London and France-What to Wear?

[Foreveraprincess17]

HI All,

We are going on the London and Paris Adventure next October. Just checking with others to see what will be appropriate to wear on our trip. For these cities will leggings and jeans be ok or will I need to dress up a bit more?

 

[Lilsia]

Wear whatever you want. There is no law about dress code. Both London and Paris are huge cities that get a lot of tourists. They see all manner of clothing. As long as you are not wearing anything offensive, you will be fine. The whole "you should dress better in Europe" is long gone. If you want, there are ton of videos on You Tube of someone just walking in these cities. You can see what people wear.

 

[Grifdog22]

Our advice is to look closely at the weather forecast. We went in the spring and the weather was VERY different between the two countries. We packed according to the monthly forecast and the past history, and it served us well. We saw no one in our group or really out and about that was dressed sloppy.

 

[tink1970]

HI All,

We are going on the London and Paris Adventure next October. Just checking with others to see what will be appropriate to wear on our trip. For these cities will leggings and jeans be ok or will I need to dress up a bit more?

On our 2019 London/Paris/DLP I wore jeans and blouses/sweaters in London, sweaters and jeans in DLP. In Paris, I wore leggings and my black ballet flats and was spoken to in French several times when I was out on my own. I agree with @Grifdog22 -pack for the weather-it was quite chilly in DLP and surprisingly moderate some of our London days. I packed one dress and wore it one night but there was no expectation to do so- I just felt like dressing up

 

[jimmymc]

If you really want to blend in then you can wear all of the above but avoid bright colors. Black jeans and leggings are very common in both cities.

But as Kevin said on a podcast, you're following around a guide with a nametag and an ABD paddle, people will know you're tourists regardless of how you dress.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I agree with the previous poster in that the lanyards will make people automatically label you as a tourist, so there's no point in avoiding that.

Wearing a shirt without a logo on it (as I noticed many Europeans do not wear graphic tees like Americans do) and jeans is perfectly fine. I lived in Germany for two years and visited many European cities during that time. I wore something similar to that and I didn't stand out at all. Be sure to check the weather before you go - October can be very chilly in both cities.

 

[pjacobi]

If you really want to blend in then you can wear all of the above but avoid bright colors. Black jeans and leggings are very common in both cities.

But as Kevin said on a podcast, you're following around a guide with a nametag and an ABD paddle, people will know you're tourists regardless of how you dress.

Even a lion knows that the easiest prey in one the outside of the herd. You better keep up with the group!


-Paul

 

[Bovril82]

Londoner here!

We tend not to dress up a lot in London. Quite normal to go to the pub in smart casual 'jeans and a jumper'.

This year we actually had a really nice October. But, that is unusual. It's likely to be rainy. So bring a brolly (umbrella), and pack for layers.

Paris is usually slightly hotter. But, not always.

Parisians dress up a bit more than we do, but not as much as they used to. Jeans and leggings will be fine.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Foreveraprincess17]

Thanks everyone. Great advice!!

 

[aggiedog]

I've developed a travel wardrobe over the years. Black or grey Columbia pants that don't wrinkle, seem to be resistant to dirt, and are light weight. If it's not crazy hot, I can wear them 4-5 days in a row. Long and short sleeve single color shirts in technical fabrics that do the same. I dress them up with a scarf or necklace. If I need to wash them, these fabrics dry overnight. It's not how I dress at home, but with airlines canceling and delaying flights, and luggage getting lost at an alarming rate, I fly carryon everywhere. These clothes pack well, wear well, and look nice. Sadly, as I've gotten older I've developed heel problems, so its sensible shoes only, which means less to pack at least.