A woman faced dress code issues in Italy when she was asked to cover up for showing "offensive" skin while attempting to enter a famous church in Milan, highlighting differing dress codes at religious sites.
Fashion designer Ariana Olivia Bolaños took to her TikTok page in 2021 to document how she was dress-coded for an outfit that showed an inappropriate amount of skin while she attempted to enter the religious establishment.
In the video, which has amassed 195,200 views after resurfacing this week and turned viral again, Ariana showcased her full outfit as she stood outside the historic venue.
Fashion designer Ariana Olivia Bolaños was dress-coded in Italy for showing too much skin at the Milan Duomo
Image credits: aoliviab
The fashionista sported white tennis shoes and denim shorts that came to about mid-thigh. She captioned the clip with the following subtitle: "When I got dress-coded at the Milan Duomo because my knees are showing."
Ariana tried to hide her body with a modest white slightly see-through cover-up that barely covered her frame.
Her clip sparked divided reactions regarding tourist etiquette whilst visiting worshipping establishments, as a person wrote on social media: “I’ve been to many places where I have embraced the culture and abided by the rules.”
Another person commented: “We visited a Catholic Church in Poland last year, and we weren’t allowed inside, due to the fact I was wearing shorts. I wasn’t offended.”
Ariana documented the incident on TikTok, showcasing her outfit with white tennis shoes and mid-thigh denim shorts
Image credits: aoliviab
A separate individual penned: “My friend and I went into a mosque in Singapore and we had to cover our heads and take our shoes off which we did and we’re glad we did. It was beautiful inside.”
An additional commentator remarked: “When I went to Italy and Switzerland, then later France and Germany, with music academy in my teen years, Catholic Churches made up most of the venues that were performed at on those tours.
“We were explicitly told to cover up our arms (or shoulders at the very least) when in the buildings - so if we were wearing vest tops or bandeau tops we had to put a cardigan or hoodie over them!”
Another social media user chimed in: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” springs to mind.”
Ariana tried to hide her body with a modest, slightly see-through cover-up
Image credits: aoliviab
Vacationers’ behavior has become less welcome in certain countries in Europe, including Italy. As a result, several holiday hotspots have introduced fines in a bid to crack down on inappropriate behavior, Forbes reported.
One of the regulations introduced in Italy was the banning of inappropriate attire in public in the seaside town of Sorrento near the holiday hotspot of the Amalfi Coast. Subsequently, wearing a swimming costume or walking around topless could land you with a fine of up to €500 ($509).
These rules also apply to the rich and famous, as in August 2023, Kanye West was spotted visiting Italy along with his wife Bianca Censori, causing an uproar among locals for wearing extremely revealing outfits.
