is wearing shorts out of the question in europe ...please advise ..thanks
we are going to europe end of may ...would it be feasable to wear shorts......please advise ...thanks fred
fred
ilderton, ontario canada 3/22/08
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You can wear them but add some white socks and tennis shoes so that you really look like an unaware American tourists. Makes my travels safer.
I don't really get why people obsess so much over not looking like a tourist. You are one and everyone can tell, no matter what you try to do.
The only place I noticed a huge difference in attire was Italy. And that was because every other local woman seemed to be in skin tight pants, stiletto boots and those gigantic sunglasses, even the matronly ones.
Absolutely feasible! Wear what you feel comfortable in and there is nothing wrong with shorts!
Pete
I"m more comfortable not wearing shorts and blending in a bit. Having said that, I'd estimate that about 90% of American tourists you encounter will be wearing shorts.
Wear what you want to be comfortable, but realize that the weather may be too cool to wear shorts, depending on where you are traveling. According to various people during my travels, the U.K. and northern Europe were unusually chilly last spring and summer.
You could wear the zip-off pants or even try the capri pants that European men have been wearing the past two summers that I've been in Italy and France.
Happy travels!
It's an absolute 'no-no' to wear shorts while having a private audience with his holiness the Pope or when attending Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's private dinner parties.
If you're not going to do either of those two options, wear whatever you like, it's your vacation - enjoy !
Nobody seems to mind when I wear my Oxford college scarf and Nottinghamshire cricket jumper on cold days in Chicago. I don't give a fig for fashion critics, on either side of the Atlantic !
We definitely need to be comfortable. Depending on where and who you are visiting and what activity you're involved in, dressing a bit more formally is a sign of respect.
Just a warning-a relative was in Germany last summer, and they got a lot of stares when they wore shorts. They're in their 40's and on the heavy side. Two men actually pointed at them and laughed. They said they wish someone had told them not to wear shorts. Not RS fans, apparently.
How do you spot a tourist in Southern Europe?
They are the ones sweating in their long pants as every other nationality is running around in shorts.
It depends on where you are and what you are doing what is the appropriate dress. That said, just get several pairs of the rip-stop nylon pants with zip-off legs. That way you can wear them long when in a big city or a church and zipped off when hiking or out in the country.
Last year "Man Capris" were all the rage in Europe. So I wouldn't worry about shorts.
i would like to thank every replying to my inquiry.
very much appreciated!!!!
thanks again
I used to pack zip off pants to wear as shorts when I wanted. I found I never took the legs off. Now I pack only nuetral colored casual microfiber pants and one swim suit with pockets that can double as shorts. I also don't do cargo pants anymore. I found I really didn't use the leg pockets and they don't dress up as well.
Whatever you are most comfortable with won't be the end of the world. The worst that could happen is you decide not to wear something you packed once you get over there. Then you're lugging extra stuff around for no reason.
When we were in Barcelona in 2006, there were women being turned away because they were wearing short-shorts (mainly North Americans), and spaghetti strap tops. I have never understood why anyone would dress that way to visit a church or Cathedral, even here in the US.
You can see that you will receive 25 different opinions on this question.
I always dress for comfort and disregard what others think.
Do you actually think others care what you wear or can remember tomorrow what you wore yesterday?
Isn't it funny in desert countries where the temps often top 100 degrees,, the natives don't wear shorts. Why do people think shorts are cooler?? Lightwieght pants that are loose and light colored are just as cool, if not cooler, and for ladies a flowy skirt is cool. I do think the newer shorts I see out now are a nice look though, they are longer , right over the knee, but not quite as long as capris,, they would " pass" you into a church , they are not baggy or sporty looking though, I think they look sharp.
Short shorts are for kids, teens, and Daisy Duke.
Personally, I don't wear shorts in the city, here or abroad unless I am doing something like a theme park. That said, I don't care if I blend in -- I am from the south, and as soon as I open my mouth in any language EVERYONE knows I am not a local. Since I have no intention of remaining silent throughout my vacation, I wear what I like and move on.
Fred, you don't mention where you will be going. If you are hiking the countryside, the shoreline, or perhaps visiting small villiages -- shorts would be appropriate. If you plan to spend time in the big cities, please re-consider wearing them. In May, it may not even be that warm to wear them. I'm all for being comfortable on vacation, and realize you can't bring an extensive wardrobe, but I also think there is such a thing as being respectful of the countries you are visiting. I am dismayed by those who say "I'm a tourist, and don't care who knows it" as an excuse to dress inappropriately. I think shorts on anyone over 12 is inadvisable in European cities, and for men, a particularly unfortunate choice! I opt for a little dignity and respect, to go along with my comfort - it can be done!
Europeans wera shorts just on the beach or riding a bike. I agree, in a church(anywhere in the world) people have to wear "decent" clothes, such long pants, no spagetti straps, or short skirts.I've seen ladies here in the US wearing mini skirts in a church.That's so rude.
This seems to be one of the most common questions out there (appropriate dress, behaviour, etc.), and it always strikes some people as silly. They wonder why anyone should care about sticking out like a tourist! I tend to agree that you should wear what is comfortable and not obsess, but at the same time these posts warm my heart. THANK YOU to everyone out there that has ever wondered about these things - it's a little thing, but it's sign of respect. Yes, countries need tourism dollars, but they don't need disrespectful interlopers that want everything to be on their terms. Heaven knows how we Americans get when people from other countries come here and do something we consider gauche or insensitive.
As far as shorts go - lightweight pants are far more practical for foreign travel. Bring a really good pair of sandals to keep your feet and ankles (no socks) cool.
Cat -- it's a visual thing. It's a visual "pollution" of the city to wear shorts, tank tops, running shoes, etc, and to look so obviously out of place and different from the people living there. What is the advantage? It marks you as prey for pick pockets for one, and it's not more difficult to dress more appropriately. I personally love to blend in with the natives, and act/look as if I live there, it's even more fun.
I generally wear a lightweight skirt rather than shorts - it's actually cooler. Shorts are fine for hiking and resort areas, but the skirt works for most everything. If I'm wearing shorts (i.e. biking), I carry the skirt to slip on easily. I also sometimes carry a lightweight scarf to cover my shoulders (more of an issue in Italy/Spain/Turkey).
Since Fred did not say where in Europe he will be travelling...It's difficult to answer this question. I think a quick check of the forecast for the end of May at destination will help him answer this question for himself.
My best guess would be that it will not be overly warm to warrent wearing shorts. I personally don't wear shorts, unless I'm on the Beach. I don't like unwanted attention from undesirable Men when I'm travelling solo. I sometimes wear skirts but Fred probably won't want to explore that option!!
Maybe just find some lightweight looser fitting pants? Those will be more versatile in the City, I think.
Oops - didn't pay attention to "Fred" rather than "Betty". Again, though, May is pretty early for shorts (we were in Dalmatia - Croatia coast) in mid June and while we wore bike shorts and enjoyed swimming some days, evenings were cool.
I go to Europe every summer during August and September and always take along 2 pairs of long-zip-off leg pants that convert to shorts in a minute. I have never not ended up using shorts somewhere in that month. I do respect the local customs when possible, but, I'll be darned if I am going to be uncomfortable to the point where I feel bad physically just to blend in.
First, let me say that I live in shorts 8 or 9 months of the year, and the other 3 or 4 it is blue jeans. Living in Sacramento, and working outside or in unairconditioned buildings, shorts are acceptable, even for us middle aged guys.
As for those who find shorts in church to be distasteful, one must go with the local custom, but I am unaware of any passage in the Bible that specifically forbids the wearing of shorts in a church, even in the old testament books of law it cannot be found. The Bible calls on people to worship, but does not say only if you dress in a specific manner. That said, when in Rome....
Most people would disagree with my choice of clothing, but I still wear it because that is me. I take a couple of pairs of my carpenters jeans and shorts, polo shirts in a variety of colors, my USC sweartshirt, Fight On Trojans, and lightweight hiking boots, with Keen sandals as backup. OK so I don't look like I have been on the cover of GQ, but clothes are only....
....one part of dress. Attitude, dispostion, interest, sincere desire to learn about a culture, these are even more important than clothes. Moreover, people in my area come from all over the world. I don't ask my neighbors from Punjab, India to stop wearing their hair wrapped in a turbin, and my hispanic students know that the Sweet Sixteen and the Quincenera are culturally equivalent, but neither group tells the other to stop celebrating. Moreover, making too much of an attempt to appear like a local may be considered patronizing.
Part of travel is exposing other people to who and what Americans are, as well as learning who the people we are visiting are. That said, the only thing I ask, and the same goes here at home...if you have pasty white chicken legs...please don't wear shorts. And, by all means, leave the NASCAR hat and jacket stateside.
Kevin, I'm not suggesting that visitors to USA should not wear turbans (which have religious significance) or discontinue their cultural traditions -- we're just talking clothes here, your examples are dismaying to me. I'm just advocating that super casual Americans re-think some of their wardrobe choices when traveling to Europe, not treat it like a day at Disneyland. I like to blend in, I'm not a phony, pretending to be anyone but myself. I'm into clothes, and personally find the way European women dress (particularly in Paris and Italy) to be very inspirational and I like to join in the fun. I go to Europe to experience different cultures, and be as much a part of them as I can. Yet I'm always proud to be an American and make no attempt to hide it.
And I see that there seem to be some sartorial transgressions that irritate you also! No one is immune to fashion atrocities.
"Many travelers are concerned about appropriate dress. If you're trying to blend in, realize that shorts are uncommon in Europe. They are considered exclusively beachwear for use in coastal or lakeside resort towns. While most Europeans won't be offended if you wear shorts, you might be on the receiving end of some stares." Rick Steves, ETBD 2006
Kevin says he is older, but my son has always worn shorts in the summer wherever we are (longer cargo type shorts, not hip-hop or basketball) and has never looked out of place with other kids. If anything, my teenaged daughter looks a little MORE covered up than the teens she hangs out with. While I don't try to blend in, I do try and actively think about not being obnoxious. Kevin is correct, that is a function of attitude and interaction as much as dress.
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