Italy is one of the finest tourist destinations in Europe. It seems a lot of tourists flocking in from May to October when it is generally hot and travelers just love the weather.
There is a saying that When in Rome do as the Romans and this is exactly what you should be trying with your attire. Italians are also regarded as the most stylish people in the world and that puts an added pressure on all visitors to look at their best.
The idea like all tourist destinations is to pack light and pack smartly. Italy generally offers quite a good climate throughout the year. The different parts offer great diversity from mountains to historical places to some of the best lively cities in the world. You need to wear what suits best for the location and the weather.
What to Wear In Italy During Summers?
It is always enjoyable to sweat in Italy and you need to come well-prepared for it. If we talk about Rome particularly, then expect lots of scorching heat and humidity from June till August. The light dresses for both men and women are preferred here especially during this time.
It is highly recommended for both genders to have at least one dress that is not only airy but also hits below the knee. This would allow you to be comfortable and also visit the Vatican and other holy places around Rome with no hassle of following the dress-code. Women in this regard would love to wear Maxi, which looks quite chic and photogenic.
For the tops, light fabric is the key to stay cool and that could come in great style as well. Women can think about such tops and men could do well with t-shirts.
For the bottoms, jeans are a big no for both men and women in Italy in the extremely hot weather. If pants are still your thing then you must go for the lighter fabrics. However, shorts or those 3-quarter cotton pants are quite popular for the place. The ladies however have another great option of wearing skirts, which is not only comfortable but quite fashionable as well.
In footwear, those strappy sandals are hands down the best option for summers. While choosing your sandals, make sure that you give due attention to the support they offer to your feet, as Rome and other cities ask for a lot of walks.
Moving on, summers requires you to carry a lot of accessories. Your daypack must have sunscreen, sunglasses, and a useful hat as well. All this would help to counter the heat, which in Italy could be enormous. Women may also wear light jewelry to make themselves look more appealing.
What to Wear In Italy During Winters?
Weather of Italy in winters (November till February) is quite mild but wet. December is believed to be the month receiving lots of rain in most parts of the country. The average low temperature in the month is around 13 degrees and this is obviously not too much to worry about and especially to pack too heavily. However, nights could be a lot chilly especially if you are out and about.
A warm coat is something that you will quite frequently see in winters, which is worn by both men and women. If we go further down the range in coats then the pea coats are the best. Make sure that the coats must not be overly heavy at all.
Those neutral color (and sometimes dark) sweaters also look extremely in-fashion here. You must consider packing at least one of these. Black is the most in-demand color for coats and even sweaters in winters. As it can be wet as well in December, so it is advised to consider carrying a waterproof jacket.
A windbreaker is also a good choice to counter any chilly winds post evening and early morning especially.
Jeans are quite popular as well for the time. Women highly prefer to wear fleece leggings to keep themselves warm and comfortable with no compromising on the style quotient. Skirts just like summer are still in-demand for women, which mostly goes with a warm coat on top.
For footwear in winter, you will see a lot of long boots in winter. If you are expecting a rainy day then consider wearing some waterproof shoes.
Moving on to the winter accessories, the scarf is the most common of all. A pair of light gloves are also quite stylish to wear here.
Active-wear:
Italy offers a range of outdoor activities such including hilltop towns, dolomites, beaches, and volcanoes. In order to enjoy all this to the fullest, you need to be in your best active-wear. The women at the time of their packing must ensure that they pack at least one (if not more) active-wear outfit with them. This might ask you to carry your comfortable yoga pants, loose tops or sports bras, etc.
All this stuff works exceptionally well with the flip flops. You may have a pair of comfortable shoes to be interchanged with a flip flop as and when needed. Just remember that the flip flops with those snap-on decoration base look the best.
The men, who might be comfortable with their baggy shorts elsewhere should be ditching those in Italy. Italy asks for more of those shorter cut type shorts. A loose t-shirt or a V-neck is all that you should care about in such places.
The hikers including men and women would definitely be carrying a backpack for such a trip and this essential must not be missed.
The Mediterranean coastline of Italy is quite long and this means a lot of beautiful beaches awaits you to be explored. They are quite hard to be missed and this requires you to carry your swimwear preferably of nylon stuff as it dries quite quickly.
Further, for footwear, prefer flip flops. Needless to say that you must be carrying sunglasses, hats, and sunscreens to the beaches.
Video Credit: Ashley Nelson
What Not to Wear in Italy:
A very common mistake that youngsters make is to carry and wear college or university t-shirts. It might be a hip thing elsewhere but certainly not in Italy.
Similarly, baseball caps must also be avoided in city areas. You might be fine wearing those on beaches or hiking trails only. Finally, tennis shoes or your favorite black sneakers should be left back home when coming to Italy. The locals here would typecast you in no time and this is definitely something that you don’t want at all.
Conclusion:
More than dressing like Italians, your idea here should be to stand out as a tourist. Italy is a place that motivates all its visitors to be at the top of their dressing game and luckily, this is quite effortlessly done for the place. The summers are ore about dressing light and airy as it could be extremely hot and humid during peak summer season.
In winters, lots of those stylish coats and boots come in to counter the mild coat weather. It may rain a lot in December and this is the only time when you should consider carrying a waterproof jacket and even shoes.
The active-wear outfit for the hiking and trekking enthusiasts demands them to wear that sporty stuff including yoga pants, shorts, casual t-shirts, and other similar outfits. Finally, the beachgoers should be prepared with their best swimsuits and flip flops.
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