LaurenKahn1

I feel that most of these silly "what to wear" threads are put up by bored people looking to start a fracas.

gruezi

I was in Budapest a few months ago and this thread is giving me a chuckle.

I found fashion in Budapest really funny. I don't care about such things really, and neither does my husband, but this would be our winner for the European city with the worst dressed people. Some of the getups the women had on would be reserved for women of a certain profession in other places.

I hate to stereotype, and I'm sure there are people there who dress well, but they must have all stayed home that weekend.

Wear whatever you like. You will not stick out there.

gruezi

kleeblatt

"I honestly do not know where people get the impression that most Europeans dress well."

In Switzerland (and in Europe generally), people tend to dress nicer when going to their local grocery store than they would in the US. This is because you're bound to see your neighbour, cousin, a fellow club member, etc. at the store. This will result in a friendly visit which is why you don't want to look to shabby when leaving your home.

Now this has nothing to do with the average tourist so where what you like.

gruezi

Hi Schuler,

I actually find the Swiss dress up a lot more than where I'm from in the US. Especially just to head out for errands.

I've never seen a Swiss woman in the street or market in athletic clothes although they do all the time in CT.

At work, I notice even with casual clothes on (including jeans which I'd never wear to work) the women always have on dress shoes and great jewelry.

My husband has had to lose all his Polo sport shirts and switch to long sleeved oxfords.

gruezi

LoveItaly

Because of nasty airplane bathroom floors Delaine I wear a dress, one that is usually a cotton knit if spring/summer or a lightweight wool knit if it is cooler weather. The dress is always below the knees skirt length. Black, darkbrown or navy is best as if something does get on the dress the spot isn't obvious. My dresses are black as that is my favorite "dark" color. I always take some kind of a coat on the plane with me as I often get cold during a flight and so besides not wanting to try to get a coat into my checkin luggage the coat often comes in handy when I start feeling chilly.

So for me dealing with "yucky" airplane bathroom floors when wearing any type of pants is a problem. But obviously most women evidently do not have a problem.

A black velour track suit sounds comfortable which is important for a long flight. And I so agree, if one is appropriate covered up, clean smelling etc., you will be just fine. Appropriate and not too casual in my strong opinion. Wishing you a comfortable on time flight and a fun trip!

socialworker

The good thing about a track suit, is if it has gathering at the feet, you can pull up the legs. You are right about the floors, Love, and so no matter what I am wearing, my first move in the lav is to roll up my pants! I always wear tall shoes, i.e. clogs or very thick soled flip flops---I have some Skechers that are almost 3 inches thick in the soles---and thus i am protected from any unpleasantness that may be on the floors!

november_moon

I would be concerned about black velour and lint.

GiuliaPiraino

I think it's fine either way, on a transatlantic flight you have to put comfort first. Personally, I like to be a little put together but still comfortable. I just don't feel pretty in sweats, I know that sounds dumb, like why should it matter, but I just feel better in regular clothes and it makes me happy on a long flight to have the best of both worlds.

So I've found clothes that are both comfortable and nice lightweight dark denim trouser jeans, a black lycra tee, a black or charcoal cardigan and my black Privo clogs. Everything is non-binding and soft enough to sleep in and be cozy, yet I just feel better wearing it.

On the last flight we took to Italy the stewardess never picked up my coffee and I fell asleep and when I rolled over to get into a different position I knocked it over and it spilled all over me, it was almost full! Cold, milky, sugary, yuck. Luckily I was able to get out my carry on and change clothes but I would second the idea NOT wear white! You just never know what's going to happen on a long flight.

Have a great trip!

travelgourmet

<i>In Switzerland (and in Europe generally), people tend to dress nicer when going to their local grocery store than they would in the US. </i>

To where in the US are you comparing? I was in Switzerland just a couple of weeks ago (and will probably soon be moving there), and even went into a grocery store. If people were dressed nicer, it wasn't enough to really notice. Certainly nothing better than in New York or Boston. And, hey, I like Bally as much as the next guy, but I'm not gullible enough to think that everyone in Switzerland dresses in it.

And my company's office there is a very casual work environment, where you see the gamut from jeans to suits. Then again, I find that those who wear jeans to work usually put some effort into it, while the slacks or suit crowd are often in ill-fitting, sometimes cheaply made junk designed to check the box on &quot;business wear&quot;.

And this Europe generally, thing is simply not true in my experience. Have you never been to Scotland? Or Denmark? Or Germany? Or rural Spain/France? I was near Strasbourg last weekend, and everyone was dressed about like rural/suburban residents in the US. We were at a wedding with a bunch of Dutch and French folks and saw some pretty egregious &quot;fashion&quot;. At dinner last night in Copenhagen and the table of Swedes next to us had 6 of the worst-dressed men you will ever see - mismatched sweaters, one guy wore a ratty white T-shirt, another in a chambray shirt like I last saw around 1989. We won't even discuss Central and Eastern Europe, where the mullet reigns supreme and the women dress like tranny hookers.

I think this canard is silly, and if it was once true, it certainly isn't now. But, it plays into an American insecurity about our place in the world of culture, so it has taken on a life of its own. I'm going to call it out as bulls**t when I see it.

beaupeep

I live in Lausanne, Switzerland in the center of town where the major dept stores are and where the market is held twice a week. And I can tell you that the ONLY women who dress up for marketing and shopping are those over 70. I am 53 and wear jeans, Puma sneakers and a quilted jacket and look like every other woman aged 35 up. The younger people dress just like they do in the U.S. - the exact same clothing I see on my American nieces and nephews - Sean John, Abercrombie &amp; Fitch. And unfortunately, the ridiculous habit of wearing baseball caps everywhere, indoors and out, is starting to take hold here. I hate baseball caps except in Fenway Park and then only by those on the field.

travelgourmet

<i>Abercrombie &amp; Fitch</i>

We get more requests for A&amp;F stuff when we head back to the US, than anything other than iPods. Alarmingly, most of the requests are from people in their 30s; an age group far above the A&amp;F target market. When walking around London, I was shocked at the number of A&amp;F bags. And many here in Copenhagen are eagerly awaiting the opening of the A&amp;F store next year.

kleeblatt

I live in a country village in Switzerland. When I say &quot;better dressed than in the US&quot; (and I'm thinking of the Pacific Northwest)&quot;, I specifically mean you won't find people wearing track suits, etc. When shopping at the local store, you'll inevitably meet a friend and won't want to be caught in dirty or shoddy clothing.

Beaupeep's clothing style is indeed very typical for Switzerland.

Gruezi's description of athletic clothing is right on target too.

freberta

I'm going to change the drift of this thread for just a moment. What would you consider appropriate attire for a Fat Tire Bike Tour of Paris at night or a Fat Tire Bike Tour of Giverny during the day? In my heart, I would love to wear a sleek pair of pants, a beautiful sweater, a Hermes scarf wrapped around my neck, leather gloves and ballet flats. However, reality tells me that I should be wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and sneakers (or at least tie-shoes) of some sort. The last thing I want happening is to lose one of my shoes as I pedal down the Champs d'Elysees or have a gust of wind blow the scarf in my face. Or even worse, ride over a rock, fall and tear my pants. So, what should I wear to satisfy both my desire to &quot;look good&quot; and to be practical? Thanks.

freberta

One last thing -- the weather forecast calls for rain those days we'll be doing the bike tours. Whether I should believe AccuWeather or not should be the subject of another thread, but I'll also have to wear some sort of rain poncho or some awful water-resistant golf jacket that my husband is bringing for me in case of rain. How unglamorous is that! I guess that in the event of bad weather, we toss all potential fashion faux pas aside and be more concerned about safety and keeping dry. Let's not even talk about having a bad hair day!

travelgourmet

<i>So, what should I wear to satisfy both my desire to &quot;look good&quot; and to be practical?</i>

Dark jeans. Perhaps some more fashionable sneakers, like the Pumas mentioned earlier, if you really care. T-Shirt with a comfortable sweater/sweatshirt/fleece over it. You are on a bike tour, not going out to dinner at Michelin-starred restaurant.

As for rain, you may want to look for a raincoat that you are comfortable with. I see North Face, Peak Performance, and the like all over Europe (and Asia) - perhaps they would have something you like better than a poncho or something borrowed from your husband. If you want something French, then Aigle should have something. But I strongly suggest not messing about with the rain. There is nothing more miserable than being cold and wet.

<i>Beaupeep's clothing style is indeed very typical for Switzerland.</i>

And my point (and hers) is that this sort of attire is basically EXACTLY THE SAME as in the US. My God, for the past couple of years, the quilted jacket was practically a uniform for women between maybe 30 and 60 - it was like Ralph Lauren had overtaken suburbia. And Pumas? My wife, her mother, and sister have been wearing them for at least the past 5 years.

I'm not saying that Americans dress better, but fashion has basically gone global (or at least trans-Atlantic), and there is precious little difference between the clothes you will find in Europe, compared to what you find in the US. So, all the Americans can stop worrying and start enjoying their vacations.

gruezi

I'm in Zurich and believe me we have changed our wardrobe a bit since moving from CT in the US. (We are 48 and 51. Perhaps we are considered seniors...)

There, I quite often wore a fleece jacket and sweatpants to the grocery store. Many of my women friends would run errands in their tennis clothes after sports. No one does that here... In fact, I only wear fleece to hike now.

Yes, people wear jeans a lot. But never athletic wear and rarely sneakers.

Not speaking for all of Europe - as I posted above Budapest is full of atrociously dressed people.

Personally, I've never been too fashion-minded. I just try to be respectful of local norms.

Travelgourmet - best wishes with your move!

gruezi

socialworker

To febrerta, if you do not mind some--what I hope is helpful---feedback, both etiquette and efficiency suggest that it is best to start your own thread for your query that is completely different from that of the OP.

People looking at the title of this thread will not know of your question, and people who do not open the thread *and* read most of the way thru it, will never see your post.

travelgourmet

Thanks gruezi. Not looking forward to it, and it would likely be some sort of commuting arrangement for the wife and me in the near term. But in this economy, it might be too good of an offer to refuse. Besides, I can start skiing a bit more.

gruezi

travelgourmet,

Try it - you might like it. Most ex-pats I know are begging to extend their work contracts.

My husband, who is very ambitious, has said he'll take a lateral position to stay.

It just happens to be a very nice place to live and work.

If you like to ski, you will be quite happy. The good food tends to be in the ski areas IME... Try the Engadine.

Where in Switzerland will you be and where will you move from?

gruezi

travelgourmet

Gruezi: I'll be moving to either Zug or Zurich, from Copenhagen. I'm already an ex-pat, so I'm aware of the benefits that entails. And I'm sure that Switzerland is nice, it just seems pretty boring, even by Danish standards.