Go to
http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/
and scroll down to the picture of May 25, 'Power of posture, Milano'. That must be my favorite summer look.
Just like what Flounder describes above.

I wonder how many DRESSES you can pack in one little rollaboard

That sounds easy enough. What about the men (young and middle age)? What was the temperature that week? Sounds like you had a great trip!

You can pack lots of dresses in a carry-on. They are only one piece. They are always my choice in summer.

Who cares what the men wear? They always wear the same old things, whatever they are.

Thank you! We leave Friday and I just threw another dress on the bed! I did put away two skirts in favor of capris, though. I would like to know what men are wearing also.

Men are wearing trousers or dark jeans. Not shorts. You don't see as many cargo pants or khakis/chinos.

I highly doubt that there were few people wearing jeans in Paris.

People see what they want to see.

Paris is a big working city. What you see people wearing during business hours Monday thru Friday is going to be very different from what you see people wearing at night and on the weekends.

Do you think Parisian women wear dresses when they go on holiday?

Why should you?

Why would you put on a dress to go stand in line at the Eiffel Tower?

If you like to wear a dress, great! Good for you. But, I don't think you should be telling people that they will look OUT OF PLACE if they wear jeans or shorts in Paris.

Thin

You won't look out of place in anything you wear. There are a gazillion people there wearing everything imaginable. Just sit one afternoon and try to pick out who is from where. Once they speak, you almost will always be surprised! I used to think I could tell by baseball caps---not any more.

"Why would you put on a dress to go stand in line at the Eiffel Tower?"

A dress does not have to be designed by Dior.

http://www.revolveclothing.com/b/Brands.jsp?c=Dresses+-+Casual&s=C

"Why would you put on a dress to go stand in line at the Eiffel Tower?"

A dress does not have to be designed by Dior.

http://www.revolveclothing.com/b/Brands.jsp?c=Dresses+-+Casual&s=C

#
Dukey on Jun 7, 10 at 7:15am

I wonder how many DRESSES you can pack in one little rollaboard"

Just enough... unless you travel like SJP in "Sex and the City."
Dresses are often made of non-iron fabrics , much lighter than jeans , easy to wash and " dress up" for the evening.
If you take a look at the above, you'll get the idea.
(sorry about double posting).

Why is "putting on a dress" such a big deal? I wear dresses all the time. I wouldn't think twice about putting on a dress to stand in line at the Eiffel Tower or anywhere else. Dresses are lightweight, cool, and pretty. And if you suddenly decide you want to have a fancy lunch in a hip café, or stop in the Ritz for a drink, you're dressed for it.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing a dress.

If you re-read my post, you will see that I wrote that it is "great."

However, I don't think the OP should state that she did not see jeans or shorts in Paris.

Maybe she did not see them, but tens of thousands of Parisians wear jeans.

You will see lots and lots of people wearing shorts on hot summer weekends in Paris.

I work in Center City Philadelphia, a short walk away from Rittenhouse Square. If I go out on my break for a takeaway coffee, I see tourists in many of the cafes.

You will overhear conversations that start out like, "Everyone is so dressed up and we are wearing hoodies."

I will usually butt in and state, "Yes, but you are on holiday, most of us are working. If it was my day off, I would be wearing jeans and a t-shirt, too."

I don't think that people should have to go out and buy a new wardrobe just because they read at Fodor's that all the women in Paris wear dresses and don't wear jeans.

And please tell that to Emanuelle Alt.

Thin

Thin,
A direct quote from my original post, "Honestly, we barely saw shorts, jeans skirts or khakis. Dark tight jeans on some but dresses, dresses, dresses overall." So -- obviously I didn't say that I did not see jeans or shorts and of course I wasn't suggesting that someone buy a new wardrobe to go to Paris, many women have and love dresses.

We were in Paris on the weekend and did see more jeans in the 18th and around Canal St. Martin, but as I stated originally, in the main tourist areas we saw many many people wearing dresses.

I lived in the Philadelphia area for twenty odd years and still visit often and there is a distinct difference between the dress in Philadelphia and in Paris this week.

Also, I didn't state that anyone would feel OUT OF PLACE at all. I was merely passing along current information of the sort that I would like to know when packing for a trip.

>I lived in the Philadelphia area for twenty odd years and still visit often and there is a distinct difference between the dress in Philadelphia and in Paris this week.<

Where did I state that Parisian dress like Philadelphians? It isn't there.

I stated that there is a huge difference in dressing for WORK and dressing for doing tourist-y things.

PS
I was just in Paris.

My grandparents kept an apartment on Avenue Kleber for 30 years.

My friend works for French Vogue in Paris.

I read Tommy Ton, Tavi, Street Peeper daily.

Thin

Danon, I LOVE the Central Park West Baja dress, but are you really going to wear that on the Bateaux Mouches?

Thin

I haven't been in Paris for a year, but I agree there are always loads of people wearing jeans.Whether or not they are Parisians, I don't know, but I suspect many of them are - just look at kerouac's photos. Not so sure about shorts. I wish half the people wearing shorts here around Dupont Circle wouldn't, though.

I've been in Paris almost every summer for about twenty years, so I don't think all of a sudden something changed this June -- and yes, tons of people wear jeans in Paris all the time. I spend a lot of time in non-touristy quarters and places, also. working class folks aren't wearing dresses everywhere.

I don't think I've ever seen Alt in a dress.

Here's a compromise on this whole issue of what to wear in Paris and the rest of Europe: Don't overpack and buy some outfits there!

Then, no one can tell you that they don't wear this and that in Paris because you bought it there and it makes for a fun, useful souvenir.

I have to admit that I am one of those who likes to shop for and before a trip. I am trying to minimize this because I want to have a nice shopping budget for when I get there!

Danon, I LOVE the Central Park West Baja dress, but are you really going to wear that on the Bateaux Mouches?

Thin'

Funny !
but seriously, there so many dresses to chose from for every occasion, body shape and budget, I don't know why women don't wear them more often (especially in the summer).
So many women do NOT look good in pants, shorts and various lengths in between.
I have seen a lot of jeans in Paris last spring ... like most big cities, what people wear often depends on the area of the city or/and the time of day (night).
I'll be in Paris July 5-14 ... and paying attention!

o.k
I would not recommend this one for Bateaux Mouches either:

http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=COST-WD2&c=Dresses+-+Casual&s=C&sc=Embellished

<<<Why would you put on a dress to go stand in line at the Eiffel Tower?>>

Why wouldn't you?! (Am I showing my cultural divide?)

If you don't live in a city, you will not have a Zara near by in the US. They are ubiquitous in Europe and I worship at its portal. Absolutely bang on trend, wearable, affordable and high stock turnover so buy it when you see it or its gone.

Its true what is said above though, wear what you like, its your holiday so have fun.

Fashionista on Jun 7, 10 at 4:43pm
<<<Why would you put on a dress to go stand in line at the Eiffel Tower?>>

Why wouldn't you?! (Am I showing my cultural divide?)

If you don't live in a city, you will not have a Zara near by in the US. They are ubiquitous in Europe and I worship at its portal. Absolutely bang on trend, wearable, affordable and high stock turnover so buy it when you see it or its gone."


Worshiping Zara might be a sigh of economic necessity rather than a cultural statement..

No, not economic necessity, the Spanish have just got it right.

I don't like Zara.

I call it "Spanish Gap."

Thin

I haven't been in Paris for almost a year, and we were in the burbs visiting friends. It was cool but everyone was pushing the season and wearing shorts, some longer and leaner but others that aped the Marilyn Monroe style (short with a bit wider leg).

The difficult thing about dresses is finding the right footwear to go with them that's also good for 10 miles of walking.

It's funny Philadelphia should be mentioned, because a couple weeks ago, I was standing at the MegaBus stop near the 30th Avenue station. I was thinking how at that particular spot the city looked like a vision of urban decay (and what I had seen coming in from the airport looked worse), but not so bad as Detroit, of course. Then suddenly along come three women office workers, dressed up and in high heels, a rather rare sight for me to see. (I should add that later I did get to see Philadelphia's historic district, which looks great.)

WillTravel - you are right, it is difficult to find shoes that look nice with dresses but can still withstand miles of walking. Ecco has some gladiator style sandals that might work, some women were wearing ballet flats - I think Geoxx has some, we also saw loafer/driving mocs similar to those offered by J. Crew.

It could have been the near perfect weather - sunny blue skies - that had people wanting to wear dresses.

trickiewoo, thanks for the advice!

Dresses and skirts in that light creased sort of cotton(I'm not sure what that's called -- 'broomstick'?) are incredibly easy to pack, you don't have to worry about creases, can be washed and hung to dry if necessary, and are so cool and comfortable for sightseeing. They look fine with flats so walking is pretty easy.

My daughter just picked up 3 dresses for our trip to Rome. Since she has to have her knees covered for visits to Vatican and other Churches, she chose the long dresses over capris or long shorts or long skirts. I bought her some really cute UGG Gladiator sandals which should work with all the dresses.

http://www.uggaustralia.com/womens-sechura.shtml

She has worn these shoes quite a bit all ready and says they are very comfortable.

Just got back from New York and I packed a dress as well- from Loft - cheap, lightweight, packed great, MUCH cooler than my capris. And they looked great with the flat Naot black sandals that in which yes, I did walk miles and miles. My daughter and I both bring dresses & skirts for summer Europe travel. We can pack SEVERAL in our carryon as again, they are so very light. I think this was a great post for the people who DO ask "what to wear". It is more helpful than "wear anything". If I wanted that answer, I'd ask my husband...

It really doesn't take any more room to pack a casual daytime dress than a pair of pants and a top. I always take a couple of skirts and at least one dress (preferably something that can be dressed up with accessories for evening) when I travel.

I did see plenty of jeans in Paris but I don't often take them with me. They're heavy and if you need to wash them, they take forever to dry. At home, I love good jeans, high heeled boots and a great shirt for casual evening wear.

I wear jeans most of my time in France. In Paris I wear A dressier top as most in Paris do.

Flounder ................

any views on what colour flip flops are in for 2010 ?

Peter

AtlTravelr -
We found that our dresses took a lot less room in our suitcase than jeans/pants as well. We also packed a steamer which came in handy, filled it with tap water - plugged it in and wrinkles were gone.

I just moved from the Marais, having lived there for over 3 years, now living in a different part of Paris. Perhaps you had a special week there with all those dresses, but in my experience they do not always wear dresses, usually they wear either jeans, trousers etc. Certainly not a majority of dress wearers.

Oh - sorry, I didn't realize that everyone who posts here already knows each other! I thought that most of us were "complete strangers" offering our opinions on where to go, what to see and do, and even what to wear.

I found flounder's post to be another helpful hint offered by this forum. It addresses a question that is often posted along the lines of "what should I wear". When I ask a question like "where should I stay in Madrid", I am well aware that the responders do not know my travel style but I look at what they suggest and am grateful for suggestions of things I might not have thought of before. When I had a friend (a real friend) tell me she was taking her daughters to Europe, I suggested they bring some skirts along. This was NOT something she had thought about and did tell me later that she was very glad I had suggested it as they proved to be very practical.

The other one who will give a care is you ---when you see your pictures when you return home. My greatest concern is usually to be sure I am not wearing the same clothes that I wore last year, so I can tell the pictures apart!!

The natives may or may not care what we wear, and it doesn't concern me in the least...unless I am going to interact with them in some way other than eye contact. When I need some help I think I am much better off if I don't look like I slept in a dumpster last night.

I don't understand why one would participate in a thread one finds irritating.

I'm biting my tongue here, Thin - have been since half way through the thread. OP simply made an observation of what she saw last week in Paris -- it might make some think about clothes OTHER THAN slacks/jeans that they could take along, if they so choose. You are the one who continues to go on and on about your dislike of the topic -- if it bothers you so much, just stop reading....

"Should we ask if you brush your teeth?"

Been there, done that:
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodorite-lounge/study-on-british-teeth-brushing-habits.cfm

You, not would.

Everytime I see another 'what to wear in Paris' thread, or shoe thread, I try not to look at it. Once again, I gave in, but this one is not bad. Flounder, thank you for your thoughts.

I tend to agree with Thin, you will see almost everything and no one really cares. For confirmation of this, look at Kerouac's 'fashion' threads. (mmm...just now trying (and failing) to imagine K. as a 'fashionista' haha) Personally I love to wear dresses and skirts, but also wear jeans, capris and pants. My absolute favorite is a dress, but WillTravel brought up the bane of my tortured Parisian travel existence...finding comfortable shoes that work with a dress. Have tried and failed, since I walk so much, have foot problems and thus have worn my dresses and skirts with sneakers and didn't look at my feet. oh my god.

Dresses:
There are few places or activities where you couldn't wear a dress.
They are easy to pack and launder.
If your day 'shapes itself' (mine do), you are ready for anything, 'up or down'.

Someone did mention that one might end up on a Bateau Mouche in a dress! Bizarre. And the problem with this is?

I agree that no one really cares. I can't imagine that the Parisians are bothered about whether I wear jeans, shorts or a dress. I see tourists in my city all the time -- I'm happy to see them here and I really don't care at all about how they dress. Let their mothers worry about that. If they think it's appropriate to wear shorts and a tee-shirt to the theatre or the opera, they should be embarassed but I couldn't care less.

but WillTravel brought up the bane of my tortured Parisian travel existence...finding comfortable shoes that work with a dress."

It is easier to find comfortable shoes to go with long(er) dresses or skirts .
Many shoes at Mephisto, Arche and Cole Haan could do the trick. Some funky high sneakers look good with the right skirt .


http://www.arche-shoes.fr/arche-france/segment_essentials.html

Why do people like to give the impression that everyone in a city dresses up all the time? People live in Paris and they dress according to what they are doing on a particular day. Weekdays you see people going to and from work so they are dressed appropriately.

If they are taking the kids to the park on the weekend they aren't going to dress the same as they do when they go to work. It's just not that big of a deal. I've seen people dressed a zillion different ways when I'm in Paris...people in office attire, moms shopping with their daughters on the week end dressed in jeans, the kids in jeans, hoody, and even white trainers at Bon Marche on a Saturday.

I'm glad I've been to Paris a few times because from some of the "what to wear" posts, I'd never go, I'd be afraid I'd be run out of the country on a rail. On my first trip to Paris I wore totally the wrong thing and I can't believe they let me back into the country, not only once, but TWICE!!!! LOL

I did dress differently on subsequent trips, just because I learned to pack differently also. There's a phrase...."you learn by doing".

as to footwear with dresses, surprisingly we saw dresses with boots of all heights - mostly ankle though

I'd never go, I'd be afraid I'd be run out of the country on a rail.

And you would have completely missed the point. I

It's not that people are going to point and mock. The point is that different places have different clothing norms and that if your goal is to give a good impression--which should be the case at your local Wal-Mart and at the Louvre--it helps to understand those norms.

Dresses are so not comfortable for me. I think unless you are very thin. The range of dresses out there just isn't that great for average women. Plus, flats are not the most comfortable to walk in for 10 miles / 10 hours. And my comfy walking shoes would look awful with a dress, not so bad with pants.

>It's not that people are going to point and mock. The point is that different places have different clothing norms and that if your goal is to give a good impression--which should be the case at your local Wal-Mart and at the Louvre--it helps to understand those norms.<

I don't agree with that. And just so you know, Mike, I was born in Europe, in London to be exact. Now I live in the US.

I was just in Rome a few months ago and I can tell you that Roman teenager dress EXACTLY like American teens. Nikes. Hoodies. Levis. Yankees caps. Flip-flops.

We have global branding now. Go to Berlin and see all the kids in Hollister. Gap tees. Lines of young people at Starbucks.

When I was in Thessaloniki, I saw so many young people in board shorts, flip-flops, and polo shirts sipping on frappaccinos at Starbucks. All the guys had diamond studs in their ears. If I didn't know where I was I would have thought I was in Ocean City, Maryland.

Now Paris doesn't have Walmarts. But it does have Monoprix and you will see people shopping there in track suits.

Thin

If you can read French you can find a funny report here: http://fr.voyage.yahoo.com/p-promotions-3312293

Essentially the English are the worse dressed and the French the most unpleasant tourists

Note though it is a European survey about Europeans, so the English may compare well to you Americans

<<The difficult thing about dresses is finding the right footwear to go with them that's also good for 10 miles of walking.>>

That's my problem too. I've tried Arche, Ecco and Mephisto and they just aren't right for my feet. I don't walk for very far in ballerina flats.

I would wear a longish skirt to dinner with sandals, but definitely not for walking miles around the city or going up and down metro stairs. I am more comfortable, and can move better in capris or long linen pants and sturdy (not always pretty) shoes. So, no dresses or skirts in Paris for me and I doubt that anyone cares.

"...I can tell you that Roman teenager dress EXACTLY like American teens."

As do French teens. Everytime someone posts one of those websites with great looking French young people who have a real sense of style, I think 'gee, I could go downstairs to the lobby' (I work at a university) 'and pick out a dozen kids in about a minute who look just as great'. Those websites just don't show the young people who are, like NYCFS's girlfriends, fat and unfortunate looking. They show the best of the lot and you can find the same good style sense in any group of kids anywhere.

<<OP simply made an observation of what she saw last week in Paris -- >>

Not quite:

The OP's title was "What to Wear in Paris -- first hand advice from last week."

Sounds like more than an observation. However, some women may have been happy to hear that dresses seem to be popular attire right now and others bristle at reading "advice" on what to wear, but that's the way of the forum.

I absolutely agree with Thin on this one.

Thin, are we talking about young people or are we talking about adults over 25. I agree completely with you that kids dress a certain way. But because an 18 year old wears tiny shorts and bikini top at lunch doesn't mean that a 30 year old should.

Sorry, NYCFS: When I was laughing at GTG's joke, I did not think in terms of how it may have been in reference to your friends, I just thought "unfortunate looking" was in general a funny euphemism. (I'll, um, just step aside now.)

The people you see are on the way or returning from work. Once home they change into something more casual

I am not at all thin but I think I look and feel best in dresses. I have recently discovered shoes by Aravon, a branch of New Balence . They are comfortable and I think beautiful.

Everything you wanted to know

http://www.focusonstyle.com/In-Focus/Fashion/frenchchic

Oh dear...well, lest you think I'm being mean about NYCFS's friends, let me point out that I don't know any of them. I've never seen any of them. I was referring to her (now missing) post where she said that she told all her fat girlfriends (her term, not mine) that they'd better not go to France.

It was the post shortly after the one where she called the women on this thread 'heffers' (her spelling, not mine).

gtg, here's another food snob but a nice one who lives in London

http://foodsnobblog.wordpress.com/about/

Fabulous, cigale, thanks so much -- I'm dragging it into the London folder! You're a doll!

J n'sais pas.... I see a lot of wife beaters in Paris these days. And depending on what's inside them, that's not necessarily a bad thing.



"I was just in Rome a few months ago and I can tell you that Roman teenager dress EXACTLY like American teens. Nikes. Hoodies. Levis. Yankees caps. Flip-flops. "

Oh yeah. America's greatest export? Ed Hardy.....blech!

It's everywhere. And so are muffin tops.

I was in Paris in May and outside of people with obvious white-collar jobs, I did not find the average French person to dress with extraordinarily well. I did notice how well they smelled. I agree that many young people dress as young people in the States do, casually and in jeans. I did see scarves but frankly when I'm warm the last thing I'll wear is a scarf.

Because I walk so much while traveling, I do not choose my footwear for its style but more for its comfort over long hours of use. Unfortuately that meant black New Balance walking shoes with inserts and a pair of canvas Rykas.

People like to talk and read about what to wear, it's a frequent question asked. It's another type of information to gather while planning - like restaurants and sites to visit. Just as each person's sense of style is different, so are food preferences and activity preferences.

Some people like to read other's observations, which are - of course - seen through the lens of the poster. In my case, seen through the lens of a less frequent traveler who noticed many dresses worn during a beautiful sunny week in Paris. Those of you who travel more often or live in cities see things through your own lenses.

I would think by now those who do not like to read about what to wear in Paris would simply stop reading posts labelled as such and leave them to the folks who enjoy reading them.

Also, what may seem like humor or clever wit often comes across online as bitter and unnecessarily angry - considering the topic is fashion.

Same in Italia - just got back. Was very glad I took skirts, tops, and scarves (too hard to find dresses to fit at this point). I don't care too much about looking like an American, but I do care about looking like a sloppy American who's completely unaware of her surroundings.

>IMO, The Wizard of Oz is the greatest travel story of all time. But the story would be nothing without the Wicked Witch of the East. I think Fodor's should be very careful about killing their board's liveliness. There is a dangerous line when boring can kick in and Stepford takes over. Nobody likes the smell of Clorox.<

The Odyssey is the greatest travel story of all time. The Wizard of Oz is based on the Odyssey. All of Western Lit. is based on the writings of the Greeks and Romans.

Thin

"I did see scarves but frankly when I'm warm the last thing I'll wear is a scarf. "

Oh god! The scarf thing...especially with men. This is another French fashion that has gone to the extreme in Paris. It has become the quintessential cover up.

Because (a) no one shaves anymore, (b) no one irons anymore, (c) if I throw a scarf on I immediately become cool. Even though it hasn't been washed all winter and smells like a dead bird. Don't ask me how I know this.

It's over..played out.

Like those awful calf length pant that English guys wear. If you are not 18 years old....don't wear them.

Re shoes, my friend bought a pair of something recommended for walking for her trip to Spain (I think they were Eccos but not sure -- if not, then something similar) and she said that they 'tore up her feet' within the first few days. I don't know what the problem was. I've never tried them. She ended up wearing her own very casual Skechers for the rest of the trip and they were fine.

I walk a lot at home and I never buy uncomfortable shoes. I know I walk more on vacation and maybe it's the cobbled streets in Europe that are more difficult but I've never bought any specific pair of shoes for traveling. My feeling is if your shoes are comfortable at home, they'll probably be equally comfortable wherever you're going. I think the trick, though, is to have more than one pair so you can change walking shoes periodically.

NYCFoodSnob - no new dresses here, I did buy a pair of jeans though