What are people wearing?

Just wondered what people are seeing as clothing choices for during the day on tours? Is the norm jeans/shorts/slacks? What about the evenings for dinner other than the formal nights?

We are going in July and wonder what to expect so we pack appropriately. :)

thanks kim

Last summer we saw everything you mentioned above. There were a couple of days I wished I had worn shorts. We had a couple of warm days, Stockholm, Helsinki and Oslo were the warmest ports. I wore mostly jeans or slacks, and for dinner, resort casual (slacks with blouse). Remember to dress for warm museaums, especially St. Petersburg, but be sure to carry a weather proof jacket. I also kept a small umbrella in my backpack.

mycruz - good info - thanks. What about footware? I love my "white" NB walking shoes but have been told not to wear in Baltic countries especially the port of St Petersburg, Russia. I've read the posts & some say it's ok - others not. So - what is the scoop? What did you see? Were white T-Shoes worn in Baltic ports ... or, is this frown upon? Would black atheletic walking shoes be more appropriate - or maybe a dresser shoe (loafer)? I realize comfort is the key - but .........? Appreciate your input. SeaFish

seafish, what have you read about walking shoes and sneakers in st. petersburg? I was planning on taking my sneakers as walking shoes for the ports of call. I have not read anything about not wearing white shoes in the baltic ports.

bpolan

bpolan - Thanks for the reply. I think wearing athletic walking shoes (sneaker) is probably ok. My question is - are "white" T-Shoes ok - which I have not seen affimred by a majority of other Baltic travelers. Check out CC ... <To Sneaker or Not - That Is My Question>. Also - I was told by a St Petersburg Tour Company that "only within the last two years has it become acceptable to wear soft athletic shoes on the streets for men - before that you just did not see any man in anything less than polished leather shoes & dark slacks". But again - no mention of color. My assumption is white is ok. It's not a big deal - but, we do like to respect the customs of other cultures. If White Shoes are ok for Baltic Ports (St Pete) as you suggest - that's great! Maybe we'll get more info from mycruz, etc. SeaFish

It may be that one concern is the effect of different kinds of materials on museum/palace flooring, or perhaps, even the "squeaking" noises that some shoes make (especially by bored youngsters?). I've read some guide books which suggest that if you are invited to someone's home, you may be expected to take off your shoes.The issues of what's appropriate in houses of worship might involve color--many pictures of older worshipers show nothing but very conservative (read: black) attire.

There is also the possibility that certain clothing makes it more likely you would be targeted by pickpockets, etc.--but I suspect they have lots of other ways to know you aren't "local"!

Your sensitivity to the issue bodes well for your enjoyment of the local cultures.

Happy Cruising

What about clothing on tours of St P? Specifically, we are going to the Hermitage, some churches and palaces. Do I need to wear a skirt? Long sleeves? What about the men?

From the Denrus website:

What to bring with you from the ship:

Our weather can be changeable so a light water repellent shell or jacket is useful.

Wear comfortable clothing. St Petersburg has gotten more causal in recent years so there is no specific dress code. Dressing in light layers can address the differences in weather that might be experienced.

I would think that you just wouldn't wear short shorts or tiny tops.:eek:

10 years ago you stood out like a sore thumb if you wore white shoes anywhere in Europe - Med, Nothern, etc - but I feel all of that has changed dramatically. Since it's become fashionable to wear Puma, Diesel, etc, as acceptable casualwear you can wear a variety of shoes no matter what color and not feel uncomfortable.

mycruz - good info - thanks. What about footware? I love my "white" NB walking shoes but have been told not to wear in Baltic countries especially the port of St Petersburg, Russia. I've read the posts & some say it's ok - others not. So - what is the scoop? What did you see? Were white T-Shoes worn in Baltic ports ... or, is this frown upon? Would black atheletic walking shoes be more appropriate - or maybe a dresser shoe (loafer)? I realize comfort is the key - but .........? Appreciate your input. SeaFish

I think the suggestion of not wearing white athletic shoes in Europe is to help travelers "fit in" and not standing out as tourists. One of the things we have noticed on our travels to Europe is that you can pick American tourists out in a crowd by looking for the white sneakers. It can also be an issue of safety. By blending in a little, you are less likely to be targeted by pick-pockets and scam artists. I found a great pair of brown rockport walking shoes that are comfortable and the color makes me look like less of a tourist. Okay, my camera and map also scream tourist :D but at least they might ignore my daypack and target the guy next to me in the bright white sneakers.:cool:

From the Denrus website:

 

 

What to bring with you from the ship:

Our weather can be changeable so a light water repellent shell or jacket is useful.

Wear comfortable clothing. St Petersburg has gotten more causal in recent years so there is no specific dress code. Dressing in light layers can address the differences in weather that might be experienced.

 

I would think that you just wouldn't wear short shorts or tiny tops.:eek:

Thanks. Believe me, I don't wear short shorts or tiny tops ANYWHERE! (Those days are long gone!) Just wanted to make sure pants/jeans are okay.

Thanks. Believe me, I don't wear short shorts or tiny tops ANYWHERE! (Those days are long gone!) Just wanted to make sure pants/jeans are okay.

Read somewhere, maybe on this board or Cruise Fashions, that in most Scandinavian countries jeans are usually worn only by young people and tourists. Guess jeans worn with white sneakers would be a sure sign. ;)

I wore tennis shoes almost everyday. I don't think there's a whole you can do to not look like a tourist since your on excusions with guides some of the tiime. Besides, most everywhere you visit, there are nothing but tourist. On the couple of occasions I didn't wear tennis shoes, I wish I had. Comfort should rule, you don't have to worry about dress when visiting churches or museums, just use good judgement. Capris, non denim slacks or khaki's in St. Petersburg will be fine even with tennis shoes.

I wore tennis shoes almost everyday. I don't think there's a whole you can do to not look like a tourist since your on excusions with guides some of the tiime. Besides, most everywhere you visit, there are nothing but tourist. On the couple of occasions I didn't wear tennis shoes, I wish I had. Comfort should rule, you don't have to worry about dress when visiting churches or museums, just use good judgement. Capris, non denim slacks or khaki's in St. Petersburg will be fine even with tennis shoes.

I wore WHITE walking NB shoes every day, no one said anything, and there were some europeans that wore white shoes too.

If you have comfortable SANDALS, where those...

I would not wear SHORTS, but perhaps CAPRIs, or light weight pants..

No sleeveless, if you want to go into churches, they want your shoulders covered.

Hope this helps.

Nat

10 years ago you stood out like a sore thumb if you wore white shoes anywhere in Europe - Med, Nothern, etc - but I feel all of that has changed dramatically. Since it's become fashionable to wear Puma, Diesel, etc, as acceptable casualwear you can wear a variety of shoes no matter what color and not feel uncomfortable.

I agree. Just came back from a Baltic Cruise and was quite surprise by how informal people dressed. Many of the locals were wearing jeans, sneakers, sandals, tank tops etc. Plus I noticed that most of the people I saw walking around seemed to be in their teens, 20's and 30's. Places like Oslo, the majority of the people seemed to be under 40 walking around. I wore white NB sneakers on days where their might be tough walking like in Estonia. I also bought a pair of dark brown timberland casual shoes to walk aorund in too which I wore in places like Stockholm. I wore cargo khaki pants often and so did many of the locals. When the weather was in the 80's, I wore khaki cargo shorts and was happy I did. I usually wore Polo shirts too. Also, its tough not to look like a tourist when you are with a guide or looking at a map and taking pictures of everthing.

Enjoy your time...

Kurt

for those of you who have recently returned from the baltics, especially st. petersburg, was there any clothing restriction for churches and palaces? i.e. do you have to have your shoulders covered? or are sleeveless tops ok? How about shorts or capris for women and shorts for men?

bpolan

There are no clothing restrictions published, but I wouldn't wear anything to a European church that I wouldn't wear to my own. Don't treat a church or museum as if it were a beach and you'll be fine.

FWIW, on our recent 9-port tour of the Baltic the worst dressed folks were the German tourists, not the Americans/Canadians! The worst behaved, on the other hand, were the Italians...

I wore my Keens most days. They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn!! Closed Toe sandal, water proof. In that it is ok to walk in water in them. You can go barefoot in them or wear socks. Mine are a taupe and black. Not sexy, but limping isn't very appealing either. Look good with pants or shorts. In St. Pete. try not to have a jacket with you when going into the museums or a large purse. You will have to check them. Just an additional time waster. I wore nice shirts, with black cotton or kakhi pants. I could roll the sleeves up when I felt too warm. Would not have felt comfortable wearing Shorts there. Since we were in so many churches. Of course we were lucky with the weather, not too hot thank goodness. If it was 90, might have worn them.

Jeanine

I wore my Keens most days. They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn!! Closed Toe sandal, water proof. In that it is ok to walk in water in them. You can go barefoot in them or wear socks. Mine are a taupe and black. Not sexy, but limping isn't very appealing either. Look good with pants or shorts. In St. Pete. try not to have a jacket with you when going into the museums or a large purse. You will have to check them. Just an additional time waster. I wore nice shirts, with black cotton or kakhi pants. I could roll the sleeves up when I felt too warm. Would not have felt comfortable wearing Shorts there. Since we were in so many churches. Of course we were lucky with the weather, not too hot thank goodness. If it was 90, might have worn them.

Jeanine

Is is okay to leave your 'things' in the tour bus? Is that safe?

Yes, just keep your passport with you!! And money of course,