Traveling to Europe for Spring Break - Comfort versus Style

[Anonymous]

Cute jeans or comfortable black Lululemon athleisure pants? I have to wear my Hokas with my knee issues so I'm tempted to go for athleisure. Am I inviting the side eye from the Parisians?

Signed,
50 year old woman

[Anonymous]

No body cares. Wear what helps you enjoy your trip, wether its athleisure or business casual. Also, depends on what you intend to do, living at Ritzs, dinning at posh restaurants and shopping at designer boutiques comes with different expectations than staying at Marriott, walking in museums and eating/shopping at tourist traps. Dress for your lifestyle, not lifestyle of rich and famous. Be authentic.

[Anonymous]

It's 2024; plenty of Parisiens walking around in athleisure. Just don't look sloppy, especially if you are staying in a high-end hotel, whether you are in jeans or Lululemon pants.

I probably wouldn't wear Align leggings, but these https://shop.lululemon.com/p/women-pants/Swift-Wide-Leg-Mid-Rise-Pant/_/prod11460294?color=45739 or these https://shop.lululemon.com/p/women-pants/Dance-Studio-Relaxed-Fit-MR-Cargo-Pant/_/prod11670127?color=27597 would be fine if styled right.

[Anonymous]

I’m from Paris. Wear what makes you happy, OP, life is too short. There will be hordes of tourists, and hordes of French people, all dressed in various fashions and non-fashions. The well-dressed city girls and moneyed foreigners who look down on others will be a small minority. (Also, what American tourists think of as “style” is really just “slender”. Automatically all the clothes just hang better )

[Anonymous]

Was in Paris recently, and I’m not that fashionable…rest assured just be clean and neat in clothes you’d like to remember yourself in photos and you’ll be fine. I saw tons of people in sneakers, vajy being the most popular, but also lots of hokas and the rest. The cobblestone streets means walking is hard on your shoes/feet. I wore dressier boots and wish I had my sneakers.

[Anonymous]

Exercise clothes are meant for the gym.

[Anonymous]

I would have a few more stylish pieces. A leather jacket in a modern cut, shoes that are appropriate for a dinner out. A nice dress for a dinner out, unless you're not eating out in Paris which would be shocking and a real shame.

[Anonymous]

Comfortable jeans! I find it handy to have pockets for metro ticket, phone, some money, room key card…

[Anonymous]

Where whatever you want honestly. In Paris, or really anywhere in Europe, the average person is dressed very basic (and sometimes wearing dated stuff like skinny jeans). That doesn't mean there aren't chic people, it's just not as ubiquitous as you think. Americans are a little bit too obsessed with "French style."

Anyway, athleisure can be cute, particularly in more stylish brands like Varley. For a subtler look I'd get the all-black Hokas...

[Anonymous]

Agree with the others - you will see everything in Paris. We went to the Ritz for tea and saw plenty of hotel guests coming and going wearing athleisure, jeans, and all manner of casual clothing. No one cares about this.