Hi im a young girl going on a college trip in july to sorrento. We are walking up vesuvius and visting pompeii, herculaneum and capri. Here is my big question... What to wear? Being a college student means I dont have much money and most of it has been spent on the flights lol. I have also read that sporty clothing makes you stick out as a tourist, I dont really want to do that, but I also dont want to look over dressed either! Any help???
While I understand your desire to dress well, think first about comfort. July in central/southern Italy will be beastly hot, so think cool (as in temperature) when planning your wardrobe. Also remember that the sun will be beating down on you, particularly when you are walking up Vesuvius and at Pompeii, so think about sun protection (hat, sunscreen, etc.). Personally, I prefer light weight, light colored fabrics like cotton gauze for this time of year.
ellen
Posts: 3675 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
Even now I am seeing a ton of cotton gauze type tops. Lots of capris, not too many shorts. When they are wearing shorts they are wearing them extremely short with 3 inch heels. A look made popular by the oldest profession.... Not something I'd recommend for southern Italy.
A lot of "slave sandals" but you can wait and buy them here they are really cheap. If you are coming in July you will be picking the time when the italians do their summer clothes clearances. Save your wardrobe $$$ and spend it here.
Interestingly enough except for women going to offices italian women have finally "gotten it" and I am seeing almost NO high heels. Even the ones with high heels carry them on the bus, street and switch to them when they get off the bus and go into their offices.
Rome is Rome, southern Italy is southern Italy, Tuscany is Tuscany, etc. Each area has their habits and such. Here in Siena for example you would NEVER see a woman walking in low heels or sneakers to change one you get to the office. You will though see women wearing jeans even to bank offices.
I'm in my 20s and just returned from Italy and I was actually surprised that a lot of the younger set (teens and early 20s) were wearing a lot of what we see in the states. Lots of jeans (tight!), cute flowy tops. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it seems like the difference was less in the pieces and more in the way they combined them. Not a lot of tee-shirts, but I did see a lot of knitwear tops (kinda stretch cotton?), kinda flowy, TONS of white and purple together.
One tip I have, especially since you are traveling in the summer, is to consider skirts. They look dressier than shorts or sportswear, but they are conveniently quite cool! And they can usually be dressed up or down quite easily, for day and night. Big fan of the skirt for travel. Also, they are more flattering in pictures.
(A word to the wise, however, about skirts in warm climates: Beware if your thighs rub together at all, even if they just touch, as you can get a nasty friction burn after a great deal of walking. So, little bike short type shorts are a lifesaver under skirts. Spanx makes a nice pair of bottoms (Hide and Sleek), but I'm sure anything similar will work.)
For Tuscany as an example, these are a bunch of bankers (all Italian neighbors of mine) at a winery down the street 2 weeks ago. As you can see, not much difference in dress from one side of the pond to another.
I can't believe I'm looking at an Italian woman over 25 wearing shorts! And they're denim and quite a bit above the knee too! My impression has always been no shorts after about 25. Maybe our Luccesi cousins are a bit on the conservative side.
Posts: 287 | Location: Cool, CA | Registered: 17 February 2003
Inside the walls of Lucca it is very different than for example in the Chianti or Siena. That was why I showed the picture to let people know that it really can be very different from one place to another. While Roma Addict may see a certain style of dress in Rome, it is totally different from Siena and the Chianti so using it as an example for Sorrento doesn't really work.
The best to find out what they are wearing in Sorrento KBee is to check out the Sorrento Webcam (right hand column of this page and scroll down under Featured Sites)
NP I believe that all in all we are less stressed aboutclothes that you would think. Yes there are people that will stress out even for a single hair that doest stay in its position, but many other will simply not care.
I believe that the only thing one tourist can do not to "stick out" is..nothing. Something will give you away. So why bother at all, wear what makes you feel better, The real difference is between good tourists, and the bad ones.
Originally posted by Cristina: For Tuscany as an example, these are a bunch of bankers (all Italian neighbors of mine) at a winery down the street 2 weeks ago. As you can see, not much difference in dress from one side of the pond to another.
Do the people, in the picture, go to work (bankers) with the casual clothing most are wearing?
Posts: 560 | Location: Connecticut | Registered: 02 December 2005
On casual Friday yes. The rest of the days some dress up better than the others depending on which office they work in. Jeans and shirts are very common though.
a certain style of dress in Rome, it is totally different from Siena and the Chianti so using it as an example for Sorrento doesn't really work
After a couple of days in Rome, my granddaughter (11) observed that men in Rome dressed much better than men at home. But of course she was comparing men in a big city to men in suburban NJ; she doesn't get to see how people who work in Manhattan dress.
Having read these posts I think you are worrying about nothing! Just dress for the time of year and what you feel comfortable in...its not like travelling to some strange parts of the world and as long as you dress respectfully when you enter Churches etc, you wont have a problem.
I think in the final analysis Italians pay more attention to the fit if their clothing than most of the rest of us. They end up wearing a lot of the same things, they just look better on them. There is also something to be said for how, at least the women, carry themselves. We American women slouch so much and it clearly doesn't help our appearance. Off to the gym now to work on those areas that will help my posture!
Posts: 287 | Location: Cool, CA | Registered: 17 February 2003
Basically a tourist will always like a tourist, unless (s)he understands some of the local language and understands how things really work locally. But most tourists (me included, out of Italy and in hot weather) look battered and tired - maps and cameras are hints, but the battered look is what really sticks out. We all understand that touring is hard work and sore feet are sore feet, but if you manage to keep a bit up you will probably look a bit less a tourists and sometimes even get a better treatment from shops and services. Touring in moderate (not too cold, not too hot) weather helps a bit.
OK, a couple of quick tips for not standing out too much. Avoid khaki and white sneakers. Fanny pack? No. Jeans, sandals, cool tops, fine. For guys, a "cool" wash on the jeans. Dark t-shirts with some kind of hard-to-see graphic. On the other hand, lest you think Italians are always tasteful, check out the guys in what my daughters call "man-pris" in bright, bright colors, like fluorescent lime green and orange.
Oh, and buon divertimento!
New York/Perugia
Posts: 41 | Location: New York and Perugia, Italia | Registered: 21 April 2008
Vesuvius, Capri, Herculaneum and Pompeii..... sounds sunny and hot to me. Since you asked, my advice is bring a few easily washable, quick drying tops and shorts/capris for the days when you are outdoors in the heat. Then add a couple of nicer tops and a skirt or two. In the summers I have traveled to Italy (and am still going) wearing my favorite, most comfortable attire which consists almost entirely of LLBean, Columbia, Eddie Bauer and Merrill and never regretted it for a moment.
My college age daughter brought whatever she had at home and then embellished her wardrobe in Italy with scarves, a great pair of sunglasses and other things she found along the way.
And yes, no doubt there is a difference in the tailoring and the style, particularly in the cities
One thing that is wearable and useful in so many ways is a sarong - it's a beach dress, a beach towel, a hat, a scarf, a skirt, a room divider, a tent, a blanket.....and it would look much better than the young woman that I saw in St. John Laterano church wearing something that looked like paper napkins attached at her shoulders and trying to cover her bare midriff.
And while you are there have some fun shopping, maybe something purple?
Posts: 246 | Location: western maine mountains | Registered: 26 February 2005
We will be attending the outdoor Andrea Bocelli concert in Venice's St. Mark's square and have no idea what to wear! I haven't had much luck searching the internet and don't know if the same dress as an indoor opera is necessary. Any help would be appreciated!
