Switzerland is a landlocked country, known for its snow-capped Alps, excellent chocolate, and cutting-edge timepieces. This Switzerland packing guide gives you general tips for what to wear in Switzerland on your holiday to ensure you have a great time in this beautiful Alpine nation without incurring extra costs to purchase items you left behind. It emphasises the need to pack light while ensuring you have all the necessities for your trip. We also explain traditional Swiss dress.
Whether you want to go sightseeing, skiing, hiking or sailing, this lovely European nation has something for everyone. Let’s figure out what to bring to Switzerland!
What to wear in Switzerland?
The Swiss find black and darker-coloured materials attractive. It’s a good idea to keep a few elegant outfits on hand if you decide to go out to dinner or a performance. Comfortable walking shoes, such as ankle boots, are a must when you want to take long walks to explore the cities and smaller towns of Switzerland. Always travel with high-quality clothing to avoid spending money in a new country that may cost you an arm and a leg.
How do people dress in Switzerland?
Switzerland may not be the world’s fashion centre, but you can keep to European dress while travelling Switzerland. Even whether you’re spending days on the slopes or climbing from one beautiful mountain to the next, Swiss fashion isn’t all ski trousers and hiking boots.
During the summer months, the weather is hot and humid. The Swiss have hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Switzerland is known for the Alps and high-altitude cities and towns. it is best to wear layers while exploring Switzerland as the weather may change between destinations – even during the same day! Choose a base layer and add additional items to cater to cooler temperatures. On hotter days in the Swiss summer, you can simply remove some layers when you warm up.
What are the average temperatures in Switzerland?
The weather is mild, with no extreme heat, cold, or humidity. The daily temperature ranges from 18 to 28 °C (65° – 82° F) from July to August, and -2 to 7 °C (28° – 45° F) from January to February. In spring and autumn, the daily temperature ranges from 8 to 15 °C (46° – 59° F). The temperature in the mountains grows colder at high altitudes.
What are the seasons in Switzerland?
The time of year you visit Switzerland will influence what you wear in Switzerland. Switzerland has four distinct seasons:
- Winter (mid-December to mid-March)
- Spring (mid-March to mid-June)
- Summer (mid-June to mid-September)
- Fall (late September to mid-November) (mid-September to mid-December)
Switzerland’s weather changes widely depending on location and height. Switzerland has a somewhat continental climate, with cold and dismal winters (average January temperature around freezing), pleasant summers, and chilly evenings.
Do people wear darker colours in Switzerland?
In large cities like Geneva and Zurich, it’s nearly impossible to overdress. If you’re going to one of these major cities, pack at least one or two smart casual outfits. Like in so many other locations throughout the world: “when in doubt, wear black.”
Do people wear bright colours in Switzerland?
The Swiss people love clean and simple ensembles. Don’t wear too many accessories and styled layers. If you layer, layer for comfort and not for appearances. People in Switzerland like to dress in dark hues like black, grey, and brown. Ladies may choose to wear a beautiful maxi dress during the warmer summer days.
What are the best things to wear in Switzerland’s alpine areas?
If you want to spend time in the Swiss alps, such as the mountains in the Jungfrau area or Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, it is best to bring layered clothing, such as T-shirts, lightweight and thicker long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and a coat. When taking part in alpine sports, neon colours work best just in case of an emergency. Bright neon colours allow for search and rescue patrols to spot you out amongst the snow. Make sure you take a few pairs of warm socks and good walking boots to hike the beautiful mountains of this alpine nation.
If you plan on skiing or taking part in winter sports, definitely get ski gear and clothing to avoid freezing in the cold temperatures and getting sick. A small backpack may be useful to keep a reusable water bottle and other necessities when you hike the mountain areas.
Will I need a rain jacket in Switzerland?
The Swiss weather, especially in the mountains, can be slightly unpredictable. This is especially true in the summer, spring, or fall. Spring is the rainiest season. It is best to carry a sturdy rain jacket that will keep you warm in the wind and dry in the rain. During the rainy season, wear waterproof boots to keep your feet dry at all times.
Will I need a lightweight jacket in Switzerland?
In Switzerland, the hottest months are also the wettest. You can expect rain 9-11 days a month in the summer and fall, especially in cities. As a result, a lightweight, packable waterproof jacket with a hood is a must-have. A waterproof jacket can also help against the chilly winds in the mountains. These canvas jackets will be excellent, regardless of the Switzerland weather!
Traditional Swiss clothing
Here you can learn about the national costume of Switzerland for men, women and children.
Traditional Costume of Switzerland for Swiss Women
Switzerland’s traditional women’s costume is quite similar to today’s “dirndl,” essentially a voluminous skirt and a tight sleeveless blouse – typically white. They complete the rest of the ensemble with colourful decorations and accessories, such as stockings, buckled black slip-on shoes, and a headpiece or hat. Women frequently wore aprons around their waists while working to preserve their garments.
With the traditional female costume, the colour of the clothes is the most important consideration. They prefer to wear vivid colours, and the colour of their outfit reflects their cantons or regions of Switzerland, marital status, and so forth. Women in the Obwalden canton dress in white, while women in the Zurich canton dress in blue.
Even the jewellery varies by canton and can determine marital status. Married ladies wear white bonnets and gold jewellery in Obwalden, whereas unmarried women wear silver.
Traditional Dress of Switzerland for Men
In the Alpine area, Swiss men typically wear lederhosen, traditional leather shorts, typically knee-length with suspenders, frequently made of leather. Lederhosen is flexible and durable, and it also aids in mountain climbing and hiking. Swiss men also wear short-sleeved shirts (often white), woollen medium knee socks, and black slip-on shoes. In addition, they wear a short-brimmed felt hat in the winter and a wide-brimmed straw hat in the summer.
Traditional Dress of Switzerland for Children
Traditional Swiss attire for children is essentially a tiny replica of the costumes worn by adults, with colour variances reflecting the wearer’s gender. Boys favour darker hues like black, blue, and grey, whereas girls choose red and white.
Traditional Clothing for Swiss Festivals
Nowadays, the Swiss wear western-style attire, but for traditional events, they still wear the traditional Swiss clothing their forefathers wore at parades and festivals. The cattle herders of Gruyere, an outlying region of Switzerland, wear a short red canvas jacket over a half-sleeved shirt and black pants to most festivals. They dressed the ladies in silk aprons, long-sleeved coats, and straw hats with ribbons dangling from the brim. Gruyere is also well-known for producing delectable Swiss cheese. Gold lace hats in St. Gallen and skirts with gold and silver decorations in Unterwalden are examples of traditional women’s apparel. The guy wears a short leather outfit known as lederhosen in the Swiss Alpine region. Slip-on leather shoes are popular among both men and women.
Elements of the traditional Swiss Clothing
Here are some of the typical elements of traditional Swiss clothing:
Traditional Embroidery
Traditional needlework is often used to embellish traditional clothes in Switzerland. They teach Swiss females sewing from a young age to allow them to become experts at sewing hats, scarves, and shirt cuffs. Embroidery is used to embellish fabric, and they frequently stitch the flowers seen in the Swiss Alps on clothes. They embellish most traditional Swiss apparel with needlework. They typically do embroidery on caps, scarves, and shirt cuffs and embellish fabric with embroidery.
Tights
The Swiss used to wear tights that were either knitted themselves or bought in stores. Hand-knitted tights (selbsgestrickten) are designed specifically for newborns. Until roughly 1960, Swiss boys wore only dark-coloured tights. They produced tights in a variety of colourful colours around 1970, and children wore vividly coloured tights. Most guys, however, continue to wear darker hues such as black, grey, and blue, whereas girls favour red and white.
Smocks
Smocks are another classic Swiss costume worn by Swiss-Italians and Swiss-French children. They mainly used smocks as school uniforms. They also used the smock in parades, joyful events, work, and many other places!