Originally Posted by TrishBOS
Shorts are just not acceptable on adults in any city outside of the US. You can get away with them at beach resorts maybe, but not in the city. I wear loose washable silk or cotton dresses - which are a lot cooler than shorts - or capri pants. If you are going to any religious sites (this includes Recoleta Cemetary or other cemetaries) it can be considered disrespectful to wear shorter skirts than knee length.
I live both in the SF Bay Area and Buenos Aires. I dress the same way in both locations when not at work - and that would include shorts in summer during the day.
In my neighborhood in BsAs (Las Canitas), there are lots of people wearing shorts during the day. I generally don't wear shorts to restaurants in the evening in BsAs or SF either.
It's unbelieve to suggest that adults don't wear shorts in cities outside the US. I grew up in New Zealand, and it's part of the dress code in summer. Same for many other South Pacific locales.
I would advise however against wearing flip flops in BsAs - the sidewalks in many areas are in poor condition, the dog dodo can be problematic, and if it rains flip-flops provide little traction on slippery streets.
There seems to be a myth the the Portenos are always dressed in style. While many of the women tend to dress nicely, you will often seen guys in nice restaurants in worn jeans and scruffy shirts - moreso than in equivalent restaurants in SF.
John