Good morning, everybody.

Our trip to Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands is just about 6 weeks away--June 21-July 4.

I know what I'm going to wear (I mean, do baseball caps, tshirts with Canadian flags, cargo pants, and Keds ever go out of style?), but Mrs. Fly has tasked me to find out what the appropriately-dressed female tourist who has just celebrated the 21st anniversery of her 39th birthday might wear to visit such destinations a: Luxembourg City and Vianden in Luxembourg; Belgium: Bruges, Brussels, Bouillon, Gent; the Netherlands: Delft, Den Haag, Amsterdam, Marken.

She's all set for the days we'll be out hiking in the boondocks, but for city and town days, is this area similar to what women wear in German towns and cities? Is there much difference in daily touring costume between the three countries?

I already told her that the hot pants, boots with 9 inch heels, and halter tops are a no-no outside the bedroom (or I suppose Amsterdam's Red Light district).

Yes, I already searched and got some info--but it was found lacking. I have now done my husbandly duty. Thanks. RTF

RTF:

Many of the city outdoor areas have cobblestone streets, so the 9" heels are definitely impractical.

I've not noticed a whole lot of difference between German city wear and Benelux city wear. Practical shoes for walking, but smart casual outfits so that one will fit in when stopping for a coffee and pastry after a grueling hour or two in the shops.

Once you actually GET there i do hope you'll report back about all the T-shirts and denim trousers the men are wearing..perhaps younger than you are but still.....

Intrepid--I'm noticing that for some reason the number of men who are younger than I am has been increasing over the past few years. I will take special note of European male fashion on this trip.

Our last trip (to Germany) it seemed that New York Yankee baseball caps in any color other than that which the actual baseball team wears were all the rage. That and baggy pants for young men--and super tight hiking shorts and sandals with socks for more mature men on vacation in the countryside.

I don't even want to talk about the number of floppy beer bellies we saw exposed between the bottom of the shirts and the top of the low-riding jeans waistlines on many young women throughout Bavaria.

Delft was warm and sunny today. Spotted were low-riding capri cargo pants with sandals, t-shirts with jeans, a few shorts (!!), lots and lots of casual flouncy skirts with flats, heels, espadrilles, sandals, and zories (does anyone call them zories any more? Here they're called teenslippers, the first syllable of which has nothing to do with your age and everything to do with your toes)). Jeans jackets, cotton sweaters, linen slacks with v-necked short & long-sleeved shirts...the only thing NOT seen a classic dress with stockings. Must have been out there somewhere, though...

In Lux City, we always feel out of place because everyone looks so chic. Lots of jeans, but designer jeans. Very well off city, and it is reflected by what the clothes. That being said, my mom, who lives there, and my wife dress the same whether here of there.

>floppy beer bellies we saw exposed between the bottom of the shirts and the top of the low-riding jeans waistlines on many young women throughout Bavaria.
Yummy and poetic. Wish I was that young again.

As the private secretary to a Fodor's fashion maven, I have been prompted to write the following:

Jumpsuits, in magenta or powder puff pink, are all the rage in Antwerp right now. (Designed by Antwerp's top designer, Joppi Tippitalati.)

Think clogs, sweetheart. Clogs are very much in vogue for prancing and preening along the boulevards of Brugge. (They are also practical if one accidentally falls into a canal; being easily removable, they can function as floatation devices.) Lime green clogs would look so desperate with a magenta jumpsuit!

BLUE JEWELRY. Yes, that's right--blue jewelry. Bangles, teardrop earrings, tiaras, mood rings (you'd have to stay "blue," of course), and ankle bracelets in beautiful sky-blue plastic will set you apart from the other Luddites of Luxembourg.

Last but not least: sparkle evening bags embossed with the now-defunct SABINA AIRLINES logo.

Your wife will be the center of attention if she follows the fashion advice of a well-known (and recently banned) fashion victim....I mean expert.

Handmaiden of T---

In Brussels today, it was HOT. People were dressed in sleeveless tops, capri pants, sundresses, whatever kept them cool.
This has been my first really warm day in Brussels this year and as I sat at a sidewalk cafe, I noted the Belgians (women, anyway) seemed chunkier than I remember from last year. I wonder if the long cold winter kept everyone inside, relaxing, cooking and eating?
Handmaiden is right about the blue jewelry. I did see a lot of it in some of store windows. But not on women walking around. Maybe they're "weighting" to lose those extra winter kilos before picking up a piece as a reward.

By the way, if your plans have you in Brussels on July 4, you should definitely try to attend Ommegang:

http://www.ommegang.be/uk/index_uk.html

sorry, or just http://www.ommegang.be/ to see some of the pictures.

On a serious note, we needed rain gear when we visited Benelux last July/August. It rained almost everyday. We planned on warm, sunny weather and ended up being cold and wet most of the trip. Hope the weather is better for you but you may want to be prepared. Barb