Wardrobe Advice

Old Mar 21st, 2009, 04:18 PM
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Wardrobe Advice

We're spending 5 days in Paris, 5 in Rome and 2 in Venice the last week in April and the first week in May. I heard that women don't wear jeans in Paris, although black ones would be okay. Is that true? What about men? Do men wear jeans in Paris? What about in the evenings? (We don't plan to go to fancy restaurants.) Is it true that Rome and Venice are more casual than Paris? Can you tell I have no idea what to pack?! We are in our early 60's but, remember, 60 is the new 40, and we dress "young." My husband lives in jeans but knows he'll have to bring some slacks anyway. Any help would be appreciated. Oh yes, I hate to take time to do washing except for washing a few things (mostly underwear and socks) at night in the hotel room.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 04:22 PM
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Really, you can wear what you like (so long as you wear something, lol!). But the problem with jeans is that they take up a lot of room to pack, and they take too long to dry. My packing list (for one checked bag under 22 lbs and one carry-on) is here: wilhelmswords.com/faq/index.html
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 04:31 PM
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Bring lightweight items. Lighter and easier to rinse out and hang dry.

There are nice linen pants in the jean style your DH might like. Try www.travelsmith.com

Jeans just arent that practical for travel.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 04:43 PM
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As the person who posted this query, I should add that I'm planning to wear 1 pr. of knit pants for the plane and pack an additional 2 pr. of pants, and 1 pr. jeans. I figure I can wear everything 2/3 times w/o washing them and need to wash only the slacks by hand. Slacks are lightweight and quick drying. But my husband really wants to wear jeans as often as possible.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 04:56 PM
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Then let him wear his jeans. He won't be the only person wearing them. Keep in mind though that nobody wear jeans with more style than the italian men!!

Having said that I do agree with the other posters, jeans are a pain to pack and to wash. I also don't think you will need 4 pairs of pants, leave one at home so you have extra room for shopping!!! Last time we went to France/Italy my packed bag weighed 12 kg at the airport, that included books, cosmetics and a hairdryer (can't stand hotel ones). I wore everything I took and had plenty of changes of clothes (no jeans). Admittedly it was May/June, so I wore a wear of stretch pants on the plane, and had two pairs of capris to wear during the day. I was thoroughly sick of them by the time we came home, but my bag was really manageable up and down stairs etc. I did throw in a pair of yoga pants which are a blessing at the end of the long day and you just want to get into something comfortable .

Hope you have a great trip.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 05:18 PM
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Yes, women and men wear jeans in Paris!!!

Also, I don't understand people who say that jeans take so much room to pack -- how big are your jeans? My jeans, when packed don't take any more room than a regular pair of pants or any other item. As far as washing them, true it would take longer to dry, but isn't one of the reasons to wear jeans that you don't have to wash them as often as let's say...a light colored pair of pants?
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 05:46 PM
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Jeans are everywhere except at the posh restaurants. I wear mine on the plane and at casual lunches and museums but they should fit well and look fresh and as lyb says they don't have to be washed often(as most jean manufactures advise)
I wear mine with nice tops/scarfs/jewelry which is how the Paris women dress themselves. Anyway, in the long run, it matters not. They don't care nor really notice what tourists wear. Manners matter more to them.
Have a wonderful trip.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 05:50 PM
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Hello Spartan, assuming your husband will take well fitting jeans and not the type of jeans for example worn while cleaning out the garage he will feel fine I would think. He might want to pack one pair of nonjean pants. I say that as someone who has lots of Italian friends in Italy and the fellows regardless of their age wear jeans. But again they are well fitting jeans. And as far as Paris some friends recently sent me some photos of their time in Paris. They live in the Region of Veneto where Venice is located. The husband is 64 years old. A trim stylish businessman man. In the pictures of their trip to Paris he had on jeans. Since the weather was cold he had on a blazer jacket and a collored button down shirt by the way and in another picture another collored shirt with a Vneck sweater. His wife doesn't wear jeans which seems to be true of all of my female friends of an older age in Italy but the younger women do of course. And a friend of mine in her 60's that does wear jeans a lot at home did not take jeans to Paris when they went there a couple of years ago and how she wished she had as she said there were so many women wearing jeans. I agree with lyb also, jeans stay "clean" longer then light colored pants. The other type of pants that stay "clean" longer imo are lightweight wool slacks of a darker color. Best regards and have a wonderful trip.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 06:02 PM
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Jeans don;t travel well - they are very thick and heavy - and if they get wet take forever to dry. And I've never been in europe that long without running into some rain.

In the cities you're talking about locals of mature years (and I don;t mean 60's I mean 40's) tend to dress in a more sophisticated way than in many places in the US. Casual wear is kept for resorts or actually doing sports. For more upscale restaurants something other than jeans will be much more appropriate. (That said, wearing trendy black jeans with spike heels and an expensive sweater or blouse will be fine most places. If you're talking about regular blue jeans and sneakers - stick to very casual places.)

Of course, you can wear whatever you want, and the number of places that require more formal attire is limited - although in my experience if you look as if you've been trudging around all day in the same shirt and jeans you may not get the best seats/attention.
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Old Mar 21st, 2009, 10:06 PM
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Thanks so much for all your help! I'm going to take my black jeans, and they do not take up any more room than my other slacks. I will wear yoga pants on the plane and take 2 pr. of slacks - maybe 3 if the suitcase has room. As for the hubby, he doesn't have tight fitting jeans, but he's tall and thin, so nothing looks baggy on him. I'll keep him to 2 pair of black/dark jeans (one for the plane) and 2 pr. of Dockers.

I really appreciate your help! Thanks to all.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 01:11 AM
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glad to hear the 60s are the new 40s- something to look forward to!

i wore jeans throughout the trip and seldom changed for dinner if we were out all day because we were usually too far from the hotel to go back - so i was in sneakers

as long as i have makeup on and my hair is ok then i feel dressed up

i can throw a scarf on to dress up a day outfit and im sure no-one really cared
i wasnt asked to leave- nor did i get any looks of disapproval

sometimes when i did choose to go back to dress for dinner, i still ended up with jeans but just chose a tiny heel to make me feel like i was going out- i dont even pack dress shoes anymore
comfort is really important so jeans and walk shoes are the way for me
they will still feed me if i pay them!
and i can walk home- save on a cab fare!
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 05:05 AM
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We were watching the French film "I Have Loved You So Long" last night. It is set in Nancy, mostly among academics from their thirties to their fifties. One of the main characters is a 30-something young woman professor, who invariably wears a dress or skirt and trench coat to the university, though students are dressed much more casually.

As she and her sister stroll the streets, playgrounds, and zoo with her children, you can see what dozens of French men and women are wearing. Skirts outnumber trousers by a large margin on women, but there are lots of jeans on both men and women, invariably what another poster calls "well-fitting", that is, with tight straight legs, not "comfort fit". The men are typically wearing blazers or sports jackets or sweaters with their jeans, and I can't recall anyone wearing an anorak or windbreaker, but I haven't finished the movie yet, either. Indoors, in cafes and the like, prominent male characters are seen wearing casual shirts, a leather jacket, sweaters, etc.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 07:29 AM
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Jeans are more than fine and we wore them in Paris, Rome, Venice, and everywhere in between. Personally, I am happier with jeans that look like slacks with creased fronts and side pockets. Sometimes Banana Republic carries this kind. Nordstrom's carries Kenneth Cole-Reaction brand for about $80 in black and dark blue. I pair my jeans with nice tops, sweater sets, or T-shirts, depending on the outing.

I force my husband to pack a pair of slacks, but he ends up wearing his jeans everywehere also.

Anna
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 08:46 AM
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Jeans are fine. Slacks are fine. Whatever you normally wear at home for similar activities, that's what I'd pack for Europe.

I'd worry more about getting the "pieces" you choose to pack right, so you have layering for different weather, especially at that time of year. So figure out a good combination of tops, sweaters, jackets for each of you.

Lastly the VERY most important thing (imo) is having good shoes! I take 3 pair (one on my feet) and includes a pair of sneakers.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 01:33 PM
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Ackislander,

That is a movie, not real life. People also have perfect hair, make up, etc.. I understand what you were trying to say, but you can't take the way people dress in a movie as gospel.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 02:38 PM
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If you want to flag the fact that you are a tourist, wear sneakers.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2009, 04:56 PM
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I second Suze and the importance of good walking shoes. I have a pair of black lace-up Mephisto which I can cross any continent in, but I also drag along a pair of nicer looking somethings.. Sneakers are fine. Geox puts out very stylish ones. Do not need to resort to stark white Reeboks.

IMO, no matter what one does, one is a tourist. Be proud of your ability to travel.

Anna
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Old Mar 23rd, 2009, 05:01 AM
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lyb writes:

That is a movie, not real life. People also have perfect hair, make up, etc.. I understand what you were trying to say, but you can't take the way people dress in a movie as gospel.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2009, 05:09 AM
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Pushed the button too soon!

See the movie and ask yourself if the people in the background are professional actors dressed by Wardrobe or ordinary people wearing their own clothes. This isn't a big budget film.

My point is that the average middle class French person dresses in a more pulled-together fashion than the average American middle class person. This doesn't mean we shouldn't dress the way we want when traveling or worry that our clothing makes us recognizable as tourists. Europeans make some very weird fashion choices when visiting here in the US.

I think the other huge difference is that many of us obviously want to look younger than we are, and I find that less apparent in France where 60 is 60 and looks fantastic!

The original poster asked what people wear in Paris. I pointed to a way of answering that question as close as Netflix or the nearest Blockbuster.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2009, 05:27 AM
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Even less hassle than renting a movie and no costs:

Go to Google maps.
Search for Paris (France, not Texas).
Zoom into the center of the city.
Select "Street View" (place the little yellow man on the zoom bar on any street you like).
Take a look around what people wear.

Since you do not plan to go to posh restaurants, your husband's pants are a non-issue.

Some people compare downtown Paris during mid-day lunch break with many business people around or the evening hours in ritzy restaurants or bars with their hometown Wal-Mart crowd. Which is not exactly a fair comparison.
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