Hopefully, this will lay to rest the myth that no one in Paris wears jeans. The theme of this week's issue of Madame Figaro is -- jeans, pages and pages of them, as well as other temptations in denim.

So, don't leave home without them. But if you do, you could always stock up in Paris.

And do you always do what everyone else does? Here's one from your mother: if everyone were jumping off a cliff . . .

LOL!

s

Well, no, actually. I've always done whatever I felt like doing. I just wanted to share.

Jeans have always been French (denim - le serge de Nimes). I think who wears them and what type have been the question.

If you go to Genoa you will learn denim blue jeans come from there. They were made there for sailors. Strauss/Davis were the ones who put rivits on them.

rivets scusa lol

As seen on Genovese sailors in San Francisco in the 19th Century.

Denim did originally come from Nimes and it's always been official to wear them. You'll see more in the Marais, St Germain than you would on the Rue St Honore and other areas. I noticed when driving across France and stopping for a pastis at a café that most are wearing blue jeans

I have always worn jeans in Paris, although I don't wear jeans very often. I was just offering this article to dispel some of the concerns I've seen on the board. And I have to say that I've seen lots of jeans in Passy or the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. They're just worn a little differently -- Chanel jacket, ballerina flats, Hermès scarf optional.

I was in Paris in February, and everyone was wearing jeans, tourists and locals. Everything I've seen on this board (no jeans, no sneakers, etc...) didn't seem true to me at all when I was there!

Toupary, have you seen the Dries Van Noton nw shop in the 7th, 7quai Malaquais? The Boutique is filled with beautiful antiques as background for his clothes.

Cigale,

No, I haven't seen it, but thank you! That definitely sounds like something I have to check out. There is never enough time to do all the things you want/would like/need to do in Paris.

We've been to Paris several times and are currently here for two weeks. One of my wife's first observations was that over half the folks were wearing jeans. Quite a change from our last trip 4 years ago.

Toupary,

Thank you for posting this, and laying a huge myth to rest. The last time we went to Europe, I took NO jeans----thanks to this site! I missed them so much, and wished I had taken mine. I wear them all the time at home, and never look "sloppy".

As I posted on another thread, there are jeans and there are jeans. It all depends on how well they fit, are styled, and accessorized. I am not talking sloppy, but chic!

IMHO, nice dark jeans ( well-pressed), a turtleneck or nice blouse, a leather jacket, good leather belt and boots, and tasteful accessories can take you almost anywhere!

Well, in the stores in LA there are almost nothing but jeans for sale. They are tight or slightly flared and have spandex, expensive and have great fits. No Farmer Jones styles!

Jeans are not like they used to be!

Who siad you "COULDNT" wear jeans in Paris!

Hello!!?? Do a search on the board.

"Who siad you "COULDNT" wear jeans in Paris!"

The same ones who think women with big rear ends look fab in capris!

Yes Toupary thanks for posting this and your observation about jeans everywhere - what i've seen in every country in western Europe to dispel the notion some have that jeans are not cool and will make you look American.

Toupary as you know i like to relate things from my French relatives and son and when it that earlier post i said three middle age French in-laws i hosted recently all wear jeans Christina lambasted them by saying "What kind of people are you hanging around with" or some such silliness - like they were dregs of society, etc.

I didn't say any such thing, you made the blanket statement that older European women wear jeans more than middle-aged or older American women.

My remark in response to that had nothing to do with quality of people, or "lambasting" anyone. I was just disagreeing with you, but because I try to usually not make absolute statements, I said this was my experience (contrary to yours) but I didn't know what kind of people you associated with. That wasn't lambasting anyone, I was trying to make qualifications that perhaps there was some unusual explanation for your experience, such as you had a special set of friends involved in the arts or theater or something where they typically had a different style from others, or were from some particular location where that was true. I just said that I did not agree with that statement that it is more common for "older" European women (your words, not even middle-aged) to dress that way, and more often than Americans. It had nothing to do with lambasting anyone.

I didn't agree with your original statement as to what you really said, not this fabricated version as to what you said. If you want to carry grudges and criticize people in other posts that have nothing to do with them, fine, but at least tell the truth. I have no problem with being quoted correctly, in context. This is exactly what you said: <<And my experience in Europe in general is that older women are perhaps even more likely to wear jeans than Americans>>