amberkat

We leave for France(Loire Valley and Paris) in less than two weeks. Although it is springtime where I live, it seems that the temperatures in France necessitate winter clothing. I will probably bring several pairs of black pants, various tops and an all weater coat. Do Parisians began wearing spring colors at Easter? Would a winter sweater be out of place? My husband will probably bring mostly Khaki pants and button down shirts. Will it be obvious that we are Americans?

nytraveler

No matter what you wear it will be obvious that you are american. (Most American clothes and especially shoes are recognizable to any european who's bothering to think about it - just like you can tell european tourists in the US by their clothes.) I think your goal is to be seen as well-dressed americans - rather than badly dressed ones.

Am not sure where you're from - but Paris/Loire in the spring should be at least as warm as it is here (New York) - where you don;t need winter clothing in April. I think a raincoat and a couple of sweaters would be sufficient. Black is good for you - khakis are probably more American than French - but no one will think anything of it.

SUNSHINE1223

I just came back and it was high 40's low 50's this past week with some wind and rain. I would have a lightweight jacket and always bring a scarf. Parisians always wear a scarf. I also wore black pants so that way I always looked dressed.

Have a great time, I am envious

gracejoan

It is always good to take layered clothing.

You should also look at the weather forecasts..they will give you the expected temperatures for most of your trip......

Underhill

The French, like many Europeans, seldom wear spring colors. You will see a lot of earth tones and much black, enlivened with a colored scarf in Paris especially.

m_kingdom

Get over yourself dear, you're an American, will always be an American so lose the status anxiety which you so neurotically attach to it. Wear whatever you wish, not one person will so much as glance at you, you're a nobody, as is every other tourist.

It's Parisiennes too dear, and in answer to your question, you will scream "American" a miles off.

Iregeo

amberkat, since you are a relatively infrequent poster, I'd like to caution you not to take offense to the above post by m kingdom. "It" is the resident a*# here on the forum, and no one pays any attention to it. Have a nice trip.

amberkat

Thanks for the suggestions. I live in south Louisiana(my ancestors all hail from France)and the highs have been in the low 70's here. Just because we have warm weather in the fall, we would not wear summer looking clothes(white sandals, etc.)in October. We would also not wear "winter" clothing in April. I wouldn't want to commit such a fashion faux pas in the capital city of fashion!

I would rather not wear clothing that screams "I am from America"; but if someone can tell where I'm from, so be it.

I just hope that I don't run into many people like m_kingdom. The people of French heritage in south Louisiana are warm and friendly.

CarolA

My personal theory is that you are very unlikely to meet m_kingdom. They probably don't let her out often.

I went last May to Paris and it was cool, I wore Black most of the time. I felt like I did not stick out like a sore thumb, but I know everyone knew I was not a Frenchwoman.

Huitres

While spring collections are displayed in the windows of Samartaine, Paris is still quite cold now, essentially still very much winter. I just returned from France 2 weeks ago after experiencing daily temps in the 30s-low 40s F. I brought along a warm scarf, leather gloves, and leather coat. I wore black pants all the time, and a pair of Eddie Bauer silk longjohns underneath that kept me warm and cozy, without making my pants look bulky. I wore a black or dark purple sweater with them. Your winter sweater would be fine. I think khakis are too light of a fabric for cold weather, but if your husband is ok with that, than go for it. Perhaps a black denim (vs. the typical light blue jean) would provide better warmth while walking around, and still be ok to go out to dinner in without looking sloppy or casual. Just don't forget the coats and bundle up!

kismetchimera

My sister lives in Provence, she just came back from Paris last week..
She told me that it was still cold,the sky was Grey not like the sunshine of Provence and very very damp....

Bring a jacket, small foldable umbrella,
sweaters and dress in layers..in case the weather change..which in Paris is quite often..

Enjoy paris,
ciao,

StCirq

I'm leaving for France tomorrow. I checked the France météo site tonight, and see that it will be about 60 F tomorrow. In May it will be even warmer, probably 65 or higher during the day, but chilly again at night in a typical year.
Yes, bring a sweater. Dress in layers. It is not at all true that you will necessarily be instantly taken for an American - hardly anyone ever knows I'm American. I am always taken for a Swiss, for example, sometimes a Belgian. That's a silly myth. If you avoid the obvious American give-aways like white jogging shoes and baseball caps and t-shirts with American slogans or team names on them, there is no way Parisians will know where you come from. It is, after all, a large cosmopolitan city with its share of tourists from all over the world.

Yes,Parisians begin wearing spring colors around Easter, and you will see this year's popular ones in all the shop windows. I can't wait to see what they are this year, as I'm tiring of orange and lime green

CarolA

Well, St.Cirq you have more style then I do.
And of course as soon as I open my mouth everyone knows I am American. I speak French with an East Tennessee accent. I am sure it sounds HORRID to the French, but I do try!

kismetchimera

Carol, how about learning French signs Language?
Nobody will know where you come from...

Just kidding..could not help it....

StCirq

Well, CarolA, I am just very, very lucky to have been brought up bilingual with a father who was a Romance language professor. What can I say? Sometimes you land in the right family.

But I don't know where you get the notion that I have more style than you do. I'm no fashionista. I have posted mock posts to make fun of other people's sense of style, but I myself am pretty straightforward when it comes to style. I'll be sporting jeans and t-shirts and work boots when I'm at my house in the Dordogne next week. When I go to Provence to take a small tour group around I'll probably upgrade to a pair of nice black jeans, black boots, a long-sleeved knit shirt and windbreaker in case we have to deal with the Mistral. And when I get back to Paris on Easter, I have a mid-length A-cut black skirt, a flower-print knit top with orange/green/blue tones, a black knit button-down sweater, black tights, and a pair of comfortable black pumps that have seen plenty of cobblestones. I am above all practical. And most of the time my type of travel - if you have read my trip reports - is the jeans and boots type, the be ready to check out anything type. Not the sling-back heel type.

I am a bit fashion-conscious these days, having lost 20 lbs recently on the South Beach Diet. So I will readily confess to being interested in clothes and fashion for the first time in a long time - 15 years. It's amazing to be skinny again after two pregnancies and years of snarfing carbs. Packing for this current trip was more of a challenge than usual because I am all of a sudden so tiny, but I managed. And I am SO going to have a baguette sandwich the minute I arrive at the Gare de Montparnasse and miss my train to Périgueux!!! Bring on the carbs!

marcy_

StCirq-
Congratulations on your weight loss! I'm inspired!
24 days on my countdown to Spain-- hmmm... do you think I could drop about a pound a day?! (I wish!)

CarolA

Actually I meant to poke fun at myself.

I figure the best I can try to do is not be the "ugly American". I try to dress in an respectful manner and act polite.

I try to learn a little of the language. That said my Spanish is better then my French. (So probably what my French sounds like is French with a Spanish accent, since when faced with a challange in a foreign country I sometimes lapse into Spanish! LOL!)

I think attitude is everything and I really try to be open minded and to treat everyone I meet well. 99.9% of my travel experiences are great so it must work.

One of my favorite experiences occured in Spain. The man kept telling me to go to a certain spot on the map and we could not communciate well enough for me to figure out why. It turned out to be a great Roman ruin (and I really like Roman ruins). I just trusted him and went where he drew on the map. (I did wonder if I was walking to a mugging, you had to go thru a slum to get there).