French Fall Fashion 101

Before coming to Toulouse I wondered what to pack for France. Now that I have already lugged around two 50 lb. suitcases and 7 pairs of shoes and sat for hours people-watching I know the answer to that question.

Here in Toulouse summer is changing into fall. Crisp mornings, cool nights, and chilly breezes throughout the day force the end of tank tops and short skirts. There is no need for air conditioning; simply leave a window cracked. Although I've only been here ten days I have walked the streets in Toulouse enough to recognize the changing weather and the chic french fashion trending for the fall. Let me explain....
When packing to come here I really only needed one suitcase and 3 pairs of shoes, according to the clothing that 8 out of every 10 french girls wear. For my feet I only seem to need a pair of flats, boots, and black heels. Honestly, I've noticed the feet walking by and most are housed in the aforementioned footwear. If you cannot abide heels, or perhaps flats, then note that black Converse seem to be an acceptable substitute in the trio of necessary shoes in Toulouse.
Moving up the body.... I packed dresses, skirts, shorts, jeans, trousers, and leggings. Covering one's legs is a way simpler affair in 'la ville rose'. Stick to dark wash, well fitted jeans (or khakis) or black leggings. That's it, that's all. Toulousiennes, men and women no matter the age, adore dark wash jeans. When dirty, switch to a well fitted pair of khakis. The leggings are more of a feminine fashion staple due to their form fitting manner.


While packing, I felt like I simply could not part with certain tops and blouses. At least I hit the fashion nail on the head with that decision! The bottom half of the body doesn't change that much day to day. But the top half is a show! All sorts of pretty blouses and tunics, tees, mini dresses, and light jackets streaming by everyday while I people-watch!!! I could go on and on!  I want to mention is the necessity for a black blazer and a grey cardigan when packing. The French girls of college age here in Toulouse love love love to layer, yet the favorite choice for the top layer seems to be the blazer or cardigan. With the sleeves rolled up or down, the buttons done or undone, these two are musts!
Rounding out this examination of fall fashion here in Toulouse .....the purse! It's as much a part of the outfit as the shoes and just as important since this staple will hold everything from milk and sandwiches to newly purchased clothing to schoolbooks to fruit, and sometimes all those things at once! The typical purses I've seen are definitely heavy duty. Every color of the rainbow, and all textures on earth, these vessels have one thing in common. They are huge, they zip closed tighter than Fort Knox, they have lots of pockets, and they have both short carrying straps and a shoulder strap. It's really a psychological study, the female and her purse. I imagine that the reason for such a monstrosity of a bag that one must carry on and off crowded metros and buses and down busy streets will make itself apparent after a few weeks of school. More on that subject later I think.

If you really want to look chic and french remember to dress slightly monochromatic. Entire outfits of varying shades of grey and khaki are completely acceptable. And black from head to toe is always a good choice. In fact, black shows up in every one's attire whether it's the shoes, the purse, whatever. In America we tend to think of black as a somber color but it can be very simple and pretty.

So, there we are. Like I said, I only needed one suitcase and 3 pairs of shoes after all! Tant pis! We'll see how the fashions progress as winter sets in a few months from now!
-Tam in Toulouse