I’m back from Italy and wanted to do a follow up post because I believe a few others are headed that direction soon. I was very happy with what I packed!
Questions about shoes and outwear seem to be common, so I will focus there.
First, shoes. Fashion sneakers and flat booties reigned supreme. I saw sneakers in all colors, but black/dark were the most common. Also saw a fair amount of loafers, but only in Florence. Very few people wore tall boots (although I saw them displayed in shop windows and wore them myself). We walked over 9 miles most days, so comfortable shoes were important.
Outerwear. The ubiquitous puffer was everywhere on everybody. It knows no bounds of age, gender, or nationality this year. In the smaller towns in Tuscany I’d say 95% of people (including locals and Italian tourists) were in puffers. It was actually pretty amusing to observe. But they really are so practical and comfortable in a variety of temps plus can be easily stashed away. The puffer was still common (but less so) in Florence and Rome where there were plenty of wool coats and parkas.
Weather: In Florence my light wool coat was sufficient most days, although sometimes I used the puffer at night. I did not need a hat, but I did use my thick cashmere scarf/wrap more than I had planned. In Rome I took the puffer most days because I wanted a layer for the cool morning that I could pack away when it was warm enough to get by with a sweater. I also used my lighter weight scarves.
I didn’t get many full-body photos but I’m including one here. Unfortunately it’s a pretty basic outfit, but it gives you an idea of what worked for highs of 65 degrees in Rome. I wore my puffer for the first hour of the morning, then stashed in my bag until it started getting dark.
Happy travels everyone!
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