France--What to Wear
 

We just came back from two weeks in France and found we dressed the nicest we have ever dressed on a trip. A sports coat for a man is a must if you are going to any half way nice restaurants for dinner. During the day time I even wore skirts. Shorts are a definite no as are white tennis shoes. French dress very lovely. Now you can wear shorts if you want, but knowing the French frown down on them, why would you do that. You are a guest in their country and they dress up. Betty

You obviously had a very cloistered experience and failed to see the real France and real French who do not 'dress up' as you imply that all do. There is nearly no difference in what French wear than Americans do - especially for anyone under 50.

White tennis shoes are especially in with teen and 20s women one Fodorite in Paris reported when the school year started.

You may not see many shorts in a cold September but though they may not wear as much as Yanks you will see French wearing shorts if warm enough.

The number of women wearing skirts in Paris is very low - jeans, slacks are much more prevalent.

I desagree with just about everything you say.

I agree with the previous reply... we were
in Paris in July and I didn't notice anything much different from the way people dress in Ottawa. I wore jeans
pretty well every day and never felt out of place.

Rob

I to must reply thta aftre having traveled all over France, both tourists and French wear shorts, sneakers and I never saw a sport coat at any "good" restuarants even in Paris except fro business people. To say thta the French look down on those types of clothing is making totally erroneous assumptions with absolutely no bais in fact unless you yourself are French and know every other French person.

If you saw what French tourists are wearing here in New Delhi, India, you would not think twice about wearing shorts, capris, and big white tennis shoes in Paris... Tourists are supposed to dress casually!

I too disagree with the OP. The only people I saw in Paris "dressed up" were obviously going to or from work. Moms shopping with their daughters over the weekend like moms here....they were all in jeans and comfortable shoes. The kids? Hoodies, sweat shirts, T-shirts, long jeans with the cuffs frayed and dragging on the ground, trainers of all colors, including white. Jeans everywhere.

<i>if you are going to any half way nice restaurants for dinner</i>

OP might consider only two or three star restaurants as half way nice, at which point a sports coat might be the norm.

I prefer to wear my tuxedo to petit d&eacute;jeuner

Reisender,

I would think that the Emperor's clothes would be more appropriate.

I'll wear a smile.


See my post what they are wearing in Paris.

Add me to the list of those who disagree with the OP.

Stu Dudley

Surely you jest!

Stu, where do you think some pick up these ideas of what the French wear?
We go throughout France and my husband never was out of place without a dinner jacket at a &quot;half-way nice&quot; restaurant Men who were coming from working had their jackets on and tourists who were visiting for a first time.

&lt;Stu, where do you think some pick up these ideas of what the French wear?&gt;

by spending two weeks in France?

Some Parisians do dress up, especially for special events and work. However, if you've ever spent time in Paris commuting daily on the metro in the outer areas, as I have, a lot of people don't dress so great. There are lots of people living in Paris who don't spend a fortune on clothes and are your average working class (or poorer). A lot of them don't dress very lovely at all.

It is true maybe betharwein only thinks of expensive restaurants as halfway nice, and then I'd agree. I wouldn't wear white tennis shoes anywhere (don't own any), but I don't care what other people wear who are tourists myself. Lots of tourists where I live dress horribly, like they are going to Disneyland or something, even though this is a large city -- do I care? no, I'm leading my own life and really don't. I tend not to frequent restaurants where tourists go at home, also. Now I've met lots of tourists in my own city, some French, and they aren't wearing dresses or skirts, let me tell you. They don't wear white tennis shoes, though, but may wear dark-colored &quot;tennis&quot; shoes (if that really means casual rubber-soled shoes, like Pumas or something).



I don't know about this &quot;guest&quot; thing, either. I don't consider tourists in my city to be &quot;guests&quot; and I don't think of myself as a &quot;guest&quot; when I travel. To me, a guest is someone staying in my home I've invited, and they aren't paying.

&lt;They don't wear white tennis shoes&gt;

I believe we had a report not long ago from one Parisian saying that at the lycee is their area that many girls were indeed wearing white tennis shoes

I have no idea where someone would observe mostly dinner jackets in France - unless they only dine at 4 &amp; 5 Michelin Knife &amp; Fork places. We dine out in France about 40 times each year, and have been doing so since '99 when we retired. We usually find ourselves at 2 &amp; 3 Knife &amp; Fork place. I never take a jacket to France and I can probably count the number of jackets I've seen at dinner on two hand (maybe four). At some nice restaurants in Burgundy in the fall I've observed more jackets than in a place like Provence.

Relais &amp; Chateaux places seem to attract people who like to wear jackets.

Stu Dudley

Stu, What do you mean by knife &amp; fork places?

The knife and fork symbol is for atmosphere, and distinct from the Michelin star system.

I'm still a bit confused. What type of atmosphere does it indicate? Extremely casual Mom &amp; Pop (or Mere &amp; Pere) comes to mind.