In mid-March, do Parisiens dress like it's still winter, or spring? I'm not really talking about the weight or warmness of the clothes...do they get out pastels in anticipation of spring, or will everyone be wearing dark clothes? (Do they ever get out the pastels for that matter?) I live in Texas and by mid-March we're wearing pastels because it actually IS spring!

One April we visited Paris and the weather was not "April in Paris" spring weather. It was cold and rainy. So I think March would either be the same or even colder on the whole.

I don't know about the clothing colors but I think dark colors are usual yearround. I'm not sure if pastels are seasonal there.

Missypie,

I was in Paris last March and to be honest, I really didn't pay much attention to what anyone was wearing! lol

I wore sweaters because it was rainy and cooler....however, we did experience one sunny day. I don't recollect seeing any pastels though.

Hi
March is most likely to be a matter of staying warm and dry. A truly warm day will be a rarity. If you have sweaters and rain gear that are in pastels, wear what you like. But also bring gloves and an umbrella! I would say that chic Parisians don't wear a lot of pastel colors at any time, but that doesn't mean you can't, if the materials are appropriate. Linen for example would be way too early.

Assuming that you want to blend in while in Paris, forget the pastels. Black and dark earth colors are your best bet, enlivened if you want by colored scarves. One other comment: I was the only woman I saw wearing a tan raincoat. Black is the norm for that too.

Keep in mind that Paris is pretty far north, and spring weather (and thoughts of spring) often comes later than March.

Also coming from Texas, we visited Paris for two weeks in mid-March. My coat was a black raincoat with a wool lining and it was adequate, except when the rainy wind really blew. Then you just duck into a cafe and have a warm beverage to keep yourself going. The locals still were very bundled up with mufflers, heavy coats, mittens, etc.

My 1st visit to Paris was March 2001 & although some trees were budding & a lot of the gardens were blooming (i.e. the square behind Notre Dame) it was chilly & most people tended to dress in winter colors & wore coats, etc., although I did see a lot of people in red that year (red shoes, red handbags, red hair).

But if you wanted to mix pastels with black (pink sweater, black pants, black shoes), I don't think you would stand out. Parisians are known for going with a lot of black but with a burst of color such as a very colorful, chic scarf!