What are women wearing in Paris?
 

What are the women in Paris wearing this fall? The fashions are always a year ahead of everyone else. Also- what type of shoes?

"The fashions are always a year ahead of everyone else."

You're talking nonsense. Fashion runs six months ahead worldwide i.e. there have just been the Spring/Summer 2006 shows. You have no idea what you're talking about. Also, what fashion are we talking about? Couture, Cruise, Ready-to-wear, Street....?

Buy yourself a copy of Vogue.

Nice, thanks for the sweet reply.

Kingdom come is talking some sense but I think his(or her) choice of words leaves alot to be desired. I don't know where you come from in the US but in today's world most any large city with any fashion sense are essentially interchangable in dress. Of course on 9/12 not too many are wearing fall wardrobe to give an indication. Ans as for what's in Vogue magazine. it doesn't make a bit of difference until it sells in the stores.Hits of the season show up when we're into the season.

If you are a lady of good taste and are happy with what you would wear in any American city...that's what you should wear in Paris. There's no magic formula in Paris and for what you would wear on a trip to Paris is not more advanced than what you would wear in NY.

Thank you for your words of wisdom. Living in the south- one might also ask- what are the women wearing in New York? Where I live, tourists show up in black socks and sneakers. I was not necessarily looking for fashionista advice, more practical - like how not to look like you're wearing black socks and sneakers with shorts. No one relishes looking like a tourist even if you're not dressed like the cover of Vogue.

Hi, Flaze. I'm certainly no fashionista and probably shouldn't be giving anyone advice on the subject, but I'm going to Paris in 2 weeks, and here's what I've picked up in my reading for the trip:

Black is always good. I plan on taking a couple of pairs of tailored, black dress pants and a handerchief hem black skirt. I am also plannin gon taking one pairt of nice, "dressy" jeans. I'm not big on prints, so usually do another solid color on top for contrast--this trip it will be red or sage green. Black paired with pastels is usually fashionable. From what I've read, scarves are a popular fashion accessory, so you can throw on one those (neck, hair, or waist) for some color too.

I have no help for you on shoes--I haven't seen anything about that. I just bought a nice, simple pair of black walking shoes (Ecco actually has some stylish ones out now), and that's what I'll be wearing most of the time.

These are only generalizations that I've picked up--please don't anyone flame me if you disagree with them! I'm just trying to help out a fellow southern. :-)

You must live somewhere that only attracts very hicky tourists, I hope that this isn't a reflection upon the residents of your little enclave.

But if you want to know what Paris designers have produced for this season you should've known the answer six months ago when they were showing all their collections. What are you after exactly? Vogue has all the answers.

After having read literally hundreds of these posts, I'm tempted to reply to the question with "Clothes." But that would probably be considered mean...

Eloise I was gonna say the very same thing :-)

Flaze, I doubt what women in Paris are wearing for shoes and what would be reasonable and comfortable to wear as a tourist have much in common.

For Europe packing and sight-seeing I think classical works best. Simple well cut pants and tops in solid, neutral colors with the best looking shoes or boots you can find that you could walk for 5 miles in (I've never walked so much as in Paris!). A nice jacket. Like that.

LOL, Eloise, that was my first thought :D

m_k did have a point..if you are anywhere near a city in the US you will see the same fashions that are being worn in Paris..
It is the women that look different :)

I once suggested looking at a fashion magazine and was slammed, but if one does not get out to stores and people in ones suburb are still wearing shorts and tee shirts with sneakers or flip flops, it is helpful to have some sort of reference to what the city folk are wearing :D

1st suggestion- do a search on Fodors..there are threads like this every week, there is a wealth of info on What to Wear.
2-wear what is comfortable for the weather and for walking from dawn til dusk. You won't care by nighttime if your shoes are in style, only if your feet are bleeding or broken.
Take something for wet weather and chilly weather..if that is when you will be there, this fall?
3- coming from NY, I always wore what I wore in town, black lol. cotton turtlenecks and trousers for days, nice tops and black trousers for night. walking shoes days- high heeled boots at night..only..my feet were whimpering by the second day anyway-
Take money to have a Paris shopping fit, go to the boutiques in the Marais and the Galleries Lafayette, there you will see Just what the ladies in Paris are buying and you can buy something that will make you happy back at home too.
Have fun, S

Flaze,

As a fellow southerner, (not near a big city), I understand your question. You did get some good advice -- stick to basics, black pants or skirts with color blouses or sweaters. As for shoes, comfort is far more important than style; sore feet while you're traveling is truly a miserable experience.

What you wear also depends upon what you plan on doing. I've been in Paris many times (lived there for almost two years) and the only time I saw high fashion was at a Givenchy fashion show. The French women I've seen and known dress simply.

Ignore the rude -- and extremely rude -- responses.

Don't worry too much about your wardrobe, just go and enjoy.

Thank you all so much. The advice about the shoes will be well followed. As for our "hicky" tourists, many are from other countries and were not prepared to dress down for hot weather. Thus, the mixed up outfits. You see a lot of brand new shiny white sneakers at DisneyWorld

Hi Flaze:
I agree with Luisah (another Southerner here :-) )--basics are good. I take lots of black, and a nice pair of jeans (eg dark denim). I wear simple black flats or oxford-style shoes for walking. Accessories (earrings, scarves) are a great way to dress up a basic outfit (better yet, buy accessories there!). A genius of Frenchwomen is that they can take a plain fitted t-shirt and dressy pants, then accessorize that into fabulousness.
Ignore the attitude. Some posters here seem to think it's good sport to snark at new posters and see who can be most witty in doing it.
Bon voyage!

Flaze - Suze had some good advice based on what I have seen so far. One can't forget that as tourists we need to be more comfortable walking around than those who just go straight to work, plus we can't pack everything. Since you are from the south, I suggest that you get to Paris and see what gives and then buy what you can use again at home or for another trip. You may be surprised at what colors you see.....Orange, Purple et al, and as someone said, by Vogue for an insight. Bring money!

Flaze, you're right...Dare I point out that in 2003 the French and Italians were already wearing the super-pointy shoes that took over a year to arrive here in the States. I still refuse to buy them. ;)

I wear the most comfortable shoes I can buy that look nice (I bought Josef Seibels this year), I wear tons of black in Paris during the fall (but not the spring or you'd look silly, kinda like those gals wearing the prairie skirts and cowboy boots in Paris this spring), and don't wear anything that constitutes free advertising for US Sports teams, etc.

You will look like a tourist, because you are one. The sooner you dress for comfort over style the better off you'll be. Style shouldn't be forgotten, just made less important, IMHO.

Happy travels,

Jules

Holy cow, Kingdom2, did you get up on the wrong side of your broom this morning? Chill. She didn't ask for your first born child!

French Women are wearing and I quote from Sarah Turnbull - "Take a look at your average Parisienne. No matter how long the skirts are on the international fashion runways, hers will always be short. She will wear a beautifully tailored jacket, suggestive of the curves it covers. A snug Petit Bateau T-Shirt shows why spending pay packets on padded, push-up bras is an investment. Her colours match, her choice of clothes is coherent. Petite, with lovely shapely legs, she wears very little makeup because she doesn't need it. Just a smear of lip gloss, faint colour in her cheeks and naked dark eyes. Her look is brilliantly balanced - soigne`e but natural, sexy without being tarty. Elderly parisiennes are more excessive. The city is full of glamorous grannies...... The essence of French style can be summed up in two words, which linked together are loaded with meaning: bon goute`. Good taste."

If people ask silly questions....

But honestly I really don't get it. If she's asking for runway trends then by all means ask away, but "what are the women in Paris wearing this fall?" is mad. There are several million "women in Paris" so how on Earth is one meant to be able to answer the unanswerable?

Also, who cares how they dress? When I go on tours/excursions to small, little villages abroad where I doubt one would find a copy of Vogue from a decade ago I don't think how I can make myself fit in. If I want to wear international designers to far from international places I will.

Who wants to look local? Have your own style and take it the world over.

I work in the fashion industry and what people don't realize is that very often casual wear will come out of Southern California not Europe. Europe is geared more towards high fashion and evening wear.

For shoes its Italy.

<<The essence of French style can be summed up in two words, which linked together are loaded with meaning: bon goute`. Good taste>>

Did Sarah Turnbull really say that? Because it isn't correct French, there is no e at the end of that word.

If one wants to see high fashion, you could easily buy a French fashion magazine. The original question asked what the latest fashions in Paris were, not just what would be acceptable other than really trashy Disney world tourist wear. I think people would know the answer is not shorts and white sneakers for a large, cosmopolitan capital city, whether Paris or New York.