helen_belsize

I'm not hyper fashionable but even I have noticed from the shop windows in London that brightly coloured (my favourite red but also acid green and yellow plus neutrals) short trench coats are IN. Some are very cheap and fun, or you can buy a sensible boring and expensive one. Agree with the recommendation to bring layers, or perhaps borrow as my academic hawaiian colleagues do. Remember even if it has been sunny in the day time it is cool at night. In southern Europe they will think it is cold as you will too. You can pick out the north European tourists who wear "summer" clothes in southern Europe and the locals are still in warm woollens.

We have had a warm day in London today 58 degrees F. but it is predicted to drop to 44 later next week. I discovered Acuweather, it came with my new Mac. http://www.accuweather.com You can put in any city or place and get a weather forecast for the week. What you will also notice if you study it is that in places like London, which has a very variable climate, the predictions for a few days ahead can be revised quite sharply as the day approaches. Its the Gulf Stream from Mexico, the winds collecting water from the Atlantic etc. Islands and coastal areas tend to have more varied weather.

You can bring your own umbrella but they are sold cheaply all over Europe. Don't wear clothes that will absorb water and be hard to get dry. Central heating is on in most of Europe till at least the end of March.

Finally the reason why tourists stand out in some countries like Italy is that in Italy they follow fashion very closely and so it will look as if everyone has the same coat and shoes. You are unlikely not to stand out unless you stay for some time and buy whatever the look is. This can extend to hair styles and hair colours. Obviously this applies more to women but can apply to some men's clothes. If you go in a bank and need help it is useful to look a bit different as they realise you are an outsider and will help.

HappyTrvlr

We were in Paris last April and it was quite cold.We wore coats, hats, and gloves the whole time.

Guenmai

So Mnahalea- To sum it up....1) a warm coat, preferably with a zip-out lining
2) some pullover sweaters
3) a sturdy umbrella
4) a warm pair of leggings if you're going to wear skirts or
dresses. I never leave home without the Wolfords!
5) a pair of lined, leather gloves, cashmere-lined, or some
other kind of warm lining if you don't want to invest in
cashmere-lined ones. But at nordstrom.com you can get
a very nice pair for not so much. I shop at the Nordstrom
stores here and buy most of my gloves through them.

6) a muffler comes in handy. It's one of those warm scarves
that you wrap around your neck or can also take off and
wrap around your head when it's cold and windy.

7) And don't worry about color. Wear whatever color(s) that
make YOU happy.

I hope you all have a great trip! Happy Travels!

travelgirl888

Well, I don't know about all black. As a 1/2 Parisian, 1/2 New Yorker, I'd said the biggest difference is that mothers here wear stilettos while carrying toddlers, pushing strollers, and gossiping in the playgrounds. Parisians in general are very comfortable and confident in their style, so obviously they don't limit their wardrobes to BLACK. gawd.

But: if you're here and found you haven't packed the right things, or are simply inspired by what people are wearing around you, DO stop by "Thank god I'm a VIP" (sounds a little pretentious, I know, but it's worth it). It's a under-the-radar (so far) store, 12 rue de Lancry, with an absolutely AMAZING vintage collection. I mean, satin Yves St. Laurent 60s skirts for less than 100 euros. I just found an incredible, Kenzo-esque coat in the cheaper downstairs for 25 euros. unheard of.

Enjoy!!

Guenmai

mnahalea....back to umbrellas as I'm helping out another poster with them. One that sounds quite sturdy is on amazon.com. Its called the, Gustbuster Metro 43-inch Automatic Umbrella. There are over a 100 reviews on this one.

The other poster that I'm helping was looking for the great Sharper Image umbrella that I have, but I don't think it's made anymore. So, I've found this Gustbuster one that sounds similar. Happy Travels!

Joanne_CLautner

Hey guys! I'll be going to United Kingdom and France in March.. And many have told me that it's gonna be the end of winter, beginning of spring? Yeah? Well so I was wondering what I should wear because this is the first time I'm going to U.K. and France, so I don't really know how the weather would be like and what I should wear to keep myself warm. My mom got me some really dull-coloured sweaters, and I know I'm just gonna look super dull.. So I wondering, maybe you guys can give me some advise?

ellenem

Joanne,
March is a tricky month--it could still feel like winter, or it could feel like spring. Your best choice is to pack clothing that can be layered depending on the weather. Plus, watch Weather.com for the places you will visit as your trip approaches to see the actual weather patterns at the time, since anything is possible.

kmkrnn

The most important thing you can do to help your wardrobe not define you as a tourist(which you are) is leave the white sneakers at home. There are many other choices of comfy foot wear , with out getting into the shoe discussion.

kerouac

How do these really old posts get resurrected?

Christina

I think people do a search for a topic they are interested in or to find answers to something, and then they find a post on the topic but want to add a new question at the end for themself. In any case, this post wouldn't be any different if it had started today rather than two years ago.

so I don't know where Joanne lives, but Western Europe excluding the most southern areas is pretty much the same as many parts of the US in March, it shouldn't be that unusual to find that it is the end of winter and not real springy yet. That's the same way it is in every place I've lived in the US. Just imagine it about like New York city and dress as if you were going there, weather is similar.

RedStater

Just got back from Madrid and Lisbon. Seemed that two women out of three were wearing pretty much the same thing - skinny jeans and calf-high boots. Pack those and you'll fit right in.

bilboburgler

skinnies and thigh high boots in Rome last week (guess the girls are shorter in Rome)

kerouac

The boots will disappear when the weather gets warmer.

tarquin

Agree with kerouac (wish I'd thought of that screen name first) about colour, except for RED, which Parisians seem to love.

historytraveler

Leave the white sneakers at home ? When in France last September, I saw at least half dozen men and women who were very fashionably dressed and who were wearing white sneakers and the canvas ones at that. They are seen through out Europe. Several years ago, I lost count of the number of pairs I saw in Great Britain, France, Greece and Croatia.

annhig

ht - the quest to be invisible tourist is a fruitless one - we stick out like sore thumbs whatever we do.

does it really matter?

being warm, dry and comfortable come much higher than being modish in my book.

apropos of which, joanne might like to know that we often get some very nice warm days in March in the UK, in fact we had one today [and yes, i know that it's still February].

If I were her, I'd leave the fur coat at home and bring a few layers.

RedStater

Re: Comfortable shoes.

I bought a pair Dunham walking shoes a few weeks ago, a discontinued model, about $50. Dunham is a New Balance line, but resembles a casual dress shoe rather than an athletic one. Walked up and down hills, cobblestones, stairs, gravel, you name it, on our Portugal trip, all day, every day, and never once did I experience sore or painful feet. They worked out far better than any athletic shoe I've ever worn touring. Worth a look.

http://www.shopnewbalance.com/detail...style=MCR820BR

GlassCannon

historytraveler -- I think there's a significant difference between canvas sneakers (eg, Converse) of any color, and chunky white faux-leather athletic shoes from Nike, Reebock, New Balance, etc etc. Converse with skinny jeans are fashionable. Chunky white running shoes, with white socks and shorts no less, are the touring uniform of a lot of Americans, no matter where they vacation. Those are the white sneakers that many people advise to leave at home, not the Converse.

I know there are some on these boards who claim that the white sneaker thing is a myth. I really need to bring my camera with me next time I go to Disneyland (I'm a local) so we can compare pictures of people in big cities in Europe and vacationers at Disneyland. You can pick out the American tourists by their chunky white sneakers and socks, the Japanese tourists by their slim black shoes, and the locals by their flip flops and Converse. There's a mix, of course, but the number of marshmallow shoes in Disneyland on any given day is really staggering, especially compared with more stylish areas of LA and Orange County.

historytraveler

Sorry, but there were actually more people (not Americans) wearing the white brand name aka running shoes than there were the canvas sort. Go to any shoe store in Europe, and you'll see the same athletic shoe brands as you do here. Hey, Adidas, Reebok and K Swiss are are all European brands.

I really don't think Disneyland is a good venue for making broad statements about who wears what in the way of footwear in European countries. I made my observations at LHR, in France, Croatia and at Athens airport. I had for some time thought the idea of Americans being the only ones wearing white shoes was a myth and, on my last trip, (fall,2010) I made it a point to observe more closely. What I discovered was that white athletic shoes was probably the most common choice of footwear for most people.

I would also argue that your vision of the typical American tourist (at least those traveling in Europe) is way off base. Seeing an American such as you described is rare overseas. They generally tend to be well-dressed.The younger ones dress very much like thier European counterparts.

vjpblovesitaly

"...in March..And many have told me that it's gonna be the end of winter, beginning of spring?"

That's pretty much how it works in the Northern Hemisphere that time of year.