What to wear in Paris October 7-14?
 

I am packing very light, and wanted to bring as tops 3 cotton turtlenecks plus a light jean jacket, and possibly wear in place a wool long coat. Are turtlenecks not a good idea for during the day? Should I bring long sleeve shirts instead? Is long coat necessary? Temperature says high upper 60s and low 40s but I have no idea how the wind/sun factor in!

Keep the cotton turtlenecks, and toss in something (a sweater?) that can be worn over them on cooler days! I was in Paris last October 16 - 28 and it was not what you would call warm, I don't know if this was unusual or the norm. I packed a few cashmere turtlenecks and wore them A LOT, they kept me warm and cozy without becoming overheated. Also everyday I wore a jacket, and the nights were cool. Some of the larger department stores were very warm, so if you are planning a shopping day, dress accordingly. The long wool coat may be bulky to cart around, do you have anything between the jean jacket (nothing wrong with that, but might not be warm enough) and the long coat?

Just a side note. I too believe in packing light. When traveling the last thing I want to do is fuss with clothes. When I leave the hotel in the morning I am dressed for the day in something that is appropriate for museums, sightseeing, cafes or a concert. Last year I traveled for 10 days with 1 jacket, 1 pair of shoes, 3 pairs of pants and the 3 cashmere sweaters, and of course the "essentials". No, I did not smell and honestly, I really didn't need pair of pants #3. My husband and I both had our clothes the same carry on roller suitcase, other items such as make-up, guide book etc. was in a small zippered tote, neither of us wanted to be dragging around everything we owned. Obviously if you are going to a high end restaurant or something like that you will need to bring something extra nice, but other than that - keep it simple. Anyway, pack you suitcase and then take half of it out - you won't need it, and you'll be so busy you'll never miss it and you'll have room to bring home the neat things you buy in Paris!

I don't think there's anything wrong with a cotton turtleneck, I almost always travel with one except peak summer. However, why don't you vary your tops so they aren't all the same thing? If it is warmer (more likely during the day), you might want a long-sleeved knit shirt that doesn't have a true turtleneck collar, as that can get hot. YOu sound like a guy, and they often don't know style terms, but a "mock" turtleneck is what I'm thinking of rather than a real turtleneck. I would not take a long wool coat myself, but more likely a lighter weight coat (usually called raincoat, a twill or something). Have you ever been in a city with that climate? It's pretty much like NYC or Washington DC in October.

I was in London and Paris the last week in May and first week of June a couple of years ago. I took a couple of long skirts and a pair of pants...black..they were knits, some silk knit tops and a long sweater coat. It actually was cool in London..mid 60's most of the time and then the first two days we were in Paris it was actually hot. I had thrown in a white cotton t-shirt for layering and a tencel blouse that could be used as a light jacket, and boy was I ever glad it did. Neither took up any room but I was so glad to have them in Paris those first couple of days...then it turned cool again so I was more comfortable. I just take knits..they roll up for packing, don't take up room, and the wrinkles if any, hang out really fast. The tops all could be hand washed if necessary. The skirt and pants were black so could be easily spot cleaned if necessary. The sweater coat worked just fine and the knit tops were a couple of t-shirt type and a couple of cardigans that could be worn with or with out the t-shirts so I could layer them. My newspaper list weather each day in various major cities throughout the world so I can see how the temperatures have been averaging. I live in the desert so I find Paris and London both feel humid to me so when the temperature rises it doesn't have to be in the 90's for me to feel hot. Hope this helps a little. Have a fabulous trip.

Take a turtleneck or two but also take a couple of short sleeve T-shirts to layer. While it is generally cool this time of year in Paris, it can be warm and you should have a choice in case it is. I wouldn't worry about a long coat; do you have some sort of windbreaker jacket in case of rain? A jean jacket can get (and stay) wet.

I'm no expert on Paris or October, but as a general packing tip... I would never take 3 of the exact same anything. Instead pick varying sleeve lengths, necklines, fabric weights, etc. to best accomodate unknown weather situations.

Now, if you'd have said that you're going to Paris October 4-11 then your attire would be perfectly acceptable, but the 7-14th is quite a different matter.

What is a "cotton turtleneck"? Is that a thin cotton or a heavier knitted style? Wear clothes that you can make warmer if necessary. Thin cottons and autumn weight knits are good. A full length coat by a chic designer such as Roland Mouret can be worn over a t-shirt and jeans during the day or over something dressier for the evening.

Well- since you are being specific ... how about October 13-18!

This is from a guy point of view.
1- get confortable same time dressy walking shoes...so you are able to walk all day and still look good. rock port is my choice
2- 1 or 2 pair of jeans, with nice shoes they look great. 1 pair of kakis
3- botton down shirts and some t-shirts for layering.
4- a nice warm sweater for day and night..
i find jeans quite confortable and look nice depending on shoes and shirts