What about those pants you can unzip at the knee to make them shorts?

I was in Italy last August visiting relatives. Many of my Italian native cousins wore long shorts. They cut off below the knee. They live about an hour from Rome. I concur about the weather. It was very humid. Go with shorts.

Vests are never stylish, darling. In fact, if I ever saw you wearing one in my presence I would throw red paint on you, a la PETA. Women who wear vests (and capri pants) in public should be mocked and ridiculed. (Do you know that the women who lunch at Harvey Nic's in London will toss bread rolls at those who dare to wear capris with white trainers?)

I am sorry, but we Europeans don't want to look at some fatty, forty-something American male in shorts.

Why don't you just wear a thong and a wife-beater if you are soooooooo hot? Immmmmmmtooooooooosexxxxxxxxyforrrrrrmyshoooooorts ssssssssss..........

<Women who wear vests (and capri pants) in public should be mocked and ridiculed.>

Well then, your job here is done.

ThinGorjus

How pompous, pretentious and just plain silly.

Me thinks ThinGorjus must have had one too many glasses of gin with the handful of Valium. (another thread)

I actually appreciate some of the humor found on this forum, especially creative humor or wordplay. But that one was just off the wall.

ThinGorjus, what is wrong with you?!! I hate to break it to you, but vests continue to be in style and have been for a long time. There are some very classy & expensive vests out there. And, besides it is rather tacky to get on this forum and insult suze the way you did about her choice of dress! suze, keep on wearing what you prefer.

Now, back to the original question that had nothing to do with vests. My husband & I have been to Italy twice and are going back this Sept. We both feel that when in Europe we are sort of American ambassadors, to put it loosely, and we prefer to dress a little nicer than shorts. There is nothing wrong with fitting in. We are both in our mid 50's, (started traveling abroad when we were 48), and my husband feels more comfortable wearing casual cotton pants and shirts in Italy. As someone else mentioned, maybe linen or a more lightweight fabric. If you HAVE to wear shorts, do wear the longer style.

I also agree with a previous post, don't miss the churches. At least see a couple. It is true the architecture and art are just amazing, but take a pair of long pants to wear in the churches. Hope this has helped a little,schectec. Have a great trip! ThinGorjus, shame one you!

Shame on me, darling???? But I am not the one wearing the vest with a.....a.....a tank top!!!! (I could barely type that out, sweetie.) Where I come from, only ex-convicts wear tankies. Besides, I am only trying to help Suze out. (You are obviously new here, so you don't know that I am a former fashion director at a major American fashion house.) I don't want people sniggering at her as she walks down the Via Condotti.

Somehow, I can't see Anna Piaggi, Isabella Blow, Anna Wintour, or the late great Jackie Onassis wearing a vest with a tankie.

Good night sweet prince....and may flights of angels sing thee to thy VEST....

If nothing else, Thingorjus, your sense of humor is top-flight...But maybe you SHOULD cut back on the drug/alcohol mix a bit...But what about the zip pant-leg pants for men? I have usedthem in other continents successfully and have wondered about their applicability to Tuscany at any time of the yr...?
And Suze, vests over tanks are HOT!!Intrigue over abundance!

(You are obviously new here, so you don't know that I am a former fashion director at a major American fashion house.)

I've always found it interesting that anonymity allows some posters to create fantasy life stories. Inevitably, the lack of class in their postings outs them.

Excuse me, but I have a doctor's prescription for all my meds. I am not some down-and-out crack addict, darling.

I am just trying to help out a fellow traveller. I don't understand all the hostility. People come here for advice, yet get all worked up when advice is offered. I'm not trying to insult anyone.

Zippered pant legs?????? That is horrid. Honestly, do you have mirrors in your home? I know Diana Vreeland is just spinning, spinning in her alabaster grave. (It was bad enough when Carrie Donovan was pushy Old Navy off on us.)

Sorry, NOTME, but there are Fodorites who have met me. Try again, as you are grasping.

<I don't want people sniggering at her as she walks down the Via Condotti.>

Oh, is THAT why everyone was laughing? I really do appreciate your concern.

I can't help it, this is the funniest thread I have read in a while. I can picture the ladies tossing their bread rolls at women in capris! I wear capris with sandals so if I go there I had better take a shield.

I also don't like the looks of pants that zipper off, I think they would be valuable on safari but it reminds me of one trip to Europe when I dressed in safari attire and felt so foolish (complete with a Indiana Jones hat!) (long ago). They stayed in my suitcase!! (I had gone overboard on a travel company catalog) I can only imagine what the ladies would have thrown at me that trip.

Zip-off shorts have got to be the single ugliest invention of the century. I realize my credibility is very low on this thread... but *there* is a fashion-DON'T worthy of protest!

I was in a metro station in Munich and spied two travelers in full safari attire, including the hats. Talk about looking out of place. It reminded me of the outfit Tom Hanks wore for his cruise in Joe Vs. the Volcano. I'm sure they ordered the outfits from some travel catalog.

So where does one go to remove one's zippered pant legs? Can you do it in public? Where do the pant legs go? Are the ladies expected to put them in their purses? I might wear them hiking in the Amazon, but in a city? Not likely.

Suze, lol. What about me in my safari outfit on the via Veneto? I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered all that. Right now some homeless person is wearing my nifty outfit while collecting recycables! I bet it was a real bargain at their thrift store.

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. Of course we are going to visit many churches. However, we have other plans for Naples and Venice, and that was why I mentioned those cities. I really didn't mean to start something with the clothing discussion; however, it has made me chuckle. I have seen the items on QVC that were mentioned. I feel that I am very fashion conscious, as is my husband who I was writing for. We had already planned on linen or Docker type pants but was checking for those non-church visit days (we are crusing after spending some time in Rome, so we are going to many ports around Italy, Spain and France and just know how hot it is in August. We had heard that it is a good idea to stay away from the shorts, but it is nice to know that if it is too hot on a day we do not visit churches, that others also choose to put on a pair of "nice" shorts. I don't know if my husband will, but at least he knows now that others have. We live outside of Washington, D.C., so dressing to go to the city is something we do know about. Again, I didn't mean to start a battle here about tank tops and vests, but thanks again for all of the input and the laughs. We are getting very excited about this trip that we have been planning for such a long time. By the way, someone asked me what is middle age. I hate to admit it, but we are mid-50's. UGH! I hate it, I hate it. But I still feel in my 40's, so I guess that is ok.

I wear my chinos and polo shirts and never felt out of place in Italy and saw many Italians with the same type of dressing.