I was surprised that Italy was a bit more conservative than I expected. Not as much as SE Asia, but definitely more so than Southern California! Shorts are not allowed in the churches and you should also bring a scarf to cover your arms. Above the knee skirts/dresses are fine as are sleeveless tanks. Spaghetti tanks might be a bit out of place. Also of course being a European country, style is more modern than developing countries. I was happy to have "real" clothes instead of my usual backpacker wear.