shorts in Paris
 

We will be in Paris in July and was wondering if people there wear shorts as we do here. I was in Amsterdam last year and almost no one was wearing shorts. I would say mostly the women there wore capris.

Please help, I need to go shopping.

Save the shorts for the countryside, unless you don't mind advertising your tourist status or you are younger than age 12.

I agree with the previous poster. Capris would be a better choice, although undoubtedly you will see some tourists in shorts.

Capris, or cropped pants, were quite fashionable in Europe last year, but so far this year I've hardly seen anyone wearing them. Shorts may make you look like a tourist, but that's what you are and at least you'll be comfortable.

OTH, if you want to look fashionable, you need to wear very low-slung, full length, combat-style pants, preferably made of silk, with at least 6 inches of bare flesh between them and your cropped top. At least, that's the impression I get on my daily lunch-time treks around town!

=:)

To elaborate, Xenos, the more "stuff" on the pants the better -- cargo pockets, flaps, zippers, buckles, drawstrings, snaps -- hip to ankle hardware, at least that's how it looked to me in Paris last week. Not real flattering on those of us 5'3" and under.

That's it exactly Marilyn:-)

I'm a fairly average 5'5", but trying to buy a pair of non-frumpy casual pants that don't double my weight is quite a challenge at the moment :-(

Astrid, go shopping in Paris. The stores are open most of the year.

So when referring to fashion in France, does that include Speedos that are 4 sizes too small?

But seriously, what is so wrong with just being yourself and dressing how you usually do? There is nothing wrong with individuality. I would prefer to be comfortable than to worry about what the natives think of my wardrobe:)

I was in Paris 2 weeks ago and it was hot! I saw lots of capris but mostly linen dresses. The only shorts I saw on French women were at Versailles, which the local people treat as a park--go there to exercise, biking and walking. Unfortunately, on my last trip to Paris (at the same time of year), it was cold and rainy, so I had brought only pants (black and navy), several twin sweater sets, and one dress suitable for dinner but not walking around all day. Ended up just wearing the shell part of the sweater sets with pants and was very hot.

I agree with wearing what's comfortable to you. I'm relatively sure, based on the fact that you're conscientious enough to even ask about shorts, that you're not planning on wearing butt-cheek exposing cut-offs.

On that note, I normally wear versatile cotton dresses that easily go from park to museum to dinner when traveling.

Be comfortable and enjoy yourself!

Xenos, can you imagine trying to go through airport security in those pants? I wonder if you'd have to take them off and put them through the xray machine separately?

astrid, if YOU feel comfortable being dressed a lot more casually than most of the people around you, then it's fine to wear shorts. The fashion police will not arrest you. I prefer to blend in more -- I'm just more comfortable that way. (I also feel like less of a target if it's not so obvious I'm a tourist.)

But since you are asking "if people there wear shorts as we do here", (given that we don't know where "here" is), Paris is not particularly a casual city, but rather a dressy and sophisticated one.

Of course you should be comfortable, but I think that a dress or loose pants in cotton, linen, or rayon are just as cool as shorts.

Lol Marilyn! I'll be flying to Greece on a charter flight in 4 weeks and there are sure to be a few fashion victims wearing those pants. I'll report back if I see any major incidents going through security :-)

There is no fashion police patroling Paris, but I do find that pants will enable you to feel more comfortable in any setting; for example, if you sightsee all afternoon and go for dinner directly without changing, you can go anywhere in classic pants and top, as opposed to wearing shorts and having to limit yourself in your choice of restaurants
because of your attire.
Last year, I wore an ankle length zipper front black skirt that was really versatile, comfortable to walk in and nice looking....

Thanks everyone. By here, I am sorry but I forgot to specify that I am in the U.S.

I do like to blend with people and not look like such a tourist. I will wear my cotton dresses as suggested. And if I need to, it would be great to have an excuse to go shopping in Paris!!!! My husband will love that!!

I think that very few women look good in shorts. I would go into a Zara store, and look for their linnen skirts; they're bias-cut, very flattering, to just below the knee and they are quite cheap too! You can get some cotton tops to wear with them too. Great to wear when it's hot, and they always look good. I live in Antwerp, and lots of my friends have these skirts.

Shorts aren't really appropriate in Paris. Although many Parisans dress in jeans nowadays, if you wear shorts you will stand out as a tourist. Better to take the advice of the previous posters on what to wear.

It's not looking like a tourist that's bad about shorts, it's that it's like walking on fifth avenue in shorts..it's inappriopiate and disrespectful.I also think you will be treated in a receptive manner when you enter an establishment.

Yes, that's true for sure-the type of treatment may be much different if you are wearing shorts.

I was just thinking it is probably safe to assume that the poster (astrid22) wanted to blend in and not be so much like a tourist. In other words, if s/he had the attitude "Just wear what you want" (even if no one else is wearing shorts, but tourists), s/he wouldn't have posted the question in the first place..... Would someone who has the attitude "Just wear whatever" even ask for such advice?

I meant if you are dressed appropiatley, you will be received in a welcomeing way (no shorts)

cigalechanta: I agree completely. I believe in dressing for maximum versatility and also for the most positive acceptance for the culture if your objective is to make things easier on yourself and be able to enjoy pleasant exchanges with the natives. ON THE OTHER HAND, if you enjoy having a confrontational attitude and demeanor (and I say this believing this is not always bad, and it is part of some people's personality and is ok), then the thing to do WOULD be to wear whatever you feel like! Some people don't mind getting strange looks/reactions (my sister being one of them, Madonna, et al), and even quite enjoy it.

My husband and I spent five days in Paris recently. It was unseasonably hot, so I was glad I'd bought along a pair of black skorts that fit me well and look pretty much like a skirt, but feel more comfortable. I alternated between the skorts and a light-weight cotton dress. We stayed in the 4th Arrondissement (sp?) which seems to be pretty casual by Paris standards--along with skirts and capri pants, I saw more jeans than I expected, but no shorts.

You know, Scottee, I have felt for many years that the French were sort of snotty and rude and disliked Americans. But having recently spent 2 weeks there, I can honestly say not one single person was rude or unpleasant to us.

In fact, I found the French generally to be polite, friendly, happy to speak French with us as we stumbled along trying to remember verb conjugations, and absolutely charming. I've entirely revised my attitude and would happily return on another visit, especially to Paris.

suesea, I think the sort of "shorts" you wore (also knee-length linen "walking" shorts) are very different from the sort one might wear to a barbecue or on a hike, and would not be looked at askance.

Tulips, you raised THE question that I deleted from my last post figuring I'd get slammed. But really, that is one of the most important considerations -- how do those shorts look on you? If you're 20 lbs overweight, I don't have a problem with you wearing shorts in Hawaii, but please, don't humiliate yourself (and make me wince for my fellow countrywoman) in a city like Paris, which has arguably the best-dressed women in the world.

There are shorts and then there are shorts... I have several pair I got in Switzerland last year when an unexpected HEATwave hit. They are knee length, rayon print, loose fitting, not much different from a skirt. If it was hot enough and I was in Paris, personally I would be happy to have them to slip on for touring, walking, sitting in a park during the daytime.

I find it amazing how many people are so obsessed with what to wear. Stick with jeans and a T shirt or what ever you wear, and forget about it. People who judge you by what you are wearing are not worth anything.

Let's go on the USA board and see how many Europeans are writing asking what Americans are wearing...........

I'm sorry, I just have to comment on a previous post:

"it's that it's like walking on fifth avenue in shorts..it's inappriopiate and disrespectful."

Oh, puhlease! It's disrespectful to walk on Fifth Avenue in shorts? Who, exactly, is it disrespectful to? The minimum-wage-earning floor clerks at Tiffany & Co, or the other snobs that you may run into?

I don't normally dress inappropriately, I just think that that was a ridiculous comment. I'm sure that astrid22 is older than three-times-seven and hardly needs to be given advice as if she's an idiot.

jor, I agree with you, but sometimes life is more complicated than that.

While "people who judge you for what you are wearing are not worth anthing", they may still be in a position to give you a pleasant or not so pleasant experience. They may be waiting on you in a restaurant or shop, or assigning you a room in a hotel or seat on a plane, for example.

Wearing jeans and a T-shirt just won't cut it everywhere.

If you really want to "blend" while wearing shorts/culottes/capris/skirts/etc. then don't shave.

No women over the age of 10 should wear shorts in ANY city, including those in the USA!

Actually, winner, although I was the first poster to advise against shorts in Paris, I don't agree with your comment. There are some US cities like LA or Seattle where very casual dress is the norm. You might not see women in shorts going into downtown office buildings to work, but you will certainly see them everywhere else.

I usually travel to France off-season, but a few years ago I was there during a few days of extremely hot, humid weather. On the weekend (when people weren't in work clothes) almost all the women I saw were wearing either shorts or the skimpiest of dresses.

The French dress for comfort, just as Americans do. I do not know where these myths about the French "dressing up" come from. Maybe this was true in the 1960's (or earlier), but it is certainly not true now. The only dressed-up people you will see in Paris are the ones in their work clothes, or people dressed up for special occasions.

No male over 10 years should wear shorts either, for that matter. Especially men who look like they're about ready to give birth.

>No male over 10 years should wear >shorts either, for that matter. >Especially men who look like they're >about ready to give birth.

That's a bit severe. I'd say nobody over 30 in years or waistline. Seriously, I think that for women a loose swirly dress is much the most comfortable option, something that the breeze can get into.

If blending in is of great concern to you I suggest you bag any ideas of buying your clothes before you get to Europe, price differences or not. A lot of the clothing, and especially some of the footwear favored by Europeans is different than in the US and that includes capri pants. Do YOU wear capri pants on a daily basis here? I didn't see many European women wearing them in either Italy or Germany a few weeks ago.

Oh fer crying out loud. When people ask what to wear they DO want to fit in and not look like a tourist, and they already know that yes, people do judge you on what you are wearing.

In Paris, I would not wear shorts, whether male or female, unless it was ridiculously hot and humid (above 90's). You would definitely stand out if you wore shorts, even "dressy" shorts (nice fabric, dark color). IN Amsterdam people wear shorts WAY more than they do in Paris, to give you an idea.