Travel/Style

After twenty minutes of walking, we arrived sweating at the Vatican City wearing our standard sleeveless top and jeans combos. We size up the line of the queue to enter the church with disbelief…

When in Rome…” I say, for the millionth time since arriving in Rome.
“Can you get away with saying that in the Vatican?” Bec replies. I choose not to answer

The line crawls for five minutes before we get to a sign. Women aren’t allowed to wear sleeveless tops or skirts above their knees.

Sounds familiar? It’s something you could come across anywhere in the world, be it at a church, temple, shrine, even just venturing through a city. Some places you need to cover up, be it out of respect for the culture, unexpected temperature drop …or just to get people to stop eye balling you.

This is when the scarf comes in. A rectangular piece of lightweight material that you can fit in your handbag will become a travelling essential time and time again. As I waited in that line for over an hour, I saw many a woman – from teenagers to grandmas turned away for showing too much flesh and thanked my lucky stars that I’d figured out the scarf trick.

They don’t take up much space, nor do they weigh much. As long as it’s big enough to cover your shoulders and any cleavage you may or may not be showing, you’ll get away with doing all the touristy things you need when in a city that might not share your fashion sense. A travel accessory must-have.

Pictured: Flirt For ASOS Heart Wrap Scarf £10