Dress Code For Women Visiting The Pope

Yes the pope has a dress code even presidents and royals must follow black lace is customary when visiting the vatican but who gets to wear white lace.

Dress code for women visiting the pope. Le privilège du blanc is a french term meaning the privilege of white used for a catholic custom whereby certain designated royal women are permitted to wear a white dress and veil during audiences with the pope. Although pope francis has not enforced dress code rules for women at private vatican audiences as strictly as his predecessors did both women kept to old school protocol. Women can wear trousers capri pants and skirts and dresses are permitted however they cannot be shorter than knee length and shoulders must be covered.

The vatican s dress code means women and men both need to cover their knees either with a long dress or pants as well as covering their arms. Blouses or shirt that cover the shoulder skip the spaghetti straps and be sure to wear a shirt with sleeves when you are visiting vatican city. If you are visiting st.

For both ladies and gents you may not wear shorts showing your knees and you may not wear t shirts showing your shoulders. When you meet the pope during general audience at st peters square or vatican auditorium. Even if you are not catholic and even if you are not christian you are in a holy place and it s important to follow the few amount of rules they have in the vatican dress code.

There are no other restrictions including shoe wear. This traditional rule holds that most women wear long black dresses with sleeves and mantillas and only a very select handful of women around seven total enjoy an exception. Those who have been permitted to wear white include the queens of belgium italy and spain the grand duchess of luxembourg the princess of monaco and the princesses of the house of savoy.

The vatican dress code. When visiting the vatican it s important to remember to show respect. This is an exception to the tradition of women wearing black on such occasions.

We are pleased to make this available on the internet for the first time in english as the opening salvo for our jubilee year of exclusion judgment. Rules about clothes when visiting the vatican apply to clothes both women and men are prohibited to wear including mini skirts shorts above the knee sleeveless tops lowcut clothing and hats. In very hot weather a shawl or large scarf pashmina can be draped around the shoulders for visiting the sites.