Wardrobe Tips in March
 

My husband and I are traveling to Italy in March. We'd love some wardrobe travel tips for sight seeing, museums, churches, etc, as well as tips for accessorizing.

WHere in Italy are you going? As far as wardrobe tips, do you mean style or functional (weather).

4 years ago when we were in ITaly for 10 days in March the temps varied from rain and 50s to 80 and sunny in different parts of the country.

Yes, style. We'll mainly be traveling in Rome, Florence, Orvieto and Bagnoregio. :)

We were there twice in March. We made much use of lightweight Spring jackets and a fleece or a sweater. We invariably took off our jackets in the museums so the lightweight jacket was not too heavy or annoying to carry around inside.

Layering is probably the best idea during the Spring. I also found that I used my long-sleeved sweaters more than I thought I would, even in the South.

It amuses me no end as to why people change how they dress at home when taking a trip.

I never change my wardrobe, maybe I'll buy a lighter pair of casual shoes or two, and some more t-shirts, but they're items I'd most probably buy anyway.

Wear lots of linens and cottons, take some casual unstructured jackets with you for daytime wear. Dior do fabulously soft t-shirts for men, their peacock motif t-shirt under a sharp suit would go beautifully with a woman wearing a peacock feather skirt from Prada.

If you'd like more casual, go for a top (long sleeve t-shirt/light cotton knit) with a skirt, try some Marni for ecclectic chic.

I have no outfit specific to churches, however, perhaps you'd like to pack a Galliano wedding dress if you want to cover up and look as if you're meant to be there? And for museums look studious with Galliano's menswear newspaper print collection.

Hi
I"m not a member of the fashion police but for those who care about such things I'd say linen is probably not worn in March unless the temperature rises to the 80s and stays there.

I happen to agree with Lorac and MFNYC's suggestions.
If you go to a website like
www.wunderground.com you can historical temps and precipitation for the time you will be there plus probabilities going forward. That, and check the forecasts before you go.

Aside from layering for cold vs warm temperatures, any clothes you feel comfortable in are fine. Jeans are perhaps less adaptable should you spontaneously want to stop into a nicer cafe or restaurant or hotel bar for a drink, but very few places except the fanciest actually have dress codes.
You will see plenty of other tourists in very casual clothes and sneakers.
The local grownups who are going about
their business days will be dressed pretty chic-ly in the business centers of town, but whether that is your style or not is up to you.

Enjoy your trip.

I have files on Rome, Florence, and Venice; if you'd like to see any of these email me at
[email protected]

Thanks all for the kinds tips, and for the amusing one as well! :) Elaine, thank you especially, I'll email you for access to you files.

Linen and cotton in Florence in March?? Are you daft, mkingdom? It is still very chilly in March. And I am sure ctaa1966 is going to run right out and buy one of those ridiculous "peacock" skirts by Prada. About 3 women would look good in that skirt.

Here is some "reasonable" advice, darling: dark colors (black and brown), layering, water-proof shoes with rubber soles for the cobblestones streets of Florence, sunglasses.

My dear, cotton/linen blends are very practical for that time of year, with very very lightweight jackets, Miu Miu do one that's ultra thin polymer.

As for the peacock skirt, several of my friends have already bought them, and they look sensational in them, it's very wearable, and in this collection we're seeing much more of Miuccia's influence in creating even more understated top pieces.

I am SO relieved that we are seeing more of Miuccia's influence, I really was concerned that Miuccia was being under-represented.
Whew!

Didn't m_kingdom tell us that Prada is declasse at one point? I'm not sure if I trust his/her (its?) fashion advice.

I'm quite glad to hear the new peacock skirt is wearable (as opposed to, hm..., laundrable, hangable, displayable?). It's so good to know that clothing is actually wearable. I was not aware that there were all these other uses for clothing.

Hi ctaa1966

We go to Florence and Rome every February and March. I am not a huge fashion person, but I try to look a little nicer in Italy, just as I do in New York, than what I might shlep around in at home, in my very style-and-fashion-challenged real life.

So, I take most of the things that have been recommended to you: a light weight jacket in a dark color, dark separates that coordinate, black shoes with rubber soles, etc.

I take along a scarf that is big, and that I can wear outside my jacket, or even over a sweater. I also take long-sleeved silk undershirts, one white and one black, in case it gets cold. They are very warm, but very thin and weigh nothing.

I also take little knit black gloves of the supermarket variety, and a Totes tiny travel umbrella.

My husband takes just about the same sort of things. Translated to the masculine, of course.

Layers, dark clothes, slightly more chic than my normal wont, and then I feel comfortable. If I went to Italy or any other place where people dress with style, my normal everyday look would not allow me to feel comfortable and confident.

I guess I owe apologies for how I dress to all the folks of my hometown, but they don't look much better than I do, and I work at home, so my clothes don't have to go out in public very often.

Almost forgot: my glasses are light sensitive and turn dark in the sun. They really come in handy. So if you don't wear glasses like mine, take along a pair of sunglasses.

One word: Leather.

Cheers,
Jan

I can't imagine that swishing around with a load of peacock feathers swirling about is very comfortable - therefore I doubt the wearability of the skirt in question! It's gorgeous, but I can't imagine being able to sit down in it.