Parisien Dress Codes?
 

I'll be going to Paris for the first time in February. Is it snobby of me to ask what type of clothing I should bring? I'm concerned that my west-coast american wardrobe will mark me as a bumbling and too-casual tourist. Specifically, I'm interested in finding out what's de rigueur when shopping and dining. Heels? Jeans? Heels and jeans? Thanks for any advice.

There is no dress code - wear attire you think looks nice on you and feels comfortable. Be sensible and realistic.

Sensible and realistic mean...?

Well, I guess by &quot;sensible&quot; I mean wearing shoes which won't give you blisters but still look ok and by &quot;realistic&quot; not trying to squeeze into an outfit 2 sizes too small or wearing a hot-pink jogging suit to a church.<BR><BR>What are you considering doing - buying a entirely new wardrobe to wear in Paris so you don't look like an American tourist? Big, costly mistake.

Paris is a fashion city. It ain't LA. Jeans sightseeing, maybe. NO SNEAKERS. Boots for Feb. The better you dress, the better you'll be treated shopping &amp; in restaurants.

Please. Give me a little more credit than that. I'm asking whether or not I should pack mostly heels (of which I already own plenty) or jeans (which everyone would wear all of the time if there were no such thing as formality and taste). I would never assume people anywhere in the world insist on visitors wearing hot pink jogging suits. I am looking for advice and the subtle nuances of Parisien fashion. This is, after all, the capitol of haute couture.

Thanks for the tips, fashionpolice. Have you been there recently? Have you done a lot of shopping? I'm also curious as to formalities surrounding the big fashion houses. Appointment necessary?

Jeans with great blouse and sweater, low cut boots fine during day..night black wool pants and a great top..maybe a cashmere turtleneck, great belt,heels..boot or otherwise ..a good jacket..you are set

Luckily, sporty is in! I don't know your age or style, so it's hard to determine what to suggest. There's no one style...people are dressed down, but no one will blink an eye if your dressed up, much like SF or LA. That's the beauty of a larger city. Anything that's not a sweatshirt with kittens on it,or your college sports team, acid washed jeans, and reboks should be fine! Literally, you'll see anything and everything. I went for mainly comfort in a modern vintage style, and i actually got some complimets from Parisians...and trust me, most of my clothes are second hand, and by no means close to runway stles. <BR>I admire the euro tourists here who look comfortable, yet fashionable. I personally think it's the details that make a difference..I saw a woman today on my way into work on Union Sq. wearing cool trainers w/ cords (dark red) and a cute jacket with a striped scarf. She looked cool and relaxed. I think it's funny to see women sightseeing in heels and miniskirts...and they look miserable! <BR>If you get to Paris and decide you need something cute to throw into your clothing mix, check out H&amp;M, Zare, or Mango..all carry inexpensive, yet EXTREMELY trendy stuff. H&amp;M being the cheapest..In quality and price. I got a cute tshirt there last year for $5 that i sold at Buffalo exchange for $25. You can find all these stores on/around (i believe) Rue Rivoli. There's a large shopping area btwn le Marais and the Louvre area. It's always nice to have someplace to fall back on when spartan packing backfires! <BR>Hope that helps. <BR><BR>

My universal advice (Paris or other European cities), and I believe it to be sound... pick your 4-5 best outfits, you know, the ones you look and feel really good in, and as long as they are travel-friendly fabrics... pack those. One pair of heels if that's really *you* should be plenty for nice dinners, etc. You will be doing alot of walking, or at least I did, so I'd recommend other shoes you already own, don't buy new, like low heel boots, flats, cool sneakers, that can take you miles in a day.<BR><BR>What I saw in Paris was that if you look &quot;pulled together&quot; as a fashionable female, you'll be fine.

A simple beautiful Dress with a smashing neck piece that you can wear to any restaurant. Jeans for sight seeing, and you sound like you know that means well fitting with an attractive sweater/blouse or turtleneck sweater and an attractive all weather coat with a takeout lining. Closed shoes because of dog do. A good quality hand bag.

Many thanks for all of the advice.

...and some say the male species is the shallow, vain, insecure one... not me!

1-oscar-no they don't say that.<BR>2- No one walks in LA. So all the ladies wear ridiculous high heels with pointy toes. That is great for walking from the car to the door of the restaurant but it will kill you in Paris. Have you ever been to NYC or even San Francisco? Do you see how city girls dress? That is basically what you will see in Paris. But better.<BR>My advice would be to take a minimum of outfits, keeping them toned down, and buy while in Paris. <BR>We can usually pick out a West Coast tourist here in NYC so there is no doubt that you will stick out in Paris!<BR>

I don't pretend to be an expert on Parisien fashion, but I do have an observation/opinion from my trips to Paris. Two items I will not leave home without. Verrygood quality, comfortable low cut/top black leather (plain) boots and the best black leather designer handbag I can afford (Coach, etc.) Europeans seem to always have the most beautiful basic/not-trendy shoes/boots and handbags. They seem to complete/make the outfit.

I say, go for the goth look. Dress code: Orange spiked hair, black collar with studs, black leather jacket, short black skirt, high heeled boots...think about a white face with black lips and around the eyes. Totally de rigueur ma cherie, et haute coutoure. Oui, oui. It's a universal outfit of the western world, and people won't know if you are from chic Paris, London, Amsterdam, whereever. Go for it!

If what you wear will not get you arrested, and precious little in Paris will unless you directly threaten the welfare of someone else, I would not worry. <BR><BR>Out of good taste I would not show up at a 4 star restaurant in cowboy boots, a wrangler shirt, and blue jeans with tobacco juice stains. But, after sitting next to a guy wearing a black T-shirt in the high priced seats at the Opera Bastille, I think most anything goes. <BR><BR>To emphasize my point, I rode on the subway with a guy who was drunk out of his mind. He was singing, screaming, pounding the walls of the car, etc. <BR>But no one paid him any attention. He was not directly threatening to another passenger, so people let him be.<BR>I have seen people in public clad in what I would describe as trousers and an undershirt. No one bothered them.<BR>One such guy was dining next to me in a fairly decent restaurant. He got service like the other guests. <BR><BR>By the way, you will not be able to sucessfully hide that you are an American. As far as I know, unless you speak French like a native and get yourself outfitted at a Paris department store, people will know you are not French. My wife is a conservative and careful dresser. People in Paris start speaking English to her, even if she has not opened her mouth. The guy who spoke Engish to her when he approached from the rear and had not yet seen her face wins the prize. The experienced tourist observers can tell from any angle and just about any distance.<BR>

<BR>Fashion Trends Fall/Winter 2002 for New York City, Munich, Paris, and Tokyo.<BR><BR>Special note to all of you who despise jeans: see the comment about denim (either faded or dark) being one of the de riguer materials for wear during the day. <BR><BR>http://www.bellavita.net/trendsfashion.htm

What's wrong with buying a new mini-wardrobe for the trip? I did and it was half the fun of anticipating it all. In fact, I bought a bunch for the hubby too. Now when we wear those clothes it's a nice reminder of all the fun we had. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Emma, one tip if you get cable and want to see what &quot;the street&quot; in Paris looks like: just watch TV5, the francophone channel(skipping the Canadian programs) for instance France 2's &quot;Journal de 20 heures&quot;, the 8 o'clock news, and you're bound to get lots of everyday shots from the streets of France. It'll help you demystify the &quot;capital of haute couture&quot; image.