traveljunkie28

We just came back from our one month holiday in Europe. travelling through Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France.

We spent the most time in Italy and France. The one accessory I would bring is a scarf. Almost every woman wore one. But remember this is early spring so this will differ for summer. Boots were all the rage worn with tights or skinny jeans. Boots ranging from knee high to ankle.Four inch heels to flats. Dark colours worn with a beige, brown or black trench coat. Designer sunglasses and purses were worn by all ages of women. Men were very nicely dressed with dark jean or dress pants but that was mainly the older generation. Teens were dressed just as they do here in Canada. We saw a few teens baring there tummies in Venice and it looked so inapproiate. So, leave that trend for summer back home. The only people that really stuck out were older tourists possibly American or Canadian wearing colourful capris with old looking shoes. We were even mistaken for locals in Italy as we dressed well everywhere we went. Hope that helps you fashionista's worrying about what to wear.

francophilenoob

Thanks for the tips. We went to Paris last year worried about what shoes to wear. I had trouble convincing DH not to wear his "white sneakers" and shorts. He eventually opted to leave them at home.

I wasn't too concerned with what clothes to bring with me as I was with what type of shoes to wear as I have flat feet and suffer from plantar faciitis a running injury. I brought mostly conservative styles; Ann Taylor casual clothes and a pair of supposedly comfortable yet "fashionable" skechers. Well, those Skechers weren't as comfy as reported by customers in Zappos.com. After 2 hours of walking I developed blisters under both feet. I was sorely disappointed as I have ordered and returned several pairs until I found what felt to be a comfy pair. What a waste of time that was!

We're going back to Paris in June so here I am again, trying to find the perfect Paris fashionable yet flat-foot friendly shoes/sandals to take with me. I'm currently looking at a pair of Keene Mary Janes. I forgot the style name. Do you think they won't scream "tourist" when I wear them in the streets of Paris? I'll post a link to it in a bit.

francophilenoob

They're called Keen Carmel

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7292345.html


What do you all think? I'm planning to wear them on our Fat Tire Bike Tour/s as well.

gruezi

Franco-

well, on the flat tire bike tour, your shoes screaming tourist would be redundant

Seriously, I get very sore feet too, and my advice would be to get what feels good. No one really cares what you wear but you.

travel-

I have bought a ton of scarves since we moved to Europe because I really need them here. I use public transportation more, walk more, and deal more with the changing weather. The scarf is a fashion item but more importantly keeps my neck warm and enables me to wear a lighter weight jacket and not have to be buttoned all the way up which is uncomfortable. Also, I wear a lot more black and the scarves brighten things up a bit. They're great for travel since I fold them into a square and fit 4 or 5 into a tiny slim box in my suitcase and then pack mostly brown and black which I dress up or down with a silk or cashmere or cotton scarf.

gruezi

yorkshire

I too have problem feet and absolutely love Keens. In fact I have the Carmel as well as many other models. I can't predict how they will work for you though. The thick rubber sole can rub in different places on different people, and you can't wear socks with that model, except maybe those strange toe socks. A great tip I learned here is to take a footie sock and wrap it around the insert of a keen shoe (not the carmel) because they stick out otherwise. This provides extra cushion and absorption. Keens can be hot inside (again not the carmel), but I still love them. Obviously, haha.

It is important to have worn whatever you shoe buy--a lot--before going. Never break in a shoe on a trip! Pack moleskin too.

I would want something with a harder sole when biking. I wear privos when biking (unless I will also be walking a lot, which Privos are not great for).
I'm shoe obsessed and I always notice Europeans wearing snazzy tennis shoes that don't look like tennis shoes (like the above mentioned privos).

I don't care that much, about looking like a tourist (I think looking up a lot with slack-jawed awe and the camera give that away), but I also do try to be stylish in general. So, I think Keens are cute and if you don't have wide feet, Clarks makes some cute flats. (I am bitter they are not made in wide for me).

Proenza_Preschooler

I was in Greece this summer and some of the WORST DRESSED people I saw were Europeans. There were Germans, French, and Italian tourists on Rhodes that had an absolutely CRIMINAL dress sense.

I am not lying when I write that I saw middle-age Italian men wearing CABANA SETS at dinner.

There were plenty of French women, with eggplant-coloured hair, walking around in black wifebeaters and black jeans (it was about 100F on Rhodes in July).

So, this nonsense about Europeans being better dressed than Americans is UTTER NONSENSE.

Thin,
Fodor's Fashion Maven

hazel1

I also suffer from platar fasciitis, and bought the Keen Sydney II from Zappos for my two week trip to Italy last spring. They were great! I had no problems with them at all - my feet didn't hurt and I was able to walk all day over cobblestones, dusty paths, and rocky shores in them. I did make sure that I'd worn them for a few weeks before we left, however, to make sure that they fit and were comfortable. I also brought a pair of Naot Paris sandals, and they were very comfortable as well. I think both were quite stylish, too.

LilyLace

Finally I find some like - minded fashionistas on FODORS! For years I've had to be careful what I ask as far as clothes are concerned! So many people just simply don't get wanting to dress well. Which is fine as long as they aren't mean to me when I want to (has happened here in the past).

Anyway, scarves are always a good bet for style but also as Gruezi says they really are nice to keep you comfy - especially on trains and walking. I discovered how to properly wear one years ago in Germany and have never went back!

As for shoes, I take a good comfy walking pair for daytime (actually 2 pairs that I switch every other day) and then a nice pair of heels for evenings. I don't mind looking the part of tourist so much while sightseeing but at dinner in the evenings I like to feel at least as well dressed as I do at home.

We were in Greece in March and everyone wore black and the boots/tights deal. I would not say Europeans are better dressed than Americans but I will say that often tourists just look sloppy. Of course I'm a real girly-girl so maybe it's just me.

Thanks for the great fashion report! Going to Switerland & Italy in September and need to plan!

francophilenoob

gruezi, you crack me up!

I am fashion conscious while traveling cause it's fun to dress nicely when at home I live in nothing but t-shirts and jeans (shorts in the summer). I do the same when I go to big cities in the US (San Fran, LA, NYC, etc). Traveling on vacation is one of the few reasons I shop for nice clothes and shoes. I don't like the beach too much, so we go to big metro cities a lot, and for the reason that I live in a sleepy town not many of you probably have heard of.

Anyway, I also love that Parisian women go out of their way to look fashionable, riding their scooters in high heels, and such. Men of mature age (over 30-looking) wear coat jackets and jeans. IT's how I'm able to tell the tourists (not necessarily Americans) and the locals apart.

I don't care either if the locals can tell that I'm a tourist. In fact I think looking like one makes asking for help a bit easier. I found many Parisians to be quite helpful when we asked for directions, etc.

yorkshire

Scarf love:
Four hours of entertainment, see if you can find the Hermes scarf tying instructions online. Go to
http://usa.hermes.com
then scarves under women, then "playtime with your scarf" for 2 pdf files. One does not need use an hermes scarf of course!
Echo has some basic instructions, but the Hermes ones are numerous and fabulous.

dwebb

Just my thoughts!:

Please don't try to dress like Europeans. Trust me, they don't dress like the Europeans you have in your mind. I saw so many funky colors and styles worn by people who I thought should have known better, yet they wore them with grace and class.

If you are wondering what to wear, think cobble-stone sidewalks against your bare feet. Think humidity like it's bottled and sold by the gallon. Think walking in pants made out of a material called sand paper. You're trying to fit in with people, whose body has had the opportunity to adjust to these conditions all their life and you are trying to master this in what...a week, two weeks, etc?

I'll let you in on a little secret...the minute you open your mouth..guess what...TOURIST.

So don't worry about them. You do you and trust me, in some areas, being you ain't so bad.

nametaken

Tevas are very comfy shoes. Go on line to Tevas.com to check the styles. The sizes tend to run true to American sizes. You can either order on line or find a store near you that has them. They have a refund policy if you are not happy.

traveljunkie28

Of course no matter how you dress you're a still a tourist but if you dress as the locals do, the chances of you being seen as a tourist by shady people are less likely. I think that's the one and only reason I wanted to fit in. We were hardly bothered by pushy peddlers or scammers during our trip. No matter how you pack for your trip make sure you are going to be comfortable. Especially when it comes to shoes. The amount of walking you'll do in European cities you'll be thankful you did!

Francophilenob: I noticed that even in Italian cities the bikers were pretty casual so I think you'll be fine.

Dukey

Since the large majority of "locals" you saw were p[robably on their way to and from work it makes perfect sense in terms of how they were dressed.

I'm suprised you didnl;t tell us about the number of young people who were wearing some form of athletic shoe.

amsdon

Thin,

What do you typically wear on your feet when traveling? Do you have a favorite shoe? Will you share please?

ams

walkinaround

good grief...more north americans trying to teach other north americans how europeans dress. these posts are always good for a laugh. imagine being a fly on the wall listening to europeans trying to teach other europeans how to dress like canadians after spending a few weeks in canada. priceless comedy...thank you.

logos999

Well,... since last year I dress 100% "american style", which means all the clothes I wear every day are made in China (yuck ;-) ) but have been sold for not so much money in the USA. Guess what..., actually nobody cares, I need to go back and buy some more! However, I would never wear those trainers americans (and youngsters too) often wear in the street. Fortunately, they even sell "ordinary" shoes in the US. Just dress any way you like, NOBODY cares.

Ronda

For those of us with feet problems, shoes are a real issue. I have worn my asics with Superfeet to Paris to walk simply because I would pay a very painful price to do otherwise. And guess what, on the train to Versailles I saw plenty of French speaking people wearing athletic shoes.

I did find a pair of Finn sandals in tan (marble) two years ago which I wore to Provence. They were very $200 and I wore them out in one year. I saw them in Germany for slightly less. Since then I have graduated to orthotics. Shoes that can accommodate orthodics are not very fashionable and look like they are made for old ladies.

This year I did find that Naturalizer has come out with many different shoes that can accommodate orthotics. Ask someone in the store for assistance. Take a look at Detail (shown only in black but comes in many colors) and Moyer. www.naturalizer.com I found the open heels accommodate my orthotics better. The Detail shoe does not have a lot of structure and would not be good for walking around all day.

I also went to the Good Feet Store and bought a pair of clear lightweight orthotics for high heels that velcro into your shoe. They work great for a couple of hours. They say for support not correction. They fit you at the store. I also have a pair of their heavier duty ones but they don't fit as good as my custom orthotics. I need to take them back and have them adjusted. I did that once before - they heat them up and take some of the arch out.

llamalady

Last year I wore the Carmel on my trip - v. comfortable. This year
I'm taking the Calistoga b/c the soles are thicker.

I think as long as you don't have
big feel no one will notice what
you have on - unless you are wearing
shoes that cause you to limp. I
know whereof I speak unfortunately.

noe847

LOL, Thin. My girls and I call that eggplant colored hair "Euro-Red".