What clothing to pack for Italy?
 

First time travellers to Italy/Sicily, what type of clothing do we pack for Mid May to Mid June 2006? We want to minimise on what to take.Any suggestions would be helpful
Touristy

Hello touristy, I have never been to Sicily but of course it will no doubt be warmer than the mainland of Italy.

All of us have different clothing styles. I tend to wear classic clothes. I would chose one color as the basic color and than work a couple of colors around that. I would try to have all tops and bottoms (be they skirts or pants) mixmatch. I take dresses to Italy..I spend more time in Northern Italy and dresses are worn more there by my friends and consequently work well for me and I find that they are easy to pack.

Clothing depends on your activities too of course. I also take one pair of pants for walking in the country (the Dolomites).

Weather should be warm and maybe even a bit hot or even very hot.

I always, no matter what, have three pair of shoes. One for walking, one inbetween type depending on the season and one dressy. Inbetween is normally what I wear on the plane and the other two are in the checked bag.
But I always have one pair of flipflops also. They can work as slippers if needed or at a pool or beachside and take up very little room in your luggage. I take one daytime bag and one small evening bag. My basic color is black. So all shoes and bags are black.

My packing rule is this; I pack for one week. I have found even when I have been in Italy for two months that one week of clothes work. You can handwash, have clothes drycleaned, or wear a bit more than you would at home.

Having no idea how long you will be in Italy, how long you will be in each location, no idea what activities you will be involved in , no idea what style of clothes you prefer makes it hard to answer your question.

Do take as little as possible. And do make sure every piece works with every other piece of clothing. And do make sure you love everything you take with you.

And most important, do have a beautiful and fun time on your trip. Best wishes to you!

Don't know if you are male or female but my list is similar to LoveItaly's above for ladies warm weather travel anywhere...

2 pair sandals, 1 sneakers, 1 flip flops. I like capri or palazzo rayon or cotton pants, paired with basic plain colored tops (tanks, sleeveless, short sleeved). I have one black silk cardigan which I wear on the plane and have in case it is ever cool in an evening. I don't wear skirts but if that's your style a couple of them would work well. At least one bathing suit. Don't forget to have something to lounge/sleep in like a lightweight robe. I always include 1-2 sarongs because they function for so many purposes (wrap skirt, table cloth, towel, picnic blanket). I pack in a 22" rolling suitcase and carry one large tote bag or pocketbook.

touristy, one thing I failed to mention is if I am going to be gone for any length of time I find packing new clothes works well as new clothes seem to hold up better than clothes that have been washed or drycleaned several times. A relative who is a beautiful seamstress said it is because there is "sizing" sp? in new clothes, whatever that means.

I then find after I am home I enjoy wearing the same clothes I purchased for Italy..they bring back happy memories. Do try to save a little space in your luggage to pick up a few pieces of clothing in Italy, that is always fun.

I am the leading fashion expert here at Fodors (along with mkingdom and Snobby, of course). I will tell you exactly what you need to know.

Rome: Rome is very preppy, very Lilly Pulitzer. Wear the same thing in Rome that you would on Capri or other resort. Pink polo shirts with a cashmere sweaters, chinos, jeans, driving shoes (sans socks)--anything that is easy for getting on and off of a Vespa, sweetie. If it is cold just throw a mink coat over the ensemble.

Florence: Florence is a very black and brown city. You will see lots of women in suede chocolate-brown Ferragamo boots, black tights, fur coat, and HUGE movie-star sunglasses. If you can't afford a fur coat, a man's ski parka from Battistoni will do. The bag of choice is FURLA.

Venice: Venice is also a "dark" city, but much more ornate than Florence. Skip the brown suede boots and wear a pair of embroidered velvet slippers. Wear a purple pashmina scarf. You also see more cloth coats in Venice, probably because fur would be ruined if you fell into a canal after an all-night drinking spree.

Milan: Milan is very Cirque de Soliel (sp?) meets Miuccia Prada. A leather mini-skirt paired with thigh-high domanatrix boots and granny's pearls would not be out of place. Who cares if it is only 10F outside? These girls will kill to look good. Don't forget your Mylar wig.

Have a great time in Italia, darling.

Thanks to those who replied, yes I am female, my husband & I will be having 25 days in Italy/sicily. Choosing the 1 basic colour that can be mixed,match appears to be the the way to go. I will endeavour to pack 2 weeks before departure then start to take out the not so necessary items so hopefully I will be left with a good balance in clothing. Will I need a wet weather jacket?.
Touristy

For Sicily:

In large cities, like Palermo or Catania, do not wear shorts or very exposed tops, even if it happens to be hot. I think in Sicily (other than for hiking, climbing around ruins, or staying at a beach) this type of dress would be viewed as much more odd and inappropriate than in northern and central Italy. Casual would be fine, but just don't wear anything that would offend a very old fashioned great grandma. If you would prefer to be somewhat dressed up, you will not feel at all out of place being somewhat dressed up in Palermo, where some people may be quite fashion conscious. Obviously wear comfortable walking shoes when you'll be doing a lot of walking in the city.

For visiting uninhabited ruins (assuming they are not in a town or city) or strolling around a beach area, wear whatever you want (shorts OK if that's what you really want), but don't forget some sort of sunhat, cap, visor, cotton scarf or other protection from the sun on your head. Wear shoes with a stable fit and with soles that have good traction, whether they're sandals, sneakers, regular walking shoes, or hiking boots. Take a bathing suit if there's a chance you might be able to swim, but I think the water might be pretty cold, though not unbearable, in May.

For genuine hiking, wear hiking boots and whatever shorts or pants you feel are appropriate for the activity. (But have long pants or a skirt to change into if you'll be going right into a town or city without stopping at your hotel to change.)

For a visit to Mt. Etna, in which you travel quite a bit higher than the visitors center, dress very WARMLY--something the equivalent of a winter coat in warmth. Layers, e.g., two two light shirts or blouses, plus a wool or polartec sweater, covered by a Gortex jacket, will add up to enough warmth and protection be good enough. (You should take the rain jacket anyway, even if not going on Mt. Etna, since it might rain.) Hiking boots would be helpful, but maybe not essential, on Mt. Etna, and a warm hat that won't fly off and warm gloves would also be nice.

This is not specific to your situation but a packing tip I picked up along the way and use each pre-trip...

Hang everything you are thinking of taking somewhere separate, like on the back of a guest room door or folded in piles on an extra chair. That way you can evaluate and mix & match the various pieces to find the best ones, taking the fewest number.