Traveling to Italy

[pabloj]

Originally Posted by Zegnamtl

Adam,

Italy is a wonderful country, you will have a great time.
Leather shoes at all time unless climbing a dirt path up a mountain. No Spectators!
The average Italian man would wear something along these lines where a NA male would wear Nike. (quick example only)

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline...val=&Widthval=

You do not mention the month that you will be traveling in or where (as in a possible dress code or not for dinner) you will be staying, but late April and early May are very good seasons as the tourist wave is not yet in full swing and you will not need more than a sport jacket at night if you live the northern 1/3 of the US. Generally, Italian men dress FAR better than we do here in NA. At very least, good sport jackets and dress shirts with leather shoes, I always bring at least one suit. How long are you staying? Rome can be hot and muggy in the heat of summer, and linen shirts and pants are great to have along if you are going closer to June/July.

Siena is a great town, but it is a walled city and the outskirts are overloaded with tour buses. I hope you are there early in the season, it is a much more enjoyable spot then. There are few nice to spots to see withn an hours drive of Siena if you wish to make a little day trip. Tuscany and Umbria are very nice. Tuscany gets the glory, but Umbria can be very nice too.


There is a great shop in Venice called Black Watch, skip shopping in Florence and save your cash for Black Watch.

PS:

Venice has been ruined by tourism, it is little more than a mall within historic buildings. Don't get your hopes up to high for the Venice leg of the trip. But if you forget you runners, don't worry, there is even a Foot Locker store. Sorry, but better warned now if you have not been there in 20 plus years, you are in for shock.

+1 on everything.
You should google and build a list of local artisans to visit.

 

[gshen]

Originally Posted by Zegnamtl

There is a great shop in Venice called Black Watch, skip shopping in Florence and save your cash for Black Watch.

I think I remember this store! I walked into a random shop selling clothes asking if they sold Incotex, and was directed to Black Watch. The prices were something like 300EUR for a pair

.. Being the small-timer I am, I walked off without a purchase, came back to B&S and prayed for more

 

[illeagle]

Honestly, I think you'll have a better time there if you don't spend your time worrying about whether or not you're being yourself (a tourist).

 

[nilsht]

The best way to blend in Italy for an American is to not speak as loudly as normal and not continuously compare everything to back home while talking loudly to your friends.

 

[illeagle]

Originally Posted by nilsht

The best way to blend in Italy for an American is to not speak as loudly as normal and not continuously compare everything to back home while talking loudly to your friends.

also, speaking in Italian helps you blend in

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by nilsht

The best way to blend in Italy for an American is to not speak as loudly as normal and not continuously compare everything to back home while talking loudly to your friends.
Yes, Italians are very quiet people.

 

[pred02]

NO BASEBALL CAPS PERIOD!

Avoid the following:
1) Flip flops unless on the beach
2) North Face clothing (especially pink fleeces when going out at night)
3) Carrying a water bottle like you are running the marathon
4) Jogging outside when its cold or raining
5) Fanny packs
6) New Balance - though if you wear the latest and most expensive pair of Nike shoes, you are bound to get in even to the most clandistine of Italian clubs.
7) Capuccinos after 11am unless its your first drink/coffee of the day

Just do it...

 

[TheFoo]

What's wrong with looking like an American or whatever else you are when abroad? I've never understood discussions about how to dress for the locals while on vacation. Once you satisfy a base level of propriety, your style should be your own and there isn't anything wrong with it reflecting where you come from. After all, I don't expect Italians to deck themselves out in North Face and Polo when they come to Manhattan.

 

[TheFoo]

Also, Italians, like everyone else, largely dress like crap. If you wear a polo shirt and a pair of khakis or jeans, you'll be as good as most, if not slightly better. The Ugly American is a myth insofar as we aren't alone in our ugliness and ugliness comes in many diverse, regional forms.

Tourists are obnoxious everywhere.

 

[wilhelm]

Originally Posted by blackplatano

Leather jackets in Florence left me cold. You might feel the same, however, I saw a friend who did get something and was impressed with the leather. Made me think I should have looked harder.

My girlfriend intends to purchase a leather jacket when we are in Italy in June, visiting Milano, Venezia, Firenze, Siena and Roma. What should she be looking for where?

Originally Posted by Zegnamtl

No Spectators!

So I can't wear these?

Originally Posted by Zegnamtl

There is a great shop in Venice called Black Watch, skip shopping in Florence and save your cash for Black Watch.

What do they sell there?

 

[blackplatano]

Originally Posted by wilhelm

My girlfriend intends to purchase a leather jacket when we are in Italy in June, visiting Milano, Venezia, Firenze, Siena and Roma. What should she be looking for where?






Firenze/tuscany is the main leather producing region of Italy. When you're there (trust me), you do not need to look for leather, the leather will find you.
The streets are filled with leather shops and many designers are well represented. Brands known for their jackets, like Belstaff, are also there. There is also a leather school that sells very nice goods inside of the Santa Croce church. Florence is very small and you will see more leather then you know what to do with. There is a street thats all just leather vendors, for example.

Either way, there are a lot of small shops that sell some very nice men's shoes between 250-300 Euros. you might want to check that out.

 

[culverwood]

According to Paul Smith Italians dress all the same, this year Bellstaff jackets a few years ago quited jackets. He suggests that all Italians dress the same from the President to the taxi driver.

 

[DrPat]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

What's wrong with looking like an American or whatever else you are when abroad? I've never understood discussions about how to dress for the locals while on vacation. Once you satisfy a base level of propriety, your style should be your own and there isn't anything wrong with it reflecting where you come from. After all, I don't expect Italians to deck themselves out in North Face and Polo when they come to Manhattan.

You make a good point, but often what one thinks suitability is actually not so. Examples: Europeans wearing speedos on American beaches, Russian women wearing fur coats in western European cities, Australians wearing shorts in Central Asia, and American college girls wearing flip flops, pajama pants, and university shirts in European cities. All of these are perfectly acceptable in the home country and with no international experience or research there is no way you would think they are offensive abroad.

Also, not looking like a tourist means you will be hassled less by pickpockets and street vendors.

 

[pred02]

What's wrong with looking like an American or whatever else you are when abroad? I've never understood discussions about how to dress for the locals while on vacation. Once you satisfy a base level of propriety, your style should be your own and there isn't anything wrong with it reflecting where you come from. After all, I don't expect Italians to deck themselves out in North Face and Polo when they come to Manhattan.

It's completely fine, but you will probably not get laid

It's not about the way Americans dress, it's mostly the way they behave, many stick out like sort thumbs because of their general loud behavior. Given the general anti-American sentiment in that part of the world largely due to foreign policies of ex-Administration, Americans have a -1 from the get-go.

Americans aren't the only ones, Brits are just as bad if not worse, and Australians tend to have their moments as well!

I do think in general European are more dress conscienous then Americans, and if you want to be up to the standard there are blunt things to avoid. That being said, the OP should wear what she or he feels comfortable with.

 

[Britalian]

In the summers I see a lot of natives in thick moleskine pants and black NYC baseball caps.