Help me pack for Italy!

[Bumblebee907]

Hello,

I'm going to Italy, for five weeks, in July, and early August, I'm starting to write my big list, and wondering what I should pack! And what might I forget, any advice would be greatly appreciated! I have got a list, but I'm just wondering if there are any gems which anyone can offer which might help me not forget something important.

❤️

City or countryside? It makes a big difference.

Actually both!

Some time in Rome, and some time out near Siena 🥰

In rome you’ll walk loads so build everything around decent footwear.

also I have found even in high end restaurants/venues the toilets are often not great so you may want to avoid jump suits, wide leg trousers or anything else that has the potential to make contact with floor whilst having a wee.

Italy in July/August!!!

A big hat. The biggest hat you can find.
Lots of loose clothes, ideally natural fibres. You need your shoulders covered when visiting churches.
Bug spray and antihistamine.
Hiking sandals especially for Rome
Compeed blister plasters

It will be hot, but honestly, if you are sightseeing, especially in Rome, you can't go wrong with jeans, t-shirts and trainers. And a hat! It's the basic uniform for most. For Tuscany lots and lots of mosquito spray.

I wouldn't wear jeans in Rome in July/August. You would boil! Would be a floaty cotton maxi for me most days I think.

I did wear jeans in Italy in July it is a really really bad idea. My feet also boiled in socks plus trainers.

Currently in Greece, everyone is in shorts or floaty stuff, hiking sandals almost mandatory.

I've been in Rome and several other Italian cities at that time of year and jeans and trainers, personally, would be an absolute nightmare.

I can't imagine wearing anything other than long, loose, not fitted at the waist, dresses in materials like cotton tana lawn or lightweight linen.

On feet, comfortable flat, rubber soles, but not encased in leather

Edit thirding AnnaMagnani and Verite1

I truly do not understand what Italian mosquitoes live on when they can't get pale skinned UK tourist. I spent my first time wandering about with tumour like lumps on my legs.

My other advice is don't bother trying to look like Italian women, they are just born with it.

And embrace the fact you are a tourist. If you want to dress up in the evening do, but no restaurant owner is going to be sniffy about you wearing sensible shoes.

Natural fibres - cotton/linen etc so they don't stick to you

Only the locals can wear jeans in summer and not look like a boiled ham

Jeans 😱 I would wilt!

That's a very good tip from a pp re loos in lots of places. Maybe tapered-leg linen trousers? I have some lovely ones from M&S this summer - I think they do them in black, beige and light blue chambray.

I like (fairly voluminous) cotton/linen-mix sundresses with pockets, and then take a chambray/light denim shirt or similar as a cover-up for shoulders if required. This sort of shape, but I prefer wider straps.

I'm also a fan of elasticated waist linen-cotton shorts with pockets - sort of paper bag waist - there was a good thread about these on here lat year. Uniqlo and M&S ftw. A bit like these.

Tops-wise I usually take a couple of vests but I don't like tight spaghetti-strap ones - I have some ancient ones that are sort of gathered, a bit Grecian, with knotted trim and straps. I think mine were from TU but these are not dissimilar in shape. I also like to have some crew-neck t-shirts for days when I want to cover up more - sometimes it's cooler in a tee than in a vest.

I'd also take a straw panama-type hat, hiking sandals (Teva are my pref) and some leather sandals, as well as trainers of some kind. I have a reliable bikini (John Lewis) and a Boden swimsuit, and I'd probably try and find another bikini and a couple of beach shirts.

I went to Lake Garda in July, it was ridiculously hot, spent most of the time around the Lake in denim shorts, vest and a loose cotton kimono chucked over the top. Spent half the holiday in Verona and I wore knee length T shirt dresses and a massive floppy hat, footwear was Fitflop Remi or Merrill sandals.

It was still far too hot in the evenings for jeans so it was maxi dresses or vest tops with flowy skirts

My other advice is don't bother trying to look like Italian women, they are just born with it.

My advice is that Italian women come in as many shapes, sizes and dismal / not dismal clothing as any other nationality. If I were going to make sweeping generalisations about how other nationalities dress the American women staying at The Danieli in Venice last week were by far and away the most striking and stylish.

Although I agree about dressing up in the evening if you want to.

Re national stereotypes, I do concede that the couple we were placed next to in a restaurant in Venice were instantly identifiable as Scottish, even before I'd heard them say a word.

Antihistamines (got beaten down with hayfever!!), sun top for swimming (amazing!!), insect spray. Long skirt/trousers for if you go to Vatican City

My advice is that Italian women come in as many shapes, sizes and dismal / not dismal clothing as any other nationality. If I were going to make sweeping generalisations about how other nationalities dress the American women staying at The Danieli in Venice last week were by far and away the most striking and stylish.
dh and dbil pulled me aside and asked if I was paranoid about the gorgeous women there. I was trying to figure out whether to be miffed when they said ‘how do you think we feel about the men?!’ 😅😅😅

Good god no! Jeans in Rome in summer? No no no!

Also ignore the grotty toilet advice. In my (reasonably extensive) experience of Italy in over 30 years, the toilets are fine (unlike some other countries. France I’m looking at you!) so I’d say a couple of pairs of wide leg linen trousers would be a must. Long not cropped. Chic and cool.

Plus I think it’s easier to look put together and cool in a dress.

Hot weather, can be humid, so light layers (ie. Light shirt over vest top) bearing mind you need covered shoulders for churches and not too short shorts, waterproof in case of sudden downpours in Siena. Agree sunhat and very comfortable shoes to cope with cobbles and walking.

May l add to that? Antihistamines help with mosquito bites, but the medication builds up in the system, so suggest you start taking one a day now.

"Also ignore the grotty toilet advice. In my (reasonably extensive) experience of Italy in over 30 years, the toilets are fine (unlike some other countries. France I’m looking at you!)"

You got lucky! DH is Sicilian and I swear half the toilets in Sicily have no toilet seat, even in fancy restaurants and lovely gelato bars. I'm too short to hover!

OP, I'd take sandals that won't give you blisters when your feet get sweaty, big hat, and lots of linen. The one thing Italians will look at is what brand your sunglasses are, DH threatened to divorce me when I bought some lovely heart shaped ones! 🤣

Ha @Pinkywoo in the last hour I have been to a filthy loo with no seat in a very chi chi bistro in the south of France. 😬 we obviously both have the same luck. I was in sorrento a few weeks back, every toilet was immaculate!

Take a lightweight shawl/scarf to keep in your bag when out and about in case you see a church to go into and have your shoulders out.
Other than that a decent wide brimmed hat and a bikini plus loose cool sun dresses and you're sorted.

I have found the opposite to be true. Having travelled and lived extensively in both, I would say that Italy has a far worse toilet situation than France. As a whole I found Italy to be dirty and France to be extremely well kept by comparison. Definitely worth a thought in regards to maxi dresses and jumpsuits.

Obviously Italian women come in all shapes and sizes. However it is common on these threads for posters to be thinking about Italian style and wondering how to achieve it.

My experience on holiday this week is I can usually identify UK vs German vs Greek tourists before they speak, there is just something about the shops they go in back home.

In Rome I saw loads of Roman women happily walking about the cobbles in their Valentino heels. Honestly if you haven't been practicing since you first learned to walk, don't even try

Jeans?! In July/August, and in Rome?! Surely not.

I would go wide leg trousers.. cotton, silk, linen. Zara have some lovely ones in at the moment, very floaty and can easily be worn with a vest top or T-shirt, could be dressed up for the evening too. Lots of floaty maxi dresses and skirts with some comfy sandals or trainers.

It really depends on what you feel comfortable in.

And yes, a decent pair of designer sunglasses wouldn’t go a miss ;-) (I am half Italian)