Parisiennes do wear sneaker-type shoes (sometimes they even wear white ones), but they do not wear the honking big running or aerobics shoes that are often seen adorning women's feet in North America. They wear sleek retro puma-type or adidas runners. More bourgeois types might wear keds-like sneakers.

I was in Paris last month and the biggest commonality I saw on women of all ages was scarves. In fact, it's the perfect souvenir of Paris, IMO.

As for Paris fashion... very easy to see what the designers are producing by picking up copies of Vogue and looking at runway photographs. You will see people wearing anything and everything - in any city where there are several million residents as well as tourists, it is hard to define one dress code that fits all.

As for scarves, it is practically a fetish for the French, they have far too many words for them in their vocabulary... but you can still tell an American from a Parisian with an Hermes scarf wrapped around themselves!

Why? Do we tie them differently? Or just because we look American in other ways? I have two Hermes scarves and never take them on a trip with me, maybe I should start. I have Hermes envy.

seaurchin
, it's simply confidence. When you buy a scarf, if you ask they will give you a petit book with instructions on how to tie them. You can also download it on their site. Every several months they put out a smaller one just picturing the new collection.

I am afraid I am lacking in scarf confidence. Sometimes I feel like a girlscout in mine. Maybe because that is the only knot I know, not really, but I feel that way, like I should be toasting some smores, ha.

I will download the different ways and hope for flair! thanks.

rosetravels,
"What do Parisian women wear as coats in December/January"?

Quilted coats (though less bulky than the ones I find in US), wool or cashmere coats, and FUR COATS. I don't think you can get away with those long mink coats on London underground before you get stared/insulted by animal right activists... ;-)

seaurchin, I have a few extra if you send me your address.

ParisEscapes - thanks so much for the advice. It's settled - I'll bring my tailored black wool coat and buy scarves when I arrive.

W9London - FUR! Lord knows what would happen to me if I wore that ;)

Hi, C, it is [email protected]

thanks!