A winter trip to Italy will be one you'll always remember. Since you will be avoiding the tourist season, you will find lower airfares, cheaper rates at hotels and shorter lines at museums. That said, dressing for winter travel can be challenging, especially when you take into account that the Italians like to dress up for any occasion. Avoid being labeled as a tourist by steering clear of backpacks and torn jeans. Italians enjoy wearing black garments, so you might want to take that into consideration. Of course, your choice of clothing will also depend on your destination in Italy.
Dress for an Italian Ski Resort
While skiers and snowboarders at your local American ski resort might make fun of expensive Bogner one-piece ski suits, they are quite common at Italian resorts. In fact, it's not unusual to see people using outdated gear but stylish ski outfits. Additionally, Italians tend to dress up for apres ski. Even in resorts such as Bormio, which is not considered an upscale ski area, you will see women walking through town wearing fur coats. While this is not always practical for travelers, you might want to bring along a long and more stylish coat to change into for apres ski.
Women's Styles in Winter
Winters in the northern Italian cities can be cold but tolerable. Daytime temperatures hover around 35 to 40 degrees F. Women can stay warm and look stylish by wearing velvet pants, long low-heeled boots, wool or velvet gloves and a chic but warm hat. A shawl thrown over a long coat completes the look and adds warmth.
Men's Styles in Winter
Men have a bit more leeway in terms of style. Jeans are acceptable for them, along with a dark turtleneck worn under a wool sweater. Italians specialize in attractive walking boots for men, so you might want to buy some while you're there.
Sleepwear
If you are staying at an older hotel, the heating might be less than optimal. As such, bring along warm pajamas, long underwear and a pair of long socks.
Dressing for Southern Italy
The South of Italy, such as Sicily and the Amalfi coastline, is warmer in the winter. Daytime temperatures average at 54 degrees F. Both men and women should bring comfortable walking shoes and a lightweight jacket. Women can bring along a shawl to throw over the jacket, in case the weather gets colder. Men can bring a sweater to wear under the jacket.
Tags: bring along, might want, Daytime temperatures, Styles Winter