What 'Not' to Wear in Rome?

[PIC-2 psychologist]

We end up in Venice, so take only one suitcase that has to be under 50 pounds.

On the plane I wear heaviest shoes and heaviest slacks (jeans). Be prepared for weather from 60s to 90s. Wear slacks or jeans/t-shirt or collar/leather shoes for a day in the city and into churches/synagogues/mosques. A hot day or climbing, shorts and comfortable tennis shoes (Acropolis, Ephesus, Mykonos). Will not take dark suit, will take black blazer and dark grey slacks; blazer works with tie or open shirt, or t-shirt. At night to eat or go to orchestra, etc.

Weigh suitcase to make certain its under 50 lbs before going to airport.

Will have washing machine in apartment in Barcelona, apartment in Venice, and on cruise ship (Emerald Princess).

Any advice on how to keep under 50 lbs?

David

[TMR]

Casey-

 

Two summers ago I found something called "Reebok Travellers."

 

It was a fairly stylish type of sneaker/walking shoe in black which gave me lots of support and looked terrific with all my black pants.

 

Basically, it has the comfort of a Reebok tennis shoe disguised as something nicer so it does not stand out like a white tennis shoe.

 

I generally pack only black pants (casual, dressy, capri) and assorted tops to go with them. One pair of nice sandals (black) and one dressy pair (black) for evening and of course, my Reeboks!

 

I just find that working within a color group really makes the packing a lot easier.

 

Good luck!

 

Marguerite

[NancyIL]

Gelato, you say....

Can that be eaten while on the back of a scooter?:cool:

 

Sure - if you don't mind BUGS in your food! :eek:

 

Our first trip to Europe was in Oct. 2000, and in order to not look like a tourist (like they can't tell as soon as you open your mouth) - I bought some black walking shoes (I think they were Reebok). No white gym shoes for THIS gal!

 

I don't wear horizontal stripes any more, simply because I look wide enough without them! :D

[sea-explorer]

;) Don't know if this will work..sorry too about the quality...

 

Edit:...I've lost the picture, ooops!

[sea-explorer]

I'll just try again.

 

Phew, I did it. :)

[sfnew2sail]

I promise not to wear socks with my sandals and absolutely no slippers at the breakfast buffet! But......as for being labeled as a tourist, I'm from the Deep South. I may not look like a tourist, but as soon as I open my mouth EVERYONE will KNOW I'm not from around there! LOL

[UTVOLS]

I just ordered 4 tees from Land's End---all striped. In total I have about 8 striped tees that I was planning to wear. Oh GEEZ;)

Can I wear striped in Barcelona, Monaco and Dubrovnik??;) :p :D :eek:

 

Seriously, you folks are bringing striped shirts right?

 

Oooooo....don't do it.......

unless you have a beret and a breadstick like the photo from Sparky...;)

[UTVOLS]

I promise not to wear socks with my sandals and absolutely no slippers at the breakfast buffet! But......as for being labeled as a tourist, I'm from the Deep South. I may not look like a tourist, but as soon as I open my mouth EVERYONE will KNOW I'm not from around there! LOL

 

 

sfnew2sail....

yep, I'm leaving my socks, slippers, and stripes at home too....but I'm with you....I'm a Southern girl, as well, and the mouth, unfortunately goes where I go...

 

I'm counting on doing a lot of talking w/ my hands...:o

[PersistenzaretiniKa]

PersistenzaretiniKa

Your English, is far better than my Italian;) ! It was delightful to read your response!!!

Thank you for answering my question... I feel special to have had someone from Italy advise. Grazie! I look forward to visiting your country!

 

Oh! and I most definitely will NOT wear socks with my sandals:eek: ! Great tip! lol!

 

 

thnk u thank u thank u. if u want to keep in touch with me u can write me at this address : goldenpurplecat@hotmail.com, u can also add me on msn if u want. :D

[sfnew2sail]

LOL @ UTVOLS!!! Let me know if you come up with some really good hand signals for Italy. Maybe I wouldn't embarrass myself so much if I don't have to open my mouth LOL!

[PersistenzaretiniKa]

as i wrote in another posta bout italian language i'm available for some italian classes :D

 

about wearing stripes: i remeber tje last episode of "sex and the city" where saraha jessica parker goes to paris and she wears a striped t shirt a kind of dior's new look blak skirt, flat shoes ( we calle them ballerina shoes) and a black and waht we call a basque cap. she was simply ridiculous.

[tomko2]

We end up in Venice, so take only one suitcase that has to be under 50 pounds.

On the plane I wear heaviest shoes and heaviest slacks (jeans). Be prepared for weather from 60s to 90s. Wear slacks or jeans/t-shirt or collar/leather shoes for a day in the city and into churches/synagogues/mosques. A hot day or climbing, shorts and comfortable tennis shoes (Acropolis, Ephesus, Mykonos). Will not take dark suit, will take black blazer and dark grey slacks; blazer works with tie or open shirt, or t-shirt. At night to eat or go to orchestra, etc.

Weigh suitcase to make certain its under 50 lbs before going to airport.

Will have washing machine in apartment in Barcelona, apartment in Venice, and on cruise ship (Emerald Princess).

Any advice on how to keep under 50 lbs?

David

 

Buy a carry-on (with wheels) and pack one change of clothing in it plus nightwear (if any); and whatever casual windbreaker/sweatshirt/jacket you plan to take plus all your paperwork. It worked great for us and we were able to change into our first day sightseeing clothes in the restroom at the hotel (arrived before room ready); left our bags at the hotel and we were on vacation. We both also had a change of tops for the flight in case we found it too warm on the plane. (This is indelicate but also fresh underwear since we had a very long day of travel)

Kathy:)

[TinaLee]

It's official... I doomed fashion-wise! LOL! If I do not wear my walking shoes on days with heavy walking, my limping and swearing are bound to give me away anyway! :)

 

I do have nice, fashionable sandals and dressy flip flops and heels to wear when I dress up to go out for dinner, but if I'm trekking all over Rome or jumping on and off the vaparetto in Venice, my white Spira walking shoes will be on my feet (big sigh). Watchagonnado?? I'll have a better time if I can walk, so color me a "fashion don't" :cool:

[tomko2]

It's official... I doomed fashion-wise! LOL! If I do not wear my walking shoes on days with heavy walking, my limping and swearing are bound to give me away anyway! :)

 

I do have nice, fashionable sandals and dressy flip flops and heels to wear when I dress up to go out for dinner, but if I'm trekking all over Rome or jumping on and off the vaparetto in Venice, my white Spira walking shoes will be on my feet (big sigh). Watchagonnado?? I'll have a better time if I can walk, so color me a "fashion don't" :cool:

 

 

See this is why they say the older you get, the wiser you get! I am with you 100%.

Kathy:D

[sea-explorer]

Me too..I just wear what I want & feel comfortable in. I never seem to notice people's feet. I keep making a mental note to myself to look at feet & play spot the American tourist, ;}...but always forget.

 

The biggest faux pas I think I made was when I fortunate enough to visit China. I felt I was being stared at quite a lot, I mean really stared at! Not in the hotels etc, but certainly on the streets. I am not sylph like & obviously a Western woman, & did wonder for a while if it was that. After some time though I realized that I had not seen anyone wearing a skirt..the more I looked, the more I realized. Yep! I think I was the only one in Beijing. I have a sneaky suspicion that only a certain type of woman wore dresses/skirts Oooops!

[Destin Mom]

Note to self...no skirts in China. Got to remember that one. I had to laugh at the southern accent thread...from the south myself so even if I dress somewhat correctly, my 'Graaasi' will clearly give me away (southern emphasis added for those who may have been spared a southerner speaking Italian).

 

PIC2- you're all over it. We have done a 'mock packing' for our summer trip to make sure our bags are under 50 pounds. We will be gone for 11 weeks (traveling with a 5 and 6 year old to boot)...challenged to try to pack efficiently to say the least. The biggest weight contributors for us seem to be shoes and jeans. So we are attempting to limit the adults to 3 pairs of shoes and one or two pairs of jeans. The jury is still out. But we're trying. And I'm definitely following the black, white, charcoal and red pallete. With only 3 pairs of shoes (one being running shoes), I have no room for brown in my wardrobe.

 

My apologies in advance if you are on my cruise- but I will have 5 white t-shirts so it's not the same one you are seeing every day:)

[Crusin6]

Oooooo....don't do it.......

unless you have a beret and a breadstick like the photo from Sparky...;)

Oh come on guys! Go to Land's End.com and look at the misses tees I am talking about. Somehow, I don't think I will be alone in wearing them. As a matter of fact, LL Bean travel has a whole travel wardrobe centered around blue, black, white and even a blue/black striped tee! I am going to pretend that I didn't see this thread. Happy travels.;)

[cruisemom42]

The whole "white shoes/no white shoes" debate has been done many times. Obviously there are a lot of good walking shoes out there that are NOT white -- don't really see how that can be an issue. :confused:

 

For those who care, you can easily find shoes that are both stylish and very comfortable for a days' walking. (Mephisto, Born, Ecco, just to name a few good brands.) There are a lot of options beside flip flops and sandals.

 

For those who can't be parted from their white shoes, no one is going to stone you or deny you entrance to a church or museum. However, it's a pretty safe bet you'll be pegged as a tourist -- whether or not that matters....(and for many, it doesn't!)

 

I don't even own a pair of white shoes, don't have anything that resembles an athletic shoe, and I have problem feet. I may have to look a bit, but I have always come up with some stylish options. Of course, I don't generally wear shorts, jeans, or capris either, so I guess for me it's not so much "what to wear" as "what I usually wear anyway"!

[UTVOLS]

Oh come on guys! Go to Land's End.com and look at the misses tees I am talking about. Somehow, I don't think I will be alone in wearing them. As a matter of fact, LL Bean travel has a whole travel wardrobe centered around blue, black, white and even a blue/black striped tee! I am going to pretend that I didn't see this thread. Happy travels.;)

 

Addicted...

I was so just kiddin'....

I actually considered purchasing the LLBean wardrobe....and on the cruise portion, I think stripes are absolutely appropriate....very Nautical, wouldn't you say? I was just thinking Rome would be a bit more metropolitan and sophisticated in their dress. I'm sure you'll be perfect....and please don't pretend not to have seen this thread....it's been toooooo much fun! Well, at least for me:) .

[TinaLee]

The whole "white shoes/no white shoes" debate has been done many times. Obviously there are a lot of good walking shoes out there that are NOT white -- don't really see how that can be an issue. :confused:

 

For those who care, you can easily find shoes that are both stylish and very comfortable for a days' walking. (Mephisto, Born, Ecco, just to name a few good brands.) There are a lot of options beside flip flops and sandals.

 

For those who can't be parted from their white shoes, no one is going to stone you or deny you entrance to a church or museum. However, it's a pretty safe bet you'll be pegged as a tourist -- whether or not that matters....(and for many, it doesn't!)

 

I don't even own a pair of white shoes, don't have anything that resembles an athletic shoe, and I have problem feet. I may have to look a bit, but I have always come up with some stylish options. Of course, I don't generally wear shorts, jeans, or capris either, so I guess for me it's not so much "what to wear" as "what I usually wear anyway"!

 

If only Born and Ecco would make a comfortable walking shoe in a wide width! And as for Mephisto... my husband refuses to let me buy them - he says they look like hippie shoes! LOL!

 

I guess it's to each his own on this issue. I do my walking on a treadmill and around the lake for exercise, and I wear my white Spira shoes then, so those are my most comfortable walking shoes. As for flip flops - that's what I call them because here in Florida that's what we call just about every flat sandal, but I guess technically they would be considered a "sandal" and not a flip flop... i.e., not plastic! LOL!

 

And believe me, here in Orlando we see tourists from all over the world. White walking shoes are definitely not limited to only Americans, only the elderly, only anything. Everyone wears them!! And if they don't have them when the COME, judging by the Nike and Reebok stores, they are all taking some home! LOL!

 

I've given up not being taken for a tourist - it's a given fact that I will be pegged as one, and you're right - for me it isn't an issue because that is what I will be! The way I look at it, living in Orlando, it's my TURN! :p

[cruisemom42]

If only Born and Ecco would make a comfortable walking shoe in a wide width! And as for Mephisto... my husband refuses to let me buy them - he says they look like hippie shoes! LOL!

 

I guess it's to each his own on this issue. I do my walking on a treadmill and around the lake for exercise, and I wear my white Spira shoes then, so those are my most comfortable walking shoes. As for flip flops - that's what I call them because here in Florida that's what we call just about every flat sandal, but I guess technically they would be considered a "sandal" and not a flip flop... i.e., not plastic! LOL!

 

And believe me, here in Orlando we see tourists from all over the world. White walking shoes are definitely not limited to only Americans, only the elderly, only anything. Everyone wears them!! And if they don't have them when the COME, judging by the Nike and Reebok stores, they are all taking some home! LOL!

 

I've given up not being taken for a tourist - it's a given fact that I will be pegged as one, and you're right - for me it isn't an issue because that is what I will be! The way I look at it, living in Orlando, it's my TURN! :p

 

 

Here are a few well made and good looking shoes in Wide widths:

 

Propet is an excellent brand that comes in Wide and Extra Wide:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/33899491/c/103/g/women/w/M_12.html

 

Also some Soft Walkers in Wide and Extra Wide:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/15341621/c/104420/g/women/w/M_12.html

 

These Naturalizers are probably not in the same class (in terms of construction) as the first two but they look reasonably priced, comfortable, and very "in":

 

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/17304454/c/103/g/women/w/M_12.html

[Crusin6]

See this is why they say the older you get, the wiser you get! I am with you 100%.

Kathy:D

Add me to the group! I like being my age (50) and doing what feels right for me. ahh...." If youth but knew what age could tell":D

[Crusin6]

Addicted...

I was so just kiddin'....

I actually considered purchasing the LLBean wardrobe....and on the cruise portion, I think stripes are absolutely appropriate....very Nautical, wouldn't you say? I was just thinking Rome would be a bit more metropolitan and sophisticated in their dress. I'm sure you'll be perfect....and please don't pretend not to have seen this thread....it's been toooooo much fun! Well, at least for me:) .

Yes, this is fun! I live 30 minutes from NYC and every time we go to the city we wear what we are comfortable with. That means enough pockets to put our stuff in without using a purse, comfortable shoes and free hands. I need my hands available to hold my girls. We never look like tourists because we are not tourists in NYC. We know how to get around, places to avoid and most importantly people to avoid. I for one don't want to blend with some of the people I have seen in NYC. As for Carrie Bradshaw, now has she ever worn anything that you would even look at it a store? Let alone wear. I have never even seen anyone in NYC dressed like she did. Love the show btw and looking forward to the movie.

Seriously, it is so complicated to travel nowadays with the Euro, airline delays, et. etc. the last thing that matters to a family like ours is our blending in fashion wise in Europe. So my family and I will stick to our original travel uniforms of capri's and shirts for mom and the girls and khaki slacks and polo shirts for dad. On the ship, sundresses for the girls, (sundresses are not what I want my teen girls wearing in Rome) and blacks silk like slacks and blouses for me and dad will wear dress slacks and collared shirts. Shorts for the pool of course and not the ports.

Can't wait for this cruise and are already planning the next on for the Eastern Med in about 4 years. Happy sailing:)

[TinaLee]

Here are a few well made and good looking shoes in Wide widths:

 

Propet is an excellent brand that comes in Wide and Extra Wide:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/33899491/c/103/g/women/w/M_12.html

 

Also some Soft Walkers in Wide and Extra Wide:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/15341621/c/104420/g/women/w/M_12.html

 

These Naturalizers are probably not in the same class (in terms of construction) as the first two but they look reasonably priced, comfortable, and very "in":

 

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/17304454/c/103/g/women/w/M_12.html

 

LOL - one of my pair of black "gladiator" sandals are Propet, and I have Softspots high heel sandals. But none of these provide the support of my good ole Spira walking shoes, so they'll still be making the trip across the pond. Thanks for the suggestions though!

 

My daughter on the other hand, found really cute Joseph Siebel sandals today, and a pair of Clarks Artisan sandals as well.

 

Joseph Siebel sandals

 

Clarks Artisan sandals - except the color she got was called Old Bronze

 

Those two pair of sandals, a pair of black sandals she already owns, and her Coach "tennies" - LOL - the girl is a shoe-aholic. But she is now set to go in the footwear department. It's MUCH more fun to shop for shoes for her, since she can wear just about anything. :)

[GloriaF]

I have to laugh at how my packing has changed over the cruises as we learn more and decide we need less!! On our first cruise (which was only a 7 day Carib) we took about 5 various cases including beach towels and special bed pillows and full snorkel gear! Now we know the towels will be furnished, the pillow menu always has a suitable pillow, and snorkel gear can be cut down to no fins.

 

For the most recent 20 day trans-Atlantic with more than one climate, we each had a 24" rolling suitcase and a rolling carry-on. What a difference! We've learned that we can get by with less, and the Princess self-service laundry isn't so bad if you time it well and go prepared with quarters and detergent.

 

Shoes are the bulkiest of all items to pack, so I always try to take as few pair as I can get by with if luggage weight is an issue, and wear the heaviest, bulkiest pair for travel.

 

We pack no jeans for cruises or Europe - they are heavy and hot and we've always been able to find another type clothing that will fit in just as well.

 

On our early cruises, I took a different outfit for each Formal Night - on the last cruise with four formal nights, I took one pair of black evening pants and a couple of tops.

 

I always enjoy reading packing tips, so I'll be reading and hoping for some new tips!