c2

I know people here get tired of answering questions about what to wear. I did try searching but could not find the answer to this specific question:

We will be in Paris in August. We are not planning to eat at any Michelin starred restaurants, but we will be eating at some restaurants, not just cafes. For my husband, would a nice (short-sleeved) shirt and dress pants be ok? In August does he need to bring a jacket/tie?

Thanks in advance.

CafeBatavia

I think a nice (short-sleeved) shirt and dress pants would be okay at most places. However, its easy enough to bring a light jacket and tie. Take them and dress as the mood strikes you when there.

ira

Hi c2,

One of the advantages of bring a jacket and tie is that they can be readily removed, should the occasion warrant.

elaine

imo the shirt and pants will be fine at most places except for the top rungs, if he doesn't want to pack the jacket and tie.

Iregeo

Uh-0h... I smell m kingdom coming!

nytraveler

c2-

You don;t need a jacket and tie in casual restaurants in europe any more than in the US - as long as they really are casual.

Gretchen

I agree with no need for a coat in non-starred restaurants. My husband would be the first to wear a coat ANYwhere. We did dress "appropriately" for our Jules Verne lunch--it just calls for a bit of dress. Generally he wears a sport jacket on the plane so it is not a big deal to have one along. I LOVED the remark about it being easy to take off for the "occasion"!

RonZ

Ira you are priceless...I say here's to warranting occasions!

Underhill

Doing without a coat and tie is okay, but please don't wear a short-sleeved shirt, especially at dinner.

c2

underhill - why no short sleeves? we are talking about august, after all. is it really that inappropriate to wear short sleeves? even when it's 90 degress F?

to clarify, i certainly don't mean sleeveless (i.e. a tank top), just a nice short sleeved dress shirt.

Patrick

No, m_kingdom, you have some catching up to do. While the UK may be the home of our "mother tongue", dress slacks in the US, does not refer to what we would call tuxedo pants. Believe it or not, there are more Americans on this board that there are UK people, and all Americans know what is being talked about it. It's too bad your own knowledge is so limited to your own country that you are unaware of what terms mean in other countries. I happen to have a car with a trunk, but at least I know that it is called a boot in the UK. So if someone asks how big the boot is, I'm intelligent enough to answer the question without saying, "hey, stupid, it's called a trunk". It's too bad you have no knowledge except your own local expressions, and can't accept other variations of the English language. You have some catching up to do.

gracejoan

I agree with the long sleeve shirt for evening dining in any nice restaurant.

c2

Thanks - I guess I'll tell hubby to pack long sleeves for evenings.

Patrick, thanks for the post. M_Kingdom, I am not a a hick. I actually live in a major urban center in the US - an urban center where in the heat of summer, many people wear short sleeve dress shirts to nice restaurants. Of course, since I am relatively well-travelled, I don't expect things to be the same at home when I travel abroad which is of course, why I come to these forums.

marcy_

I've also been surprised to notice that men in Europe don't seem to wear short-sleeved shirts as much as American men. In summer the men roll up their shirt sleeves.

In Rome the last time we were there it seemed that THE casual weekend look was a pressed long-sleeved shirt worn <b>untucked</b> with nicely pressed jeans or other casual pants and very nice leather shoes. Often they would wear a sweater casually draped over the shoulders.
(This was during the day, not to restaurants in the evening)

In the evening, the shirt would be worn tucked into nice pants, but the sleeves might still be rolled up.

Underhill

c2,

At the risk of being severaly chastised, I will say that I think men in short sleeves at a restaurant in the evening just don't look classy.

ira

Hey guys,

No one cares if, in a casual cafe or restaurant, you have sort sleeves or rolled-up long sleeves.

Europeans don't wear short-sleeved shirts because they can't afford them. It's cheaper to wear long-sleeved shirts with the sleeves rolled up.

marcy_

Ira, I'd have to say that a lot of the men I've seen with rolled up sleeves could very easily have afforded short-sleeved shirts. (Some were obviously very wealthy.)

I just think it is the style there, which is a little different than what we're used to in the US-- not right or wrong, just different.

martinewezel

LOL!
Of course European men wear short- sleeved shirts in Summer! Where did you get this wrong information?

GSteed

Again: How you dress will govern your reception and service. A baseball cap worn backwards, a multi-colored tank top, baggy shorts and sneakers may get you into the restaurant but it will also get you the table at the kitchen entrance. Restaurants like to sit well dressed customers in premium locations. In many restaurants the best wait staff will also be assigned them. A summer weight sport coat and matching tie are simply a small investment that should reap major service rewards. Experiment with both style approaches...let us know what happened.

ira

&gt;How you dress will govern your reception and service.&lt;

Definitely not a US thing. Some of our states forbid discrimination on the basis of appearance.