Attire for Italy Trip

[johng70]

One could propose a Fulbright Scholarship studying the sartorial choices of the tourists here, especially with the control factor of no Chinese or Russians currently.

I think your head might explode if you ever came to the midwest USA. Men don't even wear suits to weddings/funerals anymore. My brother in law would wear chinos 6 inches too long to a wedding because he couldn't be bothered to take them to a tailor and pay $30 to get them hemmed. You'll see those cargo shorts and ball caps here at fine restaurants. I do agree that in high heat/humidity shorts are acceptable. But as you say, no reason in these temperatures. Except the average American male simply wears cargo shorts or ill-fitting levis year round.

 

[mhip]

I think your head might explode if you ever came to the midwest USA. Men don't even wear suits to weddings/funerals anymore. My brother in law would wear chinos 6 inches too long to a wedding because he couldn't be bothered to take them to a tailor and pay $30 to get them hemmed. You'll see those cargo shorts and ball caps here at fine restaurants. I do agree that in high heat/humidity shorts are acceptable. But as you say, no reason in these temperatures. Except the average American male simply wears cargo shorts or ill-fitting levis year round.

The plague here in SoCal is guys in flip flops.
Doesn't matter if it's cold and rainy. "But it's California brah".
No one wants to see guy feet, ever...

 

[yorkshire pud]

Being British I have travelled a fair bit in Europe (including Italy), I would say don't try and dress like the locals it will look "off", they tend to be slimmer built and have darker skin tones and pull off pastel colours a lot better than typical Anglo Saxons.

Wear the same as you do at home in hot weather, the preppy American look is entirely suitable in Italian seaside restaurants and bars.

Linen and Seersucker are both good choices in the heat.

Long linen pants/suede shoes and maybe a cardigan are better in the evenings (I favour Desert Boots as they are comfortable for sightseeing but smart enough for most occasions and I look ridiculous in Loafers or boat shoes)

White/Navy/Stone colours work best for me, patterns and pastels not so much

Sandals, chino shorts, polo's are fine in the sun at most bars and cafes during the day (Italians tend to have a break in the afternoon for a few hours so they won't really notice 🤣)

Take some nice sunglasses!!

 

[Livelinen]

Italy is in general very fashion open-minded so you can wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, there are no 'silent rules' where you will be judged for so no worries.

However, the typical Italian summer outfit by the seaside you will see often is a casual shirt with open collar (mostly linen) tucked in a short, paired with loafers and a pair of sunglasses. Nothing special actually but the simplicity and the preference of a shirt instead of a tshirt makes it a bit more stylish/classy. Long trousers are rarely seen by the seaside.

In the business city such as Milan, you will see somewhat more formal outfits so long trousers are more appropiate there, though you will see lots of shorts worn by tourists too so no worries if you opt for shorts. In religious places such as Vatican etc you are actually required to dress appropiate to enter (so no shorts and sandals). In Naples, many people also wear sartorial clothes.

For these cities, think of a striped shirt or a summer polo, trousers in a casual cut and a safari jacket for example.

In summer, If you are looking to wear something for one day trip then you can give it a try to linen dresses for women. Also, you can wear linen shirts that looks stunning when worn with white shoes.

 

[maxalex]

The olive-skinned Italian is a stereotype with little factual backing. Our current prime minister (no I didn’t vote for her) is a native Roman with blue eyes, natural blond hair and porcelain skin. She is also not thin and admits to weight struggles her whole life.

While most Italians do have brown eyes and dark hair, their skin tone is generally the same as Northern Europeans, and natural blond hair is common.

That said, Italians in the summer are obsessed with tanning until roughly the color of terracotta. Tourists visiting in the summer doubtless see those bronze bodies and, perhaps, assume the tone is genetic. After August vacation, Italians go home from the beach and quickly lose their tans.

I also think matching clothes to skin tone is bunk.

 

[WoolyLamb]

Being British I have travelled a fair bit in Europe (including Italy), I would say don't try and dress like the locals it will look "off", they tend to be slimmer built and have darker skin tones and pull off pastel colours a lot better than typical Anglo Saxons.

Wear the same as you do at home in hot weather, the preppy American look is entirely suitable in Italian seaside restaurants and bars.

Linen and Seersucker are both good choices in the heat.

Long linen pants/suede shoes and maybe a cardigan are better in the evenings (I favour Desert Boots as they are comfortable for sightseeing but smart enough for most occasions and I look ridiculous in Loafers or boat shoes)

White/Navy/Stone colours work best for me, patterns and pastels not so much

Sandals, chino shorts, polo's are fine in the sun at most bars and cafes during the day (Italians tend to have a break in the afternoon for a few hours so they won't really notice 🤣)

Take some nice sunglasses!!

This! Do not try to be them. Just dress smart and appropriate for the occasion catering to your strengths. If you dress lazily or with something you do not normally wear it will show and that will stand out far more than if you are out of shape, under tanned, or an obvious tourist.

 

[DapperPhilly]

The olive-skinned Italian is a stereotype with little factual backing. Our current prime minister (no I didn’t vote for her) is a native Roman with blue eyes, natural blond hair and porcelain skin. She is also not thin and admits to weight struggles her whole life.

While most Italians do have brown eyes and dark hair, their skin tone is generally the same as Northern Europeans, and natural blond hair is common.

That said, Italians in the summer are obsessed with tanning until roughly the color of terracotta. Tourists visiting in the summer doubtless see those bronze bodies and, perhaps, assume the tone is genetic. After August vacation, Italians go home from the beach quickly lose their tans.

I also think matching clothes to skin tone is bunk.

"I also think matching clothes to skin tone is bunk."

Indeed it is.

 

[yorkshire pud]

The olive-skinned Italian is a stereotype with little factual backing. Our current prime minister (no I didn’t vote for her) is a native Roman with blue eyes, natural blond hair and porcelain skin. She is also not thin and admits to weight struggles her whole life.

While most Italians do have brown eyes and dark hair, their skin tone is generally the same as Northern Europeans, and natural blond hair is common.

That said, Italians in the summer are obsessed with tanning until roughly the color of terracotta. Tourists visiting in the summer doubtless see those bronze bodies and, perhaps, assume the tone is genetic. After August vacation, Italians go home from the beach and quickly lose their tans.

I also think matching clothes to skin tone is bunk.

I was in fact referring to the impressive sun tans during summer and better diet/outdoor lifestyle in the mediterranean in general as you rightly suggest, obviously "Roman" genetics were spread wide throughout Europe including the UK 🙂

I don't agree that colour matching clothing/shoes for skin tone is entirely without scientific merit though, we all choose and have favourite shades that change seasonally and as we mature. The same rules of the colour wheel should apply to large areas of exposed skin during summer in my opinion..

What I'm suggesting is wear what is the norm in your own summer climate to feel confident and comfortable when travelling.

Clothes should reflect your personality and lifestyle, I think it's fine to adopt styles and fabrics from other cultures in moderation, but full on "cos-play" isn't for me, when I see people dressed up in full on "European Playboy" outfits it always comes across as slightly tacky.

 

[maxalex]

I was in fact referring to the impressive sun tans during summer and better diet/outdoor lifestyle in the mediterranean in general as you rightly suggest, obviously "Roman" genetics were spread wide throughout Europe including the UK 🙂

I don't agree that colour matching clothing/shoes for skin tone is entirely without scientific merit though, we all choose and have favourite shades that change seasonally and as we mature. The same rules of the colour wheel should apply to large areas of exposed skin during summer in my opinion..

What I'm suggesting is wear what is the norm in your own summer climate to feel confident and comfortable when travelling.

Clothes should reflect your personality and lifestyle, I think it's fine to adopt styles and fabrics from other cultures in moderation, but full on "cos-play" isn't for me, when I see people dressed up in full on "European Playboy" outfits it always comes across as slightly tacky.

I suppose cosplay in Italy these days might be wearing a white dinner jacket and bow tie to a nightclub, like Marcello Mastroianni in "La Dolce Vita," and yeah that would stand out even amongst Italians (sadly). Otherwise there's not a lot to distinguish Italian men these days, with the exception being in Milan and even there only in the Brera District (that city's equivalent of Mayfair). Perhaps one could cite wearing a silk neckerchief rakishly tied in a square knot, which is still fairly common here but would definitely look foppish in NY or London.

 

[yorkshire pud]

I suppose cosplay in Italy these days might be wearing a dinner jacket and bow tie to a nightclub, like Marcello Mastroianni in "La Dolce Vita," and yeah that would stand out even amongst Italians (sadly). Otherwise there's not a lot to distinguish Italian men these days, with the exception being in Milan and even there only in the Brera District (that city's equivalent of Mayfair). Perhaps one could cite wearing a silk neckerchief rakishly tied in a square knot, which is still fairly common here but would definitely look foppish in NY or London.

A lovely Italian lady lives in our little Yorkshire Town and she is always immaculately dressed with a very continental vibe, it really works for her and she always looks confident and relaxed.

I think that should always be the goal.

If I waltzed around in Gucci loafers a green suit and a man bun it just wouldn't be acceptable I'm afraid 🤣

 

[maxalex]

It co

A lovely Italian lady lives in our little Yorkshire Town and she is always immaculately dressed with a very continental vibe, it really works for her and she always looks confident and relaxed.

I think that should always be the goal.

If I waltzed around in Gucci loafers a green suit and a man bun it just wouldn't be acceptable I'm afraid 🤣

It could depend on how well you can waltz. My mother was a dance teacher so I learned early...

My family by marriage live in a remote village in Calabria (the toe of our boot) and I always dress up a bit (sometimes even a tie) for Christmas and Easter dinners which involve more than 40 people eating goat heads and anchovy casseroles. Most of my brothers- and cousins-in-law, including those who are now lawyers in Turin, wear gym clothes to dinner. So I stand out as the crazy Roman who dresses like Jepp Gambardella in The Great Beauty. I'm okay with that.

 

[yorkshire pud]

It co

It could depend on how well you can waltz. My mother was a dance teacher so I learned early...

My family by marriage live in a remote village in Calabria (the toe of our boot) and I always dress up a bit (sometimes even a tie) for Christmas and Easter dinners which involve more than 40 people eating goat heads and anchovy casseroles. Most of my brothers- and cousins-in-law, including those who are now lawyers in Turin, wear gym clothes to dinner. So I stand out as the crazy Roman who dresses like Jepp Gambardella in The Great Beauty. I'm okay with that.

Sadly it's the same worldwide, I can't recall ever seeing my Grandfather without a collar and tie and polished shoes (besides old pics of him playing football or in Military Uniform).

I'm not much of a dancer I'm sorry to say ☹

 

[rjc149]

The olive-skinned Italian is a stereotype with little factual backing. Our current prime minister (no I didn’t vote for her) is a native Roman with blue eyes, natural blond hair and porcelain skin. She is also not thin and admits to weight struggles her whole life.

While most Italians do have brown eyes and dark hair, their skin tone is generally the same as Northern Europeans, and natural blond hair is common.

That said, Italians in the summer are obsessed with tanning until roughly the color of terracotta. Tourists visiting in the summer doubtless see those bronze bodies and, perhaps, assume the tone is genetic. After August vacation, Italians go home from the beach and quickly lose their tans.

I also think matching clothes to skin tone is bunk.

It's my understanding that there are Middle-Eastern and African genes in southern Italian/Mediterranean demographics, which accounts for the stereotype of the olive-skinned, dark-featured Italian -- especially given that most Italian emigres (especially to a-MEH-reekah) were from southern regions. Studies show that there are genetic similarities between many southern Italians and Ashkenazi Jews from various Jewish diasporas from the Middle East.

Northern Italian genetic phenotypes are more akin to the rest of Continental Europe (blonde hair, fair skin etc.)

 

[maxalex]

It's my understanding that there are Middle-Eastern and African genes in southern Italian/Mediterranean demographics, which accounts for the stereotype of the olive-skinned, dark-featured Italian -- especially given that most Italian emigres (especially to a-MEH-reekah) were from southern regions. Studies show that there are genetic similarities between many southern Italians and Ashkenazi Jews from various Jewish diasporas from the Middle East.

Northern Italian genetic phenotypes are more akin to the rest of Continental Europe (blonde hair, fair skin etc.)

Indeed the genes are all over the map at this point. Many Sicilians are dark skinned. Many are not.

 

[DapperPhilly]

In regard to Sicily where I will have the pleasure of spending 3 weeks next month....the dark complexion of many Sicilians makes sense from a historical perspective.

"Arriving from present-day Tunisia, the Arabs conquered Sicily in 827 AD, and remained in power for some two hundred and fifty years."