Originally Posted by Alice From Italy

I can tell you about Italy! 1) you're right D&G is very very popular, especially but not only for jeans; Yep, I saw this too 2) in Italy it's not possible to smoke in restaurants, bar, etc since one year more or less; That I did not realize! 3) yes we use a lot of scarfs!! Do you know "pashmina"? That kind of scarf is very popular; And I love scarves - especially the silk ones from Venice 4) I think Gucci's outlet is near Florence, not Milan; Not sure myself; I could be wrong! 5) I noticed that Milan, Bologna and Venice have very different styles. I live near Treviso that's a rich city not far from Venice and here it's very popular to wear D&G or Diesel jeans, Gucci accessories (shoes, bags, belts etc) and Vuitton (less than Gucci and only handbags or wallets, only Monogram Canvas, never saw a Vernis o MC, just twice a jeans); I was mainly in Venice, maybe it is because of so many tourists, but I saw a lot of D & G, (hey, I adore Paola & Chiara's music!!! and they are fans of D & G), and Gucci, above all. And also Puma! 7) yes we love the sun, sunbathing is a must in summer, people is very careful to the damages of the sun now but in the past people used to take sun without any protection! And you're right a looot of woman smokes, also when they are pregnant or with small babies and I HATE this!!!

I just bought some sun lotion from La Roche Posay in 55 + (Anthelios) that I used in Europe...great stuff if you are oily and want a gel..otherwise, get the Anthelios Lait 45+.......) but I was surprised to see someone pregnant smoking.

Dang, I adore Europe and the ladies who are so fashionable...so please, feel free to "fill me in!!!"

Hey, thank you for correcting me and giving new info. Mercie et grazie molto!!!!! And I am so glad I didn't offend you. I never meant to!

This thread is great! I hope to go to Europe next year...just have to stop buying bags and save, save, save!!!!! LOL!!!!!!

For the ladies who traveled to Europe, HOW DO THE WOMEN tie their scarves? I'm always curious to know because I love scarves, but i feel like an airline stewardess when i tie it on. any suggestions as to how the euros do it.

BE CAREFUL IN PARIS. the pickpockets are quick. my family and i were staying near the moulin rouge; we got onto a metro that was crowded. we didn't know about pickpockets. my dad left his wallet in his backpocket. some guys caused a diversion and pushed my dad into the metro and at the next stop they all left the train with $200US. my dad noted it right away. we proceeded to have a very bad day in paris. i spilled hot coco all over my white jeans. had to go back to the hotel to change. then we were stopped by the police because we were helping a fellow american find his way in paris, and the police thought we were conducting a DRUG exchange behind the guy's map. we were separated, and had a 20 minute ordeal with the police trying to explain. they finally believed us after seeing our american passports. ALL IN ONE DAY!!

i'm hoping now that i'm married, my husband, who speaks french fluently and is better traveled than i am, will take me to Paris and erase the bad memories of that day.

Otherwise i love Paris, it's a beautiful city, very romantic. And I love the fashion sense of both men and women.

i'm intrigued to know which Chanel bags are considered old woman and which are considered okay to be carried by young people.

Originally Posted by babyhart

For the ladies who traveled to Europe, HOW DO THE WOMEN tie their scarves? I'm always curious to know because I love scarves, but i feel like an airline stewardess when i tie it on. any suggestions as to how the euros do it. <SNIP>

A friend showed me one way, that I tend to use. The scarves I've bought tend to be fairly volumous, and I'm talking about scarves that are long, not square like Hermes. Take the two ends and drape them over the shoulders creating a loose drape in front of your neck (from your front to your back); cross the ends over the back of your neck and then bring the two ends back over to your front to hang down. There should be a loose drape in the front accentuated by the two ends hanging on either side. You can adjust the scarf to hand as loose or tight as you wish.

I hope that is understandable! :-)

And sorry about the problems you had on your trip....sadly, you have to be really hyper-careful about pick pockets in Paris, *especially* in the metro.

I think that the women in Italy are very chic dressers. Now, I was only in larger cities, Milan, Venice, but young Italian women seem to dress a little more sultry than in other countries, except perhaps in the south of France, around Nice, the Riviera, etc. I noticed often they had long hair, and wore very lux materials; nice leather, cashmere, etc. They always had a great bag, Gucci, D & G, and wore this with - "slancio" - a dashing flair. Lots of really lovely gold jewelry. And colors - when you get to Italy, suddenly people wear color, instead of the typical Euro uniform of blue, grey, black, beige, etc. Women wear peach, mint, rose, aqua, ruby. I love to shop for clothes and scarves in Italy, because I'm enamored of the gorgeous colors.

This is a great example of what I admired:

I was at a cafe in Verona and saw a woman waiting patiently on her Vespa at a red light . She had on an elegant dress in deep gold and chocolate colors, a honey colored scarf around her neck, gold accessories, her purse, and four inch heels. Her long dark hair streamed out from under her helmet. She was all set - in four inch heels! to speed away on her Vespa for the evening out.

Now dang, that's style. :-)))

I can't drive a car in four inch heels. It amazed me to see so many European women negotiate cobblestones and not forgo their heels. I still don't know how they do it, but I admire it. :-)

Wow this is really intersting... I love french style sounds elegant I'm surpsed they don;'t ahve morechanel...

So what handbags are you ladies seeing in Paris right now?

TIA!

I was in Paris earlier this year and I noticed ladies wearing Balenciaga and LV. A few gucci sightings, but mostly LV.

I did buy my reissue there! I definitely liked the style there simple yet understated, but I also went to Japan and the fashion there was amazing. If anything it supercedes Paris - Winter season IMO.

^^So what bags where the Japanese women carrying?

Originally Posted by elodiel

I can't drive a car in four inch heels. It amazed me to see so many European women negotiate cobblestones and not forgo their heels. I still don't know how they do it, but I admire it. :-)

Haha this is a nice topic.My mom is Italian and my dad is French, and although I grew up in Rome I'll move to Paris to be with my boyfriend very soon.That said, as far as I can remember my mom always wore heels, so it's sort of natural for me too, regardless off the cobblestones I think the heels are more of an Italian thing, because in France I don't remember seeing people wearing them as much as we do.

Hell, I even learned how to drive in my high heeled boots during winter

Originally Posted by Luccibag

I was in Paris a month ago. I brought one of my Chanel reissues with me. More than worrying about possible THEFT of my bags, I really worried about STINKIN EM UP. There was one night in particular that rained and the doors and windows were closed, no one ate outside, and I sat next to CHAIN SMOKERS. One after the other, after the other, ALL night. Luckily it was a block from my hotel, so DH ran my bag back to the room! Unlike the US, they can smoke all they want in restaurants. Oh, Artofaquisition, I'd recommend the Hotel Lotti.

I am sorry you had to deal with it but this is Europe and the mentality is different, the culture is different, the people are different. I am sorry but this is how it is. It is also difficult for europeans to come to your country(US) and accept all the strict rules and obey them... Paris is a historic city known for it's avant-guard people that drunk and smoked a lot in little taverns or coffee shops and exchanged ideas in art, poetry or politics! It runs trough their veins...

Finally when i go to Paris i see mostly LV. The majority of women are pretty and slim but never overdressed or wearing too much makeup...

Very interesting thread. Thanks so much for your inputs, ladies!

At the time we have a lot of fake LV, barely chanel. if so it's more older ladies. I'd say that the trend is leather Longchamp bag. I am not from Paris but saw identical behaviour as in the South everytime i went there

I saw a lot of balenciaga, chloe, most of them like to wear flats. They all have a very natural look, no make up, a subtil tan.

love this thread! Keep it coming ladies, especially the Parisians.