My intrepretation is that the Knives & Forks in the Michelin Red Guide indicate the "elegance" of the restaurants. Five K&Fs will be a very formal place with lots of servers to cater to your special need, and also elegant decor. Think the Ritz, Tour Argent - all 5 K&Fs but 1 stars (stars are for the food rating). One K&F are much less formal & elegant - often Mom & Pops, but they could be starred also.

Stu Dudley

Ah! Sorry, I didn't make the Michelin connection. I was thinking of an ad I saw somewhere for a diner that had a picture of a man in overalls holding up a knife & fork.

I spent time on this trip at the haute couture salons with a Parisian friend while she did some shopping and I must say I saw some very stylish clothing on both men and women, Betty may have done the same.

However, most of the people I observed on the "real" Parisian streets didn't look any different from any other major city. Men were wearing jackets because it was rather cool but my husband felt comfortable without one.

While we were vacationing at a B&B in Locmariaquer we met a couple from Toulouse with an incredible sense of style. Thinking that although we were both on vacation they certainly raised the fashion bar to a high level. Ron and I must have impressed them not with our attire but our charm ;;) because they did suggest we meet them at another B&B near Biarritz next September. Deborah

I was in Paris 5 yrs ago. I tried to dress as the Parisians did then. I wore chinos or black pants, and never wore gyms. I felt complimented when a French woman thought I was French.

ParisAmsterdam: You will be barred for life from entry to France -- I bet they already have your true identity and photo posted at CDG.

Imagine saying Parisians dress like Ottawa residents!

I am writing this from Ottawa, to which I returned from France, reluctant and regretful, on Monday evening.

People dress horribly here.

Parisians may dress casually -- or not -- but there is generally, at least in the centre, a much more acute sense of style there, as in any world capital.

Except Ottawa. And Bratislava and Ouagadougou.....

My MIL who is Austrian said they do wear shorts when it is hot! She also said they were whatever shoes are comfortable for walking.
I do think, like NYC, there are always people that will be dressed nicely on the street, as well as people dressed very casually. There are some going to work or theater, or just wandering around the sights.
If it is hot in June, I am bringing shorts!!! I will probably wear a longer more of a bermuda type short for sightseeing.
I am sure they dress the same as the rest of the world.
Although when they dress up, they may appear more fashionable. After all, it is Paris, isn't it?

I just don't see how you can make generalizations about the dress of an entire country. I truly doubt that "the French frown down" on what I wear or could give a care about it.

suze wrote: "I truly doubt that "the French frown down" on what I wear or could give a care about it."

That's right, but it won't stop people here continuing to discuss it.

Most people who rave about how the French are dressed (or who are intimidated by it) seem to have not left the inner 6 arrondissements. In my outlying neighborhood, you can see flip flops, shorts, clashing colors, white athletic shoes, training suits and any number of other so-called 'never-see-it-in-Paris' items of clothing.

The actual reality is that people with a sense of style or a need to wear nice clothes congregate in the same areas of the city and trick a lot of tourists into believing that it is normal Parisian attire.

WOW! I stirred up a hornet's next with my comments on dress attire in France We hired a French guide for one of our days in Paris and he told us shorts are a no no. We trust him. Also, I don't know which streets you are walking in Paris but we covered the city from top to bottom and most people dress nicely. AS for eating out at night, my husband wore a sports coat because it was chilly. I don't know where you eat but in Paris in all the nice little alley restaurants men were wearing sports coats. When we travel to a city like Paris, I must admit food is important to us as where we eat is. We spent time with a lady in Vence who lives in Paris and we went out to dinner with her one night. She wore slacks and a very lovely top. Each to their own. It is true that in America people dress very casual, sometimes very sloppy and think its OK. It's all a matter of personal taste. Each to their own. Betty P.S. Now I wonder what you'll have to say!!

<i>Now I wonder what you'll have to say!!</i>

The list of deniers includes posters who have had extensive experiences in Paris and elsewhere in France. While your experience is not to be denied, at least as you see it, I would consider the other opinions to be more reliable.

For what my opinion (and experience) is worth (I'm in the UK) - I've never noticed people in Paris dressing any differently to anywhere else I've been! Certainly, I've never been anywhere in Europe, where people dress any differently to anywhere in the USA! I guess there are 'good dressers' everywhere - but, I'm afraid I haven't mixed in those circles. And I prefer to feel comfortable, as do the vast majority of people in Paris! Jeans, capris, shorts - whatever the weather and comfort dictates!

I think Betty's having you all on! &quot;French dress very lovely&quot;.

If not, Betty, I can assure you that French tourists to my country (Australia) dress very similarly to other tourists, possibly French women are slimmer than others and wear their clothes well. If any country stands out in terms of stylish dressing here, it would be Italians, both women and men as well as younger Japanese.

Beth, please don't listen to any of these people. Most live in public housing in horrid neighborhoods where track suits and Arab youths setting fire to cars are the norm.

Not everyone is poor, sweetie darling. Many professionals can afford a Helmut Lang coat.

I am so sick of the slobs on this site denigrating the fashion cognoscenti.

The Great and Powerful Thingorjus

I agree with the OP. I can't believe that I am the only one agreeing though. Are we all talking about the same country?
I love when I am in France because I feel feminine and comfortable dressing nicely. Rather than stand out I blend in. Here in the Philadelphia suburbs (very nice suburbs by the way) I feel as though people think I am overdressed at the grocery store or a school function in heels and a skirt. I have been asked where I am coming from or where I am going afterwards??? I NEVER feel this way in france no matter where I am going or what I am doing. Au contraire I thrive there.
While it is true that times are evolving and Americans are becoming more fashion concious and French may becoming more relaxed in their attire the French still have an undeniable je ne sais quoi that outsmarts Americans. It's mostly the younger generation that is blending together easier.

As for shorts though I seriously can not remember ever seeing a French person in shorts unless it is for sports or at the beach but never walking around town. I have seen people in Paris in shorts but inevitably they were speaking English.
WHen I say shorts I mean gym shorts or Bermudas but I am sure that if there were a reprise in &quot;hotpants&quot; or some other high fashion trend we'd see them all over Paris.

For the record, I have never worn shorts in Paris, because it's always been raining! :) I think the last time I was there, I wore jeans and a red rain jacket and certainly didn't feel out of place! I've been all over France, including Monte Carlo, many times and have never noticed what others were wearing, to be honest - let alone stopped to listen to what language they were speaking! There is far too much to sdmire and enjoy than to bother with such. Also, I've worn skirts plenty of times when visiting the USA and never felt out of place. The only time I've ever felt out of place, anywhere, was in Prague, last year - when we went to the opera and dressed up. Nobody else had bothered and were all in jeans!!

Some people have an eye for clothes like others have a nose for smells. They will see one fabulous outfit in a crowd of 100 people and see only that one outfit. The other 99 people become invisible.

Or, vice versa.

There is also the perspective that when you live in france year round you take certain things for granted and don't notice some serious differences in cultures.
Seriously though, kerouac, on a similar thread &quot;what women are wearing&quot; you posted a blog with photos of young french people. After looking at all the photos, that site reconfirms my point, that the french are more fashion concious for lack of a better term. Even at a young age many of the young men are wearing the typical scarf, fitted jackets with jeans, pants tucked into boots. I would never see young American guys dress this way in high school here. Really look at the pics in that blog. Sure, lots of the kids are wearing jeans and or tennis shoes but it is the way they are put together as a whole. Even some of the kids that looked sloppy or tried to look tough had something very &quot;un-American&quot; about them and will probably grow up with that french je ne sais quoi.

When I was raised, I was taught to &quot;dress appropriately&quot; for the occasion. In the city, that meant dressing up. Times however, the world over, have changed.

When in Paris, London, New York City and Washington D.C. this year I noticed no significant differences in dress from one city to the next. I am an avid people watcher and very fashion concious. All of these cities are melting pots. When you look at the population as a whole, in each city you will see it all - from the very dressy to the very casual.

I think that people often see what they really want to see - they see that which supports their point of view.