France!
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enjoys freebies · Sun Apr 02, 2006 3:56 pm Quote

I am going to France for one week! I am so happy. All my expenses are paid.

I plan to pack very little and bring a very large suitcase so I can bring some new clothes home. But I really want to know how the French people dress over there. I don't want to look like a tourist. Any suggestions?

enjoys freebies · Sun Apr 02, 2006 4:40 pm Quote

Hi there

I think it really depends on which part of France you are going to.

enjoys freebies · Sun Apr 02, 2006 7:00 pm Quote

how lucky for you!!!! When is your trip????

enjoys freebies · Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:08 pm Quote

I have one suggestion - no shorts!!

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:57 am Quote

I noticed (in Paris) not a lot of women wear sneakers. I looked out of place, but I was comfy!

It was in October and relatively few people seemed to wear jackets. But I was chilly.

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:33 am Quote

How exciting!!! Where will you be?

My recollection is that bright colours are not very popular .... mainly worn by tourists.

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:39 pm Quote

I will be there next week! I am so excited. My bf is taking me with him. He has a business trip there.

At the moment, I do not know what city I am going to.......I have to ask him again because I don't remember.

So far, from what I have heard from you is, don't wear bright colours....where beige, black & white? Don't wear shorts.

Any other suggestions? Do I need a buret? lol

enjoys freebies · Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:05 am Quote

Laslavic wrote:

So far, from what I have heard from you is, don't wear bright colours....where beige, black & white? Don't wear shorts.

Any other suggestions? Do I need a buret? lol

it really depends on what city you're going to, but truly everything is in. it is alot more americanised than it used to be.

for paris:

shorts aren't necessary anyways as it's still too cool. they do tend to wear skirts much more when it gets hot.... bright colours are fine, just not a monochrome outfit or hawaiin shirt (i.e., don't be gaudy). black is obviously the most commonly worn colour.... most parisian women tend to add their splashes of colour with scarves, shoes, and bags. for some reason, orange and lime green seem to be 'in' this spring. and red is always in.

you need comfy shoes for a lot of walking. there's a lot of cobblestones, dog merde to navigate, and everything can get quite slippy when wet. (although sneakers aren't common, converse high-tops seem to be a status symbol amongst the younger set.) i can't tell you how many pairs of heels i've brought here and have worn maybe once or twice -- only to fancy dinners, it's just too hard to walk! maybe bring one pair of black ones. if you've got a pair of lower heel comfy boots, bring them. (and check out Arche shoes -- luscious!!! -- whilst you're here. expensive but oh so worth it!)

bring a hat, preferably not a baseball cap. one that you can carry with you if possible. it tends to piss one moment, then be sunny the next. a hat protects you from both. (layering of clothes is really important too.) and i've seriously never seen anyone wear a beret here... and, despite the fact that i've been trying to have a more natural makeup look, red lipstick (or dark berry) is just ever present if you can carry it off.

the most important thing is attitude if you don't want to seem like a tourist. wear whatever you bring with style and confidence! and always remember to say 'bonjour, madame; bonjour monsieur' rather than just "bonjour.' it's a politeness that goes a long way!

enjoy yourself! france is a lovely country. enjoy it -- even if you're pegged as a tourist, the love of their country goes a long way as well.... bonne chance! Very Happy

enjoys freebies · Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:32 am Quote

That's great advice, la vie! I wish I had known it before my trip!

enjoys freebies · Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:10 am Quote

chimera wrote:

That's great advice, la vie! I wish I had known it before my trip!

i've learned it the hard but brilliant way -- living here! half the time i run around in jeans and uggs in the winter. as long as you accessorise with panache, you can get away with anything.... even wear my 'roxy' tees and such in the summer -- they cost a bloody fortune if you buy them here. ride the metro and you're likely to see a guy wearing a yankees cap and the like. and they're NOT from new york.... i've been lucky enough to travel to a lot of different countries and i've found it it's all being comfortable in your own skin. for instance, i despise tight jeans. so i wear them baggy, at least two sizes too big so they're baggy not sloppy. i make it a fashion statement, something i've done on purpose. and, gasp, i even wear shorts in the city on really truly hot days. you need confidence, not arrogance, and you could get away with wearing your PJ's. i think this applies to almost anywhere (even where we actually live)! if it's one thing i've learned from french women, it's this -- and i'm forever grateful.

oh, but one HUGE faux pas is not having your accessories match -- so beware. we went through a truly cold spell here and i was caught wearing a black shearling hat with my tan leather shearling coat, pink gloves, and a multi-colour (my warmest) scarf. some french women, who assumed i didn't speak french as i'd been talking to the butcher in english (he practices on me), started dissing me big time. i've since developed the large parisian scarf collection as it's usually worn indoors as well as out to keep warm.... i only have one big really nice purse that's ruby red -- but i just wear it with everything and say screw it. only got me in trouble once -- when some plain clothes police stopped me because they thought i had a bomb in it. Very Happy

had my french books as i was coming back from my tutors and a bunch of used kleenex (she has cats which i adore but am allergic to). they declared my purse a 'bordelle' -- a whorehouse Rolling Eyes

, as in messy, and let me go.... ooh which brings me to another tip. with the problems here, it's a good idea to always carry your passport with you. a photocopy is not enough. if you're stopped, they want to see where you've been, etc. (and don't worry, it really doesn't happen. i was just in the wrong place, wrong time. in front of an american school as it was letting out the day of elections in iraq, a couple of days after they'd nabbed a terrorist cell that included women, etc.... but just in case.) oh, and no one EVER pays much attention to the street lights when crossing the street except on the huge boulevards in touristy districts. if you wait for it to tell you to walk, you're definitely a tourist!

enjoys freebies · Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:02 am Quote

lol

I really enjoyed reading your post! I have learned so much from you. Very Happy

I think I really love their lifestyle. If you can think of anything else, please share it with us!

Thank you so much!

enjoys freebies · Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:21 am Quote

I have actually seen a man wearing a beret in France - although definitely not in Paris! Only one in two during a period of half years, mind you. Laughing

One thing I noticed during my short trip back to Paris recently was that more people are starting to wear jeans. When I lived in France hardly anyone did, whether in cities, towns or rural areas - only a very smaller number of students. And absolutely no one (including the be-jeaned students) wore trainers or sneakers.

I'd definitely take some smart, but comfortable trousers with you, and la vie en rose's suggestion of some comfy, low-ish heeled boots is excellent. Also, a smart coat can cover a multitude of sins and so is extremely useful.

You can buy pashmina-style scarves, in just about any colour you can imagine, very cheaply over there in loads of shops. These can be used as a shawl or tied around your neck in various ways.

Enjoy your trip!

enjoys freebies · Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:05 am Quote

Have a great trip!

Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:24 pm Quote

I'm so excited for you. My daughter and her guy work on a yacht that has currently been moored in Monaco and they fell in love with France. All of it. They actually just bought a little loft right on the water in Nice, for when we all come to visit or when they have time off. But what my daughter said, who is a real fashion conscious gas, is that she loves it there because everyone has their own style and all is accepted. She's very creative in how she dresses and she said she fits right in. So I think she would say, wear what you love and what you feel great in, and that's what will work the best for you. It's what she does and she's a stunner. Wink

enjoys freebies · Tue May 02, 2006 6:00 pm Quote

I am back!

I loved my short visit there. I did not buy much but my boyfriend bought me a few things. I have found that everybody looked bare and everyone had a tan, wearing tank tops and skirts. I looked so pale & felt very pale. I would love to go back real soon.

I have found that the ladies are bid on moisterizers. They have a moisterizer for every body type and they barely have much of anything else.

enjoys freebies · Tue May 02, 2006 6:02 pm Quote

Oh! I almost forgot. I found a lot of young men shave all of their hair off their head.

enjoys freebies · Fri May 05, 2006 2:59 am Quote

Laslavic wrote:

I am going to France for one week! I am so happy. All my expenses are paid.

That's why you are so happy Bad Grin

enjoys freebies · Fri May 05, 2006 2:59 pm Quote

Wow, everyone else wished me well and you seem jealous.
What is your problem?

enjoys freebies · Fri May 05, 2006 4:40 pm Quote

France is a great place to visit!! I have had the good fortune in my life to live over seas for 6 years and I have been to France around 8 times!!! Paris is my favorite city in Europe and I am sure you will have a wonderful time!!! As for what to wear, the French, especially in the cities are very dressy. They have a very refined sense of style, as I am sure you already know. You are going there to enjoy yourself so dont worry too much about fitting in and dressing as the French do. I think if you dress as you like you will be fine. YOu can always go shopping in Paris if you really need a new something!!!!!

Have a wonderful time!!!!!! This is such a lovely time of the year to go!!!!

Feliz

enjoys freebies · Fri May 05, 2006 7:30 pm Quote

I am glad that you had a great trip.

enjoys freebies · Sat May 06, 2006 6:22 am Quote

Laslavic wrote:

Wow, everyone else wished me well and you seem jealous.
What is your problem?

Sorry, no I'm not jealous - it was only a joke. I put 3 smileys but I thought it still could have been taken wrong Sad

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