I would think chinos are too heavy. I go for the very light weight - almost handkerchief cotton. They can be washed and dry in a few hours - and any wrinkles will come out in the shower steam.

Connie - we were in Italy this past summer mid to late June - Milan, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, Sicily. I took 2 light cotton skirts and 2 pants that come almost to my ankle - would you call those "crop" pants or capris? They were from Ann Taylor Loft. Key was that they were VERY lightweight cotton. I think the stuff that doesn't dry well is heavy cotton knit shirts like polo style shirts but I've love my cotton skirts & capris. I wear them with Mephisto or Naot sandals and I think I look fine. You'll never look as good as the Italians but you will be neat and respectable, look good in your pictures, and most of all be cool. Best thing about summer clothes is that you can pack more than usual because the stuff IS so lightweight.

I usually take Dockers style pants on trips.

Because I do lots of photography while on trips and tend to lay down in the dirt, etc. to get the right angle, I don't like skirts or the more fragile fabrics. For me silk is just too fragile, so I skip it.

With Dockers, it's good to remember that there are several different fabric styles:

cotton sheeting - wrinkles quickly but very lightweight

cotton twill - doesn't wrinkle much, but slightly heavier weight

brushed cotton - heavy like denim.

The cotton sheeting will air dry without wrinkles if you hang it up.

I took my JJill cropped pants from their "wearever" collection to Italy last summer and they were perfect! Packed well, any wrinkles came out with a little wear, they are lightweight and super comfortable. They also make full length and gauchos. The full length are very wide at the bottom, not as good for walking...especially if you are clumsy on the cobblestones like me!!

I wear capris or cropped length in natural fabrics (linen, cotton, or cotton knit) with nice looking comfortable sandals. I also wear loose fitting knee-length shorts that look almost like a skirt. Loose 'palazzo' style pants in a rayon print are another versatile option.

Normal jeans or khakis are too warm for me.

I don't wear skirts or dresses, simply not my style, no other reason.

I don't like synthetics like the Danskins mentioned, or Chico's Traveler... way too hot for spring & summer traveling.

LOVE Naot sandals

Thanks for all your replies. You've been very helpful.

patterns, subtle prints and dark colors travel better than plain light colors
;-) sorry couldn't resist giving more advice -lol

Hey, I'll take all the help I can get. I just wanted to let everyone know I appreciated them taking time to respond.