jeans with boots for evenings.

I pack a pashmina to dress things up and to use as a black wrap.

Oh! I second the pashmina or wrap. After seeing tons of women wearing them in Madrid I purchased one to stay warm while walking around at night.

At the Italian markets, Chinese vendors sell cheap harem pants. I must have 6 pairs now!

When it's cold, I wear them with long underwear and short boots that come up above the cuff. They are really comfy, lightweight, never wrinkle.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trend...rem-pants.aspx

For years I only took black slacks (maybe dark grey, as well) to Europe. Then I finally noticed that Europeans wear jeans just like we do--out wandering during the day, to lunch, to simple dinners, etc.

Now I take a pair of jeans (dark, a little stretchy, nice) and find I'm in them most of the time. Sure cured me of wanting to burn my black slacks every time I came home. I get sick of washing and wearing the same slacks but, for some reason, don't feel that way about jeans.

Trust me, you will NOT stand out in jeans.

Hey, zeppole, have decided you're not a MAN. Going to Val d'Orcia in a few days, hope to find harem pants, maybe in a market in Siena. Is there anything else good at the moment? My last purchase was linen cut-offs.

Hi tarquin!

Glad you decided that. I've been living with reality for ages!

Harem pants -- not the really egregiously droopy MC Hammer type but just very relaxed and easy-wear ones -- are a cheap staple of the Italian outdoor markets WHERE THE MARKETS ARE NOT TOURISTY BUT ARE NECESSITY FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS. I've never been to a market in Siena, but when you get to where you are staying in the val d'Orcia, ask where the biggest local market is. It might be Chiusi or a thermal bath town, rather than a scenic tourist town.

Here where i live, it seems the Chinese immigrant vendors are the ones with the biggest collection of one-size fits all stretchy black, grey or (last year) purple harem pants with banded waists and mid-calf cuffs, and lots of room in between. We pay about 10e for them around here. Can't guarantee if you will find them in Toscana -- but I've been reading on fashion websites that while they've just gained minimum acceptability in the US, they are a common sight on the streets of Barcelona, Milano, Paris and -- of course -- my home town!

Have a great time. Hope you have already been to tarquinia or are planning to go. It's got great markets! And it is a very intriguing, atmospheric and rewarding Italian destination.

This is close to the harem pants I've bought in Italy for 10e:

http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/prod...1r&kwid=1&ap=7

But I've also seen women with much more aggressive ones, where the thigh-to-knee drape is more like a skirt that eventually turns into leggings. But I think those young women were from Milano!

I can't imagine traveling without taking a pair of jeans. I sure would for that trip in October, "slacks" alone might be freezing. I just do what I want, though, don't ask others whether I should. I don't care whether jeans are heavy or not, that's sort of the point of taking them rather than thin slacks, they are warmer. I don't wash jeans by hand when I travel, I never wash anything when I travel but underwear, socks or thin Tshirts/camis, that kind of thing. Never pants of any kind.

Thanks, zeppole, I'll look for the harems, they would look great with boots. Those Chinese market traders were a big surprise to me last year in the Veneto, they seemed to be everywhere and I hadn't noticed them before.

We are going to Tarquinia as this trip is geared toward the Etruscan, along with all the other good things in Italy.

Ciao.

I hope no one minds me temporarily hijacking this thread, but:

tarquin, if you are still there:

I had some great meals at Arcadia next to the Etruscan museum, but my B&B proprietor also recommended Cavatappi for authentic regional cuisine in Tarquinia -- without his realizing it was closed for renovations. So we never got to try it, but we did get to try (at Arcada, michelin-recommended) the local Tarquinian white wine, which is light and brilliant with seafood -- a revelation -- and cheap.

We loved our our ridiculously at Gran Duomo B&B

http://www.bbplanet.com/bed-and-brea...nia_s15892/en/

If your trip is about Etruscans, the museum in Chiusi is even more impressive in some ways than the museum in Tarquinia. (In Tarquinia, consider starting at the top floor of the museum and working your way down.) We regretted we didn't leave time to explore Cerveteri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerveteri

but on a previous trip, we took a flyer on Civita Castellana, and were so glad we did. Poke around and knock on door for admittance into its small and fascinating museum

http://www.romeartlover.it/Civita5.html

Last but not least, if ever you visit New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has an incredibly exciting collection of Etruscan artifacts.

Have a great trip!

Zeppole, I saw some young and younger women wearing versions of harem pants in Rome. They wore them with high heeled gladiator shoes. The weirdest thing I saw was a young and not slim woman wearing harem shorts - think of them as poufy as harem pants but ending at the very upper thigh area. It was strange.

Wear your jeans and wear your black pants. Wear what you feel looks good on you and is comfortable and is respectful of the place you are visiting.

Around where I live, the women wearing harem pants are not necessarily young or even slim. They are just comfortable and I think look much better than skin tight jeans on older women-- or baggy jeans for that matter.

http://www.shopstyle.com/browse?fts=harem+pants

Personally, apart from black jeans, I just don't care for the way jeans look or wear. I have to walk up lots and lots and lots of stairs where I live in Italy. I prefer the free-flowing harem pants, layered with Winter silk longjohns when it gets cool ---

http://www.wintersilks.com/viewprodu...vyweight&prod=

and some boots

http://www.lacanadienne.ca/en/collec...otwear/palmina

Zeppole, thanks for the advice, especially for Arcadia in Tarquinia. We'll be staying in a studio apartment in San Quirico at the amazing price of 70 euro a night. if it's as nice as it looks online, I'll post the details when I'm back.

We're back, zeppole, and Tarquinia was one of the highlights of the trip, just the sort of place I like best. Your recommendation of Arcadia was excellent, great seafood and very welcome after several days of Tuscan meat, delicious as it was.

We didn't make it to Chiusi, but did visit Iris Origo's garden La Foce near Chianciano Terme. It's only open on Wednesday afternoons at 3 and 4pm for tours but it's well worth the effort to get there.

Didn't see the harem pants but only got to one biggish market, at San Gimignano, somewhere I don't plan to visit again - it was packed with tourists (I know, I'm one.)