As an Italian, I can confirm some of the above comments: it's not normal to enter a restaurant with a pair of shorts on here, except maybe when you are in a location by the sea that makes it more acceptable, yet labeled as very "American" by us locals. That said, it's also true Italian people tend to be less formal than what foreign picture us abroad, above all Romans!

But you were wearing a regulation navy uniform, weren't you? Did you violate the dress code in this mess deluxe by doing so? Was it allowed as an accepted uniform in a foreign navy?

Um, shorts for what gender? Being a male I only bring light-weight long pants to Italy.

Of course it was a regulation navy uniform (for both US - sort of - and Italians, especially for the Royal Navy[UK]). The claim was made that "shorts" were inappropriate for Dinner in Italy. I simply provied an example of shorts being appropriate. Certainly, were I wearing them to dinner in a Navy mess or wardroom, I would not hesitate to wear them to dinner "in town".

No more so than would I hesitate to wear "dressy" shorts to dinner at an upscale resturant in Taormina, Rapallo/Santa Margarita/Portofino or the Sestre Levante. The place suggests the "uniform".

As they say in Real Estate..."Location, location, location!"

B/c in most large Italian cities at nice civilian restaurants - shorts are inappropriate.

I wore shorts every night to dinner and never had a problem. Granted most restaurants had tourists, but not all. I did not wear t-shirts to dinner.

Shorts at dinner in italy: never ever!

If you are near the beach, shorts ( bermudas !!! ) are quite tolerable for lunch, but even there never for dinner!

I'll make a deal with Italy...........once they start accepting AC and water with ice as standard equipment for all restaurants, I will accept long pants as standard attire while dining in their country.

My wife and I are with you on that one!

In about 20 or so meals out in Italy past july, only once I was asked to wear long pants. It is hard not to wear shorts when it's 30-35 oC outside so I was hardly alone. Casual places with tables both inside and outside are certainly OK with shorts, very formal restaurants are likely to have a problem with them. Even in churches knee-long shorts were OK.

For those who want to look like locals by not wearing shorts - who are you trying to kid? You are tourists and you will look like tourists - shorts or not. My sunglasses were a dead giveaway - guys overthere wear "top gun" "back from the 80s" kind this summer.

OH MY GOD you are so correct. Metrosexuality is a way of life over there........even when you're outside of the big cities. For some reason we were constantly running into large groups of teenagers...........and even when we were hiking the trails of Cinque Terra (+80F and sunny) we'd see them in their designer jeans, leather shoes, fancy sunglasses and an excessive amoung of jewelery.

It was a constant source of amusement for us.

Not all tourists are ignorants. The question is, is it necessary to ignore that it is not normal to do so in italy? I don't think so. And in the churches ten years ago, for example milan duomo, you have to stay out in shorts. Now you can go in.

duplicate post.

As no doubt, you were to them.

On the flip side of that, we came across some girls (not sure where they were from but I think they were German) that stripped down to their bras during a hot spell in May while hiking on the trail. Woohoo! :D