What to Wear in Paris
 

I'll be in Paris for the first time this summer. I've heard that one must dress up but I'm planning on seeing a lot of the city on foot so I'm particularly worried about what should I wear on my feet - I'm fine with wearing fashionable sundresses and skirts but I can't stand the idea of heels for anything other than a night at the Opera.

The vast majority of tourists will be wearing jeans and walking shoes, so the most important consideration is: how would you be most comfortable? Do you like to dress casually, or do you like being a bit more fashionable. (Some people are more comfortable going into boutiques well dressed ... but it's a totally personal thing.

As it can get warm in the summer, so a sundress or skirt would probably be cooler, but there's certainly no reason to wear heels.

Wear what you want. Really. I don't bring shorts because I know that they aren't worn so much there - but jeans, shirts, sneakers, shoes, whatever. I didn't ever feel a need to wear heels.

How big are your feet? I mean, are we talking HUGE wide-body swamp-chompers or what?

The French base thier shoe fashion fines by size, so it can get right steep if you get caught in a "black heels-only" zone.

Well, let's put it this way, I'm a great waterskiier. I'll have to increase my budget for the fines. Dammit.

Val, have a great trip and remember that ultra short pink or yellow miniskirts are back in style this year in Paris.

The first time I went to Paris I dressed for comfort, the second time which was a few months later in the winter I thought that I should dress up a bit more so bought a cute pair of ankle boots with a slight heel for walking around sightseeing. Big mistake. I ended up with a blister on the entire sole of one foot. So big that bandaids didn't work. Maxithin pads did, amazing what you can think of when you are in pain. Now I am back to dressing for comfort.

You won't have to sacrifice cute for comfort. There are lots of nice walking shoes out that will pair nicely with your sun dresses and skirts. Just make sure you break them in before you go.

Hi Val,
I've got bad knees and sensitive feet and you won't find me in a pair of heels unless my life depends on it, but I still like to look stylish and blend in with the locals. You should be able to manage with two pairs of shoes: invest in a good pair of walking shoes (there are many fashionable styles and brands out there now - Ecco and Munro are my favorites) and a nice pair of walking sandals. You can have style and comfort too - last summer I bought a pair of black suede Tevas that are really cute (they have more delicate straps and buckles than regular Tevas), they work with skirts or pants, don't look clunky, and are super-comfy.

Be prepared for hot weather - since women don't wear shorts much in Europe, bring a couple of light, airy skirts and/or capris (if you like those) and you'll fit right in.

There is no reason any woman ever needs to wear heels ever except to please her self and her friends. No employer, no restaurant no matter how snobbish, no hotel no matter how exclusive, no museum or monument in the world requires women to wear heels.

There is absolutely no reason you "must dress up" in Paris. That is a myth. And high heels are ridiculous imo, period. I wouldn't go with sundresses either. Just some nice pants or skirt, tops, and good looking comfortable sandals or shoes are perfectly fine.

Jeans are popular in Europe as well. I mean, you might not want to wear t-shirts blazing with Mickey Mouse, or knee-shorts with some touristy shirt. We had some of those on our Fat Tires tours (which was fine, but you definitely can tell who is a tourist in that case, very quickly). But not everyone wears heels, and if you do want to see museums and such, I'd stay away from them. I wear (white) sneakers. I walk a LOT, and that is what is comfortable for me.

Yes, SUZE is right again.

No need to dress up in Paris. Wear flip-flops, sweats pants, jogging suits, and fanny-packs. People will smile and wave at you with great delight. The French are a cheerful, friendly bunch of folks who rejoice in diversity of dress.

Degas, hey, there you go, pulling my leg again. I did NOT advise her to dress like some demented tourist at Disneyland! I encourage Val to look classy. Dress nice. But no need to be tottering around in heels and a sundress (what is this the 50's?) -Suze

Cute Teva, Ecco, or SAS sandals with lightweight slacks or dresses should work great for most day activities/walking.

Generally, no matter what you decide to wear, you will feel that you have made the wrong choice -- either up or down -- when you see what people are really wearing in Paris.

Keep in mind that tourists will often be surrounded by 80-90% tourists in the main tourist areas.

Please do not over-dress for your venue. You will look like a fool dressed for a cocktail party whilst standing in line at the Eiffel Tower.

You will look equally foolish dressed in flip-flops and shorts for tea at Lauderee.

Adults should know how to dress appropriately.

Ackislander, I wonder if I know you. I lived there for 9 yrs until moving to Switzerland in 1998!

What's wrong with wearing a dress? They make more sense in the heat than jeans and a sundress is a great option.
"Dressed up", by most American baby boomer standards means that she will not be wearing a T-shirt with a logo, baseball cap and old jeans. If other people want to dress like Michael Moore, that's fine but I don't see why they should tell others how to dress. Sounds like the OP likes clothes and wants to be stylish. You go girl!!!

"You will look like a fool dressed for a cocktail party whilst standing in line at the Eiffel Tower."
My goodness, the girl didn't say she was going to be to be parading around in a full length evening gown in broad daylight. Obviously, she has some fashion sense and is just asking about shoes.

It was not meant as a critism, for me capris or light weight slacks are more versatile & sure make the shoe-thing easier.

No criticism taken. You're right about the capris being easier to wear with sandals. I don't mind wearing long sarongs with sandals either (they're the EASIEST thing in the world to travel with - they saved my life in Africa). I have a red halter dress that I'm dying to wear in Paris (somewhere appropriate, of course) but the shoe thing might mean I have to leave it home. By the way, I am bringing one pair of heels to wear to the opera.

I didn't think that the OP was into dresses one way or the other (she said she was fine with it). If she wants to dress up, that is terrific. But if she is more comfy in jeans and sneakers, there is nothing wrong with that either. I somehow doubt that the French worry a lot about what to wear when they come here (making sure to wear shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt so they can fit in). :)

Smart and stylish is the appropriate description.
If you take a moment of care in evaluating your attire, you will look fine in Paris.

hi,
I have visited Paris more than 20 times.
Summers can be hot and a sundress or a skirt is just fine .
You can find very nice looking and comfortable footware ( but exp.) at Mephisto or Arche stores in big cities
in Canada (or Paris )!

Merrill sandals are the only way to go. They are chic and very comfortable. Remember that lots of places will not be airconditioned in France...so dress cooly, what ever that means to you. No matter how one dresses, most Europeans can spot who is the tourist and what country they come from....so don't worry about it.

P.S.
I think the Opera season is over by July 15th.

I've got my eye on La Traviata at the Palais Garnier on July 3rd. Tickets aren't on sale, yet, though.

I don't mind looking like a tourist - nothing wrong with that at all (in fact, as a solo traveller, that means you meet WAY more people) - but looking like a tourist doesn't mean you can't be stylish.

Lucky you, ValCanada! That's my favorite opera. Have a great time.

My response to the 9,000 other times this sort of question has been asked is the same: Wear clothes. People generally look better in clothes than they do naked. That is why clothes were invented.

Just marking the 1,334th "what to wear in Paris" question on Fodors.

Keep up the good fight Suze. I'm with you all the way.

OTOH, it would probably be best if newbies wear their flip flops and jeans. That would make it easier for the rest of us to find a table in Paris, except at Macs or Pizza Hut. If it was your cafe who would you seat, a derelict or a well dressed couple? You don't need high heels and a tux. "Business casual" is comfortable and presentable everywhere. I'm way out of line of course, with the jeans crowd.

And people say the discussions in the Lounge are convoluted...

Zut alors!

thanks Hopscotch. i try ;-)

Val, make sure the heels for the opera & the red dress work together. seriously, that's the key, taking pieces that are versatile & go together.

>>OTOH, it would probably be best if newbies wear their flip flops and jeans. That would make it easier for the rest of us to find a table in Paris, except at Macs or Pizza Hut. If it was your cafe who would you seat, a derelict or a well dressed couple?<<

You realize that you can wear jeans and not look homeless? :) I do it all the time.

Most of my clothes in Europe were actually not jeans. They are too heavy to be carrying around, and I prefer stuff I can hand-wash. So I actually dress better than I do in the US, due to ease. I wore a dress one evening to dinner a few doors down from the hotel, and I was probably one of the best dressed there. Plenty of French people in jeans, etc. (not so much t-shirts).

A sundress? Sorry, sweetie darling, but it isn't 1985. Laura Ashley is long forgotten.

Not everyone wants to dress for an afternoon at a food court in a mall in Missouri.

I am throwing profiteroles at you.

a sundess can be a cool, slick linen number or a sexy mini - nothing 1985
about it!

Maybe sundress is the wrong word - I'll be wearing summer dresses all designed and purchased in this century - no Laura Ashley (but one is a Ralph Lauren). In any event, I'm not so much worried about the clothes I'll be wearing as I am the shoes. And I'll take any and profiteroles thrown my way!

Someone once said that dressing well in Paris was a requirement; dressing well in Italy was simply good manners.

I can assure you that, after many trips to Europe, no one over there is as concerned about how you dress as some of the so called fashion dictators on this board. Dressing to "fit in" is such a, in my opinion, crock. The moment you open your mouth to mangle the local language your national origin will be obvious.

I live in the DC area and can tell you that not one person has disparaged tourists from anywhere due to the clothes they are wearing. I have lived in the area for over 35 years.

In all countries/cities where tourism is a major part of daily life (as it is in Washington, DC), merchants are delighted to take your money no matter what you are wearing--and not a word will be said about your attire beyond, perhaps, a shrug (if your attire is skimpy or simply funny). Then the locals go about their business.

The obsession with dressing to look like a local is again, a crock. In all countries attire has gotten less formal. Those uncomfortable with that fact of life can dress as though they were meeting The Queen of England at Buckingham Palace when they go to a restaurant or to the theater in Paris. For the rest of us, just wear what you would wear at home and be done with it.

And, of course, having said that, someone among the fashion obsessed will now start the 2,500th thread about shoes. Talk about a crock! How can anyone tell anyone else what shoes fit the other person's feet best?

In Paris, you must wear business attire, that's the only sure way to fit in (unless it is a Sunday). Anything else and they will know you are just a visitor to the city, and you wouldn't want to experience such shame.

Seriously, who cares. Nobody will be looking at your feet anyway, and even if they did, does the opinion of a stranger you never saw before and will never see again really matter, compared to comfort?