A dear friend recently DMed me looking for some backup about how to dress in Italy for their summer trip. She’s been trying to convince her teenage daughter that her regular summer attire — shorty shorts, bare midriff tops and flip flops — just won’t fly here, or in the rest of Europe. I’m not sure my input will make much difference with a hard-headed teen, but of course, my friend is right.
Super-casual Americans, take note: It’s time to up your style game for your trip to Italy.
I get it. It’s hot in Italy in the summertime — really hot, with temperatures easily reaching 100 F or more during the worst heat waves. But even in the hottest weather, Italians and other Europeans tend to dress more neatly and cover themselves a bit more than their American cousins. I’ll share some reasons for this, then provide a primer on what to wear if you want to look sharp(ish) and blend in(ish) on your next visit.
Italians almost always look presentable
More than any nod to conservatism, this care for one’s appearance is more about cultural conditioning — sending a son or daughter out the door in sloppy, unironed clothes is an Italian mother’s worst nightmare (or at least a major brutta figura). So by the time they’re adults, Italians just by nature make sure they look pulled together. I’ve even become more careful since I moved here. I might sit at my desk in sweatpants and a grubby t-shirt, but I wouldn’t go out the door that way, even just to go to our little store in town.
Casual, but covered: Italian women out shopping. Photo credit: Antonio Marano CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED
When in Italy, do as the Italians
There are several good reasons to dress a little nicer on your vacation to Italy than you might at home:
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- You’ll feel more comfortable in restaurants, even casual ones. True, all but the fanciest don’t have rigid dress codes, but who wants to be the worst dressed diner in the joint?
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- You may be welcomed just a little more warmly at hotel reception and in most places where you’ll interact with Italians.
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- Many churches, including St. Peter’s Basilica, won’t let you in wearing shorts above the knees, tank tops, short skirts or baseball caps. Some will give you a scarf or hospital-type cape to drape over yourself, most will not.
That last reason is one of the most important. Italy is filled with churches where you can just wander in if the door is unlocked. Their interiors are filled with treasures: relics, frescoes, mosaics, paintings and sculptures — including some surprises, like a Carravaggio or a Raphael in some dinky little church. Regardless of your faith, they are fascinating, easy places to explore, so it would be a shame to miss out because you’re underdressed, and frankly, a little disrespectful to go in dressed improperly.
Summertime crowds seeking shade at the Spanish Steps (back when you could still sit on them). Most of them are dressed well enough to wander into a church.
What to wear in Italy this summer
Here’s a quick list of the types of clothes to pack for your Italian summer vacation:
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- Tailored shorts that extend to or right above the knees
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- Plain t-shirts
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- Collared short-sleeve shirts
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- Knee-length or maxi skirts
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- Sundresses or cap-sleeve dresses
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- A lightweight scarf to drape over bare shoulders
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- A sun hat
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- Lightweight slacks (in place of shorts for evening meals)
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- Sports sandals or walking sandals, like TEVA or similar
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- Neat athletic or walking shoes
For nearly all of these items, I recommend a quick-drying, wicking fabric. If you don’t have access to a laundry, you can hand wash these items out in your hotel room and they’ll dry quickly enough for you to wear them the next day. You’ll also want to shop for wrinkle-free clothing, because I don’t imagine you’ll want to deal with ironing in Italy in July — I know I don’t!
I’m biased, but my besties and I are dressed just about right for summer in Rome: Non-skimpy tank top, collared shirt and ungrubby tee.
What to leave at home
Unless you’re headed to an Italian beach, leave these too-casual summer wardrobe items at home:
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- Booty shorts. Just no.
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- Bare midriff tops
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- Cut-off jeans shorts or holey jeans
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- Worn out t-shirts
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- Tank tops (that’s for men; women can get away with tank tops, but the wider the shoulder straps, the better)
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- Yoga pants, unless your butt is covered or you’re going to a yoga retreat
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- Flip flops
That leaves one item that’s subject to debate: baseball caps, which are about as American as apple pie. I get that they shade your face and head from the sun and sop up sweat. But if you must wear one, take it off in restaurants and churches.
No wandering into churches for this crew. Photo credit: W. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED
Blending in? Meh.
That brings me to my last point, about trying to blend in while you’re in Italy. Let me just say that it’s really hard for even the most stylish of Americans to look Italian. The Italians always know. After 15 years of living here, even before I open my mouth and start speaking Italian with my very thick American accent, they know I’m not Italian. They just know. As often as not they suss us out for our decidedly non-Italian way of dressing, but it’s also about mannerisms and physical characteristics. We carry ourselves differently — and not just because we’re moving through Italy’s spaces as tourists, rather than as residents.
With all that said, you may be asking what’s the point in trying to dress the part for your vacation in Italy. After all, they’re going to peg you as foreigners anyway, right? Probably. But part of the joy and adventure of visiting (or revisiting) a new country is in learning about and respecting its culture. Plus, you want to feel at ease in a new place. One simple solution? Don’t dress like you’re about to go out and mow the lawn.
And here’s another solution. Sign up to receive updates from Villaggio Tours, and receive our free Umbria 4-Season Packing Guide, to make sure you’re prepared (and stylish) for whatever the Umbrian weather has in store!
Try as you may, you’ll probably never look as cool as this Italian dude on a Vespa. Photo credit: Roel Driever CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED
