Help! What to wear? <BR>What is appropriate to wear in Europe? I will be there for all of June touring from London to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Rome and France. Are walking shorts okay? I leave on the 8th of June so I would appreciate any help ASAP. Thanks

Same as here...what is appropriate tot he weather, with the exception that in Italy and Spain, and perhaps Germany (havent been there lately) they are a bit more conservative. Wear light and layer, with black for evening. Black is always in in Sourthern Europe. No shorts, especially in churches and restaurants...unless you want to apprear uncouth. Nice slacks, plain blouses that wash and wear, a skirt or two, all the same or contrasting colors, is what I take. nice sandals for evening, good walking shoes, and something to shade the sun, and perhaps a foldaway rain coat.

I should have added that we are mature adults. Here we are very casual. Walking shorts are proper almost any where. I do not want to offend any one. Do I leave the shorts at home?

Just my opinion, but I's stick with cool, loose slacks. You can't lose, and you can wear them into the evening for dinner. Shorts are not always flattering, and not necesssarily cooler. And for cities, you'll look less like a tourist. Have fun, in any case.

Hi, <BR> <BR>Personally? Take the shorts. Walking shorts are not the same as gym shorts. Bermuda shorts, right? You'll be fine. <BR> <BR>For the evenings - take nicer clothes if you wish, but for the day - don't worry about it. You should see the way I saw some backpackers dress! No one is going to throw you out of a church because you are wearing bermuda shorts and a nice blouse. (if you are leery, on those days - wear a skirt). <BR> <BR>as far as looking like a tourist - you might, but who cares? the shorts will not tip anyone off - the CAMERA will (along with the map, and just open your mouth once - no surprise to anyone!) <BR> <BR>just be sure to put your money where it cannot be easily picked. <BR> <BR> <BR>Beth <BR>

In New York, London, Paris, Chicago or Rome - - indeed in Indianapolis, Albuquerque, Topeka, Avignon, Assisi or Innsbruck - - a man wearing shorts, regardless of the length, in the middle of the city on a weekday is an almost certain sign that he does not live and work there. <BR> <BR>But most likely you wouldn't pass for someone who lives and works there anyhow, would you? Is it important to you that you do?

Anne <BR> <BR>Your post caught my attention with the word "proper." From London to Rome what's proper will vary dramatically, just the way it does here. How could you offend anyone wearing shorts, and if you did, how would you know it? The most likely place where offense would be taken and "proper" considered a prerequisite for admission, would be when you go visit a church. I hear the Vatican now allows women to wear long pants into church and you can get shorts with zipper legs (check out sporting stores).

How does this question always get turned into "You can't avoid looking like a tourist, so wear whatever"? Wanting to dress in a manner that the locals consider appropriate does not mean wanting to be taken for a local any more than wearing something nice to a wedding means wanting to be thought part of the wedding party. <BR>As someone who believes in packing as lightly as possible, I don't know why woman ever pack shorts--they're no cooler than skirts, and you can wear them fewer places. Waste o'space, IMO.

Thank you Martha! Someone is always going to chime in with one of those "don't be a fake - and you can't pass for a European anyway" remarks, when someone seems to be trying to ask a reasonable question about appropriateness and respect. I live in Chicago, and every day we see panhandlers, grifters and general riff raff hassling the people who look MOST like tourists - and letting the people who aren't quite as obvious pass unbothered. Nobody expects a visitor to pass a language, geography or culture test on the place that they're visiting, but sometimes blending in is just more polite, and a lot less bother.

Anne- <BR> <BR>It depends on what you are going to be doing. If you are only going to be in cities, I would take skirts instead of shorts. However any trip where I am spending time in the country or near a beach I take a pair of nice dressy linen shorts -- they work well for hiking but look nicer if I end up walking into the village from the beach, etc. I am not old, but I feel uncomfortable wearing shorts in urban areas, where I may want to walk into a snazzy cafe for a drink after a trip to a museum, or into a nice shop. There is no right answer, only what you are comfortable doing. <BR>

I stand by my opinion that shorts ON MEN will always be "more than just a little bit" touristy. This is one situation for which I think women have an advantage in summertime dressing. A lot of the time I think we men have it easier planning our travel wardrobe; conservative slacks and non-garish shirts can look fine for almost any setting, in a broad cross-section of climates. But women in skorts or longer shorts can look as close to a "local" as they strive to, and have the "cooler" advantage of bare legs. I won't suggest that I know how much more comfortable skorts are compared to skirts or a shirt dress, but it seems that they are the choice of many women travelers, and they can provide the opportunity to look very appropriately dressed for a wide variety of situations.

I agree that shorts don't really make sense for coolness as lightweight skirts are cooler, anyway, and more versatile and comfortable, but some people love shorts. If you're doing more athletic activities like quasi-hiking, walking shorts would be preferable to skirts for comfort. I think it depends on how mature "mature" is (45 ok but 70, no, even though older women might wear those in some US places like Florida) and what you're doing and if you look okay in shorts, that's all. I think shorts are okay during the day for sightseeing of ruins, outdoor stuff, parks, museums, etc, but not okay for later on going to restaurants, etc. (except fast food places). German tourists seem to wear very inappropriate shorts and other skimpy attire a lot IMO, so I bet they'd be fine there. Don't remember seeing them in Austria in July except on very young people but it wasn't very hot so no one would have wanted to wear them. Austria can be really cold in the summer, BTW, as can London. I think I just saw a lot of uncouth Europeans in churches in Prague a few weeks ago as they were wearing a lot of shorts there (French, Italian and German tourists) as it was fairly warm. I didn't, though, but I did wear calf-length capri pants as a compromise between slacks and shorts, as I think they are more stylish than shorts (at least this year), and saw European women wearing them also (with sandals or slides), but these don't look good on short women. I really don't think anyone is going to be offended, though, regardless of what they think--they may just think you don't look very good or tasteful. People are pretty used to what tourists wear in various places; tourists dress badly where I live (Wash DC) but it doesn't offend me, I just think they look bad (even here, though, it's funny but I can pick out American tourists from European tourists--Americans just look so much more wholesome and bigger, mainly, and wear more sports clothes). I think that dress codes aren't really that different in US vs. Europe; if you'd wear what you're thinking of in New York city, you can in Europe. If you are used to wearing them, I'd take one pair of walking shorts, but certainly have some alternatives to them.

Perhaps the real question is 'How do I feel comfortable wherever I am?' I live in Denver where people come back from a day hiking and eat downtown on the 16th Street Mall or in the Boulder Mall and may be sitting next to people getting ready to go to the theatre dressed in tuxedos and long gowns. Along side them are Muslims beautifully wrapped, Indians, Buhdists, African Americans, Japanese and ad infinitum. I'm a white middle aged American woman and am I offended by people not conforming to an American standard of dress? I think not. But we as American Tourists are concerned with how we'll be viewed when we're overseas. Perhaps this is a question for the "American Culture" post. But this forum knows no boundaries and that's the beauty of it. Another question related to dress is_ Are Americans that wear bright colors and talk loudly more likely candidates to be pick-pocketed than those of us that wear black and are more soft spoken? Is it an instinctual survival tactic to camouflage ourselves so as not to be conspicuous as tourists? <BR> <BR>Nobody likes the feeling of standing out and being considered different or improper, but it's inevitable by the mere fact that you're born into the human race. Every day we're faced in our own country with a sense of the standard and considerate way of doing things. I was checking out a movie tonight at my local video store and didn't have the $3.50 in cash. While I was writing out a check, I could have sworn I heard the people behind me grumbling at the fact that I was taking up time to write a check. Well, maybe I'm paranoid but I've heard the complaint before. <BR> <BR>We forget the diversity here in our own country and how travel can uncover regional differences. I remember traveling from New Jersey to Colorado, by myslef in a car, via New Orleans, when I was 28. I stopped for lunch at a wind blown diner on the edge of an oil field, wearing a jean skirt, sandals and a tee shirt. I think I was somewhere in the Texas Panhandle, but I remember the locals at the joint were acutely aware that I was not a local and their voices were all hushed. When I walked out after paying my bill, I heard one old guy say, "Skinny little thing, though." <BR> <BR>I fear that my internet connection is telling me to quit now, or maybe it's my own common sense. <BR> <BR>Anne (other than sumlady)

Well, if you are going to worry about all that, you'd better not go. It will be too unnerving! Guess it all depends on whether you want to exude class, or just "be comfortable". It's easy to spot the American tourist most places,a as they are overweight, sloppy, with t-shirts displaying rude messages, etc. Of course, wear what you want, but why not be classy and comfy all at the same time. You will not see a single Italian or French tourist over 22 in shorts, that I can assure you.

To Anne (other than sumlady) <BR> <BR>Perhaps I'm missing the point of your post regarding the "considerate way of doing things". I'm one of those impatient people who would grumble to themselves. (I'm too polite to say anything out loud), but I'd have my own opinion of someone who'd write a check for $3.50 because I didn't have the cash. Personally,I'd be too embarrassed to write a check. But I guess that's what makes the world go 'round.

Checks and grumbling aside, I hope this advice helps some folks out there. <BR> <BR>I've gotten fantastic use out of my camping pants. They are Khakis with cargo pants pockets and a zipper on each leg that converts them into shorts. When I travel now it is with these. I get great range from them in the hot noon day sun of Nice and later on in the trip in the cool evenings of Ireland. Go to a camping store a get a pair. Pay by check or cash, I don't care.

You will not be offending anyone unless you try to walk into a church in shorts. <BR> <BR>In Rome you can be extra helpful if you indicate which pocket your valuables are in.

I like the idea of the zipper that makes slacks into shorts but before I invest may I ask one question. Where do you store the slacks part when not in use? <BR> <BR>Thanks for all the tips. We're going to Paris and Rome the first of July want to be as comfortable as possible. <BR> <BR>MZ

They are made so that you can store the legs in the pockets. I'm not sure if this makes them really bulky looking though. My husband said that he would never wear those, so it all depends if you would be comfortable in them.

MZ <BR> <BR>With one pant leg you wrap a bottle of wine, with the other you store bread and cheese and carry them over your shoulder in a mesh shopping bag. <BR> <BR>Anne (other than sumlady)