Why not?

John Galliano walks through the Tuileries dressed like a gay pirate.

Why shouldn't you walk down Blvd. Saint-Germain dressed like Andouille sausage?

Thin

"I travel alone".
Then you are honest with yourself. Congratulations !

No, the arrow is pointing at some parisien. Any parisien.

'Stupide' is not even a noun in French, only an adjective, so such a statement would not even exist. Perhaps you have added the 'avec' by mistake.

In reply to:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-9165076
How do you know they are Parisian. They could be from anywhere in the world. ;-)
Oh how I hate fashion police on forums.
The way you stick out is behavioural/body lady language.
There are differences between each European country let alone USA v EU.
Relax and enjoy your vacation and be yourself.

There's only ever one thing that singles an American out in Europe.

Cheap, faded, badly fitting jeans.

No European of any substance would wear them.

<i>Cheap, faded, badly fitting jeans.</i>

Agreed.

I'd also add wearing ballcaps indoors.

In Paris, we can buy our faded badly fitting jeans for 300 euros and more -- according to what I see in the chic shop windows.

Faded, yes, but badly fitting?

I've just bought some great looking tunics, black and white and brown and grey that I will wear with leggings in Ottawa, London and Paris.

Thank you all my defenders of leggings, especially Sandralist. I think some of the posters don't realize that leggings won't necessarily look like gym clothes when you top it off with a stylish shirt and jacket. Lulu has what they call the street wear line. NYC, you would have a heart attack if you went to the Florida Keys. Even here in Fort Lauderdale, business casual attire is a cotton skirt and pretty open toe thong style sandals. I wouldn't call that a disaster, I would call that living! The only men who wear suits are those going on a job interview. It's just completely different here and that's why I asked. I appreciate all the comments.

In answer to this posting:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-9165227
First off there is no Europe. We have indeidual counties, each with it's own ideas.
However you are also wrong about what you think as a error.
Paris: http://nataliehartleywears.blogspot....eek-day-5.html
http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com....-in-paris.html
the last photo on this page: http://blog.benetton.com/france/2013...style-a-paris/

<I think some of the posters don't realize that leggings won't necessarily look like gym clothes when you top it off with a stylish shirt and jacket.>
Exactly. Enjoy your trip, julzieluv1!

<i><font color=#555555>"I think some of the posters don't realize that leggings won't necessarily look like gym clothes when you top it off with a stylish shirt and jacket."</font></i>

Of course, you'd have to be an idiot not to realize that. OK then. So the "outfit" will end up looking like gym clothes concealed to look like something "stylish." Throwing something loose over leggings to hide a fat behind is hardly an original idea. In fact, it's a fashion retread from the 80's. IMO, it just screams lazy, tired, and seriously outdated. I don't really care about any perceived fashion "rage." The role of the fashion press is to tell women what to buy right now. Most women are followers who can't, or won't think for themselves.

<i><font color=#555555>"Lulu has what they call the street wear line."</font></i>

The goal of clothing manufacturers is to sell their product. They don't care how you look in their product. They just want you to buy it. What they call their product means nothing, except to the average shopper who needs marketing terms to guide them in justifying their purchase.

<i><font color=#555555>"NYC, you would have a heart attack if you went to the Florida Keys."</font></i>

If you dress anything like you write hyperbole, then all I can say is good luck with your travel wardrobe in France in Italy.

The way people dress in public would never give me a heart attack. But let's not mention my love of butter. I work in show business, so frankly, I've seen it all. I travel for work. There are very few places I haven't been. I have no bucket list. I've been to the Florida Keys too many times. Very few folks in Florida know anything about great taste and style. It's a hot climate. Like I said above, constant heat has its effect on the brain.

I think your query is smart and considerate, given your "I would call that living" mindset. However, I don't think it's smart to follow the advice of a tasteless, insecure troll who suffers from low self-esteem and control issues. Considering the amount of time she dedicates to her never-ending "one last comment from me," she demonstrates a lot of gall and nerve telling anyone "to get a life." Pot meet kettle. All one can do is laugh.

<If you dress anything like you write hyperbole>
Self-awareness, thy name is decidedly not NYCFoodSnob!

Fort Lauderdale?

Why didn't you mention that you reside in the fashion capital of Broward County?

I like to label the fashion ambiance of Fort Lauderdale as "Senior-Citizen Snazzy" or "Hurricane Chic."

Don't forget to bring your yoga mat with you when you enter Hediard. Inès de la Fressange would be impressed.

Pas des mouches sur vous!


Thin

The original poster ASKED. If she didn't care, why did she ask? Since she asked, people gave answers.

Apparently "Lulu" holds sway, so why ask here at all? Lululemon corporate would have provided the desired answer. They are brilliantly cashing in on the yoga craze, so they must know.

Bashing those who gave considered viewpoints from their own experiences (after they were asked for their opinions) is just bad behavior.

<Inès de la Fressange would be impressed.>
Since she's doing a line for Uniqlo now, she may well be.

Again, I do agree with tuscanlifeedit. OP asked, she got opinions, mostly polite, so why bash people?

But I was curious about this Lulu 'streetwear' concept. From their web page, a description of the 'street to studio' pant:

We made these pants out of lightweight, sweat-wicking Swift fabric to keep us covered on our way to the studio or gym. Stretchy inseam panels give us the freedom to move when we're trying to make getting to class on time a part of our practice.

To me, it's gym clothes. But the OP is certainly free to wear what makes her comfortable. Have an enjoyable trip.

Now that we've all agreed that people can wear whatever they want -- without necessarily be snubbed by anyone -- perhaps it is time to move on.

(Yes, I realize that this was just my tiny intermission in a debate that will continue for another 30-50 posts.)

(Very few folks in Florida know anything about great taste and style. It's a hot climate. Like I said above, constant heat has its effect on the brain)
Apparently New York rudeness has affected your brain.

Pepper_von_snot,

I think you might have some issues.

Sincerely, Julzieluv

The South 2
Snotty North 0

I'm a west-coast American living in Florence (Fienze) and have taken recent trips to Rome and Paris. I have noticed that clothes are much more casual than in the past.
Currently, boots of all styles seem to be the popular choice with the locals. Lots of dark clothing with great colored purses and scarves.
I've seen tourists dressed in everything and they all seem to be having a good time. Enjoy your trip and don't worry about your wardrobe.
You can always buy something in Paris if you feel you didn't pack correctly.
I think it's important to have the right jacket for those rainy/windy moments in Paris. It is miserable when you're cold and wet...even in Paris.

Oops. Forgot my best piece of advice, it isn't fashion related. I know this is basic and I don't mean to offend. Always, always, always say bon jour when you walk into a store, bistro, ticket booth, etc. Try to say it first, believe me it makes a difference in how you will be treated.
In Italy, buongiorno or after 1pm, buonasera. A thank you and goodbye in the local language when you leave is also appropriate... even if they did nothing for you!
Ciao

after 1pm, buonasera

This is true in Tuscany but is not necessarily the case in the rest of Italy

>I think you have some issues <

The staff at Betty Ford would wholeheartedly agree with you!

Actually, sweetie darling, my postings were all a joke.

Just as your OP was a joke.

Because no grown woman would seriously turn to a group of anonymous posters on the Internet to ask for fashion advice.

A grown woman should know how to conduct herself in public.


Thin

Today's update is that while walking through the part of my town that has all the upscale boutique fashion shops, I noticed one of the women who owns one of the boutiques was standing in the shop doorway, chatting with a couple of other Italian women. She was weearing dark leggings plus white high-top sneakers. She had on a fitted collarless black leather jacket (short) and a print top underneath, rather like this

http://cdnb.lystit.com/photos/984a-2...arge_flex.jpeg

This woman is in her 40s.

I am not going to do updates every day, but once again want to emphasize that middle aged Itaian women who are very focused on fashion wear leggings and consider the very presentable.

Sandralist, you are chipping away at the certainties of some of our fashion "experts" here.

The original question posed was only about whether or not she would be snubbed. Not if it was fashionable or appropriate. Very few of the responses have actually addressed that question. In addition the OP only asked about wearing these items during the day. This has gotten so far off course.

kerouac,

I hope so! Although I fear myths die hard. (I've given up hoping travel 'experts' will drop the nonsense that Tuscany is ugly and brown in winter, and that it takes half a day to check out of a hotel.)

I want to add that the only reason there are any boutiques in my small town is that the town is very popular as a second home and holiday destination for people from Milan and Torino. The shops are for them, and the woman running that store sells high-priced items, including cocktail dresses and bags I cannot afford, and she would not dress for work in a way that was off-putting to the most fashion-minded Italians (a description that surely fits many Milanesi and Torinesi).

Leggings and how one wears them can run a lengthy fashion gamut. The photo marked Balmain above is not in the same category as Lululemon athletic wear. I do not think the yoga style leggings are what you see in the 'fashionable' boutiques in the small Italian towns. Again, the OP is free to wear her yoga clothes, and she will probably only get a very few sideways glances. Since her original question was about being snubbed in her Lulus, and since it is possible she might be, notice the word might, she will have to decide if this will bother her. I also think when you ask this kind of question, you probably already know the answer.

Oh for heaven's sake!!!! Will some people never give up????

I just found this thread from another travel message board asking if Lululemons are okay in Europe and it is FIVE YEARS OLD!!!! As noted there and here, the only "sideways glances" anybody gets wearing yoga pants are from idiot tourists who really, really, really will not admit they are just plain wrong and living in a fantasy world about "my trips to Europe where I get to pretend and swan around like I'm sophisticated and dressl like a 'European'". At least one poster in this Rick Steves thread admitted her trips were a fantasy in that regard:

https://community.ricksteves.com/tra...ble-for-europe

A huge number of Italian women have adopted a look in Italy that is called "sporty chic" (in Italian it is called sporty chic) and the love Converse high tops, yoga pants, leggings etc. They ar not subjected to sarcastic snark like 'If you ask a question about, you know the answer, nah, nah, nah".

The peope who are making public fools of themselves are these people snorting and pinching up their faces like Lily Tomlin's Ernestine, about what is actually a fashion trend in Europe.

Girls, you are simply out of it.

More fotos, folks, of European women in "sporty chic". Try to invent reasons why you can't believe your own eyes if that makes you feel better about how you pack. (Remember, it is all-important to have opinions about how other people pack. How else would you get any self-esteem?)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...6da06e1f65.jpg

http://chilishake.it/wp-content/uplo...3/DSCF2400.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c1slkxD4_Z...porty-chic.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...06825ccc87.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pqEPo1FAJbc/UG...jpg?imgmax=800

http://thevogueword.com/wp-content/u...dsc_0073-3.jpg

In Paris as well, Converse hi-tops are considered to be a great fashion statement. Of course, in a year or two it won't be the case anymore, but since fashion articles are delayed for such incredibly long periods, they will probably be saying to wear them when it isn't done anymore.

People should realize that whatever they have read about fashion anywhere is already two years out of date by the time it makes it to print. So if fashion is really their principal concern, they should arrive in France or Italy wearing something as neutral as possible and then run instantly to the fashion district of the local city to buy a completely new wardrobe.

Apparently, and once again, the purpose of a thread gets twisted so that someone can win the 'I am always right' contest. And once again, to no surprise, it is not the OP. Such manipulated drama.

The thread was not twisted. Advice was given immediately. All the rest is gravy.

socaltraveler: this is ONLY for you. We have met the enemy and she is indefatigable. Thanks for the support.

The desperation in this thread is truly off-putting. And I'm not just talking about sandy's desperation to be right.

The next thing you know, someone will try to convince us that all Italian women aspire to look like Donatella Versace. After all, Donatella isn't just a shopkeeper in a small Italian town selling Italian fashion. IMO, Donatella Versace is living proof that not all Italian design is great (another myth), and not all Italian women make great, or chic, choices.

People use the word "chic" these days to justify any fashion purchase. It's about as overused as the word "like." Without a precise visual, the word is meaningless.

Also, without a visual, we have no idea how the OP will look in her 2015 re-do of the 1983 "Flashdance" look. Maybe the OP is tall and has a hot body. Maybe she has a fabulous haircut and carries herself like a runway pro. Maybe, in the name of Ft. Lauderdale comfort, her tight, clingy leggings will make French and Italian men drop to their knees in submission and all women green with envy. I kind of doubt it, though, since flat tennies do nothing to create a sexy leg, and it's near impossible to find a great haircutter and colorist in Florida.

Will she get snubbed in France and Italy while wearing her gym-goes-chic Ft. Lauderdale stretchies? Who can say, without seeing a photo of her in the outfit she's describing? Who can say, without knowing her travel behavior?

The OP's question reminds of the terrible piece ABC News did: "What a Faux Pas! Rude Americans Arrive in France"
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/story?id=6556024 If I remember correctly, the husband is wearing Crocs. The video is painful to watch, but the camera certainly catches not-so-discreet reaction from the French. Italians are far more tolerant, fun-loving, and hospitable.

I once worked on a television production where real, everyday women were hired instead of professional models to sell a product. One woman reacted quite strongly to being dressed by a professional stylist, and she approached me to share some private thoughts. Her mother had died at an early age, and she went through childhood with no female exposure to clothing advice. By the time she reached her adult years, she developed a dread for clothing shopping. Completely impressed and overwhelmed by her transformation for the cameras, she asked me if it was too late to learn how to dress her body. I gave her a name and number.

In an ideal world, Thin would be right with "no grown woman would seriously turn to a group of anonymous posters on the Internet to ask for fashion advice." But the truth is, many grown women don't know how to dress their body in the most flattering way, they don't know a thing about developing personal style, they don't know how to define the word "chic," and they certainly don't know where to begin with the luggage restrictions for travel dressing. It's too bad there isn't an easier way to post photos here.

I was lucky. I had an elegant mother who had strong opinions on the definition of chic, and she taught me where and where not to wear any version of gym clothing and/or underwear. It's probably a good thing my mother is gone. I can only imagine her horror, seeing what I see on the streets of NYC every day. Too many people just don't have a clue, and all of them insist they are right.

This should cure anybody who thinks they need to dress up in Paris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmMRWrHZ6As

kerouac, I love it.