Shorts or not?
 

My husband and I will be in Spain in June (Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Sevilla). Can men wear shorts while visiting churches or other public places? Not too concerned about me, haven't worn shorts in a long time!!!!!!

Absolutely NOT! It is forbidden under Article 345, instituted by Franco who was disgusted by a hairy, male ankle protruding from an Ecco sandal.

As a woman, however, feel free to wear a tank top. And don't bother to shave your pits. This is very arousing to matadors and Basque sheepherders.

Slimshady

No.
Do they wear shorts to the church you attend in the US? Just wondering as I have never seen it where I live.

Speaking of unshaven pits, what braid style is all the rage this year in Italy?

Although I do not regularly attend any church, let me assure that in the summertime, in Indiana (on those occasions when I have accompanied members of my wife's family) - - men and women, boys and girls wear shorts to Mass quite commonly.

This is not an answer to the original question.

Best wishes,

Rex

Shorts? Holy Mary, Joseph, NO!

Such an emphatic reaction surprises me. Aren't shorts what they wear to work everyday at Southwest Airlines, UPS, the US Postal Service, and both the men's and women's PGA?

While dress codes have some (limited) place in the rules of society, don't we Americans look down our noses at those cultures which dictate that "nothing less than a birka" is appropriate dress for half of its citizens in public - - or <<les lois>> (in France) which forbid the wearing of headscarves in public school?

As someone who grew up in the 60's and 70's I thought we threw out judging people by their clothes when we got rid of poll taxes, and telling women what kind of undergarments they had to wear, to be "ladylike".

shorts! Quel Horreur :)

This thread is bringing back one of my most painful childhood memories. I still have nightmares about my dad on vacation wearing knee-length, plaid, polyester Bermuda shorts!! Oh, how the heads would turn in a crowd....I still recall the horror of my dad being viewed as the ultimate dork!! :-O

But I love my dad anyway. :-)

LOL, cigale :)

Shorts? Feh!

Okay, this is a new low for Fodor's. Someone asks a serious question, one which I interpret as "Will my husband be permitted to enter a church to tour it--not to worship necessarily--in Spain this summer?" But all she gets is smart aleck remarks. Come on, guys, help her out.

While I haven't been to Spain, I make the touring of churches a central part of my visits to many countries, so I tend to wear long pants no matter how hot, just out of respect.

And while this is not in direct response to the OP's question, I do tend to agree with those who might be suggesting that, while in European towns and cities and away from beaches, grownup men should stick to long pants. Just my old-fashioned opinion.

Oh Guy, you have not been here long if you think this is a "new low" lol..
By answering this ( I did say No btw) we are also keeping it ToTheTop so it does not drop out of sight.

Scarlett,

LOL. But I think you misinterpret OP's question. Weren't you thinking they want to attend services? In that case, absolutely he should wear long pants. But I think they're just popping in for a look-see:)

I have been able to go inside many churches wearing shorts, but have been turned away at a few places. However, a few of the turn away places were ones I really wanted to go inside.

Men can wear shorts, and depending on where you are, you will not be turned away. In Barcelona, the cathedral is very high traffic and yes, there are men with shorts on and women in tanks (though many buy a pashmina and cover up). Tourism is so massive (particularly in the summer) that people are rarely turnd away unless they are being blatantly disrespectful. So, it is pretty much up to you. Instead of asking "Can we toe the line?" why not think how you would feel if someone went to your place of worship wearing something that you thought disrespectful. It isn't always just about the rules, but how inclined you are to enforce them when it comes to yourself.

I've only been to Madrid and Seville in your list, but I would say that men can wear shorts in "other public places". What would that be? I don't know of any dress codes in other public places, such as museums or public squares or stores, etc. I don't wear shorts when visiting cities, though, so maybe I don't remember all these things. But I don't remember any rules in Spain.

Maybe in Barcelona or Madrid if they got very crowded they will not say anything...but sure they will in Toledo or Sevilla Cathedrals !!!

Basil: if you are visiting churches, male capris would be appropriate (all the European males are sporting them). But as long as you're talking about long shorts (the ones that go to the knees), it should be ok. No guarantees, depending on the gatekeeper.

Oh, Degas, the braid of the moment: dreads!

I can't help you about Sevilla - I never travel to imaginary cities.

But here's a cautonary tale about Seville. And about believing the nonsense posters churn out on this board.

About a year ago, I drove into Seville on a swelteringly hot day. It had been years since I'd last been in urban Spain as a tourist. So, although I'd always worn shorts in the past, I foolishly trusted the endless assertions here about shorts not being tolerated in the major churches of Latin Europe. With hindsight, I can't understand why I trusted this idiocy: I always go to Mass in shorts on hot Sundays at home, and I wore shorts to church in Latin Europe in my teens. But lots of things change, so maybe - I thought - Spain has adopted church dress codes too.

Mrs CS points out that I'm being a prat as I spend time digging into the suitcase to find long trousers and change into them. We get to the Cathedral.

I've wasted my time changing my trousers. I'm boiling hot. And worst of all, Mrs CS is proved right.

Of course there's no dress code: this is a church, not a fashion competition. And where in the civilised world - outside some touristy bits of Italy - do churches have dress codes? Incidentally I've NEVER - not even in Italy - been turned away from a Catholic church I'm intending to go to Mass in.

What happens on this board - sadly - is that it gets over-run by people who really, really, lack the mental skills to tell the difference between what happens and what they'd like to see happen. Others seem unable to realise that tourist Italy isn't Spain. And sometimes, we suspend our critical faculties and fail to spot the answers are simply fantasising.

Usually, inventing non-existent cities like 'Sevilla' is a good indication of the fantasist posters. If they've never seen, listened to or read The Barber of Seville, or read the programme notes to Carmen, their cultural hinterland must be pretty limited, after all.

Surprisingly, there are a great many Web sites dedicated to the imaginary city of Sevilla, and to the imaginary state in which it is supposedly found, España. I guess it's a bit like Star Trek, eh?

Hey, Scouser, was Mrs. C.S. late with the Earl Grey this morning? What got you so cranky?

The hills are abloom, the new lambs are gambling. Smile and spread some of that Christian love you've heard about at all those masses you've attended!

If new lambs are gambling, their parents should be talked to. Shocking on a Sunday, too!

If they're bored, let them gambol, to work off the energy.

LOL, tedgale :). The only fauna to speak of in South Florida are alligators and palmetto bugs, so forgive my ignorance! (Glad you caught it before Scouser did.)

And I have to wonder about his "church is not a fashion show" remark. Neither is the opera or a wedding reception, but I bet he wouldn't wear shorts to either of those. While I'm sure that God is quite the "come as you are" type of fellow, I see no reason to take advantage of His kindness. Besides, who wants to look at a pair of white, boney legs just as they try to connect with the Eternal? I live in a place where summer mornings are so hot they will leave you gasping for breath, and I wouldn't dream of wearing shorts to church.

Hi B,

In general, to be polite, in a house of worship everything from the shoulder to the knee should be covered.

Men are expected to cover their heads in synagogues and uncover their heads in churches.

Does God care? Probably not. :)

((I))

Wife & I were going to Sevilla (not so-called imaginary place) for Viernes de Semana Santa: wife's cousin drove me to a Corté Inglés in Madrid and bought me a pair of walking shorts. She said Sevilla would be very hot; and it was!

I have attended Mass at Churches in Madrid, Sevilla and even Santiago de Compostela, wearing walking shorts: nobody ever asked me to leave. I have also toured many Churches & Cathedrals (Toledo, for example) wearing shorts.

BTW
Pentecost Sunday is 4 Jun: Andalucia's Feria del Campo & Romeria al Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio (near Almonte, in Huelva) peaks that weekend. If you're in Spain then, you might consider altering your itinerary to 'take in' that happening along with about 1-million Pilgrims/Participants

Oh my CotswoldScouser! :O I hope you're feeling better now...

Here's a link to the "imaginary" city of Sevilla http://tinyurl.com/et46l

We English-speaking people call it Seville, just as we call <i>Roma</i> Rome, <i>Firenze</i> Florence, and <i>Venezia</i> Venice.

You don't even want me to get into the mauling of English pronounciations on Asian cities... ;)

Seville seems to be one city that many Americans insist on using the Spanish pronunciation, even hitting that &quot;ya&quot; at the end. I'm curious if they also say Par-ee instead of Paris. What's wrong when speaking in English with using the English pronunciation? Using the foreign pronunciation when speaking in English seems so -- well -- pretentious.

Yes, Neo, people can be inconsistent at times. But still, wasn't Cotswold Scouser overreacting a wee bit by calling it a non-existent city?

Sometimes people use the native pronunciation by accident (perhaps they were recently looking at a website that had it) or perhaps they are being what I would call &quot;ironic-pretentious.&quot;

When traveling with a friend through eastern Europe years ago, it was only Praha, Wien, and Budha-Pesht for us!

If you're still reading this, all I can say is that I wish I could have gotten to my computer sooner! Since I'm from the non-Christian world, I forgot to say that I visit churches ONLY as a tourist. However, I believe I can get the message that I needed about shorts anyway! Oi vay!!!!!!! Thanks all.

Basil, make it quick on those church vists, we wouldn't want you to get converted or anything!

What's the big deal about wearing pants? In my opinion the fact that you are a visitor alone, no matter where you are visiting, warrants smart dressing. I personally wouldn't wear shorts many places other than the basketball court. Is it so difficult to buy a couple pairs of linen or thin cotton pants? Often they are just as cool or cooler than shorts.

The big deal is that trousers are usually warmer than shorts, and in the extremely hot weather that increasingly plagues not just the Sahara but also Europe, cool clothing is becoming unavoidable, for those who don't wish to develop heatstroke&mdash;especially given that Europe has so little air conditioning.

Shorts also allow more freedom of movement. The difference can be quite small, but small differences can become large when one is walking a dozen kilometres or more in a day.

Add this to the fact that the way you dress is really nobody else's business, and there is no reason to avoid shorts.

I have just returned from the Semana Santa in Seville, Carmona and Cordoba. What a picture to watch all those well-dressed locals - male teenagers in most elegant suits, girls in long robes - and among them tourists with white, hairy legs and their cameras shooting everywhere!

BTW, no Spaniard is so crazy to run around in the midday's heat. Life starts with sundown and it continues untill well after midnight.

&quot;and among them tourists with white, hairy legs and their cameras shooting everywhere!&quot;

OK...so where did you post your pictures?

Sorry, Anthony, but I disagree. During a typical day bopping about Paris, for example, I would only wear long pants. What if I notice the lines at Laduree aren't bad and want to have some lunch? What if mass is being sung at Saint Whatever, and I want to take a seat? What people do here in the hinterlands of the US of A is one thing. Europe is something else entirely. Better to be a little warm than feel like a slob.

Neopolitan writes: &quot;What's wrong when speaking in English with using the English pronunciation? Using the foreign pronunciation when speaking in English seems so -- well -- pretentious.&quot;

Andalucia's Capital city is: &quot;Sevilla,&quot; not Seville. Do you also call Jerez de la frontera: &quot;Sherry?&quot; When speaking in English, how do you call: &quot;Gijon,&quot; or &quot;Rioja?&quot; Have you attempted to buy bus or rail tickets to any of those places.

Back to Basil's initial topic: a lady may find herself more 'out of place' at a Church service with her shoulders uncovered.

I'll start using foreign pronunciations of cities when my local chinese restaurant starts selling Beijing duck.

As for shorts in church - well I wouldn't - it's disrespectful. However we Yurpeens have long been past being suprised by how americans dress. And the whole &quot;american hair&quot; thing too.

&quot;As for shorts in church - well I wouldn't - it's disrespectful. However we Yurpeens have long been past being suprised by how americans dress.&quot;

David, that was a snide, totally uncalled for remark. Are you joining CS on his campaign to make sarcastic, belittling remarks about Americans whenever possible?

FWIW, we noticed the dress code restrictions on a church in Angers, France. They seemed so straigtforward (cannot enter the church without wearing a shirt), that we asked: who would not know to follow them? The lady volunteers said their biggest problems were with the Germans. Brits were the second biggest problems--they dressed ok, but talked loudly and made no effort to control their kids' behavior, they annoyed worshippers, etc. Americans, they said, generally showed great respect for the church both in dress and behavior.

Being &quot;surprised&quot; is one thing; dressing just like them is something else again.