Italians are known for dressing fashionably. Does this leave you wondering what to pack for your Italy family vacation so you don’t stand out and look like a tourist? You may have questions such as:
If it’s hot, can I wear shorts?
Is wearing white tennis shoes a faux pas?
What should I wear going out for dinner?
To help quell your fashion fears, I created this Italy summer clothing guide to help you determine what and how to pack so you and your family can feel comfortable on all your Italy adventures.
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How to dress in Italy in the summer
A family trip to Italy involves unique circumstances and situations. Keep these 3 things front of mind when deciding how you’ll dress in Italy:
1. You need to be comfortable.
Summers in Italy are insanely hot. I’m talking sweating-through-your-shirt hot. The last time we were there the average temperature was 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t count on air conditioning in buildings, either. Often they don’t feel as cool as you’d hope, and the crowds in popular places make it feel a lot hotter too.
2. You need to be practical.
You can only take a limited amount of clothing with you on vacation. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your whole closet available for whatever situation or weather arises? But, alas, that’s not the case. You need to think about what you’ll be doing and be practical about it. Chances are you’ll be walking a LOT. Sometimes on cobblestone streets. You may be entering religious sites where there is a strict dress code. These are the things you need to think about when packing for Italy.
3. You likely won’t stick out and here’s why:
There are an extreme number of tourists in Italy in the summer. All over. Everywhere. There are so many people wearing a variety of outfits, it’s nearly impossible for you to stand out unless you’re actually trying. Yes, you may look like a tourist, but it’s hard not to when you’re touring popular attractions, taking pictures, reading brochures, following a map/GPS, etc. Even going out for dinner – you’ll want to look appropriate, of course – but it’s okay for people to know you’re not a local.
Important tips for packing for your Italy family vacation
Safety
The reason people encourage tourists to blend in and not stand out during an Italy family vacation is mainly for safety reasons. Pick pockets and scammers like to target tourists. Since there’s a good chance you won’t be mistaken for a local anyway, the best thing you can do is take a couple precautions:
- If you have valuables with you, keep them safely tucked in a zippered pocket, anti-theft purse or money belt. This Travelon purse worked great for me, and my daughter liked this one. The men in our group purposely brought pants with zippered pockets, like this pair.
- Be aware of your surroundings and be wary of strangers being too nice or asking for help. This is a tactic used to get you to lower your guard.
Religious buildings dress code
The dress code for entering religious buildings is strict, but simple: Keep your shoulders and knees covered. No hats or low-cut shirts. *Note: It’s a good idea to lump all your religious site visits close together in your itinerary so in hot weather, you only need to cover up for a limited amount of time.
See the picture below for what our family wore while touring basilicas and other religious sites. (Note: The Colosseum behind us in the picture is not a religious building. There is no dress code there.) Also, women can wear or bring a scarf to wrap around their shoulders if needed.
(Are you traveling to Italy with teenagers? Check out this helpful article: 10 Tips for a Family Trip to Italy with Teenagers.)
Shorts
Yes, you can wear shorts in Italy! Again, summers in Italy are HOT. We saw men and women, young and old, tourists and locals wearing shorts. The heat in Italy almost required it. Of course, women can opt for a summer dress instead of shorts, too.
Look at the many people wearing shorts in the background of these pictures.
Also, I should mention that it’s a good idea to bring clothes that don’t show perspiration as easily. There were times our family found themselves sweating through their shirts, which is very easy to do in near 100-degree temperatures.
(If you’re heading to the Cinque Terre in Italy, you’ll want to read about these important summer tips: Cinque Terre, Italy in summer: Tips to survive heat and crowds)
Logos and baseball caps
I’ve read that Italians generally don’t wear large logos on their clothes or wear baseball caps. My boys did wear some logos on their shirts and a baseball cap occasionally. We saw many others wearing this attire. They, too, may have been tourists, but in no way did my boys feel like they stood out in any way.
Shoes
You may have heard the old rumor that Italians don’t wear white tennis shoes. My boys love their white shoes so they wore them a lot throughout our Italy family vacation. We saw plenty of locals and tourists wearing the same.
It’s important to bring comfortable, practical shoes for walking in Italy. The last thing you want is sore feet when exploring. You’ll probably want a slightly dressier pair for going out to dinner in the evening, but again they should be comfortable enough to walk in as you wander Italy’s vibrant neighborhoods at night.
(Read here to discover four of the best neighborhoods to stay in Rome and check out our 2-day Rome itinerary.)
Dinner out
Some describe dinner out attire as “business casual” – but it totally depends on the place and time you go. At some places it’s fine to dress casually and other more upscale places you should dress a little nicer. Same as most other countries.
On our Italy family vacation, we brought along clothes that were just a bit nicer than our everyday street clothes.
Our recommendation on what to pack for your Italy family vacation (not a complete packing list)
Women
We recommend bringing along a summer dress (this Columbia dress is my favorite – I have it in two colors!), comfortable walking shoes, dressier shoes/sandals, shawl or scarf to wrap around shoulders to tour churches, capris or shorts, short-sleeve shirts/blouses, anti-theft purse (I used this one), inexpensive jewelry, and sunglasses.
Men
Packing a pair of chinos is a good idea, along with nice-fitting T-shirts, comfortable walking shoes, slightly dressier shoes/loafers, shorts, polo or button-down shirt, pants/shorts with zippered pockets, and sunglasses.
Children
Children will want to pack shorts, nice-looking T-shirts, comfortable walking shoes, breathable long pants for touring churches (girls can opt to wear a dress if shoulders are covered and it goes past the knees), slightly dressier shirt to pair with shorts or pants for dinners out (again, girls could wear a summer dress).
*Be sure to bring sunscreen, and obviously pack a swimsuit if you’re heading to the beach
What not to pack for Italy
You can leave these items at home: Flip flops, high heels, extremely casual clothes such as yoga pants, oversized and baggy clothing.
(Is Venice on your Italy itinerary? You’ll want to read this first: Is Venice Worth Visiting? Trip it or Skip it?)
Final thoughts on how to dress on your Italy family vacation
As you can probably tell from our pictures, dressing super fashionably is not my family’s focus. However, we did try to dress neatly in proper-fitting clothes. Keep in mind that not everyone in Italy is a fashionista. Don’t overthink your family’s wardrobe. Just plan to wear nice, clean clothes that fit appropriately. Then go have a wonderful time exploring one of the most beautiful countries in the world!
Thoughts? Questions? Advice for others about what to pack for an Italy family vacation? Leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!
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