This seems to be the object of major concern for a lot of visitors from North America and a few other parts of the world, so I would like to give some reassurance to visitors this summer who are afraid that they will be stared at or that their slobby spouses or children will be scorned.

Last summer I took a number of photographs of random Parisians in my own residential neighborhood just because I am always amazed at how people here go on about the elegance of Parisians and their natural sense of style.

Okay, I work on avenue George V, so I know the sort of Paris that you are all talking about. It totally engulfs my working day, and I can't wait to get away from it and change clothes.

If you would like to see how Parisians look once they have left work and returned to their ordinary neighborhood, click here: http://tinyurl.com/d36vxo

Great photo collage. I swear I saw a tourist ot 2 though! Some of theose outfits may be really casual but are rather chic too!

Thanks for the photos and the perspective. I've never understood why folks think Europeans dress so well, either. Silly nonsense, of course, but it has taken on a life of its own.

Casual? Yes.
Fat? Very few.
When you are overweight, you need to dress more carefully, to avoid looking like a slob.
Tight T-shirts + clunky trainers look just awful on heavy, middle-aged N Americans....whereas some of the young folks in your photos look quite hot, dressed in same.
I think the best rule is not "Dress up" or "Dress down" but "Dress for your age + body type".
I'm 56 and I have no qualms about dressing in a very relaxed way in European cities or at home. That includes wearing jeans and T shirts. I have the build to carry it off.
I do draw the line at running shoes, however! Quite unnecessary to comfort, ugly as Hell ...and very bulky to pack.

i dont get thefuss either
i dont want to look a fright anywhere and in particular i want to look more than ok in a photo when im o/s so i try to pack things that i actually look decent
but i have to be comfortable so i look to colours that suit me - i lwear fitted clothes that suit my body type and flatter the good bits
as for shoes
i like slim line sport shoes and the same in a walker
i favour slim over chunky moccasin style loafers for pants and a hiker lace-up for jeans

a nice casual jacket in a bright colour is my staple with a pashmina/scarf added for warmth and to create a different look
i dont take accessories
theres just no point in changing ear-rings or wear necklaces because i feel the cold too much and, for the most, i have a jacket or fleece on, anyway

Thanks for posting

Great photos. These folks look like they could be from any city. When people say they don't want to look like "typical tourists" I have no idea what they mean since most people do not buy special wardrobes for vacation; most just wear what we already own.

That's why I "hibernate" in summer.

I have sat at cafés in Paris and taken photos of random people walking by, too, but my photos look a bit different from yours - lots of people who would be easily identifiable as Europeans and starkly contrasting photos of overweight Americans with shorts and fanny packs and honking huge sneakers. Mine were taken from a café in the 7ème, so maybe that's the difference. Or maybe having spent so much time in Europe I see people with more of a "European eye." At any rate, I agree that it's generally silly to espouse the notion that Europeans, and Parisians in particular, are always elegant, but at the same time there is no getting away from the fact that a lot of American tourists just look like hell when they're traveling (or when they're not - just go to any mall here in the USA). One might posit the same thing about Germans, though, especially the ones who travel in packs in North Africa and Greece and all the warm places they are attracted to. Some generalizations are actually in order on this topic, though fortunately there are plenty of exceptions.

Thanks, kerouac. I'm guessing the babe in the brown sweetheart neckline number was on her way home to change.

I agree with tegdale. (except the statement >>Tight T-shirts + clunky trainers look just awful on heavy, middle-aged N Americans<< No need to specify a continent of origin on that one.)

One thing that amuses me when I look over the pictures again is how many people have a mobile phone stuck to the side of their head.

All doubtless talking to each other.

"Oh yeah, I can see you on the other side of the street."

Those folks actually all look pretty good to me.

"how people here go on about the elegance of Parisians and their natural sense of style."
Thanks for reminding people how big and diverse Paris is.

In different areas of the city, one will see different ethnic and income (class) groups.
Most tourist like to stay in 4,5,6,7 etc.
Once one ventures north- east, the picture ( or pictures!) can be rather different.

Here is a favourite image from Rome -- taken last month:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1126123095

(Does anyone on this board imagine these people might be Italian??? I think not.....)

One of my favorite things is to take pictures of people walking by. I did notice that teens are teens all over the world.

kerouac, thanks for sharing your summer pictures. I'd like to see how the photos would change with each season Your photos show such a composition of diversity in your neighborhood. Deborah

Great thread, Kerouac.

Now 'fess up, which one is you?

Kerouac, can you tell me what program you used to make your collages? I use Picasa 3 but it doesn't give me the capacity to make the kind of collage you did. Thanks.