granitepoint

Does my husband need to pack a blazer for dinners in Paris? Have been reading Paris for Dummies which indicates that even at the most casual places men wear sports jackets and chinos. Thanks!

jdraper

My husband has never taken a jacket to Paris and we eat in nice places. If you are going to a Michelin rated dining place he will need a jacket but for most restaurants a nice shirt or sweater has been sufficient. We like nice food and nice places but choose not to dress up and "dine" when we are on vacation and we have had some truely memorable meals. Have fun in one of my favotire cities.

nbujic

ditto

Paulo59

You do not need a jacket for any of the cafes or even the nicer medium priced restaurants. But when in Rome... er Paris.. do as the Parisians do. Many Parisian men will where a jacket when they go out to dinner. Jeans are fine but a jacket is a nice touch. So you don't need to but why not make every night or at least several nights in Paris seem like a special occasion and where the jacket? How often do you get to dine in Paris??? And packing the jacket does not need to be a big deal, turn it inside out, fold it along the main back seam, then fold it in half. It will hardly wrinkle..may not wrinkle at all if you add some tissue paper.

Budman

I agree, you don't need a jacket to dine in Paris, unless you age dining in a Michelin rated restaurant or you are a part of the Nieman Marcus crowd.

In all my trips to Europe, the only time I wore a jacket was in February when someone told me that I needed one for lunch at Altitude 95. I wore a jacket and turtleneck, but didn't really need one from looking at others. Maybe it got me a window seat.

janisj

Not necessary - but what was going to wear in the evenings?? Most likely he will need a jackey or sweater of some sort anyway - so he can be a big boy and take a jacket.

nytraveler

Not necessaary in casual places but he will feel more comfortable in one if you go someplace nicer (not suit and tie but some sort of jacket - even leather and a decent shirt or nice sweater with slacks - not jeans).

Also - wn are you going - and what type of jacket will he need just bsed on the weather?

jdraper

Wearing a jacket is not a sign of being a "big boy". How he conducts himself with others and how well he treats his partner are much better indicators of whether or not he is a "big boy". Luckily my "big boy" passes the test nicely and doesn't have to wear a jacket on vacation, when he has to wear one to work every day, to prove it.

StCirq

CHINOS??? OMG, ROTFLMAO!!!

Who writes this drivel, anyway?

I've been traveling to/living in France for 30+ years and have never ONCE seen a French man I know wearing a pair of Chinos. That's just too funny!

A jacket isn't necessary, either. Most well-dressed French men will wear a nice shirt or classy sweater at all but the stuffiest of restaurants. It's not the actual clothing items that count, but the ability to wear clothes with style and panache. Good-quality items - nice shoes, a cashmere sweater, a tailored shirt - those count for way more than "putting on a tie and jacket."

norween

StCirq, i'm afraid i have to say i know of one frenman wearing chinos (sometimes) : my father - but he is over 70 and wears them for gardening only !

m_kingdom2

If he doesn't wear them at home then any jacket he possesses is bound to be out of the ark and as such will look a great deal trampier than what he'd normally wear. I always think a jacket is good practise for a man in the evening, it makes an outfit look far more polished. A brilliant example of this is a t-shirt with skinny jeans worn during the day, the addition of a nipped in waist, short cut black jacket add edge and makes the outfit suitable for the evening.

There's no point in you trying to look like a couple of locals, it quite simply isn't going to happen. I suppose your question is asking if it's necessary, and other people have answered it really in saying that if it's somewhere smart then yes, but if it's a casual cafe/bistro then you can pretty much wear what you want!

ira

Hi GP,

It's not de rigeur, but makes a good impression.

He doesn't have to pack the jacket, he can wear it.

It's always easier to take a jacket off if it is not appropriate than to put one on if you don't have it.


I won't mention that a gentlemen always wears a jacket when dining in public.

DinPa

To answer your original question, NO. Your husband does NOT NEED to pack a blazer for dinners. I did not wear a jacket in Paris and did not feel out of place. I am a gentleman. I wear nice dress shirts or nice sweater and slacks. We had a window seat at Jules Verne for lunch and I did not have a jacket.

granitepoint

Thanks to all who replied. We're going in early May. I'd rather not pack it so if he decides to take one, he'll have to wear it! So no chinos, huh?? Looks like Paris for Dummies is off track!

DinPa

Americans will wear chinos or dockers, not the Europeans. There is nothing wrong with wearing chinos either. If you are an American and tourist that is what you are, be it and be proud, but not ugly and loud.

ekscrunchy

If that book told you that most diners will be wearing chinos, I would trash the book. You really have to take care with some of the advice offered by so-called experts! As I used to remind my dear Nana when she would send me all sorts of dubious articles clipped from various 'womens' magazines and tabloid newspapers, "Just because it is in print does not make it true!"

More important than the issue of the actual jacket is the total effect...clean, well-pressed clothes, no garish colors or patterns, good leather shoes, etc.
A man in a good cotton shirt and black cashmere sweater will present a much more pleasing appearance than a guy in a bright plaid sports jacket and ill-fitting denim pants.

Well, that is the extent of my fashion advice. In the end, it does not matter all that much. Men do not seem to enjoy wearing ties and jackets...after fighting that fight for a while, I just let the matter rest. The exception to this would be the very top tier of restaurants with multi-Michelin stars and even then, a great sweater and shirt and good pants would not be awful, either. He can always borrow the restaurant's jacket if they insist.

fishee

Emergency page for Margiela and thingorjus.

Please pick up the white fodors courtesy phone for an emergency fashion question.

Ackislander

I agree that you should wear what you feel comfortable in. A lot of what you feel comfortable wearing depends on where you live and your age, as well as where you plan to go and what you plan to do.

I, too, will be in Paris the first week in May, and I wouldn't even consider not wearing a jacket, but I live on the East Coast, where many men wear jackets, and I am 62 years old. I would wear the same thing in Charleston or New Orleans if I were going to the same kinds of places.

At Bofinger last time for lunch, I was in the middle of the crowd, sartorially -- plenty of types in sweaters and turtlenecks and plenty of others in Jacques Chirac suits. I felt comfortable.

traveller1959

I learn a lot in this forum. I looked up wikipedia what "chinos" are. Sounds VERY American. I doubt if such trousers are available in Europe.

I usually wear smart jeans, polo shirt and jacket in a European restaurant, but have developed a feeling that this combination is unusual in the USA.

Men in restaurants wearing suits and ties are usually business people in their working uniforms. When they go into the same restaurants together with friends and families they would wear jeans too. However, what counts in Europe is the total impression, matching colours, elegant shoes etc.

zooey91

"It's not the actual clothing items that count, but the ability to wear clothes with style and panache. Good-quality items - nice shoes, a cashmere sweater, a tailored shirt - those count for way more than 'putting on a tie and jacket.' "

Wow, I guess I'm screwed no matter what I bring then. I don't think I've ever been close to having style and panache.

But the key I glean from this thread is to wear what you'd be comfortable wearing in a similar restaurant at home.