clothing in paris

What should a middle-aged couple wear in Paris that doesn%26#39;t scream that we are Americans? My husband likes to wear t-shirts and shorts, but realizes that this might %26quot;give us away%26quot;. We are from another country originally and have an accent, but dress and appear American.

Keri

|||

Middle aged men in baseball caps and women with white plimsolls (sneakers in american?) and white socks have American written all over them

|||

Well, that%26#39;s not us. I usually wear sundresses and casual thongs. My husband wears Harley t-shirts and shorts.

|||

Keriboo...

Why do you feel the need to HIDE the fact that you are from out of town (North American)?

Doesn%26#39;t take a rocket scientist to pick out a tourist a mile away by the choice of our clothes, our style, and the fact that we usually wander around Europe with our mouths gaping and an expression of awe on our face as we gaze in wonder all around! Not to mention the guide books, maps, camera bags, fanny packs, backpacks, and purses that do not match our shoes (women in Paris match everything!).

So go, be comfortable, wear what you want as you will see all types of styles on the streets... and be proud that you are from another country and have the opportunity to visit such a great city!

Cheers,

Kathy

|||

Hi, Keriboo -- I can appreciate your feeling that you don%26#39;t want to stand out in the crowd. I don%26#39;t know if your particular part of the world has a working definition of %26quot;business casual%26quot; or %26quot;nice casual,%26quot; but that would do the trick (although, wearing comfortable shoes is a must if you%26#39;re going sightseeing -- just not bright white Nikes!).

Basically, relatively conservative colors and styles will make you blend in, although there%26#39;s no need to carry that effort to extremes! Many people wear nicely cut jeans, although as many have noted on this forum, shorts are rare (especially on men). Men often wear dark colored t-shirts (e.g., a jersy type knit), but with a jacket over. Women often wear scarves as accessories with all sorts of otherwise conservative/plain tops and jackets, and the total effect is quite smart even when the clothing is casual. Lots of women wear espadrilles, which usually are good for walking around if not long distances at a time (there is -- or a year ago there was -- a store on Bd St Germain toward the St Michel end that had lots of them, inexpensive, in many colors and fabrics you don%26#39;t see in the US).

Really, though -- relax and don%26#39;t worry about it too much, wear things that are comfortable (wear layers, because the weather often changes -- e.g., shirt over tank top). It%26#39;s commendable to want to fit in, but you can%26#39;t carry it too far (and why try, when that map clutched in your hand is a giveaway? LOL!)

Most of all -- have a really good time. Your concern indicates an attitude that will carry you a long way. Good will and a respect for your (briefly) adopted country will stand you in good stead!

|||

I would agree with everyone here, but my advice is not to worry about what you wear too much. I%26#39;ve been spending months looking for clothes that would make me look Parisian, and 2 days ago, I finally came down to my senses and realized that I AM a tourist, and there%26#39;s no use hiding it.

It%26#39;s fine to not want to look ridiculously touristy, but wear what%26#39;s comfortable, not trendy! There%26#39;s no way I would wear heels while siteseeing.

|||

And I might add that when I was in Paris in April, I saw a fair share of white sneakers...and they were mostly on people who were not speaking English!

|||

Okay, thehatlady, my mistake!!

|||

Nah, Berkeley - it just made me feel a little less self conscious about my own white sneakers I was wearing :) :)

That%26#39;s when I relaxed and let myself be the tourist I really was (but of course being polite and trying to use my French where possible to make up for the white sneakers!)

I was just relieved that people weren%26#39;t pointing to my feet and snickering in my direction!

|||

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;What should a middle-aged couple wear in Paris that doesn%26#39;t scream that we are Americans?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Wear bright green jumpsuits with wide reflective strips on them and carry green plastic %26#39;..twig brroms..%26#39;, while walking at the curb, sweeping trash along ahead of you as you go. NO ONE (except perhaps a representative of the Paris streetsweepers union) will suspect that you%26#39;re tourists.

|||

What ever you wear, just be sure you have comfortable broken-in shoes. It doesn%26#39;t matter if they are white tennis shoes. You will be so sorry if you try to look fashionable and then hobble around Paris with blisters and pain. Comfort is the most important thing for tourists doing the amount of walking done in Paris.