French Fashion Faux Pas
 

Before we left home for our trip to Paris and Provence, my wife insisted that she would not be caught dead with me in France if I wore sneakers, shorts, or a fanny pack, because any one of those items screamed “American Tourist”. In fact, she insisted that I buy a pair of topsiders as a barely acceptable set of footwear. So naturally, wherever we went, I took a great delight in pointing out French people who wore one, two, or on some glorious occasions all three of the forbidden items, and yes, we did in fact see at least one genuine French man wearing sneakers, shorts, and a fanny pack, the triple crown of Fashion Faux pas. But one thing I do need to point out is that French people in the summer do not wear socks. In all of Paris, there probably weren’t more than half a dozen pairs of socks being worn, and certainly no one wore them in Provence. So men, when your wives tell you what to wear in France, just say, “I’m wearing what I want to, and that doesn’t include socks!”<BR><BR>

Thank you for your reasonable and informed Fashion Advice :O)<BR>

In 1998 before I took my first trip to Europe in a long time, I read this board quite a bit. The fashion police were having a field day chastising people for wearing jeans in Europe.<BR>I don't normally wear them at home, except to work in the yard, but I was curious about jeans and Europeans.<BR>We flew first to Schiphol and changed for Z&uuml;rich. As we boarded our flight for Z&uuml;rich, 3 Dutch business men carrying expensive briefcases and wearing blue jeans were in line ahead of me. So much for the strictures of the fashion police.<BR>

Bob, I'm genuinely curious. If you only wear jeans at home to work in the yard, why would you consider wearing jeans on a fabulous vacation to Europe?<BR><BR>BTW, my husband wears jeans on our trips so I'm not opposed. Just curious.<BR><BR>But for FauxPas, I do think fanny packs are out. They may be functional, but definitely not flattering.

Fodors Apparel Request Team ( F.A.R.T )<BR>official reply:- Time to change the subject guys. This is now WAY pasr boring.....

Zzz, then why did you read the thread? It isn't boring to some of us.

is you can wear jeans, if you pair them with nice shoes or boots, a nice sweater, jacket, blazer or blouse/shirt AND if you have the figure for them. A thin person in their 50's would look great dressed nicely with jeans, thin legged jeans, not the baggy ones.<BR>I see many stylish European women in jeans on their weekends or sporty days with stylish accessories, such as a nice scarf. <BR>It is not the jeans it is what you wear with them and in them.