We are tavelling to Italy for the first time this March. Will my husband need to bring a blazer for dining in the evening? He has a very handsome cashmere black car coat he will be bringing, but wants to know if he should also bring a blazer.
Thanks for your advice.

That depends on what type of restuarants you will be dining at. We spend 2 months in France or Italy each year & I never take a sports coat. However, I don't dine at Michelin 2 & 3 star restaurants where there will usually be more "dressed" diners than at other places.

The only place I was not admitted to, was at the Serbelloni in Bellagio about 8 years ago. They had jackets we could borrow, but one of the guys we were traveling with was 6'8" & nothing fit (and we got pissed off too - it was my wife's birthday & we were hotel guest also - for two nights).

Stu Dudley

Why not wait and see? If you decide not to eat at places where he'll need one, fine. If you do decide to go a little more formal, you have a perfect excuse to buy a new blazer in Italy!

My dear Stu,

>and we got p****d off too ...

As I often mentioned to my students:
Do you mean you were bothered, annoyed, irked, peeved, upset, angered, outraged?

>>>and we got p****d off too ...

As I often mentioned to my students:
Do you mean you were bothered, annoyed, irked, peeved, upset, angered, outraged?<<<

All the above.

Stu Dudley

Back to the blazer. I always take one and wear it on the plane both directions and may use it 3 times while in Italy. I take an old one and do not worry about keeping it nice.

Bob, I always take one and wear it on the plane both ways too, but I think you're about 3 times a trip ahead of me in Italy. I can't for the life of me EVER remember wearing it there. Maybe if it were cooler weather? But it does get a lot of use in London.

Hmmm. my husband always wore a navy blazer on the plane. And then had it for restaurants or whenever he needed it. But a black cashmere car coat sounds wonderful too. Very elegant in fact.

i also always bring a jacket which frquently is the happy medium between weather situations when a sweater is not enough and a coat is too much.

plus we always shedule at least one meal in a restaurant that requires one. wearing or carrying it on the plane is sensible.

I used to take one, but after several trips it became apparent that we are not starred restaurant types. Just extra weight to lug around. So, to echo some above comments, it just depends on where you intend to go and what you intend to do.

Why not a blazer? Dinner excepted, just strolling metropolitan avenues in a blazer is a stylish and comfortable activity. If I were going wilderness travel or sub-Saharan bizarre shopping I wouldn't bring one. But for city wear I always pack at least one for extended travel.

Have always worn a jacket, being from the older school it was something we were not dressed without, especially going to ristorantes and amoung people.
Have seen over the years too many women
dressed very nicely and their men looking like then just go out of the rag bag. Don't do it for you, do it for her...And from the size of some of the suitcases you see being carried tht they have a complete wardrobe contained therein. Richard of LaGrange Park,m Il.

My wife and my mother made me bring a navy blazer with me to Europe. I needed it one time, Dinner in salzburg.

1. When you post, give a clue. Include the city in your title and you'll get a much better response.
2. No.

Now, I didn't take the time to read the actual posting or responses to it, but my initial reaction is, that no, your husband should NOT bring his Blazer. Now, if he had a Jeep Cherokee or Hummer or something like that, then yes. But not his Blazer.

Hope this helps.

--Marv

jimmyk64: have always wondered what you wear to a bizarre...

Infotrack: streets too small for hummer plus they're murder to check and carry it on? forget it...

hehe

I got by without one for quite a while. I finally found one that was packable. I wear it to better restaurants, where a jacket is supposedly required, but when I look around the room I see many men with no jacket.

I think a lot depends on you. People of my parents' generation invariably wore a jacket, even to fly; people of my childrens' generation rarely wear one.

Yes bring one blazer, well actually wear it on the plane. You'll have it if you need it, and I am still of the old-fashion belief that you get better treatment dressed well (both in transit and at your destination).

Thanks for everyone's advice, especially dickv2 and jimmyk64. FYI we will be in Italy for 2 weeks just doing cities Rome, Venice and Florence. We definitely enjoy food and plan on mixing casual with potentially more dressy places. It sounds like my DH should bring the blazer.

Both son and husband have leather jackets, one suede, one smooth blazer-ish. Would the fussy restaurants accept that, even if it's sort of an indoor-outdoor jacket?