Hello Everyone,

I am going to europe in Mid September and will end in Paris in early October. My biggest concern is bringing the right dress up clothing for a nice dinner or a night out. Normally...if I were going out in San Francisco, Manhattan, or LA...I would wear a nice pair of jeans, wedge shoes and cute swanky top. I have heard that this is not appropriate for Paris or Monaco...therefore...I was wondering...can i get away with a pair of black capri pants with a cute top and wedge shoes? Are long pants a requirement to be appropriate? For the majority of the time...I was thinking nice white t-shirts, jeans, and a sweater with black diesel tennis shoes. For a casual night...ballet style flats and the above mentioned clothing...appropriate? not appropriate? Help...I may be over thinking this.

Thanks! Any help i can get...I would greatly appreciate!

hckypris98,

If you're young and fashionable and go to hip and fashionable places, a dressy jeans and wedge shoes are perfectly acceptable.
In classic (very) high end restaurants they might not be that appropriate. Then I'd go for long pants or a skirt/dress.
Your daytime outfit seems fine to me.
Enjoy your trip!

I have been in most of the major Europen cities and I never wore anything more fancy than a pair of slacks (not jeans) to dinner at night (Which means I also wore dress jeans out to dinner). Of course I don't dine at Tour D'Argent either.

One caveat, To go to Monte Carlo at night I believe you need to dress up. However what the dress code is there I do not know.

I think what you plan to wear will see you through most everything except for the most upscale 4 star $$$$ places.

Thanks for the quick reply...I will bring a skirt...just in case.

Anybody else have packing suggestions...I am going on a tour...NOT backpacking.

Thanks!

For Paris, yes to the capri pants (at least until mid-October). Nothing wrong with wedge shoes, but you don't see them as much here as you would see heels or ballet flats. As for the "cute top", it depends on your definition of cute. In Paris, I see a lot of feminine, flirty, silky tops (e.g. bias cut, v-necked tops), but less "tight, stretchy and see-through" clothing than I see in London or some cities in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if Monaco was dressier, though - you might want to be able to substitute a skirt for the capris.

As for your regular daytime outfits, I'd recommend against relying primarily on "nice white tshirts" because they won't stay nice for long - unless you plan to send everything out to be cleaned a few times a week (which is an option, of course). For a 2-week warm or hot weather trip, I usually pack 2 black t-shirts, 2 white or cream-coloured ts, 2 bright colours and a pair of cotton twinsets (2/3 of black, white or bright colour).

Jeans can be hot, heavy, uncomfortable (if they don't have lycra) and difficult to wash and drip-dry. If you do pack jeans, pack only 1-2 lightweight pairs and choose the most stylish ones you have that contain a little stretch. You might be better off with lightweight, stretch cotton trousers instead (cooler and more comfortable). Very crisp, polished fibre and dark clothing (e.g. black and navy) can really start to look dirty and rumpled quickly, so you might want to think of packing fabrics that will stand up a bit better. I often travel with khaki, tan and mid-range colours because they seem to travel better (although I also always pack at least one pair in black).

Your tennis shoes might not have enough support to allow you to walk for hours. Have you spent 4 hours in the pavement in them?

Thanks!! Honestly...I never spent more than 4 hours in pavement in any of my shoes...except my hiking shoes...those are definitely out! It was either just the Diesels shoes or the Diesel shoes AND my Dansko MaryJanes. As far as my cute top...it is definitely feminine and flirty...I sooooo do not do those super tight and see through tops...not my style.

I did check the average weather...for the first part of my trip(london, amsterdam, germany, switzerland, austria)...the average weather is high 60s during the day. For the Italy portion...the average weather is low 80s and then in France...back to the high 60s. So based on that information...i was going to bring light sweaters...a shawl the doubles as a scarf if it gets cold...and a down vest for the evening. As far as being hot in jeans...I think i will be fine...I live in California and we are having record high 100+ degree weather and I still wear jeans. I will definitely bring the capris and a skirt...thank you so much for your advice!

Thank you!

If you wear jeans at home, take 'em. I know a lot of people don't travel with jeans as they are bulky to pack...but I love my jeans and always take a pair (the best-fitting ones!) unless I am heading for the absolute tropics. I have never regretted taking a good-looking pair or jeans.

I also like to take a cute jeans jacket -- I don't wear it WITH the jeans, but with capris or a skirt. The weight is good for travel except in the hottest weather, and you can dress a jeans jacket up a bit with a great scarf or a brooch.

Finally, I would rather take an extra pair of shoes and skimp on the clothes. Got to keep those tootsies happy!

The down vest is likely to be rather bulky and will look out of place in most places other than on the side of a mountain. Have you considered instead the possibility of packing a neutral lightweight polar fleeze zip-up jacket? My standard outwear system for most trips (except winter) is to take a black, fitted polar fleece zip jacket (I got mine at Mountain Equipment Coop in Canada - no visible logos). Yes, it's sporty, but it's neutral and sleek enough that it doesn't look too strange in cities. I also layer it under my black trenchcoat (e.g. if I'm in the city on a business trip in late fall) or under a lightweight zip-up, black running shell jacket (if it's mostly a sporty trip). If I go out somewhere and need to dress up, I can always take off the polar fleece jacket at the same time as I remove my raincoat (e.g. in the restaurant or when checking my jacket) - and no one is the wiser. The other essential items for outerwear are: a) a lightweight pasmina/cashmere scarf (you already mentioned taking a scarf - good idea); and b) lightweight black polar fleece gloves. I use the scarf as a throw on the plane (so I don't have to have that yucky airplane blanket anywhere near my face) or for a nap in the hotel), cover my shoulders with it if I'm wearing a sundress and it's cool at night or I'm going somewhere where there are issues about having shoulders or head bare (e.g. in muslim countries - or even when visiting a church), wrap it around my neck to keep myself warm or to look stylish (it's a bright colour), etc. The cashmere/silk blend ones (I got mine at Tie Rack) squish down to almost nothing - you'll have room for more than one in your luggage.

Two more bits of advice. Sounds like a great trip, but with lots of travel. I hope you're planning to limit yourself to no more than a 22" suitcase (plus daypack). It is not fun to sling a larger suitcase up and down subway stairs, through railway stations, up and down stairs in small hotels with non-existent elevators etc. Secondly, while I'm an advocate of light packing, make sure that you have at least two pairs of reasonably comfortable walking shoes (and maybe one pair of dress-up shoes). What if you get caught in the rain, and completely soak your own pair of walking shoes? Wear one pair on the plane, pack one pair and pack your "fun shoes".

<i>&quot;I am going on a tour.&quot;</i>

The OP is going on a TOUR. She most likely won't 1) have to schlepp luggage on trains/buses, and 2) have time to wash clothes very often since they will probably be on the move from city to city.

My main advice - don't rely too much on white - it gets soiled very easily. a couple of white T's - OK but take more colorful things to &quot;hide the dirt&quot;

And don't rely too much on wedge heels. You will be on the move and not usually able to go back to the hotel to change shoes - and wedges are not great for walking on cobbles, climbing towers, hours on your feet.

janisj:

Just because you're on a tour doesn't mean you don't have to schlep bags. Who is going to move your bag from the bus to your room? (Maybe a porter, maybe not, but if you wait for all bags to be delivered to your room, you might wait for hours.) Who is going to take your bags back to the bus? What if part of the tour involves ferries or trains? As for washing clothes, well, if it's a different city each day, then there's not much time to let clothes dry. However, if you have two or more days in a city, there is time to send something to the cleaner or wash out something and have it dry in your room.

The OP mentioned bring wedge shoes for a nice night out, not a day of touring. How do you know she won't be able to go back to her hotel to change for dinner?

Your clothing sounds just fine, hckypris98. Do take an extra pair of walking shoes, as previous posters suggest, and take an outfit you really love and looks good enough to wear multiple times for evening, rather than several &quot;lesser&quot; ones. You'll save suitcase room and feel better wearing an outfit that makes you look your best. Have a great time!

I think you're basically on the right track. A few tweaks to your original ideas... I would take the sneakers, Dansko maryjanes, ballet flats (use for your dress shoe rather than the wedge), and figure out one more pair of something that you can walk ALL day in comfortably.

I'd take black t-shirts instead of white (they will appear fresh much longer). I would have one skirt &amp; one black capris along and a couple cute tops to go with it for your dress up occasions/evenings.

If you want to pack the down vest, it's a perfect candidate for compression. Use a 1-2 gallon regular ziplock bag and sit on it to get the air out, then zip. Put in the bottom of your suitcase. I'd also take along a good black cardigan and maybe one other jacket of some sort.

Over-thinking is a GOOD thing when it comes to packing imo. My suggestion is sometime soon find a place you can start to hang all the things you are considering taking together in one place and see how it's coming together.

My first trip to Europe, about seven years ago, was a tour. I never touched my suitcase. It was always brought to the room within about 15 minutes of arrival at the hotel, and we set them outside the room each morning and they were loaded onto the bus. I never had to handle it...good thing too. Being my first trip I WAY overpacked..OMG the thing was HUGE!!!! LOL Since traveling on my own I certainly have learned to lighten the load.

I also always try on everything, and check combinations of clothes, before I leave to make sure that everything is comfortable, clean and in good repair. Ask yourself: could I wear these trousers for 12 hours straight, does this shirt have a scratchy label, does everything still fit properly, do I have the right underwear? If it's not, this is of course a good excuse to go shopping.

And make sure you sort out the undie issue. My boss once committed the fatal error of packing very light clothes (white suit, somewhat sheer tops) for a business conference in a tropical climate. Travelling from a winter climate, she wore a winter-appropriate black bra on the plane - and forgot to pack another one (it was a short conference). She found herself enlisting a male colleague as a &quot;bodyguard&quot; when she ventured out of the safety of the hotel (it was a dangerous city) to shop for lingerie in a local department store. Finding something that fit was a challenge, since the typical body type in the place she was visiting wasn't shaped anything like her body type. Her colleague found the experience entertaining, and they were fairly good friends so she wasn't too embarrassed, but she never made that mistake again.

One last bit of advice (honest). Pack something lightweight and comfortable for hanging around in your hotel room. I usually take a lightweight tshirt and lightweight pajama pants for lounging.

I wasn't advocating you should over pack or take a lot of stuff (I'm sort of the &quot;pack light queen&quot; ) - was just mentioning on a tour you will most likely never have to carry your own suitcase. Not from the airport, not in/out of the hotel, not on/off the bus/train/ferry.

And I also didn't say you were ONLY taking wedges. But if you are on an all day or evening sightseeing/dinner/pub crawl w/ the group, wedges are probably not your best bet. Don't know which tour you are taking -- but if it is very organized w/ not much &quot;independence&quot;, your time is not your own and you really won't have many opportunities to go back to the hotel to change if you picked wrong.

I would do away with the down vest and opt for a fall coat (jean jacket, leather coat, short trench). That way, you can layer sweaters underneath if need be. I agree with Kate that it's more of a mountain look.

I would also take more long pants than capris. You could hit nice weather, or it could be cool, so long pants would be a better option. One of the last times we were in Europe (France and Hungary), it was cool and I did not have proper clothing. The key is to layer.

Definitely get shoes that you can walk around in all day (Clarks are fantastic).

Re jeans, they may be great in normal circumstances, but on a tour they become a total liabilty once they get wet - you won't have the time to wash &amp; dry them (and iron them as they'll crease like crazy), if you are wearing them you'll feel miserable until you can change &amp; they weigh more than 2 pairs of wool mix trousers

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all of your valuable input. Just so that you can get further inside my head and I can overthink this more.I am taking a Contiki tour. Also, to keep my packing to a minimum and allowing room in my 24&quot; suitcase(at least half the suitcase) to buy stuff and bring things back...I only plan on bringing the minimal amount of clothing and buying cute items to wear along the way.

Here is the reasoning for some of the items I chosing:

DownVest - frequent item on the runway for fall...many variations of the down vest at all the PreFall Season sales this year. I like the compression idea...if i decide to pack it and very easily stuffed into my backpack. More than likely...this will be my only jacket I bring with me...I might buy another coat in europe. Also, to me...this is the perfect option for staying warm if it is cold and still keeping my arms cumbersome free. Also tried it on with the Hermes scarf...looks clean and classic yet fashionably forward.

White T-shirts - to wear under long sleeve sweaters(i have a black and grey V neck fitted sweater)...good base under the sweater. These are thin white basic crew t's that i got at Forever21 for 2 for $10. Also got black as well for layering...will bring colors too...in case it is too hot to wear a sweater.

Jeans - I live in the world of Sevens, Citizens, Habitual, Rock and Republic, and Union jeans. This is the staple of my clothing...I only wear khakis to golf so needless to say...it pains me to wear those. The weather here in California is in the 100s right now...still wearing jeans everyday...thanks for the thoughtfulness though.

Clark Type Shoes - bought a pair...returned them the next day...sorry but they look too much like the shoes my mom wears.

With all that said...here is my list of basic items that I think i am taking:

1 - black down vest - wear on the plane
1 - black v-neck sweater - wear on the plane
1 - grey v neck sweater
1 - mauve boatneck sweater with 3/4 sleeves
1 - black boatneck sweater with 3/4 sleeves
2 - white crewneck short sleeve t's - wear one on the plane
3 - black crewneck short sleeve t's
3 - white tank tops for layering
3 - black tank tops for layering
3 - color tank tops for layering
2 - pairs of seven jeans(bootcut)
1 - pair of citizen jeans(bootcut)- wear on the plane
1 - pair of black capri pants
1 - black just below the knee length skirt
1 - pashmina
1 - hermes scarf
1 - ballet flats
1 - diesel tennis shoes
1 - dansko mary janes - wear on the plane
1 - wedge shoe
1 - flip flops - just in case the bathroom in the hotel freaks me out.
1 - compact umbrella

Of course all the necessities that belong in a toiletry bag.

Any more thoughts? I welcome more suggestions!!

Thanks again!

IMHO - That is a huge number of garments

18 tops, 4 pair of pants, 1 skirt, 1 vest and 4 pair of shoes . . . . . Layering is the way to go - but do you really need 9 tanks to do it?