I just flew in last night from Paris and will post a full trip report a little later, but I wanted to relay my observations about the fashions in Paris while they were still fresh.<BR><BR>First of all, I saw NO ONE wearing a scarf and I saw very little black. This might have had to do with the fact that I was there during a heat wave.<BR><BR>I could usually tell the difference between a tourist and a Parisian. I finally realized the main difference is ususally the shoes!!! Parisians were almost always wearing dressier sandals, mules with pointy toes or something fashionable looking. Tourists were wearing more comfortable shoes (some sneakers and some other closed-toe flat heeled walking shoe).<BR><BR>Regardless, my heels hurt from doing all the walking, even in my comfortable Ecco shoes. I don't know how they do all the walking in the shoes they were wearing. I even saw one woman trying to navigate the cobblestones in these heeled shoes, with a lot of difficulty. (And for those of you wondering how I knew which were the tourists, I confirmed my observations by hearing which languages were being spoken.)<BR><BR>Also, with the heat wave, I saw most Parisians wearing teeny, tiny skin-tight tank tops, mostly with the little spaghetti straps (like the kind the 14 year olds wear in the US). Most of the younger Parisians (in their 20s) had a lot of bra straps showing. (Not a good look.) The older women also wore little sleeveless tops. With the little tops were generally either very slim pants, slim crop pants or light-weight skirts hitting slightly below the knee.<BR><BR>There were lots of colors. I think I was the only one wearing black there!<BR><BR>More to come on my trip (in Switzerland and Paris).<BR><BR>Susan

Gosh, no dark, hot, heavy, sweaty jeans? Everybody else always runs to post how common it is to see jeans.

What were most of the men wearing?

It was really a mixture for the men. I saw men who looked like they were going to and from work who were wearing colorful solid button-down shirts and suits or nice slacks, with or without ties. I also saw alot of tourists wearing a little bit of everything, but very few shorts. The more casually dressed, non-working men were wearing mostly dark colored slacks and various button-down shirts or nice quality t-shirt style shirts. Very few polo type shirts.

Interesting because I was in Paris until the 12th of June and I saw lots of women wearing scarves particularly pashimas as scarves and lots of black. Must of been the weather. The thing I noticed about Paris was the same thing I noticed in Venice--it didn't matter what women were wearing, dressy or causal, they always looked well put together with nice shoes, nice bags, nice scarves. Now I admit I paid very little attention to what young women were wearing(i.e. 20 somethings) but I didn't notice very many, if any, wearing the what I call the Britany Spears hooker look. When I got home to SF I was struck by how sloppy most of the people looked even on the way to work compared to Paris (or even London for that matter) and I realized I saw virtually no grunge or baggy or baseball cap or t shirt wearing people in Paris. Athough I saw lots of people in causual clothing they did not appear sloppy.

We were in London in April and hit a spell of really nice (65-70) weather. There were lots of young girls in the streets, stores & tube with the Brittany Spears hooker look clothes. People going to work looked respectable but the amount of skin showing on the younger girls was very evident. We were almost wishing it would get cooler and force some of them to cover what should not be shown to the world

What a pleasure it would be if people in the US would dress to go outdoors rather than going outdoors looking as if they were ready for bed.<BR>And the kids with the pants hanging off,what is that about????<BR>Hats on backwards, as if that doesn't make them look even more stupid.<BR>I mean really!shuffling along with your pants hanging down off your butt,hat backwards, does anyone really expect to be treated seriously looking like that!<BR>Only if they are in the circus.

Paris fashion AGAIN???<BR>Cripes, who cares? Get a life! What on earth is the pertinence and/or importance to your life what someone in a different culture thousands of miles away is wearing? How could that possibly mean ANYTHING to a sane person?<BR><BR>By the by, just back from the Israel/Palestine area. I noticed a lot of people there wearing bloody bandages. You’ll want to be chic, of course, so you’d better head right out and stock up.<BR>

GeeZuzz.<BR>Lighten up schmuck!<BR>

Hey rant, what kind of persons judges others by the way they dress? Find something else to rant about and get a life!

The truth about the "fashion" subject, is that for whatever odd reason, the French try to look like us (jeans, snickers, baseballcaps, etc, ) and we try to look like them (black colors, scarves, great purses and shoes, etc). I know because that is what I did when I lived in Paris, and is what I do now in California. All my friends from France confirm this by buying Wranglers, Levi's, etc. However, they will never admit that American fashion is good for anything.

While Americans are in Europe, they're on vacation and are dressed for walking around the Forum whereas Europeans are dressed for going to work. Like wise, when I am going to work in Washington, DC in my suit, tourists from all over the world are dressed for a day of exploring the National Mall in 90 degree weather with 90% humidity.

<BR>Baseball caps are good. They keep the voices in your head from escaping into the atmosphere.

GeeZuzz, that was not funny, but was hilarious at the same time. Know what I mean?

GeeZuss - whazzamatter, y'all don't have globalisation in America yet?

Hi:<BR>Just back from la belle France and I<BR>have two comments on fashion:<BR><BR>Yes, Parisian ladies wear the most <BR>terrific shoes, no nylons but lottsa<BR>bandaids over their tootsies!<BR><BR>Instead of the 'casual sweater over<BR>the shoulder' look I saw a few trendoids<BR>with sweaters wrapped all around the neck like mufflers - an odd look with<BR>a sundress.<BR><BR>Y'know, unless you're doing the rounds<BR>of the designer boutiques you really can<BR>wear anything in P. and no one would give you a second glance!

RAntaboutyourself -<BR>something must have hit a nerve to get so worked up about this.<BR>Take a deep breath and chill.You can still wear your sweats to the mall.

skippy-are those voices in your head or in my head????? {0