What to wear in Europe
At Versailles in Vivienne Tam
There’s still a few weeks left of summer, so if you are traveling to Europe and wondering what to wear we have a suggestion for you.
Deb At The Louvre in Diane Von Furstenberg
Make your life easy and just pack dresses!
When I was in France this summer with my husband and three children traveling around Provence, and then up to Paris for a few days, I found dresses were the perfect travel wear.
It was far too hot to wear pants,and shorts would have felt wrong, so I opted for dresses which took up hardly any space in my suitcase, made me feel feminine and were cool and comfy.
For a twelve day trip I packed 8 dresses: 7 casual, 1 slightly dressier. (You could get away with 5-6, but I like to have a few extras to choose from depending on my mood that day.)
In Provence wearing Trina Turk
During the day I wore these cute sundresses with flat gold or black sandals and a carried a large black tote (to carry souvenirs I was buying along the way!). At night I added jewelry, scarves and small heels for a dressier look.
At Jardin du Luxembourg
Now, we were on a family sightseeing trip. We were driving through the lavender fields and visiting the the quaint French countryside towns in Provence. In Paris we were doing the typical tourist things – The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower,Versailles, Le Concierge, the Seine River Cruise etc.
Deb in Eli Tahari
It was not a romantic couple’s vacation where we were slipping off to fancy Parisian restaurants and night clubs. If so, I would have packed differently and brought some dressier date night things.
But for this kind of day tripping, my summer dress wardrobe worked beautifully. What a relief to open my suitcase, slip on my dress of the day and walk out the door.
If you’re looking for a cute summer dress, Nordstrom’s and Saks carries all of these favourite brands!
THANK YOU for dressing fabulously while in France! When I went to Paris it was so easy to spot Americans because they were the most poorly dressed. I saw way too much bad demin, oversized t-shirts and filthy sneakers.
Comfortable shoes are definitely a must, especially with the cobblestone streets that you find all over Europe.
Nora: I hear you about shoes and walking – I have found that there are a couple of brands that are supportive yet attractive (aka don’t look orthopedic!) – try Mephisto, Dansko and Ecco – they are not inexpensive – but they last. Dansko has an outlet in Jennersville, PA where the shoes are 50% off and I’ve seen Ecco’s at TJ Maxx – I’ve seen all (and other brands) at Nordstrom Rack!
I like the idea of traveling with dresses too. They are really cool and look good out on the street and while dining. Just pair them with a pair of sandals and I have had lots of luck this summer finding comfortable soled sandals. I did however think this black and white dress was too short. It would be more apprealing and look better if it was knee length. It almost looks as if it is too small. You said 40 something should not wear short shorts and I don’t believe that 40 somethings look good in dresses this short. (good legs or not)
These dresses are really cute, and I agree that they take up little space and feel “right.” But I want to know more about your shoes. SHOW THEM!! That was the hardest part for me… finding cute and comfy shoes for WALKING
Hi Julie
It’s typically very hot and crowded there, plus you need to be able to easily get on and off rides, so we’d suggest wearing walking shorts (to just slighty above the knee) with an attractive v or scoop neck fitted t-shirt, flat sandals and a carry a zippered tote (to keep souvenirs in that you may be picking up along the way).
If you’re self conscious about your legs, you could wear capris (like the tapered Jackie-o- type that land about three inches above the ankle), but not with socks and big clunky running shoes! -just a comfortable light, flat sandal. We think the key is to keep it simple. Forget any fussy, tops (and nothing loose and baggy like a tent). Also, we’re not big on shorts, pants etc. with too much stuff on them like pockets or ties hanging off – just makes your bottom half look heavier than it is, and in crowds this stuff can get caught on things. You are probably going to have be taking lots of pictures, so be conscious to wear solid colors instead of prints because the background at Disneyland is going to be busy enough. Make sure the color up top by your face is your most flattering color. For example some gals look great in yellow, peach, red or orange. For others it might be blue, green, pink- whatever makes your face “POP”. Keep your hair simple and away from your face for the pictures, some cute small casual earrings always look good in photos, and make sure to bring some great sunglasses to finish off your look. Hope these tips make you feel look and feel like Cinderella, instead of Donald Duck, at DisneyWorld !
Really like your advice on what to wear in Europe and for France particularly the dress idea is perfect. My question for you – as a UK 40 something woman – is, how can you look good at DisneyWorld? Just back from a fabulous family holiday there – really thought I had cracked it this year, but ended up looking like a dog’s dinner in baggy white trousers and plain coloured T-shirts. Am fascinated by these elegant, groomed women who look really together and don’t seem to be dragging a whole family’s possessions in a backpack! Hope to return again next year and really want to improve.
Nice dresses, love them all, and what a great ideea to pack them in the suitcase for sightseeing! It would have been also very very helpful, to see which shoes(I guess supr comfy sandals here)have you paired with, not only to speak about them, I mean better to see good examples here(for ex. your own ones)…I have troubles to find something which are 12h.walking comfortable and still matches not only one, but some other dresses, too..thankx a lot. I’m fan of your blog!
I am 5′ 7″ and over 40 with really good legs, but I would not wear any dress that short. As soon as you sit down it will ride up a few inches higher, and I do not want my hem to be at mid-thigh!
I also vote for skirts because you can change the top and change the look, allowing you to pack lighter and create so many more outfits.
Hi Joan,
Yes, I see how dresses wouldn’t have worked work if I had been biking, but I did walk EVERYWHERE, and my sundresses were very cool and comfy, especially since it was so hot in France while I was there..30-36 degrees C, everyday!`
I just got back from spending two and a half weeks in Copenhagen and am going back for another ten days on September 13. I saw very few tourists wearing dresses here and they were smart not to do so. Copenhagen is a walking and biking city. Also extremely casual. The most popular “chic” attire seemed to be attractive capri-style pants or leggings with light weight blouses. I saw very few shorts here. But everyone, and I mean everyone, was in comfortable shoes. However, there was no dearth of attractive ones. I myself was on a business trip, but since I’m in the arts I was able to wear jeans, shorts, or whatever I needed to wear to suit the weather. Also, I found a raincoat imperative. I would think most countries require that. But more important than anything are THE SHOES!!! No one is looking at your feet. They are looking at the beautiful country.
I’ve been switching to dresses for work, as I found that on the days I just didn’t want to think about what to wear that was what I was reaching for. And skirts are becoming my second option. What a great idea to do the same for travel! We recently took a week-long vacation & I took 2 comfortable skirts & ended up wearing them, with the capris & shorts spending more time in the suitcase.
Nora – it takes some searching but there are supportive comfortable shoes out there that look fine with dresses. Try travelsmith or footwear catalogs; and, some of the European shoe brands & athletic brands are coming out with more streamlined versions of their more hardcore supportive shoes.
Nice pics of Deb! Thank you for sharing how to look fab after 40!
I love the idea of travelling with dresses. However, I have “foot problems”and need a supportive shoe if I’m going to do a lot of walking. I travel a lot and this has been a big bugaboo for me. I’m sure there are other readers over 40 with this concern. Any suggestions?