kerouac

At lunch time yesterday, I took a series of photos of what people are wearing on the Champs Elysées this summer. As usual, I made absolutely no selection at all as to whether the people looked good or bad or whether or not they were tourists. These are just the people who walked in front of my camera: http://tinyurl.com/39k5pm8

TPAYT

Champs Elysees---could be Michigan Avenue, Chicago in looking at the people. I guess we are more alike than we think we are.

I always enjoy your photos. These are great for anyone who is worried about what to wear in Paris.

ThinGorjus

And we were told a few weeks ago by someone on this very forum that NOBODY in Paris wears jeans.

ROFL!!!!

To be fair, though, you would find very different attire if you photographed around the Parc Monceau or on Avenue Foch.

Thin

kerouac

Not in July, Thin. And avenue Foch is inhabited mostly by Middle Easterners now, so you would mostly just see more veils.

ziggypop

Kerouac, thanks for the photos. If there were a few more people wearing sports jerseys it would look like downtown Minneapolis. I'm hoping that when I visit Paris faded clothes with holes in them are in fashion so I don't have to get a new wardrobe.

Christina

I never thought the Champs Elysees was even supposed to be known for fashion, I never heard of that. It's got car dealers and airlines and stuff on it, I know it's for business, but I don't think of it as a place for fashionable people at all. I'd expect that more in certain hotels, restaurants and maybe other quarters, but in any area, the avg. josephine walking on the street isn't always a fashion plate.

I think things might have been different 100 years ago, though. Where was that park everyone was walking so elegant in Gigi? Was that the Tuileries, the Champs-Elysees or maybe Parc Monceau? I'm sure the Champs-Elysees might have been elegant 100 years or more ago, but in those days, working people weren't tourists and didn't have the free time to be hanging out on the streets shopping.

ThinGorjus

I can't see the horsey-Hermes set around the Parc Monseau in flip-flops and Baby Milo tees.

An Hermes t-shirt, John Lobb driving shoes, and Bermuda shorts from Brioni (and only on the weekend), yes.

OK, let us switch Avenue Foch for Avenue Kleber.

Thin

Mollie

Back on my first grand tour of Europe in 1962(!!!)when I was a young woman, we always dressed in suits and dresses with medium high heels to tour. When I moved there from 1964-1967 it was the same thing, except in the ski resorts where we wore lighter weight stretch pants when not skiing. A European man would never wear shorts in the city, only out hiking or that sort of thing. I'm inclined to say that still holds true for the men.

I would also venture to say that in picture 4, the couple and the two guys are Americans. Think the flip-flops give the fellows away.

PatrickLondon

>>Where was that park everyone was walking so elegant in Gigi?<<

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051658/locations

scatcat

It is quite obvious that not all the people are tourists. I saw a couple of McDonald's cups in the pics and we all know that tourists do not go to McDonald's...except me!

walkinaround

i agree with christina....does anyone really think that people walking down the champs elysées would be at the height of fashion. i certainly wouldn't.

kerouac

The Champs Elysées would not be one of the boundaries of the "Triangle d'Or" with avenue George V and avenue Montaigne if it were considered sleazy. And I don't think that "101 Champs Elysées" would be the most expensive piece of real estate in Europe (the Louis Vuitton flagship) if the Champs were not considered to be a prime location. Qatar has bought the HSBC building and will be transforming it into a 5-star hotel and shopping gallery starting in 2012, while the "90" (Galerie des Champs) is currently getting its Jean Nouvel makeover.

All main avenues of the world have their ups and downs over the years, but the Champs Elysées has remained one of the prime symbols of Paris, and that is not about to change, no matter how the people dress. And thank god people can dress however they want to walk up or down any street in France, no matter that the fashion experts say.

schnauzer

I now have the answer for all of those folk who 'want to look like a Parisienne' or don't want to look like a tourist. etc etc. Firstly, don't brush your hair, secondly take up smoking and thirdly wear high heels even when walking over cobble stones. That is my advice, follow these rules and you will fit right in. This is said after spending a month here....

Schnauzer

walkinaround

kerouac...my comment in no way implied that i thought that champs elysees is sleazy (although there is a lot of dodgy dealing at night) nor is a cheap real estate area. this is a very busy areas and as main pedestrian thoroughfares, i expect to see EVERYONE and EVERYTHING from the wealthy to homeless drug addicts from the native french (both fashionable and unfashionable) to tourists from asia, eastern europe, africa, america and russia. this is a world street that belongs to everyone. so while it does have exclusive shops, the avenue itself is the opposite of exclusive (meaning it's walked by EVERYONE).

it's like being surprised at seeing unfashionable people on rodeo drive or 5th or park avenue.

Suzanne2

Is it safe to say that most of those folks were tourists?

mamcalice

Looks like it was a very hot day. Most everyone is in cool clothes - I don't think I have ever seen so many shorts. We don't take shorts to Paris and, as a result, have spent a few steamy days wishing we had.

danon

#
Suzanne2 on Jul 3, 10 at 4:48pm

Is it safe to say that most of those folks were tourists?"

I would think so. In my many trips to Paris ( going again tomorrow) Champs Elysées is one of the few places I never have a desire to revisit.

cigalechanta

champs Elysees has never been known for fashion in my life time, cars, movie theaters, yes, but still appreciate the photos. Good work, as usual

palmettoprincess

More color than I had anticipated.

sap

>>Champs Elysées is one of the few places I never have a desire to revisit.<<

Actually, I have no desire to see it on my first visit, either. Kerouac's photos certainly serve to confirm that decision.