Summertime Dress code in Rome
 

Hi! <BR> <BR>I'm planning on traveling to Rome in August. I was told that there's a dress code in most places. Is this true? <BR> <BR>

If you go into a Church wear a skirt or long pants. That's basically it.

And make sure your shoulders are covered (i.e., no tank tops, etc.).

I wandered all over Rome with a t-shirt and shorts and tennis shoes. I carried a pair of waterproof jag pants (light, packs small) and put those on when I needed to. Don't worry--you will either know instinctively when to wear long pants or you will be told. <BR>

When entering churches, women should be wearing skirts that cover the knee or long pants (don't know how the newer, below-the-knee style pants go over) and men should be wearing long pants. As mentioned earlier, short sleeved shirts are fine-- just no tank tops. <BR>The bottom line is that you want to wear clothes that are respectful of the fact that you are in a religious institution and dress accordingly. <BR>That being said, there are places that are strict-- like the Vatican-- and other places that just might let you in if you're wearing shorts and tank tops. But I still believe that it's important to dress in a respectful manner, even if there are some places that will let us "get away" dressing more casually. Otherwise, there's no real dress code in Rome, except for the one we all impose on ourselves about looking more or less like a tourist. <BR> <BR>I was there last July (80's, and much cooler than NYC was at the same time!), and wore a below the knee gauzy cotton skirt most of the time which was really comfortable and looked nice, too.

My "uniform" for Italy in the summer is a below the knee loose fitting cotton skirt, a tank top and a loose fitting linen shirt over that. You will be covered respectfully, but also cool and you can remove the linen shirt when outside of the churches, but put it back on if you encounter big time air conditioning. Add to that, dark colors, and I think someone told me purple is the color of choice this year. I think you should think as if you are going to downtown New York or San Francisco, except warmer.

Hawaiian shirt, bermuda shorts, black socks, black wingtips, and a really spiffy straw hat that says "Roma" always works well for me. <BR>:)