I wore a long, loose cotton dress, black with flowers on it, with mid-length sleeves. It was attractive, cool, comfortable, met all the local standards of decency, did not show the dirt, was easy to wash. It could be removed to reveal shorts and tank top when hiking beyond the towns and villages. It rolled up and stashed easily in my day pack and could be donned again when the next village came in sight. It was the most versatile piece of clothing I packed for my whole trip.
Sara, Abbotsford,Canada

Visiting Fiji? Always wear a sarong where ever you go...especially if you go visiting villages and small communities. The villages are the best places to get the ultimate Fiji-time experience, and you must get permission from the village chief to visit his people. If you have bare legs, you may not be allowed to stay; and that would be horrible! I loved Fiji!
Nancy, Edmonton, Canada

A lot of the Fijian women wear longer skirts most often, especially at the markets. There is no real way not to stick out in Fiji, but at the markets, tell them you're a local or they will pester you to buy their crafts. Beautiful Country and Beautiful People. I loved every second of Fiji.
Robin, Halifax, Canada

Finns dress stylishly but conservatively. I traveled to Finland during Feb. and March and it gets really cold so dress for the weather -- down coat, hat, gloves and long johns. Waterproof, non-slip boots are a must, as it snows constantly. Out of concern for the environment, Finland does not use rock salt when it snows.
Donna, New York City, USA

Finnish ladies have a very conservative style that appears to be driven more by the weather than by current fashions. Its easy to see why with temperatures dropping below zero during winter time. Bring lots of turtlenecks and nice-looking skinny jeans. Most women wear nice brown or black boots with the jeans tucked into them. Make sure if you come in winter or to Helsinki during any time of the year you don't bring any expensive shoes with skinny or high heels. In winter the streets and sidewalks are coated with ice as they do not use rock salt and the streets in Helsinki will tear up your high heels because the streets and sidewalks are all very old and made from bricks. As far as coats are concerned, anything that keeps you warm is acceptable regardless of shape, color, or material. If you are traveling to Lappland in the winter there is absolutely no need to look fashionable. Just keep warm!!! Snowpants, boots, hats, scarves, insulated mittens, and long underwear are necessities! If you try to look fashionable here when it's that cold you will just look foolish!
Ashley, Chicago, USA

No skin! The more conservative you dress the stronger you appear. For example, when I took my first trip to Paris alone I wore a nice pair of kakhis, a crew neck sweater and a nice, but comfortable pair of shoes. Also, my carryon baggage was neat and even beyond clothing ... if I ever felt that I was being looked at I did not smile a lot. I kept my head high and shoulders back. There is nothing that will repel someone more than the realization that a woman is self assured and knows what she's doing. If they get the impression that you'd tell them to knock off if they approached you then you're going to feel much more secure!
Haley, Columbus, USA

Wear black and lots of it. Hanging out in Paris in January is cold and can be extremely damp. Pack a long black skirt, a couple of pairs of black tights, a big black sweater (a few colored heavy scarves), black jeans, shirts and or turtle necks to layer under the sweater, a hat and you're off. To guard against pick pockets, don't carry a purse, but rather wear a money belt and tuck it underneath your clothes. There's nothing nicer than having free hands to take pictures, etc. Bring a pair of black boots (low heel) that you'd be able to walk about five miles in. But please, don't ever wear tennis shoes.
Margaret, Williamsburg, USA

I travelled to Paris in December - a scarf is a must! Everyone wears a scarf, they can be any color and any material and when you get home you won't know how you ever got by without one in the past. Younger people do wear sneakers occasionally, but European sneakers are not the same as U.S. - they look a lot more like bowling shoes. Plenty of high heeled boots and leather pants on women of EVERY age. Remember, to look truly like an American tourist, just wear a baseball cap and hang a camera around your neck (this works for whatever country you're in).
Julie, Rockhill, USA

Avoid wearing tennis shoes (Nikes etc.) because it tells everyone you're a tourist. Black shoes are a necessity if you want to go into most nightclubs. Also, bring along black pants and try to avoid jeans. Black is very common and works well for traveling (small stains don't show up).
Julie, Minneapolis, USA

Wear a tame knee length skirt, flat shoes amd a tame top suitable for the weather.
Amber, Akron, France

French women are by American standards always dressed up. If you don't wear black high heeled shoes and a scarf (or sweater) around your neck, you'll be spotted as an American from a mile away...not that that's a bad thing, just something to keep in mind.
Megan, Toledo, USA

The Parisian women dress with style and if you don't approximate a little bit of it yourself, you'll feel under dressed and dowdy. Bring along some scarves, costume jewelry and forget your jeans and white athletic shoes. I've discovered a wonderful fabric that drapes beautifully without being revealing. It is lightweight and doesn't wrinkle and comes in several dark colors--brown, black, purple, navy. I bought my pieces at Chico's and they call it "scrunchy". It is also available as Supplex through TravelSmith.
Trisha, Atlanta

In Paris, in order not to be perceived with disdain, leave your baseball cap & sneakers in the hotel room. Save them for tramping around Roman sites away from the city.
Alix, Toronto, Canada

When visiting Paris, "dress up" more than you would in most other places. This involves a creative use of scarves, costume jewelry, decent looking shoes and watching what the Parisian women wear. This may be the one city in which you abandon jeans, athletic shoes and warm-up suits for a more attractive form of dress.
Trisha, Atlanta, USA

In France, as in most of Europe, women "of a certain age" dress their age, i.e., a skirt or slacks (no blue jeans or shorts) and proper shoes (no running shoes). By "of a certain age" I mean everybody over around 30.

If you want to look French, use black as your basic color and wear a scarf somewhere on your body (around your neck, your hair, your waist, or tied to your purse).

Looking as if you belong protects you from "draguers" on the street who sometimes follow foreign-looking women, asking them for a match or for directions to some well-known site. Do not think that if you dress down (in other words, look unattractive and grubby) it will protect you from the advances of men. Dress poorly and you will only attract a lower class of weirdo! Frenchwomen like to make the most of their appearance. If you do, you will blend in.

One last tip: don't smile too much. Frenchwomen don't; it's considered a come-on.
Karen, Seattle, USA

Nobody in Paris ever wears sweatpants. I think it is the only city in the world in which if you are a young woman, you must wear a tight miniskirt in order NOT to be stared at.

People here actually wear leather pants just to go to the grocery store.
Jennifer Wade, Cambridge, USA

Yes, of course you can wear fashionable jeans in Paris, and sneakers as well. However, make sure your sneakers are what I call "sophisticated city sneakers", not big white sneakers devoted to sport. Those big ones are a no-no here. Also, as in every big city be careful about your purse. Always keep it in front of you, and don't keep too much money in the same place. I've seen so many kids in a crowded subway trying to open tourist's bags! Take care and have fun in Paris.
Caroline, Paris, France

I lived in France for a year. Many French women put a great deal of time and energy into their appearance. They can spend hours on personal grooming -- hair, nails, less is more make-up -- and deciding what to wear. Even when they dress casually, French women give their clothing a great deal of thought. They are taught from an early age to make the most of what they have. If you want to blend in but don't want to wear black I would recommend going for an "English Country" classic look -- neutral blazers, jackets, suits, blouses, skirts, dress pants, raincoats -- with special attention to the details. The easiest accent is the neck scarf. And I did see women wearing blue jeans in France -- at museums, on the weekends, walking their beloved dogs -- even women of a certain age -- but the jeans were crisply ironed and worn with tweed blazers, blouses and high heeled-boots.
Kate, USA

Paris is one of the most sophisticated cities I have ever traveled to. French women of all ages know the art of dressing in a very fashionable manner. Having been there a couple of times, I recommend wearing some cute scarves (around your waist, in your hair, or around your neck) and stylish, yet comfortable clothing. I recommend wearing palazzo pants or knit trousers (New York & Company's city knit collection is great because it is very classy, easy to pack, and wrinkle-free) along with nice tops or blouses. This type of clothing served me very well in Paris and other cities in European countries. Keep in mind that when in Paris and other places throughout France for that matter, you will do a lot of walking. Look for shoes that you will feel comfortable walking in all day long. With that said, don't break in new shoes when going to Paris for the first time. Allow yourself some time to break them in at home before leaving on your trip. The good news about shoes is that you don't have to sacrifice style for comfort. I found a really cute pair of shoes that I wore while in France and I didn't have any problems at all with my feet. Jeans are great to wear as well, but don't wear faded soccer mom jeans with the tapered legs! Jeans with a bootcut or flare leg are good. No-no's include white sneakers, wearing fanny packs around your waist and wearing cameras around your neck. You will be spotted as an American tourist right away! I recommend taking along a larger purse. Before leaving for my trip to Paris, I found a purse that was large enough to hold my wallet, passport, camera, and travel-sized umbrella without the purse being too big and feeling too heavy. Just be sure to guard your purse carefully, as Paris is known for having many pickpockets in tourist areas and on the metro. By exercising caution, you won't have any problems. Have a wonderful time in France and be careful!
Therese, St. Louis, USA