one more stupid questions regarding Paris restaurants
 

My husband and I are spending two weeks between London/Wales and Paris. We were not going to bring suits or jackets (for him). He is bringing Jeans and nice shirts and dockers and sweaters. I am bringing jeans and sweaters and a couple of skirts and nice blouses. Are we going to be okay in Paris restaurants?

I think you are OK for almost any place. I'm not certain about the VERY upscale restaurants but someone will answer that for you.

P.S. Your questions is NOT stupid!!!

He'll be fine in wine bars, bistrots and cafes. But you mentioned in another post that you wanted a charming, romantic place for a special dinner...some of those MIGHT require a bit more than jeans. Instead of posting on your other thread a place you might like in the 6e, but close to the 7e ,where you are staying..Fish on rue de Seine, Chez Fernand on rue Christine, or L'ecluse on Quai de ? near Pont neuf , before you get to Blvd St Michel..I think it's Grand Augustin but the names change every few blocks.

We haven't been in any famous or starred restaurants... we hit the cafes and small local bistros, dressed just as you've mentioned. You'll feel comfortable in fit in just fine.

You'd probably be dressed nicely enough to be fine in a special restaurant as well.

Skirt & nice blouse should be OK. Why not have your husband bring/wear one sports jacket? A tie takes up no room in the suitcase! Assuming you're traveling some time this fall, he'll need a jacket anyways. How would you dress at home if you were going out to celebrate a special occasion or to an especially romantic restaurant?

Dockers are too casual. You see when one says jeans, one must address the brand/designer and style of each pair. You could wear Dior jeans virtually anywhere, but not Dockers.

Nice shirts? One should never wear formal shirts (not fitted, with boned collar) without a tie and/or suit. Now if you wear a fitted shirt, it's instantly dressy without the need for a tie or the suit. So if your husband is skinny get him into fitted shirt, but if he's larger then formal shirts with a modern, plain, elegant tie.

Sweaters are never dressy, and are really only for daywear, and casualwear, certainly not for evening and smart. They can be day-smart, and at a pinch (if you're buying the right ones) evening-smart/casual.

The best solution is to bring a black jacket. Black jackets take you everywhere and are very, very, very versatile.

Suze,

Dockers and a sweater for men is acceptable here in California at just about any restaurant except for maybe in on the Westside (Beverly Hills, West L.A.)

I was trying to make the point that you can simply match the restaurants you choose to go to, to the way you both plan to be dressed. There's surely not one black/white yes/no answer to your question <Are we going to be okay in Paris restaurants?>

I just can't imagine why anyone would want to willingly wear Dockers. They're just soooo shapeless, and boring, and not even boring in a sartorial way. It's quite vile in fact.

Just try to use your imagination a little bit, treat yourself to Vogue Homme, and try to find something a little more modern. Or if you're too old, and/or don't have the figure for runway stuff then wear classic sweaters, classic trousers, classic suits, but make sure it's elegant not gormless.

mkingdom,

When I said Dockers - I meant Dockers style pants meaning casual.

As I mentioned we are spending time traveling in Wales - hiking etc.. We are more interested in nature, beauty etc.. than we are in designer clothing. My husband did not want to bring along something he may not need to wear. You really spend way too much time concerning yourself about name brands etc... Thanks for the help anyway.

mk2: "gormless"? Please explain. I don't want to suddenly be caught being gormless and not know it. Thanks to you I am very clear on "banding" but the thought of possibly being gormless and having everyone laughing at me behind my back, well, i'm just in a terrible state right now. I mean I could have been gormless my whole life without realizing. Oh my word!!!!!! :D

"gormless" That is M_K about the REAL WORLD!

Ok, "banding" is a term I have obviously missed out on. Would anyone care to explain?

Thanks,
Johanna

Despite what MK leads you to believe, the "denim police" are not going to be standing at the hostess stand of any restaurant checking labels by flashlight to see if you are wearing Blue Cult or Target brand jeans. And conversations at nearby tables will not be directed toward you if you are wearing Levis rather than Paper Cloth Denim or some other bullshit label that costs more than $175/pair.


I think you are safer (look more appropriate) wearing darker colored "Docker" style pants rather than jeans or khaki "Dockers" at nicer restaurants anywhere in the world.

I love my Max Studio jeans more than anything else in my wardrobe but I think jeans are really heavy and take up too much space in luggage and I've quit taking them altogether when traveling.

MK, wish I lived your lovely life in a lala land of fashion and food. So sorry I still have to work and live in the real world.

Hi Johanna, "banding" is a term that MK2 came up with a couple of years ago when we all caught h*ll for wearing jeans with black tops!! That is what "banding" is, LOL.

Now about gormless I have no idea. Like Crefloors I wonder if I have appeared to be gormless?? But what the heck, she and I both live in the western US so maybe for all MK2 knows gormless is quite the "in look" here ;;)

"gormless" , means slow to understand or lacking sense.
It is really a great word, it sounds like what it means LOL

We have been in Paris for over a week now, and generally speaking we note that men and women 30 and younger are wearing jeans during the day, and men 40 and over are wearing nice slacks including Dockers style with a nice shirt or sweater. For women, 40 and over we see skirts/slacks with a nice top. We don't dine out at the major establishments, but we are of the opinion that might get a little better seat in a restaurant if you look half way decent in the evening.

Hi Scarlett, well after seeing part of the Oprah show today and being devistated by the reports as to what actually happened in NO I was to worn out to pull out the dictionary.

Well gormless certainly wouldn't describe us on the westcoast for sure. But might be a good description of those in DC. Slow to understand or lacking sense. Yes, that sounds like our leaders in DC.

MKingdom:

Obviously you have not yet seen a man in Dockers who fills them out..ij the FRONT...shapeless and boring???? Not even for you, Baby...

On a recent trip to London and Paris, we travelled with clothes very much like you describe. We ate at very nice bistros and restaurants, not Michelin starred restaurants and were always dressed appropriately. Unless you plan to eat in very upscale restaurants, you don't need a jacket and tie.

Dockers are boring regardless of vulgar suggestions. The legs are shapeless and the quality is poor too.

If you have to wear that sort of thing, but Brioni which at least has some quality and style about it. Even if it is very staid.

MK2, want to try that post again, LOL.
Cheers!

WOW!!

Maybe I am crazy, but wearing anything but jeans and hiking type shoes in the daytime while touring seems stupid. One should look neat and be comfortable. As far as evening goes, I cannot imagine not being able to wear a pair of Jeans (mine are from the GAP) and a lovely sweater and nice shoes and go into a bistro or wine bar. All the posts here lead me to believe we must walk around in slacks and sweaters during the day - I really hope this is incorrect. If we go to a restaurant I suppose we will need to be less casual. Any more opinions!

Don't you just love MK2's take on what we should wear! I wonder how we ever did without her before she came along to guide us peasants out of the primordial ooze and onto the sunlit uplands of the Fashionistas.

It really depends on what kind of restaurant, and while that clothing would be fine in most places, I would not think Dockers appropriate for a top, elegant restaurant, either. They are really casual. It's the husband in this couple who is the most casual, as a skirt and nice silk blouse, with appropriate footwear and jewelry, can go most anywhere.

Thanks, LoveItaly, for the definition of banding. It seems I am a bander. In fact, I was a bander at dinner last night. Oh well, I think I will live despite the faux pas. There are far worse things going on in the world right now.

Johanna

Hi USNR, from some other posts awhile ago it seems as though MK2 is a "he", but then again who knows or cares?

And Johanna half the women in my city are banding LOL. But guess that is because we are gormless? Who knows or care. I agree,with all that is going on in the world fashion statements are not high on my list right now either. Take care!

Sounds to me as though banding and gormless could easily be branding and formless and the meanings would not be lost in either case. Dark pants always work - brand or no brand.

kpilling, you will see many, many people wearing jeans, but I think you are wrong to say wearing anything other than jeans and hiking type shoes is stupid. In London and Paris you will see people wearing any conceivable combination of clothes. Most such people are not stupid.

I am always struck by the impression that it would be difficult to wear anything in Paris or London (especially London!) that would attract much attention at all.

Nikki,

I meant my remarks for tourists not the people who live there. Of course there will be business people etc... dressed more elegantly. However your average tourist I would think would be wearing comfy (neat) clothes and shoes.

I did not mean to imply that you would be stupid to wear jeans and hiking type boots during the day in Paris or London. You will definitely be fine whatever you wear sightseeing. No one cares what you wear and you'll fit right in with the tourists and locals.

When you asked if you would "be okay in Paris restaurants" I assumed (sorry, I know what that makes me) that you were asking if you would be seated in a restaurant for dinner in jeans. I wasn't thinking about lunch at casual places when you said "Paris restaurants". I just think better safe than sorry as far as wearing something slightly nicer than jeans for dinner in Paris.

when will you guys get it?

Jeans are F A S H I O N and widely worn in Europe, maybe even more than here. Wear them as you wish, of course I would think twice about facy expensive establishments but regular bistros are no issue at all.

You can wear a pair of worn jeans during the day and look trendy and hip with the "sloppy" look that everyone is going for. The you can wear those same jeans at night with a great shirt and blazer (or sweater) and some nice shoes and look ultra cool. Its how you dress it up.

Oh and please, NO JOGGING SUITS!

jogging suits are duff but jeans are a bit of a no-no. Why wear them?

ahh, now I want to change my screen name to gormless...

thegormlessbandertuscan has a nice ring...

I like this meaning from word-detective.com.

"Gormless" comes from the old Scots word "gaum," meaning "attention or notice." Someone who is "gormless" lacks attention, doesn't notice things, is tuned out, vegged out, hopeless and clueless. Dumber than a sack of rocks. In other words, stupid. The word is chiefly found in Britain, where it has been used since the mid-18th century, including by writers such as Emily Bronte in "Wuthering Heights."

If it's good enough for Emily Bronte..... :-)

Gosh, "gormless," I think that word describes the successful voters in the last US presidential election.

HOW TRUE!!!

How clever, Tinling. Did you come up with that yourself?

That you're asking indicates some concern about fitting in. So why risk the uncomfortable feeling that you don't? Is it too much to throw in a pair of slacks and a sport coat?