As I said in my Paris style post, Europe this Fall was all about black, grey, skinny jeans, and boots. I did my best to not stick out like a sore American thumb. Not because I was worried about being fashionable but just because there is enough stress from being in an unfamiliar country where you don’t speak the language.
The biggest thing that made me feel awkward and isolated, was not knowing the customs. The Paris cafe, bakery, and shops culture is so much more complicated than here in the US and it felt like we were continually doing the wrong thing lol. I think Carrie from SATC summed up being an American girl in Paris best for me when she said “It’s harder than I thought”. So, when it came to what I wore during our vacation, I was less adventurous than normal and just wanted to lay low this go round.

Here is what I wore and didn’t wear in Europe:

Bottoms:
1-M+O black skinny jeans- Indispensable!
2-M+O dark wash straight leg jeans
3-Paige dark wash boot cut jeans

The above 3 are all the bottoms I wore on the trip. Each pair of jeans is hemmed long for a heeled shoe. The skinny and straight leg jeans could be cuffed to wear with flats. Btw- I saw many, many Parisians and Germans converting straight or skinny jeans into capris with a large cuff.

What I didn’t wear- JC dark grey felted wool mini- it was perfectly in fashion but it just felt too warm and humid for me to be into wearing wool. H&M black dress-If I would have had tall black boots, I probably would have worn this but I didn’t like it with flats and didn’t wear the heeled black boots I packed

What I wish I had packed- My AA interlock pencil skirt in plum -This lightweight skirt in a darker color would have layered well. Another pair of skinny or straight black jeans- I just wore the heck out of the M+O pair, they fit in so well. A pair of skinny black cotton ankle pants would have been nice as well. I would not have worn a khaki colored pant.

Tops:
1-JC navy corsage tee- Dark with mild embellishment, worked well
2-Gap sheer black s/s button up- Nice and lightweight
3-M+O grey cashmere silk sweater -Wore this a couple times, great for the cool evenings
4-M+O purple scoopneck sweater -A little too warm
5-JC white navy striped boatneck- This mostly white top felt too bright
6-AE Black and white striped tneck- Tissue tnecks are a winner, wore this twice
7-JC Rose tee- Wore this a couple times, the champagne is a good alternative to darker colors but not as bright as white.
8-AA grey vneck tee- Perfect, very basic but a little edgy with the deep v
9-Tank tops- Such a relief to change into after sweating in the Metro

What I didn’t wear- JC red cashmere sweater-too bright and too warm. Anthro blouses -too frilly and girly!

What I wish I had packed-More basic dark colored tees! I wish I would have bought a few more deep v or scoopneck tees before the trip because I didn’t have time to seek them out during. I found I didn’t have to worry much about a neckline being too low because I wore a scarf almost every day and you can hide any cleavage behind the scarf when it feels inappropriate or awkward.

Jackets and sweaters:
1- AE Boyfriend blazer- I wore this a lot! Perfect, fitted layer for cool mornings and was easy to put in dh’s backpack when it warmed up
2-JC navy Jackie cardigan- Again, perfect for layering!
3-JC Wool/cashmere shawl collar sweater- Very cozy on the airplane and cool evenings
4- Anthro Inverness trench- I wore this a lot. It was great in Germany where it was not as humid and also in Paris until it got really warm in the afternoon I was able to roll it up to fit in dh’s backpack (poor guy carried everything!) I loved the coat because I could look stylish even though I was wearing very basic clothes underneath.

What I didn’t wear-JC red peacoat sweater- Almost wore this but caved because it is so, so bright. AE Vintage blazer- Good style and color but just a little too warm

What I wish I had packed- I wish I would have bought a couple more Jackie cardigans in black, grey, or dk purple before the trip. It was the perfect weight, where as the wool cardigans I have are too warm

Shoes!
1-Juxtaposition booties- Even though these booties have a heel , I wore the heck out of them. All over Germany and Paris, over cobblestone, climbing hills to castles, etc. The boots were comfortable and fashionable. No blisters, rarely sore feet at all. The only day I had a problem with my feet hurting in them was the day we went to the Louvre. The Louvre is HUGE and there are so many stairs, so many *cries* lol. Honestly, the Louvre kicked my ass but it wouldn’t have mattered what shoes I wore.
2-Adidas- I wore my sneakers on the plane, to Disneyland, and one or two other days. They have great thick soles but they made my feet SO hot on the humid days. I hated them for that. Luckily the day we went to Disney it was cool, so they worked well that day
3-Flats- I bought my ON black flats and Delman nude flats but I rarely wore them. The soles were too thin (even the padded Delmans) and it just felt like I was walking barefoot on cobblestone. I did use them to change into after a full day in another shoe, when we were just leaving for a bit to grab a bit to eat. I really only brought them as an alternate, I wasn’t expecting to wear them much since I have high arches and they hurt my back.

What I didn’t wear- Ann Taylor booties- I really wanted a black boot for the trip so I bought the AT’s at the last minute. Although they are comfortable to walk in, I didn’t end up wearing them because I worried the thinnish heel would fall down into the street grates and cobbles and get ruined.

What I wish I had packed- Low thicker heeled knee high black boots would have been so in fashion and cute but it is hard to find a really comfortable pair. I really wish I would have packed a flat, shortie boot in black. I decided I absolutely had to have a pair as soon as I got back. (Btw- I have ordered the Anthro Cuttle (aka Sam Edelman Leah) boots from Revolve to see if they fit the bill)

Accessories:
1- Scarf-As you have seen, I picked up a beige/grey/black scarf from H&M as soon as I got to Germany. I wore it just about every day. I love how it ties all the different neutrals together.

What I didn’t wear-Since I was wearing the scarf I didn’t wear any necklaces. I didn’t wear much jewelry at all really because I was constantly having to layer and unlayer! Any jewelry would have probably gotten all tangled up and possibly lost.

What I wish I had packed- Black and brown rough leather belts about an inch wide would have been on trend and cute with jeans.
A studded accessory, a slouchy hand bag or skinny belt, would have been cool.

One more thing I noticed in Paris, a lot of ladies were wearing slightly sheer black tights instead of completely opaque. This might be good news for me since I feel my legs look weird and stocky in flat opaque black.

If you want to see any of the pieces I list here, take a look back to Sept and my packing thread HERE