Avoiding Summer Fashion Faux Pas in Italy

Every summer the same question lands in the inbox: what, in the land of fashion and la bella figura, is acceptable to wear in Italy? Can you wear the denim cutoffs, flip-flops and baseball cap you wear at home, or do you need stilettos and a linen suit to keep up? The answer sits between those two extremes, and it's closer to the comfortable end than you might fear.

You can wear whatever you like in most of Italy. Your weekend wardrobe won't get you turned away from a trattoria or a museum. The one place clothes really matter is a church, where the dress code is enforced at the door. Beyond that, thinking a little about what you pack mostly buys you something softer: you blend in more, you feel less like a walking target for the rose sellers, and you're more comfortable in the heat.

Jessica, who built this site, always admitted she never quite looked like she fit in, no matter how hard she tried. She and her husband had a rule of buying at least one piece of clothing (shoes counted) on every Italy trip, and if they saw everyone wearing something, they bought it even if they weren't sure they'd like it. They never regretted a single purchase. It's a good rule to steal.

The one rule that isn't optional: churches

Most major churches in Italy ask you to cover your shoulders and knees, and the big ones enforce it with staff at the entrance. St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums (which include the Sistine Chapel) turn away visitors in shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops, and so do St. Mark's Basilica in Venice and Florence's cathedral. Smaller churches are less strict about checking, but the rule is the same, and it's a matter of respect as much as regulation.

The easy fix is a light scarf or travel shawl in your day bag for your shoulders, plus trousers or a skirt that reaches the knee on any day you plan to see a church. Some tourist churches sell or lend paper wraps at the door, but don't count on it, and if you've booked a timed Vatican ticket you don't want to lose your slot arguing about your knees.

>> More on visiting churches in Italy and on planning a day in Vatican City.

Men's wear

Twenty years ago you rarely saw an Italian man in shorts unless he was playing soccer. Jessica first noticed a change in the mid-2000s, when baggy mid-calf trousers (she and her husband called them "man-pris") started showing up everywhere. These days knee-length shorts are common on Italian men in summer, in the cities as well as at the beach. What still marks you out as a tourist is the combination: short athletic shorts, a sports jersey, white running shoes and a baseball cap.

So bring shorts if you like, but make them tailored and knee length, in cotton or linen rather than gym fabric. Lightweight linen or chino trousers are the most useful thing you can pack, because they're cool in the heat and get you into any church. Jeans are fine at any time of year, though you'll regret them in a Roman August. Polo shirts and plain, well-fitting t-shirts are perfectly acceptable during the day; bring one button-down shirt for a nicer dinner. For shoes, leather sandals or clean, low-profile sneakers look right.

Women's wear

Italian women mostly wear dresses and skirts in summer, and it's worth copying them for practical reasons. A skirt or a loose dress is cooler than shorts, and one that falls below the knee gets you into churches without any fuss. Pair it with a scarf for your shoulders and you're covered for the whole day.

Shorts are common on younger Italian women now, usually mid-thigh or longer rather than very short. Tank tops and sleeveless tops are fine in the street and in restaurants; just have that wrap or a light shirt for church visits.

Skip the stilettos. Italian streets are cobbled, uneven and often steep, and you'll be walking eight or ten miles a day. Comfortable sandals with a real sole, or clean fashion sneakers, are what you actually see on stylish locals who are walking any distance. Flip-flops are fine at the beach and miserable on Roman cobbles.

Beachwear stays at the beach

Swimsuits and bare chests belong on the beach or the boat. Venice and a number of resort towns, Sorrento among them, have local rules that fine people for walking around town in swimwear or shirtless, and even where there's no rule it reads as rude. Throw a shirt and a cover-up over your swimsuit before you walk back into town.

A short summer packing list

• Two pairs of lightweight trousers or knee-length skirts (church days)
• One or two pairs of tailored shorts, or a couple of summer dresses
• Breathable tops in linen or cotton, plus one smarter shirt or top for dinner
• A scarf or shawl for covering shoulders
• Comfortable walking sandals and one pair of clean sneakers
• A sun hat that isn't a baseball cap, and sunglasses

>> For the full list, see what to pack for summer travel in Italy, the general Italy packing list, and what to wear in Italy at any time of year.

The bottom line: you're a visitor, and you won't pass for a Milanese in a two-week vacation, so don't try so hard that you're uncomfortable. Will someone glance at your shorts? Maybe. You'll never see them again. Blisters and heat exhaustion will stay with you much longer, so dress for walking in the heat, cover up for churches, and leave the gym clothes at home.