What to Wear in Florence

Florence is the historic capital of Italian leatherwork, tailoring and menswear, and locals dress with noticeable polish even for a quick morning espresso at the bar. You do not need formal clothes, but swapping gym shorts and flip-flops for linen shirts, cotton dresses, well-cut trousers and broken-in leather trainers or loafers will help you blend straight in and pass church dress checks without a second thought.

Footwear for pietraforte stone and 463 steps

The pavements of central Florence are laid with massive rectangular slabs of local sandstone (pietraforte). They are hard underfoot, uneven along the kerbs and slick after rain. If you have booked the climb up Brunelleschi's Dome or Giotto's Bell Tower, wear closed shoes with good rubber grip; the final spiral stairs inside the cupola curve steeply against the brick vault.

Cathedral and basilica dress rules

Attendants at the doors of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Cathedral), the Basilica di Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and San Marco strictly turn away visitors with bare shoulders, low-cut tops or shorts and skirts that stop well above the knee. In warm weather, carry a light cotton or linen scarf in your day bag and wear knee-length shorts, culottes or a midi dress on days when churches are on your route.

Season by season

• Spring (March to May): light layers, a tailored blazer or trench coat and a compact umbrella for April showers.
• Summer (June to August): breathable linen or light cotton, sunglasses, a sunhat and a refillable bottle (Florence has cold, filtered drinking fountains, including one right behind the Piazza della Signoria). Bring a light cardigan for strongly air-conditioned galleries such as the Uffizi.
• Autumn (September to November): knitwear, ankle boots and a waterproof jacket for November rain.
• Winter (December to February): a wool coat, scarf, gloves and warm footwear; stone palaces and churches stay chilly inside. Check seasonal weather before you fly.